common questions of detox do's and detox don'ts, detox WILLS and detox WON'TS!

1) Question:
Agave nectar: yay or nay?


Answer: the quick answers are 1) I'd nix the agave altogether from your diet because ultimately it's not at all 'raw' or 'natural' as the labels claim. Sally Fallen Merrill from the Weston A. Price Foundation says it best I think:

"Agave “nectar” is not made from the sap of the yucca or agave plant but from the starch of the giant pineapple-like, root bulb. The principal constituent of the agave root is starch, similar to the starch in corn or rice, and a complex carbohydrate called inulin, which is made up of chains of fructose molecules.Technically a highly indigestible fiber, inulin, which does not taste sweet, comprises about half of the carbohydrate content of agave.

The process by which agave glucose and inulin are converted into “nectar” is similar to the process by which corn starch is converted into HFCS. The agave starch is subject to an enzymatic and chemical process that converts the starch into a fructose-rich syrup—anywhere from 70 percent fructose and higher according to the agave nectar chemical profiles posted on agave nectar websites.

Compare that to the typical fructose content of high fructose corn syrup (55%)!" To sum it up in layman's terms? Agave nectar is a big fat scam and you'd be better off eating regular sugar!

2) Question: How bout Honey? What's your take?
Answer: I think RAW honey is perfect if you're NOT yeasted, HOWEVER, the majority of females ARE yeasted (again, this deserves it's own post) but I would say "yes" if it's raw (by "raw", I mean, it’s honey that has never been heated above the temperature of the beehive. When raw honey is heated above this temperature, so that it might be poured into containers, it loses all of its health benefits.


but like agave, it contains around 40-60 calories and whopping 16 grams of carbs/TB. The upside of honey is that it is absorbed slowly and what I do love about honey is that the bees have added a special enzyme to the nectar that divides the sucrose into glucose and fructose -- two simple sugars for our bodies can absorb directly (unlike sugar). There is a lot more that could be said with regards to this topic but in short, both raw honey and stevia actually leave behind an alkaline ash. (Regular honey, agave and sugar, on the contrary, are acidic, and therefore leave behind an acidic ash. It's this negative charge we are aiming for while undergoing any cleanse so as to stave off the yeast in our bodies. Stevia (I prefer Nu Naturals) is an ideal sweetener because it contains no calories, is natural and not only leaves an alkaline ash but starves yeast in the body. I carry stevia packets in my purse wherever I go. 

3) Question: As for snacks, would edamame be ideal for grazing since they are raw, rich in protein and relatively healthy? 


Answer: As for edamame for grazing--beans are NOT ideal if you are trying to lose weight or become super lean. But if your goal is not to lose weight then it would be okay if they were eaten 2-3 hours before dinner and by themselves (maybe some salt and lemon to taste) but you don't want to miscombine them if you are trying to detoxify.