The best way to detox body, mind and spirit

Over the years, the number of guests seeking a raw food detox retreat at Casa Verde Raw – Hiking – Yoga Retreat has increased dramatically.

It’s really no surprise, most of us live in a polluted world, pursuing a high-stress career and eating food that is riddled with chemicals. We spend hours glued to a screen, unable to find sufficient time to spend outdoors, exercising and meditating.

Many of our guests will testify that their retreat experience was the best way to detox body, mind and spirit, enabling continued improvements to overall health and wellbeing even after returning home.

Learn more about our raw food detox yoga retreats and book yours today.

In the following article, we will get into why you might need a raw food detox retreat, the benefits of a detox cleanse, a detox foods list and ways to start detoxing today.

Table of Contents

Why do you need a health detox retreat?

A health detox retreat addresses the toxic load that wreaks havoc on our health and wellbeing over time, presenting itself as lethargy, brain fog, addictions, inflammation, infertility, pain, insomnia, disease, cancer…and can even be passed on to fetuses.

It’s a dirty world. Ever since the industrial revolution, pollutants have been released into our environment with increasing frequency and amounts. Imagine how much of this you have accumulated in your body!

There are few places left in the world that are not affected; even polar bears in the north pole are contaminated with PCB’s and heavy metals. Chemicals in our food, water, air, homes, cleaning products, clothing, furniture, etc, accumulate in our cells and fat (a favorite storage area).

Just like we clean our homes in the spring, it’s a good idea to do a yearly “cleanse” or “detox”.

Raw food cuisine is the perfect internal scrub brush. Crammed with vital vitamins, enzymes, phytonutrients, minerals and fiber, low in calories (and no animal protein or fat) these nutrients are easy to digest and absorb and begin to sweep the body clean. At our raw food detox retreats, we also only drink pristine spring water to help flush toxins out through urine.

Modern living is so very demanding. The people that arrive at our raw food and yoga detox retreats are exhausted. Can you relate?

Along with our 100% raw vegan alkaline detox diet, we believe in the power of quality downtime. After active mornings of yoga and hiking, guests rest in the afternoons so their bodies can do other meaningful things like repair damaged cells and reconstruct broken systems.

Without exception, guests leave the retreat feeling lighter, brighter, clearer, cleaner, leaner, more enthused.

By the end of my stay, I felt like a new man. Wendy has done for me what no doctor or specialist have ever been able to do and in the span of only 8 days! I highly recommend spending a week to ten days with Wendy Green

Simon, Canada

Benefits of gut reset cleanse

Most detox diets are essentially gut reset cleanse. You’re adjusting your food and drink, which will, in turn, have a direct effect on your gut health. Depending on the length of detox, you may experience the following during and after your gut reset cleanse:

Digestive improvements – An obvious one, but still with mentioning! Improving your digestive system will improve your health. It’s as simple as that. Through a gut reset cleanse, you will increase good bacteria in your digestive tract. By removing harmful foods from your diet, your body will be better able to eliminate waste and absorb nutrients.

Metabolism reset – By cleaning the body of both internal and external toxins, other systems are more likely to work efficiently, such as the kidneys, lymph, skin and, of course, your bowels.

Reduced sugar cravings (and other food) – Eliminating these from your diet will also eliminate cravings. Many people nowadays are addicted to sugar and, if you’re one of them, try to follow a longer detox cleanse to ensure you make it through sugar withdrawal. Consider the below 5-day juice cleanse plan, or an even longer raw food cleanse. Our 7 day raw food and yoga retreats might be just what you need.

Improved natural immunity – Our bodies are, fortunately, healing machines, but when they are overloaded with toxins and never catch a break from digesting and (trying to) absorb nutrients, they start to gradually collapse. Detox cleanses often reduce the amount of food consumed while also replacing your normal diet with healthy, nutrient-rich ingredients. Not only are you giving your body more space and time to rebuild and regenerate, you are pumping it with the vitamins, minerals and nutrients it needs to do it with GREAT efficacy.

Decreased inflammation – One of the first things you’ll notice on a detox cleanse is reduced inflammation, both externally and internally. Externally, your eyes may look less puffy, if your kidneys were struggling, your skin will also look less puffy. If you can observe these changes on the outside, think about the benefits occurring internally!

Feel revitalized – Age is just a number and, regardless of your age, a detox cleanse will leave you feeling fresh, healthy and younger. There might be a few days where you feel groggy, weak, “hangry” and possibly going through a serious sugar withdrawal, but if you make it through these early stages, you will reap the amazing benefits of a detox cleanse.

We promise you, it’s worth it.

How do our bodies detox naturally?

Our bodies are extremely efficient at flushing toxins, waste and dead cells. The organs responsible for this amazing work are the liver, kidneys, colon, lungs, skin and lymphatic system. When overloaded, however, they are unable to maintain a toxin-free environment. That’s when it’s time to commit to a raw food detox retreat.

Colon: Solid food waste passes through and out of our bodies through the colon. Fiber normally makes elimination easier.

Liver and kidneys: Toxins in our food and liquids must pass through our liver and kidneys. These organs will either neutralize or pass the toxins through and out of our body through the colon and in our urine.

Skin: Without our skin and its functions, we would quickly be overloaded with toxins. It is especially important if our kidneys aren’t functioning optimally.

Lymphatic system: This network of tiny vessels is found in all parts of body tissue and carries lymph, which is a fluid responsible for removing dead cells, waste, bacteria and large proteins from our tissues.

Lungs: These essential organs are the ultimate air filter and help us eliminate carbon dioxide, toxins from air pollution and even alcohol.

Detox Foods To Eat List

You might not be able to plan your raw food detox retreat yet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start detoxing. Here is a detox foods list to get you started. These foods will support your detox process and are high in vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list, but definitely enough to get you started! Always choose fresh, organic produce when possible.

Raw detox food list

Fresh vegetables – aim for variety! Make sure to wash well

Artichoke
Arugula
Baby Spinach
Bamboo Shoots
Bok Choy
Asparagus
Avocado
Beets
Bell Peppers
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Cherry Tomatoes
Chilies
Collard
Cucumber
Eggplant
Fennel
Garlic
Green Onions
Jalapeno Peppers
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leek
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Olives
Onions
Okra
Parsnip
Peas
Pumpkin
Radishes
Rhubarb
Shallots
Spring Greens
Sprouts
Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Turnip
Watercress
Zucchini

Fresh fruit – only 2–3 pieces per day, avoid melons and grapes

Apples
Apricots
Avocado
Bananas
Blackberries
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Cherries
Clementines
Coconut
Cucumber
Currants
Durian
Figs
Grapefruit
Grapes
Guava
Jackfruit
Kiwis
Kumquats
Lemons
Limes
Lychees
Mangoes
Nectarines
Oranges
Papayas
Passionfruit
Peaches
Persimmon
Physalis
Plums
Pomegranate
Raspberries
Strawberries
Watermelon

Dried fruit

Apples
Apricots
Banana Chips
Golden berries
Goji Berries
Dates
Dried Currants
Shredded Coconut
Figs
Mango
Mulberries
Dried Papaya
Dried Pineapple
Raisins
Sun-dried tomatoes

Nuts and seeds, but not peanuts

Almonds
Brazil Nuts
Cashews
Chestnuts
Hazelnuts
Macadamia Nuts
Pecans
Pine Nuts
Pistachios
Walnuts

Raw Seeds

Flax Seeds
Chia Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
Hemp Seeds

Raw butters

Raw Tahini
Raw Macadamia Nut
Raw Almond Butter
Raw Cashew Butter
Raw Pistachio Butter

Herbs and spices (always go for FRESH instead of powdered, if possible).

Anise
Basil
Celery Seed
Chamomile
Chili powder
Chives
Cilantro
Clove
Coriander
Cumin
Curry
Dill
Garlic Powder
Ginger
Italian Seasoning
Lemongrass
Marjoram
Nutmeg
Onion Powder
Oregano
Paprika
Parsley
Pepper
Peppermint
Poppy Seed
Red Pepper Flakes
Rosemary
Saffron
Himalayan Pink Salt
Spearmint
Thyme
Turmeric
Vanilla

Sweeteners

Medjool Dates
Organic Maple Syrup
Raw Blue Agave Syrup
Raw Coconut Nectar

Condiments

Coconut Aminos
Nama Shoyo
Tamari
Miso

Fresh vegetable juice and fruit juices (see juice cleanse below)

1 Day Detox Cleanse

Ready for a 1 day detox cleanse following a juice plan? Here’s one you can do every week, if you feel like it.

Try to do this cleanse on a day that isn’t too demanding in terms of work and social obligations. You might feel the need to nap on this day, and napping at work isn’t ideal!

The idea behind this 1 day detox cleanse is to stick to ONE fruit juice of your choice – or carrot juice because of it’s cleansing capabilities.

Don’t drink more than 3 servings of 8 fl oz/230 ml of your juice per day and make sure to dilute each serving with 4 fl oz/115 ml of filtered water. Diluting your juice is essential because fruit juices on their own are too high in natural sugars and will raise your blood sugar levels.

You should drink an additional 2-3 pints (1-2 liters) of other liquid (water) during the day.

Choose from the following and make sure you have enough for a full day cleanse:

Apples
Carrots
Grapes
Grapefruit
Mangoes
Melons
Oranges
Papaya
Peaches
Pears
Pineapples
Strawberries
Watermelon

What does this 1 day juice cleanse plan look like in practice?:

Probably exactly what you might imagine! All juice and no food.

Morning:

Upon waking up, drink some water with a full lemon or lime.
For breakfast, drink a serving of your juice of choice. Remember that this should be diluted.
If you’re thirsty after breakfast, drink herbal tea, water or more lime/lemon juice.
Remember to take it easy today! Go for a walk, do some light yoga and breathing exercises, but nothing that will tire you out too much.

Afternoon:

For “lunch” drink another serving of your juice.

Evening:

Time to drink your final serving of juice. If you’re still thirsty, remember you can drink water, lime/lemon water and/or herbal teas.
Treat yourself to an Epsom salt bath for extra relaxation and cleansing.
Finally, before going to bed, have another glass of lime/lemon water.

5 Day Juice Cleanse Plan

If a 1 day juice cleanse doesn’t seem like enough, try this 5 day juice cleanse plan. The fun part of a longer plan is that you can mix and match juice recipes, switching between fruit and vegetable juices. However, don’t mix these in one sitting as this might cause bloating and discomfort; leave at least 2 hours between drinking fruit juice and drinking vegetable juice during your 5 day juice cleanse plan.

Also, note that this cleanse includes some simple foods, but the juices are the primary detoxifying agents.

As in the 1 day cleanse, drink no more than 8 fl oz/230 ml diluted juice per serving, half an hour before the simple meals.

Always try to use fruit and vegetables that are in season, when possible! Do your shopping in advance to ensure you have all your ingredients handy and consider using fruit that is most ripe at the beginning of your 5 day juice cleanse plan so that it doesn’t go bad before your cleanse is over.

Notice that the veg juices are generally made in the evenings, while the fruit juices are assigned to the morning.

As you test out different juices and flavors, note your favorites for your next cleanse or if you decide to continue for another few days (or more).

“Juice” Plan Schedule – 5 Day Juice Cleanse Plan