Valley of the Sun Desert Detox

While the temperature in Arizona is averaging triple digits, I find that I feel best maintaining a raw diet. Eating raw provides the body with valuable enzymes, highly bioavailable minerals and vitamins, fiber, and plenty of water to wash it all down. Eating raw also leads to faster assimilation and absorption of nutrients, more efficient digestion and elimination, thourough detoxification of the bodies tissues and organs, and a faster overall metabolism.

The raw diet is easiest to maintain in high temperature climates but can be practiced easily in the cold with the addition of warm raw soups and occasional lightly steamed veggies. Following this detox diet over the Arizona summer will lead to weight loss and a lot more energy for more fun in the sun, so get out your bathing suits! You will experience a huge boost in energy levels because the body will no longer be spending most of its energy on digestion, instead the energy goes towards your personal air conditioning unit by stripping away extra insulation (fat), cleaning the filters (getting rid of toxins), and adding freeon (high water content, nutrient dense foods/drinks)

Take advantage of the natural desert sauna we call the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix and surrounding cities) and try my 'Valley of the Sun Desert Detox' this summer.


Here are 6 Steps to Detoxify Your Way Through the Arizona Summer:


1. Drink only filtered water, lemon water, fresh organic vegetable/low sugar fruit juices, iced herbal teas, green drinks, and green smoothies before Noon

2. Snack on high water content organic low sugar fruits and vegetables until three hours prior to when you go to bed.

3. Three hours prior to bed, eat a delicious 3 course raw meal consisting of:

-Appetizer: Salad, any raw vegetable recipe (vegweb, goneraw, rawguru, rawmazing, simplyraw)

-Entre: Raw soup (warmed no higher than 104 degrees F), raw fish (sashimi), 'rare' cooked organic grass fed beef on occasion (on days of grueling activity such as: hard hiking, climbing, heavy lifting, long day of strenuous yard work, etc.)

-Dessert: Small bowl of low glycemic load fruits with a couple tablespoons of nut butter and dash of cinnamon

4. Enjoy multiple daily walks in the heat. Take advantage of the natural desert sauna. Saunas offer many benefits such as:

-Increases heart rate by 50-75%, get the same benefits as a hard workout from a casual 'sweat walk'
-Increased bloodflow, increased oxygen supply throughout the body, increased lymph flow
-Detoxifying through sweating. Remember the skin is the largest organ of the body and a third of the body's waste is eliminated through the skin.
-Stimulates the immune system and increases the production of disease fighting white blood cells, and antibodies
-Offers relief from pain and stiffness in joints and muscles

NOTE: Walk longer in the morning during cooler temperatures (below 95F), a few short walks (10-15 minutes) in the afternoon during the hotter temperatures (95+F), and another longer walk in the evening when it cools off again (below 95F). ALWAYS CARRY PLENTY OF WATER

5. Practice yoga outside in the afternoon heat. Why pay for Bikram yoga in a heated room when you can practice your sun salutations outside? There's an idea, actually practicing your sun salutation facing the sun.

6. Cool off by taking cold showers/ice baths.

Cold showers/ice baths have the following positive effects (via earthclinic):

* Brings blood to the capillaries, therefore increasing circulation throughout the body.
* Cleans the circulatory system.
* Reduces blood pressure on internal organs.
* Provides flushing for the organs and provides a new supply of blood.
* Strengthens the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems.
* Contracts the muscles to eliminate toxins and poisonous wastes.
* Strengthens the mucous membranes, which help resist hay fever, allergies, colds, coughs.


By practicing my desert lifestyle, you will learn to enjoy the Arizona summer by looking at it from a health perspective rather than a discomfort perspective. After a couple years living like this you will reach a lean and healthy state where you will no longer experience such dramatic feelings of discomfort at high temperatures. I can tell you from years of personal experience that when I maintain 4-7% bodyfat I hardly sweat the heat (unless directly in the sun, or doing something active). My body is able to better acclimate to the high desert temperatures by eliminating excess body fat. I LOVE Arizona summer!