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Hey, I'm thinking of going on like a two week raw purge in a couple of weeks (waiting for Winter vacation from school) but I was wondering a couple of things. How long did it take for you to notice effects? I saw the trailer for that Raw for 30 Days documentary and it said after only 4 days they were all off insulin. To me that is just simply incredible!

Hey Doc, welcome!

I can tell you with no uncertainty that the effects are almost immediate. I'm not talking about healing, but state of mind. I feel lighter and have much more energy within days! Some people get tired though, and others may get some emotional detox (sadness, depression - temporary though!)...so everyone's different. Things like inner healing moves at a slower pace though.

Also, when you go back to a regular vegan diet, do all of the effects go away?

After a while, yes. It also depends on what you eat on a cooked vegan diet. How pure is your diet to begin with. Do you eat a lot of soy analogues and cooked grains and processed foods? Or is it mostly a whole plant based cooked diet? You will feel effects either way, but less so if your cooked diet contains more whole foods and less grains like cereals and breads.

Also B12 question! I have some wheatgrass powder that has B12 in it, is that a good source? What other raw sources of b12 are there? And, is the B12 in wheatgrass natural B12?

There is a lot of wrong information out there about B12. There is virtually no need to supplement, IMO. B12 is produced in a healthy gut, and B12 deficiency was first discovered in carnivores. If you do not have a healthy gut, supplementing may not even help much.

There are some definite symptoms from B12 deficieny and unless you have those symptoms and confirm it with a blood test, you should not worry about it, especially for 2 weeks eating raw! You can hardly become deficient in anything in 2 weeks, especially when eating a fresh, raw diet since you are going to be getting thousands of times the nutrient density than you were on a cooked diet.

Last question...what should I drink? I have a good juicer and I will juice in the morning but throughout the day should I just drink water? Or maybe more juices? And can you juice broccoli (dumb question). Sorry for all the questions! Thanks everyone!

You don't have to drink anything special. If you are getting an abundance of fresh fruits, plenty of fresh greens and veggies and some nuts and seeds you may not even be thirsty. If you feel thirsty, then drink.

Unless you like to juice, it isn't necessary. I like to juice citrus fruits myself, such as oranges and grapefruits. I also drink carrot/apple juice most mornings. I would never juice broccoli myself, but if that floats your boat, go ahead. Just juice what looks good to YOU.

LAST QUESTION I promise! What detox(es) should I do to transition into the diet?

You *will* be detoxing at a much higher rate eating a raw food diet because you are eliminating cooked food from your diet. So your body is going to thow off all kinds of things.

To transition to the diet, you can go all raw right away or take it step by step. If you want to go gradually, start each cooked meal with a big bowl of fruit or large green salad. Slowly start replacing your cooked food with more raw food as you feel comfortable. For me it's easier to eat all raw from day one, or I tend not to get there altogether, but you may find it works differently for you.

All the best to you!