Since breaking my Master Cleanse on January 11, I feel like I've done really well in cleaning up my diet. I've been eating A LOT better-incorporating A LOT more raw foods into my diet (although, admittiedly, I have more work to do on the fruit portion of the regime).
Where's the Meat?
Stuck in my colon, that's where :) Over the past two days I've eaten a total of 4 portions of meat (stupid, stupid, stupid!). I've had chicken breasts (2), ground turkey (1) and steamed shrimp (1). Despite consuming raw food along side of all of this protien, I'm feeling all "clogged up" again. I'm not much of a meat eater in the first place, but now I feel like I've thrown a wrench back into my digestive program. Arghhhh! What WAS I thinking? And So....
I decided today that I would embark on a juice fast next week-a much healthier alternative to the MC, but still effective at detoxing my system and giving my digestive system a break.
Why I didn't decide to start ANYTHING as intense as a juice fast this week is due to some tough timing. Here's how my week is shaping up epicuriously:
Wednesday: I have a birthday dinner/bowling party.
Thursday: Dinner with a friend who has come to town (all the way from Alaska).
Saturday: A bachelorette party (Damn...is wine juice?)
Sunday: My husband's holiday party for work (assigned sobriety among a sea of bar and restaurant workers...sigh).
As you can see, starting something as intense as a fast this week would just be setting myself up for failure. Besides, I'm going to really need some detoxing after this week anyway:) In the meantime, I'm juicing a lot and/or eating around 80%-90% raw at every meal.
Length: Undetermined thus far. Taking it day by day this time.
Colon Care: Like the MC, keeping your colon working is mandatory for clearing out the toxins your body dumps during a fast. With no fiber moving through, your GI tract shuts down so you've got to lend a hand. No daily salt water flushes this time. This time I'll keep the colon flowin with a combination of Lax Tea, enimas (another new experience), and mix in some salt water flushes.
I have been keeping up on my exercising, too. Right now I'm trying to fit in 40-50 minutes of cardio per day, plus a mile hike with the dog over moderately difficult terrain. What I'm still lacking is the strength training, but right now I'm more focused on detox and less worried about rebuilding.
Stay tuned...
Monday, January 21, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
Happy Birthday Hubby!
Today is my husband's birthday, and so far, nothing I have eaten has been raw-NADA. Today has been more about eating out, and tonight will be about happy hour drinks, appetizers and eventually, cake and ice cream. In a way that's okay, since on my birthday I was doing the Master Cleanse I do feel some sort of entitlement to eat and drink as I please today. The problem seems to be how it's making me feel-sleepy, puffed up and very full. Am I becoming over-sensitive, or am I just paying better attention to how food makes me feel?
This look is no where nearly as cute on me.
After only a week of eating mostly raw I was already noticing a positive difference in my skin. No more raccoon mask under my eyes and my skin looked more vibrant somehow. My husband even commented on it-even without my prompting him :) After only 1 day of eating "junk", the dark circles under my eyes are back, I look overly tired and I feel bloated. Perfect. That will be a nice look for the 40th birthday party we're invited to tonight. I'll be the 39 year-old who looks like the 40 year-old birthday boy's MUCH older sister...
This look is no where nearly as cute on me.
After only a week of eating mostly raw I was already noticing a positive difference in my skin. No more raccoon mask under my eyes and my skin looked more vibrant somehow. My husband even commented on it-even without my prompting him :) After only 1 day of eating "junk", the dark circles under my eyes are back, I look overly tired and I feel bloated. Perfect. That will be a nice look for the 40th birthday party we're invited to tonight. I'll be the 39 year-old who looks like the 40 year-old birthday boy's MUCH older sister...
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
A Great Use for Leftover Veggie Pulp
I made a green energy drink to go with my oatmeal for breakfast this morning. What a great way to get energized for the day! I'm not sure how other people's juicers work (I have an el cheapo from Target), but depending on what I'm juicing, I always seem to get plenty of pulp leftover. Today's pulp was a semi-dry mish mash of all kinds of great veggies (broccoli, kale, parsley, carrots, cukes, celery, red cabbage, etc.) If I had a food dehydrator (soon, just haven't gotten around to it), I might have added in some flax seeds and attempted to make some sort of dehydrated veggie wafers. Seeing as how I don't, I came up with another good solution. I refrigerated the pulp until lunch, and then added it into some warm broth I made from Red Miso and water. Viola! Yummy fresh veggie soup! If you've got leftover fruit pulp, you might try freezing it in ice cube treats for a healthy dessert :)
Frame Assembly
The sauna is finally starting to look like something! We attached the walls together tonight (and it actually stood upright afterwards!) and plan to drop in the ceiling tomorrow.
The french door (Home Depot) was my idea (claustrophobic tendencies) and still has to be cut down a bit to fit Hopefully the glass panels in it will hold up to the heat (they are not insulated, so I worry). If not, I guess we're out $120 and whatever it will cost for a replacement door, which is still a far cheaper than the $400-$1200 doors we've priced at sauna dealers. We took the dog for a wintery walk on the beach today (Lake Superior) and found some great pieces of driftwood to use for the door handles.
We're dealing with some height and space restrictions in this corner, which is forcing us to deviate quite a bit from the basic sketches we started with. What started as a 5 x 6 sauna is now a 4.5 x 5 sauna. We sort of forgot to factor in the width of the framing when doing our original calculations (oops, I should have known better Dad). This size will still work just fine, but now the heater we ordered is too big for the space. The heater we selected was designed to heat between 210 and 300 c ft. Now were only dealing with about 145 c ft. A heater too large for a sauna will heat up all of the air in the room before the rocks in the heater have the change to fully heat up. Ultimately, the heat inside the sauna will then feel less natural. No worries, though. The heater we placed an order for hasn't been ordered from the manufacturer yet so still have time to switch to a smaller size.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
One Foot In Front Of The Other...I *Heart* My Treadmill
I'm easing back into exercise starting with a goal of 10,000 steps per day. So far so good. About 2,000 ( 1 mile) of those will come from my daily hike with the dog, and the other 8,000 will come off the treadmill. In a week or two I'll start walk/running, adding in weights and a few days of yoga. First things first-establishing a consistant daily pattern.
Thank goodness for our dog Buck. No matter the weather or temperature, I wouldn't dream of not getting him out for a walk. I'm adament about keeping him healthy (organic food, daily walks), now if I could only make my own health as much of a priority.
Buck in the park during one of his daily walks.
Thank goodness for our dog Buck. No matter the weather or temperature, I wouldn't dream of not getting him out for a walk. I'm adament about keeping him healthy (organic food, daily walks), now if I could only make my own health as much of a priority.
Buck in the park during one of his daily walks.
Mmm...Garden Fresh Gazpacho!
I tried my first bowl of cold soup today, and that's a pretty big deal for me, because in January in Minnesota, I like my soup HOT. Ooooh...now that was good!
(Next time I'll take a picture :)
Here's the recipe I used:
1 zucchini, chopped (1 cup)
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or to taste)
1-2 tablespoons miso
1 clove crushed garlic
1 cup spinach or chard
1/2 ripe avocado
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of water to thin to taste
Add ingredients a few at a time to a blender and whirl away! Viola!
(additional ingredients from the original recipe-I modify everything)
1/2 ripe tomato (I didn't have one)
Dash cayenne (we're on a trial separation since the Master Cleanse)
Dash salt (I added a couple of pinches of Dulce on top for a salty effect)
6 fresh basil leaves (again, I didn't have any)
Yield: 2 cups, 2 servings
Original recipe from Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 people, by Jennifer Cornbleet.
Learning to Love Fruit
My ultimate goal is for a diet consisting of 80-90% raw, but I still have a way to go. So far, only two of my three meals are raw-and only about 80% raw at that. My challenge is going to be developing a taste for raw fruit. Maybe it's because of the climate I've grown up in (Northern U.S.), or my Scandinavian heritage, but eating fruit has never been a big part of my diet. I don't dislike it, but beyond the occasional apple, orange or banana, it just never occurs to me to eat any of it. I guess that's why I've never really acquired a taste for it (that must sound so odd to the Floridians in my family ;)
I've got a mango, 6 kiwi and 4 pears in the fridge. I think I'll focus on eating them "as is" for now. I'll save dressing them up using fancy pants recipes until I get bored. How do you eat a kiwi anyway?
(Next time I'll take a picture :)
Here's the recipe I used:
1 zucchini, chopped (1 cup)
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or to taste)
1-2 tablespoons miso
1 clove crushed garlic
1 cup spinach or chard
1/2 ripe avocado
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of water to thin to taste
Add ingredients a few at a time to a blender and whirl away! Viola!
(additional ingredients from the original recipe-I modify everything)
1/2 ripe tomato (I didn't have one)
Dash cayenne (we're on a trial separation since the Master Cleanse)
Dash salt (I added a couple of pinches of Dulce on top for a salty effect)
6 fresh basil leaves (again, I didn't have any)
Yield: 2 cups, 2 servings
Original recipe from Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 people, by Jennifer Cornbleet.
Learning to Love Fruit
My ultimate goal is for a diet consisting of 80-90% raw, but I still have a way to go. So far, only two of my three meals are raw-and only about 80% raw at that. My challenge is going to be developing a taste for raw fruit. Maybe it's because of the climate I've grown up in (Northern U.S.), or my Scandinavian heritage, but eating fruit has never been a big part of my diet. I don't dislike it, but beyond the occasional apple, orange or banana, it just never occurs to me to eat any of it. I guess that's why I've never really acquired a taste for it (that must sound so odd to the Floridians in my family ;)
I've got a mango, 6 kiwi and 4 pears in the fridge. I think I'll focus on eating them "as is" for now. I'll save dressing them up using fancy pants recipes until I get bored. How do you eat a kiwi anyway?
A Numbers Game
Here's a simple, but highly effective meditation I ran across while surfing the web. The URL of the website I found it on escapes me (I should have bookmarked it---maybe it will appear to me during a meditation :), but as soon as I find it I'll give credit where credit is due.
The meditation is a counting meditation. All you do is sit quietly and count from 1 to 10 as you breathe. Think 1 as you inhale, 2 as you exahale, 3 as you inhale, 4 as you exhale, etc. Do this until you reach 10 and then reverse and count back down to 1. Now repeat. Sounds simple, no? Umm....not exactly. The catch is that you keep the focus solely on your breathing for a whole 10 minutes. Ha!
Personally, my flabby, untrained mind makes it all of from 1 to 10 and back twice before I become distracted by a myriad of other thoughts (when this happens, just shift the focus back to counting and breating to get yourself back on track). I think this meditation seems like an excellent way to observe the thoughts of the beginner's mind, as well as a good tool for teaching it to stay focused. If you decide to try it, I would recommend using a 10 minute timer (cell phone alarm) to bring yourself out of the meditation. Otherwise, you'll start entertaining thoughts like, "How much longer?" or "Has it been 10 minutes yet?" There will be plenty of other thoughts to distract you anyway, believe me ;)
The meditation is a counting meditation. All you do is sit quietly and count from 1 to 10 as you breathe. Think 1 as you inhale, 2 as you exahale, 3 as you inhale, 4 as you exhale, etc. Do this until you reach 10 and then reverse and count back down to 1. Now repeat. Sounds simple, no? Umm....not exactly. The catch is that you keep the focus solely on your breathing for a whole 10 minutes. Ha!
Personally, my flabby, untrained mind makes it all of from 1 to 10 and back twice before I become distracted by a myriad of other thoughts (when this happens, just shift the focus back to counting and breating to get yourself back on track). I think this meditation seems like an excellent way to observe the thoughts of the beginner's mind, as well as a good tool for teaching it to stay focused. If you decide to try it, I would recommend using a 10 minute timer (cell phone alarm) to bring yourself out of the meditation. Otherwise, you'll start entertaining thoughts like, "How much longer?" or "Has it been 10 minutes yet?" There will be plenty of other thoughts to distract you anyway, believe me ;)
Monday, January 14, 2008
Moving Into Raw
Lunch today marked my first official forey into raw foods. I didn't make anything too complicated , but what I did make was mighty tasty :) So tasty, in fact, that when dinner time rolled around, I ended up duplicating what I had for lunch just to keep things simple. I desperately need to make a co-op run to stock up on fresh veggies and fruits, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. Today was spent finishing the framing for our sauna until it was time to go to work. More on that later...
Here is what I ate today:
Breakfast
Oatmeal with soy milk
2 slices of Ezekial whole grain bread (toasted) with peanut butter
Lunch & Dinner
Spring Rolls
Spinich Salad with Newman's Italian Dressing
Spring Roll Recipe
2-3 nori sheets (or use spring roll wraps)
2-3 teaspoons miso (1 per nori sheet)
1/2 red pepper cut lengthwise into thin strips
1/4 cup carrots cut into thin strips
1/4 cup cucumbers cut into thin slices (or coins)
Sprouts (I was out, but I usually add them)
1/2 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
(or add any veggies of your choice!)
Tamari Saunce for dipping (I use San J brand-the low sodium version)
Simply lay out the nori sheets (shiny side down) and spread the miso along the entire length of the bottom edge. Pile on the raw veggie filling evenly along the length of the sheep and roll it up! Now wet your index finger and roll it along the edge to seal the wrap. Once sealed, the roll can easily be cut into pieces for easier dipping.
If your using spring roll wraps and they come dry, you'll need to moisted them with water and let them sit for a minute and soften before rolling them up. I just run pass under the kitchen faucet and lay them out on a cutting board. Be careful not to stack them when wet, you'll never get them apart again. When wet, you can tuck the ends in around the filling and then roll them up more like a burrito.
Some raw food cookbooks I'm reading right now include:
Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 people, by Jennifer Cornbleet (love this one!)
Eating in the Raw, by Carol Alt
The Raw 50, also by Carol Alt
These 3 happen to be my first raw "cookbooks." I have to say that so far, I like Jennifer Corbleet's best. Carol Alts books are also very good, but some of the recipes are a bit more complex (like you might find at a raw food restaurant) and many call for the use of a food dehydrator, which I don't happen to have yet. I do have a juicer and a blender, but that's as complicated as I've gotten with the "raw" kitchen appliances so far. At this point, my motto is KISS-keep it simple stupid! My goal is to go 80-90% raw and see how my body handles the detox. I hesitate to complicate things until I've had a change to navigate my way through this new world for while.
There are tons of great books on the health benefits of eating raw, as well as some really great web sites. I happen to have stumbled upong Karen Knowler, Alisa Cohen and Angela Stokes first (try here or here) or my favorite, here.
They are all so inspiring. I think I like the before and after pics most of all. There's also some great YouTube videos about how to go raw.
Here is what I ate today:
Breakfast
Oatmeal with soy milk
2 slices of Ezekial whole grain bread (toasted) with peanut butter
Lunch & Dinner
Spring Rolls
Spinich Salad with Newman's Italian Dressing
Spring Roll Recipe
2-3 nori sheets (or use spring roll wraps)
2-3 teaspoons miso (1 per nori sheet)
1/2 red pepper cut lengthwise into thin strips
1/4 cup carrots cut into thin strips
1/4 cup cucumbers cut into thin slices (or coins)
Sprouts (I was out, but I usually add them)
1/2 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
(or add any veggies of your choice!)
Tamari Saunce for dipping (I use San J brand-the low sodium version)
Simply lay out the nori sheets (shiny side down) and spread the miso along the entire length of the bottom edge. Pile on the raw veggie filling evenly along the length of the sheep and roll it up! Now wet your index finger and roll it along the edge to seal the wrap. Once sealed, the roll can easily be cut into pieces for easier dipping.
If your using spring roll wraps and they come dry, you'll need to moisted them with water and let them sit for a minute and soften before rolling them up. I just run pass under the kitchen faucet and lay them out on a cutting board. Be careful not to stack them when wet, you'll never get them apart again. When wet, you can tuck the ends in around the filling and then roll them up more like a burrito.
Some raw food cookbooks I'm reading right now include:
Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 people, by Jennifer Cornbleet (love this one!)
Eating in the Raw, by Carol Alt
The Raw 50, also by Carol Alt
These 3 happen to be my first raw "cookbooks." I have to say that so far, I like Jennifer Corbleet's best. Carol Alts books are also very good, but some of the recipes are a bit more complex (like you might find at a raw food restaurant) and many call for the use of a food dehydrator, which I don't happen to have yet. I do have a juicer and a blender, but that's as complicated as I've gotten with the "raw" kitchen appliances so far. At this point, my motto is KISS-keep it simple stupid! My goal is to go 80-90% raw and see how my body handles the detox. I hesitate to complicate things until I've had a change to navigate my way through this new world for while.
There are tons of great books on the health benefits of eating raw, as well as some really great web sites. I happen to have stumbled upong Karen Knowler, Alisa Cohen and Angela Stokes first (try here or here) or my favorite, here.
They are all so inspiring. I think I like the before and after pics most of all. There's also some great YouTube videos about how to go raw.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Learning To Be Excessively Moderate
Today is my second full day after ending the MC early (day 6). I'm still eating mostly soups, although I did have a salad made from romaine lettuce for dinner last night. So far my digestive system seems to be handling the transition back to solids relatively well, but I am still feeling some pain in my abdomen like I did before the cleanse. On the upside, my energy level is back to 100%.
I'm feeling a little disappointed that the MC didn't work out for me. I don't think I was physically (or mentally ) prepared to handle such severe detox symptoms. In the future I think I would rather try a juice fast. One based on abundance, not on deprivation. One where I get all of the calories I need each day (about 1500) and plenty of healthy nutrients, while still allowing my digestive system to rest and my body to detox.
Moderation Is Going To Be Key
Moderation (in all things) is one of life's lessons that I'm still trying to learn-especially when trying to make lifestyle changes. My usual approach tends to be the opposite of moderation...um...rather excessive. When I quite smoking 6 years ago, it wasn't with nicotine gum, it wasn't with the patch and it wasn't by gradually reducing the amount I smoked. It was cold turkey, plain and simple. Brutal, yet effective. Okay, so maybe this one time excessive-ness did serve me well.
Then there was the time I decided I would train to run a marathon. That is, without ever having run a mile before in my life. It went well all the way up to my first 9 mile run. Then I developed stress fractures in both shins, which pretty much sidelined ANY form of rigorous exercise for the entire following year. (Still going to run that marathon someday, though)
I hope 2008 will mark some important new beginnings for me. My goal is to set a healthy stage for the next phase in my life. Slow, deliberate changes are going to be the key to my success. So everything in moderation, including moderation of course ;)
I'm feeling a little disappointed that the MC didn't work out for me. I don't think I was physically (or mentally ) prepared to handle such severe detox symptoms. In the future I think I would rather try a juice fast. One based on abundance, not on deprivation. One where I get all of the calories I need each day (about 1500) and plenty of healthy nutrients, while still allowing my digestive system to rest and my body to detox.
Moderation Is Going To Be Key
Moderation (in all things) is one of life's lessons that I'm still trying to learn-especially when trying to make lifestyle changes. My usual approach tends to be the opposite of moderation...um...rather excessive. When I quite smoking 6 years ago, it wasn't with nicotine gum, it wasn't with the patch and it wasn't by gradually reducing the amount I smoked. It was cold turkey, plain and simple. Brutal, yet effective. Okay, so maybe this one time excessive-ness did serve me well.
Then there was the time I decided I would train to run a marathon. That is, without ever having run a mile before in my life. It went well all the way up to my first 9 mile run. Then I developed stress fractures in both shins, which pretty much sidelined ANY form of rigorous exercise for the entire following year. (Still going to run that marathon someday, though)
I hope 2008 will mark some important new beginnings for me. My goal is to set a healthy stage for the next phase in my life. Slow, deliberate changes are going to be the key to my success. So everything in moderation, including moderation of course ;)
MC-Day 7
Breaking The Fast
Today was my final day on this first Master Cleanse.
Here's why:
Last night after posting my day 6 results, I got extremely ill once again. I developed a severe case of heartburn (and I don't get heartburn), my heart started racing (very scary), and at one point I nearly fainted. I definitely felt that my blood pressure was up, too. I became to weak and nauseated I could barely move, let alone drink any water without throwing it up.
I suspect that some (if not all) of that discomfort was due to detox. Still, I started to wonder just what kind of long-term affects could the cleanse be having on my body? I was definitely feeling "cleaner", but was I risking my health? Was I so toxic that this first cleanse was going to be too jarring on my body? I decided I would carry on anyway, despite the symptoms.
3 Dreams
That is until I feel asleep last night and had three dreams, each more intense than the previous, that I should break the fast today. There's nothing I trust more than my intuition, with the possible exception of my dreams. So, I decided that today I would end the fast and make the transition to more raw foods. Once I have cleaned my body up a bit through diet and exercise, then maybe I'll be able to return to the cleanse for the full 10 days without experiencing such harsh detox symptoms.
Reader Beware
Tonight on the Master Cleanser Forum, I read about someone who rushed her husband to the hospital after he started to experience symptoms similar to mine-only even more severe. Her husband's heart wouldn't stop racing and his blood pressure, which was historically high anyway, suddenly became critically high. As it turned out, the woman made the right call in seeking medical attention. The doctors told her that her husband had been mere minutes from death when she brought him in.
Unfortunately, someone else experiencing those symptoms asked the more "experienced" cleansers on the forum if he should abandon the cleanse and seek medical attention or just wait it out. Someone replied, "Yes! Consult your physician", while another replied, "It's just your body detoxing. Take a hot bath, drink some water and don't worry about it." The second reply seems incredibly irresponsible to me. How could anyone know if what someone else's body was doing was "normal." LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!
I'm not suggesting in any way that I was anywhere close to death. And I never thought I was. I guessed I WAS probably just experiencing some serious detox symptoms. Still, everything I was feeling, including an extended period of heart palpitations (sorry, but I don't see that as being a "good" detox sign), really freaked me out. I imagine my body is just really loaded with toxins, hence the severity of my symptoms. Fortunately, I stayed on the cleanse long enough for it to benefit my colon, and learned a great deal about my body.
Breaking The Rules For Breaking The Fast
My experience on the cleanse wasn't typical. I didn't go into detox until the end of day 5, and even then I experienced significantly more detox symptoms than most people do. With the exception of day 1 and 2, when I got the starvation mode, sugar rush "high" feeling that comes from being all gung ho about something, I never oscillated between feeling sick and feeling all blissed out. And my hunger pangs never fully left, in fact, they continued to get stronger. Starting the morning of day 5, I pretty much continued to go straight down hill with no reprieve.
Since a lot of what is a "typical" experience on the cleanse didn't seem to apply to me, I decided to break the rules for breaking the fast. I started with a glass of watered down OJ this morning, and proceeded to get severe heartburn, which persisted all afternoon. By 5 pm and decided that what my body needed was something lite, but also more substantial. So I ate some vegetarian vegetable soup (with extra water added to make more broth) along with a few crackers. I was also very careful to chew everything very well. Yum! Within an hour my energy was restored and I was feeling like a million bucks! And still do! Oh yeah, my tongue went immediately back to pink, too. Hmmmm....
So Was It Worth It?
Yep. I'd would say thatjust about any type of learning experience is worth it. My body definitely feels better (especially now that I've eaten :) and I generally have a much better "ear" for hearing what it is saying to me. I'll probably do the cleanse (or some kind of juice fast) again in the future. I truly believe that giving my digestive system a break now and then is necessary and I feel like I achieved that on the MC.
Perceived Negatives About The MC
1. I'm not sure anyone can convince me that longer than 10 days on the cleanse is good for your body. Part of the high that people feel is (in my opinion) related to your body going into starvation mode. As your body adapts, down goes your metabolism (you also get damn cold). I worried a bit about messing around with my already low metabolism. Breaking the fast can't be that different than yo-yo dieting as far as your body is concerned. For people who go back to their former bad eating habits, the cleanse could set them up for gaining more weight and making it even harder to lose the next time around.
2. Sugar (even from maple syrup) is sugar. Your body might be getting some trace vitamins and minerals from it, but it still converts the syrup to sugar. I get the
science behind the cleanse, but it still bugs me a little. One thing I don't normally eat is a lot of sugar. I kept wondering if once I got off the cleanse would I would crave sugar?
3. Laxative Tea. Yeah, it works like magic, and I get the "whys" behind the SWF and laxative teas. Still, I'm not sure if forcing a bowel movement with laxatives everyday is good for your body either. Herbal or otherwise. I've read about people being on the cleanse for extended periods of time who come to rely on the tea afterwards as their only/best means of getting bowel movements. That seems scary to me. All muscles in the body tend to lose strength (and get "lazy") when something else does the work for them.
4. The lack of nutrients. I don't seriously believe you can get all the nutrients you need from lemon juice and maple syrup-not even for 10 days. If you're pretty healthy going into it, no worries. Your body will surely rebound just fine. Some people say the weakness you experience is due to toxins circulating in your blood. That may be so, but some of it is probably also due to the fact that your are not getting enough nutrients and calories, and that your losing water at too fast a rate. I wish the book had placed more importance of drinking water.
For most people the benefits of going on the MC probably outweigh any negatives. The most important thing to remember is to listen to your body. If you're coming off of a pretty toxic lifestyle, be prepared for some harsh detox symptoms. I wish everyone the best of luck on their journey!
Today was my final day on this first Master Cleanse.
Here's why:
Last night after posting my day 6 results, I got extremely ill once again. I developed a severe case of heartburn (and I don't get heartburn), my heart started racing (very scary), and at one point I nearly fainted. I definitely felt that my blood pressure was up, too. I became to weak and nauseated I could barely move, let alone drink any water without throwing it up.
I suspect that some (if not all) of that discomfort was due to detox. Still, I started to wonder just what kind of long-term affects could the cleanse be having on my body? I was definitely feeling "cleaner", but was I risking my health? Was I so toxic that this first cleanse was going to be too jarring on my body? I decided I would carry on anyway, despite the symptoms.
3 Dreams
That is until I feel asleep last night and had three dreams, each more intense than the previous, that I should break the fast today. There's nothing I trust more than my intuition, with the possible exception of my dreams. So, I decided that today I would end the fast and make the transition to more raw foods. Once I have cleaned my body up a bit through diet and exercise, then maybe I'll be able to return to the cleanse for the full 10 days without experiencing such harsh detox symptoms.
Reader Beware
Tonight on the Master Cleanser Forum, I read about someone who rushed her husband to the hospital after he started to experience symptoms similar to mine-only even more severe. Her husband's heart wouldn't stop racing and his blood pressure, which was historically high anyway, suddenly became critically high. As it turned out, the woman made the right call in seeking medical attention. The doctors told her that her husband had been mere minutes from death when she brought him in.
Unfortunately, someone else experiencing those symptoms asked the more "experienced" cleansers on the forum if he should abandon the cleanse and seek medical attention or just wait it out. Someone replied, "Yes! Consult your physician", while another replied, "It's just your body detoxing. Take a hot bath, drink some water and don't worry about it." The second reply seems incredibly irresponsible to me. How could anyone know if what someone else's body was doing was "normal." LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!
I'm not suggesting in any way that I was anywhere close to death. And I never thought I was. I guessed I WAS probably just experiencing some serious detox symptoms. Still, everything I was feeling, including an extended period of heart palpitations (sorry, but I don't see that as being a "good" detox sign), really freaked me out. I imagine my body is just really loaded with toxins, hence the severity of my symptoms. Fortunately, I stayed on the cleanse long enough for it to benefit my colon, and learned a great deal about my body.
Breaking The Rules For Breaking The Fast
My experience on the cleanse wasn't typical. I didn't go into detox until the end of day 5, and even then I experienced significantly more detox symptoms than most people do. With the exception of day 1 and 2, when I got the starvation mode, sugar rush "high" feeling that comes from being all gung ho about something, I never oscillated between feeling sick and feeling all blissed out. And my hunger pangs never fully left, in fact, they continued to get stronger. Starting the morning of day 5, I pretty much continued to go straight down hill with no reprieve.
Since a lot of what is a "typical" experience on the cleanse didn't seem to apply to me, I decided to break the rules for breaking the fast. I started with a glass of watered down OJ this morning, and proceeded to get severe heartburn, which persisted all afternoon. By 5 pm and decided that what my body needed was something lite, but also more substantial. So I ate some vegetarian vegetable soup (with extra water added to make more broth) along with a few crackers. I was also very careful to chew everything very well. Yum! Within an hour my energy was restored and I was feeling like a million bucks! And still do! Oh yeah, my tongue went immediately back to pink, too. Hmmmm....
So Was It Worth It?
Yep. I'd would say thatjust about any type of learning experience is worth it. My body definitely feels better (especially now that I've eaten :) and I generally have a much better "ear" for hearing what it is saying to me. I'll probably do the cleanse (or some kind of juice fast) again in the future. I truly believe that giving my digestive system a break now and then is necessary and I feel like I achieved that on the MC.
Perceived Negatives About The MC
1. I'm not sure anyone can convince me that longer than 10 days on the cleanse is good for your body. Part of the high that people feel is (in my opinion) related to your body going into starvation mode. As your body adapts, down goes your metabolism (you also get damn cold). I worried a bit about messing around with my already low metabolism. Breaking the fast can't be that different than yo-yo dieting as far as your body is concerned. For people who go back to their former bad eating habits, the cleanse could set them up for gaining more weight and making it even harder to lose the next time around.
2. Sugar (even from maple syrup) is sugar. Your body might be getting some trace vitamins and minerals from it, but it still converts the syrup to sugar. I get the
science behind the cleanse, but it still bugs me a little. One thing I don't normally eat is a lot of sugar. I kept wondering if once I got off the cleanse would I would crave sugar?
3. Laxative Tea. Yeah, it works like magic, and I get the "whys" behind the SWF and laxative teas. Still, I'm not sure if forcing a bowel movement with laxatives everyday is good for your body either. Herbal or otherwise. I've read about people being on the cleanse for extended periods of time who come to rely on the tea afterwards as their only/best means of getting bowel movements. That seems scary to me. All muscles in the body tend to lose strength (and get "lazy") when something else does the work for them.
4. The lack of nutrients. I don't seriously believe you can get all the nutrients you need from lemon juice and maple syrup-not even for 10 days. If you're pretty healthy going into it, no worries. Your body will surely rebound just fine. Some people say the weakness you experience is due to toxins circulating in your blood. That may be so, but some of it is probably also due to the fact that your are not getting enough nutrients and calories, and that your losing water at too fast a rate. I wish the book had placed more importance of drinking water.
For most people the benefits of going on the MC probably outweigh any negatives. The most important thing to remember is to listen to your body. If you're coming off of a pretty toxic lifestyle, be prepared for some harsh detox symptoms. I wish everyone the best of luck on their journey!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
MC-Day 6
Detox and Dehydration.
Ugh. Today was another rough day. In fact, "rough" is somewhat of an understatement. I'm feeling a LOT better now (not great, but better), and it has taken all day to get here. This morning I woke up feeling weak and naseous, and had a really dry mouth. The overall feeling was similar to being hungover after a night of heavy drinking (a feeling I generally avoid at all costs).
I should have known better, but last night I doubled up on the Smooth Move tea bags. Bad call. This morning I had the worst abdominal cramps ever-granted, not as bad as when I had appendicitis-but seriously agonizing. After a quick trip to the bathroom I went immediately back to bed. Fortunately I had the day off today and there was nothing I had to get up for. Eventually I got up and moved to the couch, where I laid around until about 4 pm, until joining my hubby to take the dog for a hike.
Today Was All About The H2O
I could tell by how dry my mouth was when I woke up today that I was pretty dehydrated. The scale confirmed it this morning, too. I was down another two pounds from yesterday (that's 10 lbs in 6 days). What was most surprising is how I could get so dehydrated when all I do all day is drink lemonade and water.
My intuition told me to skip the lemonade today and just focus on taking in as much water as possible. Not only would it rehydrate by body, but I figured it would accelerate the process of washing out the toxins, too. I was right. I downed 3 liters of water, dry brushed my skin, and soaked in a salt water bath with lavender oil. By 6 pm I was feeling MUCH better.
Time For A SWF
Originally, I planned to skip both the SWF and the lemonade today and just guzzle a ton of water. But as the day went on, I started to think about just how important the SWF is to the MC program. The whole point of the cleanse is to rid your body of toxins, and giving the colon a shower is an integral part of that process. Besides, I countinue to have substantial BMs first thing in the morning from the LT. There's STILL stuff in there!
I didn't end up getting to the SWF until around 6 pm, but I figured it was better late than never. The timing didn't really matter anyway, because I was only drinking water today. This time I used 3 teaspoons instead of 2 (hoping it would pass through faster) and I tried drinking it through a straw. I'm trying everything I can think of to make the SWF go down easier (like imagining it's miso or chicken broth), but nothing is really working.
Yesterday I dissolved the salt in a shot glass and then chased it with 32oz of water. It was still awful. Today the straw worked a little bit better, but it was still challenging. Like the good little Master Cleanser I am, I prevailed, though. It was a good thing, too. I had some substantial BMs in the 90 minutes that followed. How the heck can anything still be in there? My colon must REALLY need sweeping! That thought really kind of grosses me out. Still, it's even worse to think that things may have stayed trapped in there if not for the MC.
Detox Symtoms-Day 6
Headache
Weakness
Nausea (my most unfavorite symptom)
White stripe down middle of tongue (accompanied by very nasty taste in mouth)
Skin smells funny (and not in a good way)
Inky, black poo (sorry! all part of the fun!)
Still hungry thinking about food, although hunger pangs less frequent
What I Learned About MY Body On Day 6
1. DON'T double up on the tea bags unless things are not really moving. It doesn't help move things any faster, it just makes things a whole lot more uncomfortable.
2. WATER, WATER, WATER! If I think I've had enough, I need to drink a whole lot more. Drinking half of my body weight in ounces of water everyday is not enough for ME on this cleanse. I need more!
3. Don't skip the SWF. Taking a day off from lemonade is fine as long as I load up on water. Just make sure things keep movin' out the back door.
4. When things get rough it's easy to talk yourself into breaking the fast. I have to remember that I AM the one putting myself through this-it's my choice. And that I'm doing it for the health of my body. I need to keep honoring the process and be grateful that I have resolved to give my body this chance to heal. There is always light on the other side-even if it takes 3/4 of a day to get there.
Can I Really Make It 39 Days?
Mabye, but I'm not sure. I'm confidnet that I can make it at least 10. Then I'll take it day by day. This is my first Master Cleanse and I want to finish it feeling good about what I've accomplished. Trying to make it for 39 days might be like trying to run a marathon for the first time without properly trainig for it. I might be better off transitioning to more raw food and then coming back in a few months and trying for a longer cleanse. Time (and my body) will tell for sure.
Ugh. Today was another rough day. In fact, "rough" is somewhat of an understatement. I'm feeling a LOT better now (not great, but better), and it has taken all day to get here. This morning I woke up feeling weak and naseous, and had a really dry mouth. The overall feeling was similar to being hungover after a night of heavy drinking (a feeling I generally avoid at all costs).
I should have known better, but last night I doubled up on the Smooth Move tea bags. Bad call. This morning I had the worst abdominal cramps ever-granted, not as bad as when I had appendicitis-but seriously agonizing. After a quick trip to the bathroom I went immediately back to bed. Fortunately I had the day off today and there was nothing I had to get up for. Eventually I got up and moved to the couch, where I laid around until about 4 pm, until joining my hubby to take the dog for a hike.
Today Was All About The H2O
I could tell by how dry my mouth was when I woke up today that I was pretty dehydrated. The scale confirmed it this morning, too. I was down another two pounds from yesterday (that's 10 lbs in 6 days). What was most surprising is how I could get so dehydrated when all I do all day is drink lemonade and water.
My intuition told me to skip the lemonade today and just focus on taking in as much water as possible. Not only would it rehydrate by body, but I figured it would accelerate the process of washing out the toxins, too. I was right. I downed 3 liters of water, dry brushed my skin, and soaked in a salt water bath with lavender oil. By 6 pm I was feeling MUCH better.
Time For A SWF
Originally, I planned to skip both the SWF and the lemonade today and just guzzle a ton of water. But as the day went on, I started to think about just how important the SWF is to the MC program. The whole point of the cleanse is to rid your body of toxins, and giving the colon a shower is an integral part of that process. Besides, I countinue to have substantial BMs first thing in the morning from the LT. There's STILL stuff in there!
I didn't end up getting to the SWF until around 6 pm, but I figured it was better late than never. The timing didn't really matter anyway, because I was only drinking water today. This time I used 3 teaspoons instead of 2 (hoping it would pass through faster) and I tried drinking it through a straw. I'm trying everything I can think of to make the SWF go down easier (like imagining it's miso or chicken broth), but nothing is really working.
Yesterday I dissolved the salt in a shot glass and then chased it with 32oz of water. It was still awful. Today the straw worked a little bit better, but it was still challenging. Like the good little Master Cleanser I am, I prevailed, though. It was a good thing, too. I had some substantial BMs in the 90 minutes that followed. How the heck can anything still be in there? My colon must REALLY need sweeping! That thought really kind of grosses me out. Still, it's even worse to think that things may have stayed trapped in there if not for the MC.
Detox Symtoms-Day 6
Headache
Weakness
Nausea (my most unfavorite symptom)
White stripe down middle of tongue (accompanied by very nasty taste in mouth)
Skin smells funny (and not in a good way)
Inky, black poo (sorry! all part of the fun!)
Still hungry thinking about food, although hunger pangs less frequent
What I Learned About MY Body On Day 6
1. DON'T double up on the tea bags unless things are not really moving. It doesn't help move things any faster, it just makes things a whole lot more uncomfortable.
2. WATER, WATER, WATER! If I think I've had enough, I need to drink a whole lot more. Drinking half of my body weight in ounces of water everyday is not enough for ME on this cleanse. I need more!
3. Don't skip the SWF. Taking a day off from lemonade is fine as long as I load up on water. Just make sure things keep movin' out the back door.
4. When things get rough it's easy to talk yourself into breaking the fast. I have to remember that I AM the one putting myself through this-it's my choice. And that I'm doing it for the health of my body. I need to keep honoring the process and be grateful that I have resolved to give my body this chance to heal. There is always light on the other side-even if it takes 3/4 of a day to get there.
Can I Really Make It 39 Days?
Mabye, but I'm not sure. I'm confidnet that I can make it at least 10. Then I'll take it day by day. This is my first Master Cleanse and I want to finish it feeling good about what I've accomplished. Trying to make it for 39 days might be like trying to run a marathon for the first time without properly trainig for it. I might be better off transitioning to more raw food and then coming back in a few months and trying for a longer cleanse. Time (and my body) will tell for sure.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Building has Commenced!
We Have Walls! (well...3 anyway)
Yahoo! We've got three walls done. It doesn't sound like much, but it feels like good progress to us. After all, up until yesterday we didn't even have any lumber.
The framing is probably going to be the longest part of the process, especially the fourth wall and ceiling. The basement floor in the corner where the sauna will be located slopes in several directions toward a floor drain, so each 2 x 4 has to be cut to a different length to create level walls. Thankfully, a friend loaned us his drop saw, which has made the cutting process as speedy as possible. Nailing together the frame was another story-lots o' knots in the pine.
We ordered a heater today, and a roll of foil-backed vapor barrier, which we couldn't find locally. Both should arrive next week. In the meantime we'll try to finish up the framing, and rough in the wiring. Not too bad for a couple of novices.
This book has really helped us out a lot. Pretty much everything you need to know (or could think to ask) about sauna building is in here. Great find! We found our copy at the library.
MC-Day 5
What A Difference A Day Makes
Today was a struggle. I can't say that I suffered much from hunger pangs, but it was really a tough mental challenge to keep my head in the game. I would swear that every 5 minutes I had to ask myself what I was doing this for. And it wasn't because things were going bad. They're going just fine in terms of what was probably supposed to be happening. Today was just the first day I felt really low energy and nauseated. And it seemed like I couldn't shake it for most of the day. That, and the fact that despite not being particularily hungry, I'm craving certain foods-mostly salads and pizza (yesterday it was steak and crab legs).
When you're feeling poorly and you haven't eaten for 5 days, the first thing to cross your mind is obviously, "Hey! If I eat something I'm going to feel better! But I know that would be a big mistake. My body is finally in detox. The weak, (slightly) nauseated feeling is just toxins being swept into my blood stream so they can make their way out of my body. (yay!) Unfortunately, while they're swirling around in my blood stream trying to find the door, I get to experience their toxicity all over again. It's not that bad, really. I still managed to get out for a hike and make some progress on the sauna we're building. Tomorrow will be a better day!
Day 5 Stats
Weight: Unchanged. Still down 8lbs overall.
Detox Symptoms: Achy joints, weak, naseous, fuzzy thinking.
Tongue. Still getting that yucky white coating.
Colon: Not
Spirit: Still staunchly resolved to see this thing through!
Today was a struggle. I can't say that I suffered much from hunger pangs, but it was really a tough mental challenge to keep my head in the game. I would swear that every 5 minutes I had to ask myself what I was doing this for. And it wasn't because things were going bad. They're going just fine in terms of what was probably supposed to be happening. Today was just the first day I felt really low energy and nauseated. And it seemed like I couldn't shake it for most of the day. That, and the fact that despite not being particularily hungry, I'm craving certain foods-mostly salads and pizza (yesterday it was steak and crab legs).
When you're feeling poorly and you haven't eaten for 5 days, the first thing to cross your mind is obviously, "Hey! If I eat something I'm going to feel better! But I know that would be a big mistake. My body is finally in detox. The weak, (slightly) nauseated feeling is just toxins being swept into my blood stream so they can make their way out of my body. (yay!) Unfortunately, while they're swirling around in my blood stream trying to find the door, I get to experience their toxicity all over again. It's not that bad, really. I still managed to get out for a hike and make some progress on the sauna we're building. Tomorrow will be a better day!
Day 5 Stats
Weight: Unchanged. Still down 8lbs overall.
Detox Symptoms: Achy joints, weak, naseous, fuzzy thinking.
Tongue. Still getting that yucky white coating.
Colon: Not
Spirit: Still staunchly resolved to see this thing through!
Ingredients and Recipe
Lemonade Ingredients
Organic Lemons or Limes
Organic Cayenne Pepper
Grade A, B (preferable) or C genuine (not maple flavored or sugared) Maple Syrup
I use organic grade A, as that was all that was readily available locally.
Filtered or distilled water
Burroughs's Basic Recipe for Lemonade
2 Tablespoons Organic Lemon or Lime Juice
(limes are not as tart as lemons and it's nice to mix it up)
2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
1/10 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
8 oz of filtered water
Additional Digestive Aids
Sea Salt or Celtic Sea Salt (regular iodized salt will not work)
Herbal Tea with Laxative properties (I’m using Traditional Medicinal’s Smooth Move™)
Note: To see the best results, the MC should be followed as it was originally intended. Read the book, The Master Cleanser by Stanley Burroughs for important information on how to do the cleanse properly, including special instructions for diabetics. It's a short book that contains a lot of valuable health information and well worth the read.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Birthday Meditations
Birthday's are like your own personal Happy New Year! I was told by a metaphysical teacher once that birthday's are a very powerful day to meditate. If you know what time of day you were born, try to take some time within 10-15 minutes on either side of that time to sit in silence with the universe. I've been doing this on my birthday for years. In fact, my family knows that if they call around the time of day I was born, I probably won't answer. I've had some powerful moments just sitting and basking in the love of the universe. On a few occasions, I've recieved some really great insights and even a few birthday greetings from deceased loved ones. It's a great time to stop and give gratititude and request continued support for the coming year.
When you think about it, there's only so many people in the world who were born on the exact day, hour, minute and second as you. The whole day is magic, but can get an even better connection in that moment if you take time to dial in!
When you think about it, there's only so many people in the world who were born on the exact day, hour, minute and second as you. The whole day is magic, but can get an even better connection in that moment if you take time to dial in!
Our Future Sauna
(a.k.a. E's new residence and heat source until the end of this cleanse!)
Okay. Try to use your imagination. This is going to be the site of our future sauna. It will measure 5'x 6'x 7' tall and fit 2-3 people pretty comfy. The cat threw herself in for scale.
Saunas have been used for eons to help detoxify and rejuvenate the body. They are wildly popular in this part of the country (Minnesota), partially because it gets a wee bit nippy around here in the winter, and well...it's also a tradition (You betcha! A lot of Finnish folks settled here). Chris and I are finally getting around the building one in a corner of our basement (good timing, eh?), so for folks interested in sauna building, I thought I'd post our project here and update it as we go along.
(a.k.a. E's new residence and heat source until the end of this cleanse!)
Okay. Try to use your imagination. This is going to be the site of our future sauna. It will measure 5'x 6'x 7' tall and fit 2-3 people pretty comfy. The cat threw herself in for scale.
Saunas have been used for eons to help detoxify and rejuvenate the body. They are wildly popular in this part of the country (Minnesota), partially because it gets a wee bit nippy around here in the winter, and well...it's also a tradition (You betcha! A lot of Finnish folks settled here). Chris and I are finally getting around the building one in a corner of our basement (good timing, eh?), so for folks interested in sauna building, I thought I'd post our project here and update it as we go along.
MC-Day 4
Happy Birthday to me!
Yesterday I wondered how weird it might be to celebrate my birthday without going out for dinner or eating cake. Typically, my birthday ritual goes something like this: go out to dinner, go to a movie, and either go to a coffee shop for a mocha latte afterwards, or go out for some beers.
As it turns out, it wasn't weird at all. In fact, it was fabulous. Knowing that I'm doing something good for my body has made this birthday one of my best yet-that and shopping for sauna building materials at Home Depot (I will be warm again some day!)
Thanks to all of my family and friends who sent birthday wishes. YOU are the best gifts I could ever hope to receive!
Side note: My sweet husband originally ordered a small, personalized cake for me, but was happy to call and cancel it in support of my cleanse. He'll be joining me in going raw after I break this fast. I did take a few seconds today to stop and dream what it might have tasted like, though. (sigh...it was yummy) Then I had another glass of lemonade :)
Recap of MC Day 4
Hmmm...still waiting for those horrible detox symptoms. I did have a mild on-again/off-again headache today and a few extended bouts of fuzzy thinking (thanks for watching my back, hubby), but still nothing to complain about. The LT is still working its magic first thing in the morning. What I need to learn, is to end my evening water and lemonade consumption earlier in the evening. I had to get up twice last night to pee! Still slept great, though.
SWF
I switched back to regular uniodized sea salt today. I was worried the Celtic Sea Salt wouldn't work again, and didn't feel like tweaking the amount. Presto! It took walking the dog for the better part of an hour, but things did start moving again.
I didn't dissolve it ahead of time either. For some reason it wasn't as unpleasant today.
Weight Gain
I also gained 1 lb back when I stepped on the scale this morning, and I'm actually quite happy about that. I was obviously losing too much (water) too quickly. I'm trying to drink as much water as possible to help flush out the toxins and keep my energy levels high. I don't get them that often, but when I do, headaches usually render me worthless. I'm really hoping I can lessen the severity of any detox headaches by staying well hydrated. Today downed 8 glasses of lemonade and an additional 96oz of water (3 nalgenes worth).
Ah...Serenity Now!
Tonight I treated myself to a dry skin brush (Gasp!) LOVED that! Then I followed with a hot bath with Epsom salt and a few drops of lavender oil. I've never really been much of a bath person, but I think I'm starting to come around. Not only is it relaxing, but it's really effective at warming me up. So long day 4! Bring on to day 5!
Monday, January 7, 2008
MC-Day 3
Last Night's Dream
Last night I had a dream that I ate a large, satisfying meal and broke the fast. As I was leaning back in my chair after the meal I suddenly realized I was supposed to be fasting. I was so disappointed that I only made it two days. Then I woke up. HA!
Another "Easy" Day-Mostly
It's wierd to think that today is Monday and I haven't eaten anything since Friday. And I'm still alive! Also wierd-I haven't really been that hungry. Don't get me wrong. I have had some serious hunger pangs, especially tonight at the grocery store while picking up more lemons and some filters for our water pitcher. Fine all day, and then WHAM! It's all about the triggers! I had to pass by the rotissarie chicken in the deli to get to the lemons (Ugh. Are you kidding me?) And wouldn't you know the water filters were past the bakery (good grief!) and down the aisle sitting right next to the potato chips? Please, just kill me now! Fortunately, I had to pee so I had a real sense of urgency to get what I needed and get the heck outta there! The hunger pangs DO pass, though, especially after drinking a refreshing glass of lemonade and topping it off with some water. In the next day or two, I suspect I'll be bidding them adieu for most of the remainder of the cleanse.
Tushie Talk
I've been following the directions for the cleanse to the letter (according to Burroughs book), taking the LT at night and doing the SWF first thing in the morning. Both continue to work their magic, but today things seemed to take longer to get moving. Overall, my BMs were much less impressive and less frequent. That's okay with me. My tushie was pretty chapped after yesterday!
I've really upped my water intake today, shooting for a minimum of 1/2 my weight in ounces, on top of drinking six 10oz glasses of the lemonade. Maybe tomorrow will be a better BM day. As it turned out, the Celtic Sea Salt was a good call and did make the SWF much more palatable. Too bad it didn't produce the results I was hoping for. I expect that everyday on this cleanse will be different from the last, so I'm not too worried about it. All I can do is keep listening to my body!
Who Turned The Thermostat Down?
I'm still feeling chilly pretty much all the time. I raided my husband's closet for the biggest, warmest wool sweater I could find. I'm also doubling up on snuggly socks (thank you sister-in-law in Florida!) and I have a coat closet full of hats and mittens standing at the ready. I did pick up some epsom salt and lavender oil tonight and look forward to taking some HOT detox soaks in the coming days.
Skin Brushing
Someone over on the Master Cleanse forum suggested dry skin brushing before bathing. It's supposed to help improve circulation and slough dead skin as well as stimulate the lymph glands to dump toxins. I've come across this before when researching natural skin care and I think it sounds like a wonderful idea. Because our skin is our largest organ, it makes sense that it will facilitate a lot of the detox on this cleanse. Might as well do what I can to lend a hand.
Detox-Day 3
No really horrible detox symptoms today either, which I'm very grateful for. I did have a dull headache a few time throughout the day, but nothing really severe and it seemed to go away completely after I finished meditating. I also sneezed a couple of times, and felt congested for about 15 minutes before that magically disappeared, too. The skin on my face and lower back (odd) is starting to break out (mildly), and my tongue pretty much looks like my sweater now, only it's white instead of gray (sorry for the visual).
Weightloss
Oh, and I was down another 4 lbs this morning. That's 9 lbs of water in two days. Utterly crazy, isn't it? Hence the fact that I seriously upped my water intake today. I expect the weightloss to slow down dramatically as I move deeper into the cleanse. I'll be glad to shed a few pounds on this journey, but no matter how much I'd like it to be true, losing water is NOT the same as losing fat :) I'm going to end day three with a glass of Limeade in order to use up some limes in the fridge. Then I'll finish up with some HOT Smooth Move tea.
Thoughts thus far...
So far this experience has already been nothing short of amazing. I can only imagine what another 30 some days will bring. It's incredibly liberating to feel back in control of what goes into my body. With the exception of a few hunger pangs, I feel free from thinking about food. It's really giving me an opportunity to observe my relationship with food and how it relates to my body. Even though intellectually I know I AM my body, I don't think I've ever REALLY fully made the connection that it isn't separate.
I'm surprised to say that I'm falling in love with it again (what a revalutionary feeling!) I'm REALLY starting to appreciate just how miraculous it is. How miraculous I am. In a strange way I feel more gentle towards myself-more nurturing. I feel strangely calm and peaceful and I'm slowly learning to listen with a new ear. YAy!
I'm happy for another "easy" day. I expect there will be some bumps in the road ahead. Sweet Dreams!
Last night I had a dream that I ate a large, satisfying meal and broke the fast. As I was leaning back in my chair after the meal I suddenly realized I was supposed to be fasting. I was so disappointed that I only made it two days. Then I woke up. HA!
Another "Easy" Day-Mostly
It's wierd to think that today is Monday and I haven't eaten anything since Friday. And I'm still alive! Also wierd-I haven't really been that hungry. Don't get me wrong. I have had some serious hunger pangs, especially tonight at the grocery store while picking up more lemons and some filters for our water pitcher. Fine all day, and then WHAM! It's all about the triggers! I had to pass by the rotissarie chicken in the deli to get to the lemons (Ugh. Are you kidding me?) And wouldn't you know the water filters were past the bakery (good grief!) and down the aisle sitting right next to the potato chips? Please, just kill me now! Fortunately, I had to pee so I had a real sense of urgency to get what I needed and get the heck outta there! The hunger pangs DO pass, though, especially after drinking a refreshing glass of lemonade and topping it off with some water. In the next day or two, I suspect I'll be bidding them adieu for most of the remainder of the cleanse.
Tushie Talk
I've been following the directions for the cleanse to the letter (according to Burroughs book), taking the LT at night and doing the SWF first thing in the morning. Both continue to work their magic, but today things seemed to take longer to get moving. Overall, my BMs were much less impressive and less frequent. That's okay with me. My tushie was pretty chapped after yesterday!
I've really upped my water intake today, shooting for a minimum of 1/2 my weight in ounces, on top of drinking six 10oz glasses of the lemonade. Maybe tomorrow will be a better BM day. As it turned out, the Celtic Sea Salt was a good call and did make the SWF much more palatable. Too bad it didn't produce the results I was hoping for. I expect that everyday on this cleanse will be different from the last, so I'm not too worried about it. All I can do is keep listening to my body!
Who Turned The Thermostat Down?
I'm still feeling chilly pretty much all the time. I raided my husband's closet for the biggest, warmest wool sweater I could find. I'm also doubling up on snuggly socks (thank you sister-in-law in Florida!) and I have a coat closet full of hats and mittens standing at the ready. I did pick up some epsom salt and lavender oil tonight and look forward to taking some HOT detox soaks in the coming days.
Skin Brushing
Someone over on the Master Cleanse forum suggested dry skin brushing before bathing. It's supposed to help improve circulation and slough dead skin as well as stimulate the lymph glands to dump toxins. I've come across this before when researching natural skin care and I think it sounds like a wonderful idea. Because our skin is our largest organ, it makes sense that it will facilitate a lot of the detox on this cleanse. Might as well do what I can to lend a hand.
Detox-Day 3
No really horrible detox symptoms today either, which I'm very grateful for. I did have a dull headache a few time throughout the day, but nothing really severe and it seemed to go away completely after I finished meditating. I also sneezed a couple of times, and felt congested for about 15 minutes before that magically disappeared, too. The skin on my face and lower back (odd) is starting to break out (mildly), and my tongue pretty much looks like my sweater now, only it's white instead of gray (sorry for the visual).
Weightloss
Oh, and I was down another 4 lbs this morning. That's 9 lbs of water in two days. Utterly crazy, isn't it? Hence the fact that I seriously upped my water intake today. I expect the weightloss to slow down dramatically as I move deeper into the cleanse. I'll be glad to shed a few pounds on this journey, but no matter how much I'd like it to be true, losing water is NOT the same as losing fat :) I'm going to end day three with a glass of Limeade in order to use up some limes in the fridge. Then I'll finish up with some HOT Smooth Move tea.
Thoughts thus far...
So far this experience has already been nothing short of amazing. I can only imagine what another 30 some days will bring. It's incredibly liberating to feel back in control of what goes into my body. With the exception of a few hunger pangs, I feel free from thinking about food. It's really giving me an opportunity to observe my relationship with food and how it relates to my body. Even though intellectually I know I AM my body, I don't think I've ever REALLY fully made the connection that it isn't separate.
I'm surprised to say that I'm falling in love with it again (what a revalutionary feeling!) I'm REALLY starting to appreciate just how miraculous it is. How miraculous I am. In a strange way I feel more gentle towards myself-more nurturing. I feel strangely calm and peaceful and I'm slowly learning to listen with a new ear. YAy!
I'm happy for another "easy" day. I expect there will be some bumps in the road ahead. Sweet Dreams!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
MC-Day 2
Wow! Almost done with full day 2 already. Yay!
Here's a recap of today's experience:
I had a cup of tea before bed last night and slept well all night, although I did wake up to some serious rumblings in my tummy. I have determined that the tea takes its job very seriously. I managed to have a BM first thing-heck, I didn't even have time to brush my teeth.
On an empty stomach (which is pretty much the norm now anyway), I did manage to choke down another SWF. Yeesh! It didn't taste any better today. It's hard to describe what waking up and pouring 32oz of salt water into an empty stomach is like. Suffice to say, it makes this gal a bit queasy. I did learn today that you really need to do the SWF as soon as you get up. Today it kicked within minutes, and had I put it off until making today's batch of juice like I first planned, I would have really messed up most of my afternoon. Once the SWF starts working its magic...Thar she blows! A person is then going to want (need)to stay near a bathroom for approximately the next 60-90 minutes. Believe me, you don't want to risk leaving the house unless you are absolutely sure you are done with your business. Oh, and another thing. If you think you have to pass gas throughout this cleanse, do it with your pants down while sitting on the toilet. Ahem. It's probably not gas...
Someone on the Master Cleanse Forum recommended trying Celtic Sea Salt. I happen to have some (seriously) so I think I'm going try to mix it up in a nalgene before I go to bed. The salt granules are a lot bigger, so If I mix it tonight it will be dissolved and ready to go in the morning. It sure as heck can't taste any worse.
When mixing up today's pitcher of lemonade, I cut the amount of maple syrup down by 1/3 so it would be a little less sweet. Burrough's book says you can also cut down on the syrup if you want to lose weight faster, but again, although some weight loss will occur, that is not my primary goal. I'm doing this to "reset" my system and prepare my mind and body for a healthier way of being.
(Water) weight loss since yesterday: 5 lbs
Tongue: starting to sport a fuzzy white coating, and my breath is not exactly minty fresh. Thank goodness for tongue scrapers.
I have had some serious hunger pangs today, but not as bad as I would expect. And although I had several BMs today (several people on the forum like to refer to them as "butt pees"), I can tell my colon is not even close to being empty. Maybe something is lodged in there? Ick! Time will tell.
Sometime after tomorrow the first phase of true detox should begin (I hope). I know my system is going to respond "slower" than many other who have undergone this cleanse. I doubt it's convinced that this is all for real yet. Hopefully by tomorrow's end it will start to relax into a state of purging and healing.
Other than hunger, I really didn't have any detox symptoms today. I think one reason that so many people get severe headaches the first 1-2 days on this cleanse is that they are probably coming off of caffeine and/or alcohol. Fortunately, I checked those vices off the list a few weeks ago (it was brutal). Not because I knew I had a cleansing coming up, but because they just weren't working for me anymore. However, I did indulge in quite a few sweets over the holidays, and I'm sure that will rear its ugly head sooner or later. I do dig the taste of peppery lemonade, and decided I would start drinking it through a straw today and brush my teeth immediately after using a non-fluoride toothpaste (Uncle Toms). Hopefully this will help me avoid any thinning of the enamel on my teeth (and sensitivity) that might occur from constantly being exposed to the acid in the lemons.
One biological change of note:
I'm am pretty much cold all of the time now. It's a bummer, because I get cold easily anyway. Feeling cold on the MC is normal and it's a good thing. It's a signal that my body is slowing down and starting to conserve energy. It's starting to "in source" its own energy reserves. This is where some of my extra squishy fat cells start pitching in. As they start to burn off, I head into detox. Fat cells are little storehouses for all kinds of nasty toxins. I have found that I can better cope with the chilly willys by drinking hot water, wearing extra clothes (I have mittens on right now) and taking hot baths. This week we're starting to build a sauna in our basement. Once it's finished, I may have to live in there for the duration of this cleanse.
I also meditated today with some interesting results.
Here's a recap of today's experience:
I had a cup of tea before bed last night and slept well all night, although I did wake up to some serious rumblings in my tummy. I have determined that the tea takes its job very seriously. I managed to have a BM first thing-heck, I didn't even have time to brush my teeth.
On an empty stomach (which is pretty much the norm now anyway), I did manage to choke down another SWF. Yeesh! It didn't taste any better today. It's hard to describe what waking up and pouring 32oz of salt water into an empty stomach is like. Suffice to say, it makes this gal a bit queasy. I did learn today that you really need to do the SWF as soon as you get up. Today it kicked within minutes, and had I put it off until making today's batch of juice like I first planned, I would have really messed up most of my afternoon. Once the SWF starts working its magic...Thar she blows! A person is then going to want (need)to stay near a bathroom for approximately the next 60-90 minutes. Believe me, you don't want to risk leaving the house unless you are absolutely sure you are done with your business. Oh, and another thing. If you think you have to pass gas throughout this cleanse, do it with your pants down while sitting on the toilet. Ahem. It's probably not gas...
Someone on the Master Cleanse Forum recommended trying Celtic Sea Salt. I happen to have some (seriously) so I think I'm going try to mix it up in a nalgene before I go to bed. The salt granules are a lot bigger, so If I mix it tonight it will be dissolved and ready to go in the morning. It sure as heck can't taste any worse.
When mixing up today's pitcher of lemonade, I cut the amount of maple syrup down by 1/3 so it would be a little less sweet. Burrough's book says you can also cut down on the syrup if you want to lose weight faster, but again, although some weight loss will occur, that is not my primary goal. I'm doing this to "reset" my system and prepare my mind and body for a healthier way of being.
(Water) weight loss since yesterday: 5 lbs
Tongue: starting to sport a fuzzy white coating, and my breath is not exactly minty fresh. Thank goodness for tongue scrapers.
I have had some serious hunger pangs today, but not as bad as I would expect. And although I had several BMs today (several people on the forum like to refer to them as "butt pees"), I can tell my colon is not even close to being empty. Maybe something is lodged in there? Ick! Time will tell.
Sometime after tomorrow the first phase of true detox should begin (I hope). I know my system is going to respond "slower" than many other who have undergone this cleanse. I doubt it's convinced that this is all for real yet. Hopefully by tomorrow's end it will start to relax into a state of purging and healing.
Other than hunger, I really didn't have any detox symptoms today. I think one reason that so many people get severe headaches the first 1-2 days on this cleanse is that they are probably coming off of caffeine and/or alcohol. Fortunately, I checked those vices off the list a few weeks ago (it was brutal). Not because I knew I had a cleansing coming up, but because they just weren't working for me anymore. However, I did indulge in quite a few sweets over the holidays, and I'm sure that will rear its ugly head sooner or later. I do dig the taste of peppery lemonade, and decided I would start drinking it through a straw today and brush my teeth immediately after using a non-fluoride toothpaste (Uncle Toms). Hopefully this will help me avoid any thinning of the enamel on my teeth (and sensitivity) that might occur from constantly being exposed to the acid in the lemons.
One biological change of note:
I'm am pretty much cold all of the time now. It's a bummer, because I get cold easily anyway. Feeling cold on the MC is normal and it's a good thing. It's a signal that my body is slowing down and starting to conserve energy. It's starting to "in source" its own energy reserves. This is where some of my extra squishy fat cells start pitching in. As they start to burn off, I head into detox. Fat cells are little storehouses for all kinds of nasty toxins. I have found that I can better cope with the chilly willys by drinking hot water, wearing extra clothes (I have mittens on right now) and taking hot baths. This week we're starting to build a sauna in our basement. Once it's finished, I may have to live in there for the duration of this cleanse.
I also meditated today with some interesting results.
Meditation-Day 2 of MC
I'm not really very good at meditation, although I am very familiar with the concept. That's because I've read books on it, and I've taken classes on it, and I've watched videos on it. None of which, as it turns out, have been a reasonable substitute to actually sitting still and consistently practicing it.
I've have been been able to "tap in" when practicing various forms of moving meditation-playing piano, running and painting. But I want to be able to sit in silence, find my center and really feel connected to GOD. I want to make that still, small voice a louder, larger part of my everyday life.
I've decided that being on the Master Cleanse is the perfect opportunity to begin daily practice, so this afternoon I took some time to sit quietly and meditate on my body detoxing. I lit three candles, one each for my mind, body and spirit and proceeded to sit cross-legged on the floor. I wasn't worried about doing it "right." I just started with a prayer of gratitude and protection, focused on my breathing, and began to visualize a broom sweeping every part of my body clean from head to toe. As I visualized each part of my body becoming clean again, I sent it love and gratitude before moving on.
Throughout the visualization process I got a weird sense (a picture, actually) that my bones were, well, "dry", and that the inside of my pancreas was coated with a crystallized substance ( it looked like sugar to me). I also got a sense that the inside of my bladder was, for lack of a better word, "crusty."
The only reason I took notice of these thoughts was because when I got to these areas I had a harder time "sweeping" them clean in my mind (especially my pancreas). I did manage to clean them, although I did get the feeling that I would need to do this visualization daily in order to really help my body with the detox process. Afterwords I just monitored my thoughts for a while (they were all over the board!), and then spent a few minutes observing what my body was saying ( mainly that my upper back hurt, my stomach was cramping, and my butt felt toasty warm from our floor heat).
Hmm....this has the potential to get very interesting as I get deeper into the cleanse. I plan to meditate daily while on the Master Cleanse, not only to help assist my body with the detoxification process, but in hopes of establishing meditation as part of my daily routine.
I've have been been able to "tap in" when practicing various forms of moving meditation-playing piano, running and painting. But I want to be able to sit in silence, find my center and really feel connected to GOD. I want to make that still, small voice a louder, larger part of my everyday life.
I've decided that being on the Master Cleanse is the perfect opportunity to begin daily practice, so this afternoon I took some time to sit quietly and meditate on my body detoxing. I lit three candles, one each for my mind, body and spirit and proceeded to sit cross-legged on the floor. I wasn't worried about doing it "right." I just started with a prayer of gratitude and protection, focused on my breathing, and began to visualize a broom sweeping every part of my body clean from head to toe. As I visualized each part of my body becoming clean again, I sent it love and gratitude before moving on.
Throughout the visualization process I got a weird sense (a picture, actually) that my bones were, well, "dry", and that the inside of my pancreas was coated with a crystallized substance ( it looked like sugar to me). I also got a sense that the inside of my bladder was, for lack of a better word, "crusty."
The only reason I took notice of these thoughts was because when I got to these areas I had a harder time "sweeping" them clean in my mind (especially my pancreas). I did manage to clean them, although I did get the feeling that I would need to do this visualization daily in order to really help my body with the detox process. Afterwords I just monitored my thoughts for a while (they were all over the board!), and then spent a few minutes observing what my body was saying ( mainly that my upper back hurt, my stomach was cramping, and my butt felt toasty warm from our floor heat).
Hmm....this has the potential to get very interesting as I get deeper into the cleanse. I plan to meditate daily while on the Master Cleanse, not only to help assist my body with the detoxification process, but in hopes of establishing meditation as part of my daily routine.
MC-Day 1
Pre-Cleanse-Late the Night Before
I’m feeling very excited about tomorrow. I was going to wait until Tuesday (birthday) to start the program, but my mind is ready now so why wait? I ate a Ceasar Salad tonight and had a can of diet coke (odd as I rarely drink soda) followed by a large cup of the laxative tea. The tea has a strong, earthy, and slightly spicey taste. Probably not for everyone, but I love it. Went to sleep around 3 am.
Full Day 1 (January 5th)
Whahoo! It’s midnight of day one and I’m happy to report that I flew today with no problems. This was supposed to be the first of 2-3 very tough days while the body and mind get used to 1) not eating, and 2) the somewhat sudden jolt of the elimination system kicking in. I never did get hungry until around 4-5 pm, and that was only when I could smell my husband cooking some bean and bacon soup.
I read I could expect to feel dizzy, weak and maybe have some uncomfortable abdominal cramping as toxins start to slowly release into the blood stream before being swept out by the body. Umm..nope. Zip. Nada. Nothing of the sort. No headaches (glad I got off the coffee a few weeks ago) and very little abdominal cramping. I had good energy all day, too. My stomache felt a little quesy after the swf, but other than that, nothing unusual. Either I’m really lucky, or really full of toxins and this is going to take a while.
I started the morning by gulping down a nalgene bottle ( 1 quart) of the salt-water flush (swf). Wow. NOT very tasty. I didn’t expect it to taste good, but I wasn’t exactly expecting it to taste THAT bad. I’m prepared to follow this cleanse to the letter, though, so I guess I’m going to have to learn to grin and bear it. After taking laxative tea in before bed, the sea salt is supposed to work at accelerating elimination in the morning by washing your digestive tract from top to bottom. Ideally, one can expect 2-3 movements daily (at least right away) despite not eating any solid foods. The swf can also mean staying near the bathroom for the next 90 minutes. I did have two movements today (very close together and quite loose), although it took a couple of hours (and walking the dog) before things really “got moving.” In future posts I'm not going to get too detailed about this subject (unless something really exciting happens!), but nevertheless, it's a huge part of the cleansing process so the topic needs to be addressed.
About 15 minutes after the swf, I had my first glass of lemonade. I decided to mix up a two-quart pitcher of the lemonade so I would have enough to last all day. The organic lemons I bought are small, so it took almost a dozen of them to get enough juice for a pitcher’s worth of lemonade. I used a knife to help peel each lemon and dropped sections into the juicer. I’m straining out all of the pulp for now. I want to make sure that what I’m seeing in my extractions is not just undigested pulp.
The flavor of the lemonade is actually quite good. I really enjoy the extra bit of kick the cayenne pepper gives it. Mmmm. A glass of bliss every time I feel hungry for the next 39 days. I’m about to have another glass of tea, then it’s off to bed.
I’m feeling very excited about tomorrow. I was going to wait until Tuesday (birthday) to start the program, but my mind is ready now so why wait? I ate a Ceasar Salad tonight and had a can of diet coke (odd as I rarely drink soda) followed by a large cup of the laxative tea. The tea has a strong, earthy, and slightly spicey taste. Probably not for everyone, but I love it. Went to sleep around 3 am.
Full Day 1 (January 5th)
Whahoo! It’s midnight of day one and I’m happy to report that I flew today with no problems. This was supposed to be the first of 2-3 very tough days while the body and mind get used to 1) not eating, and 2) the somewhat sudden jolt of the elimination system kicking in. I never did get hungry until around 4-5 pm, and that was only when I could smell my husband cooking some bean and bacon soup.
I read I could expect to feel dizzy, weak and maybe have some uncomfortable abdominal cramping as toxins start to slowly release into the blood stream before being swept out by the body. Umm..nope. Zip. Nada. Nothing of the sort. No headaches (glad I got off the coffee a few weeks ago) and very little abdominal cramping. I had good energy all day, too. My stomache felt a little quesy after the swf, but other than that, nothing unusual. Either I’m really lucky, or really full of toxins and this is going to take a while.
I started the morning by gulping down a nalgene bottle ( 1 quart) of the salt-water flush (swf). Wow. NOT very tasty. I didn’t expect it to taste good, but I wasn’t exactly expecting it to taste THAT bad. I’m prepared to follow this cleanse to the letter, though, so I guess I’m going to have to learn to grin and bear it. After taking laxative tea in before bed, the sea salt is supposed to work at accelerating elimination in the morning by washing your digestive tract from top to bottom. Ideally, one can expect 2-3 movements daily (at least right away) despite not eating any solid foods. The swf can also mean staying near the bathroom for the next 90 minutes. I did have two movements today (very close together and quite loose), although it took a couple of hours (and walking the dog) before things really “got moving.” In future posts I'm not going to get too detailed about this subject (unless something really exciting happens!), but nevertheless, it's a huge part of the cleansing process so the topic needs to be addressed.
About 15 minutes after the swf, I had my first glass of lemonade. I decided to mix up a two-quart pitcher of the lemonade so I would have enough to last all day. The organic lemons I bought are small, so it took almost a dozen of them to get enough juice for a pitcher’s worth of lemonade. I used a knife to help peel each lemon and dropped sections into the juicer. I’m straining out all of the pulp for now. I want to make sure that what I’m seeing in my extractions is not just undigested pulp.
The flavor of the lemonade is actually quite good. I really enjoy the extra bit of kick the cayenne pepper gives it. Mmmm. A glass of bliss every time I feel hungry for the next 39 days. I’m about to have another glass of tea, then it’s off to bed.
Pre-Cleansing Goals and Stats.
I'm a planner. I do better with goals. The Master Cleanse is no small undertaking. Some days it gets rough. Someone suggested writing down goals to refer back in the event things start to get a little dicey. It's a great idea. Here's mine:
My Master Cleanse Goals
Clear out accumulated toxins in my body
Give my digestive system a break
Cultivate mental discipline
Gain spiritual insights through integration of greater physical awareness
Intended Duration
39 days (January 5, 2008-February 12, 2008) plus and extra 3 days for transitioning back to solid food.
Pre-Cleanse Stats
Weight: (eeek, is this really important?) 190lbs.
Skin: Generally oily, a bit ruddy, occasional outbreaks of acne. Despite getting good sleep, I’m still sporting lovely half moons under each eye.
Energy: ( Zzzzzz...Zzzzz.) Many everyday tasks seem to take a great effort lately, and with the exception of a daily (1 mile) hike with the dog, I’m currently not exercising at all.
Clarity: Umm…wha?
Bowel Movements: Seldom. I was diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Failure (a.k.a. early menopause) at age 30, and I’ve been post menopausal (no periods at all) since. After 8 years of going it alone, have only recently started on hormone replacement therapy to combat hot flashes and help prevent bone loss. The HRT has been a real life saver ( Yay! Finally some sleep!). The downside is that is that it has slowed my poor bowels down to a mere crawl. (Deep down there is a part of me that hopes improving my health will bring my ovaries out of retirement just for a few more years. Not holding my breath though).
My Master Cleanse Goals
Clear out accumulated toxins in my body
Give my digestive system a break
Cultivate mental discipline
Gain spiritual insights through integration of greater physical awareness
Intended Duration
39 days (January 5, 2008-February 12, 2008) plus and extra 3 days for transitioning back to solid food.
Pre-Cleanse Stats
Weight: (eeek, is this really important?) 190lbs.
Skin: Generally oily, a bit ruddy, occasional outbreaks of acne. Despite getting good sleep, I’m still sporting lovely half moons under each eye.
Energy: ( Zzzzzz...Zzzzz.) Many everyday tasks seem to take a great effort lately, and with the exception of a daily (1 mile) hike with the dog, I’m currently not exercising at all.
Clarity: Umm…wha?
Bowel Movements: Seldom. I was diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Failure (a.k.a. early menopause) at age 30, and I’ve been post menopausal (no periods at all) since. After 8 years of going it alone, have only recently started on hormone replacement therapy to combat hot flashes and help prevent bone loss. The HRT has been a real life saver ( Yay! Finally some sleep!). The downside is that is that it has slowed my poor bowels down to a mere crawl. (Deep down there is a part of me that hopes improving my health will bring my ovaries out of retirement just for a few more years. Not holding my breath though).
The Master Cleanse
First off, let me say that I am not a doctor. This is MY journey toward restoring my health, so this cleansing program may or may not be right for you. The cleansing protocol I’m using is called is called The Master Cleanse, and first appeared in 1941 in the book, The Master Cleanser, written by alternative health pioneer Stanley Burroughs. The Master Cleanse is also sometimes referred to as the Lemon Aid Diet, which is unfortunate, because it is NOT a diet. The Master Cleanse is NOT intended as a method for losing weight. Although rapid weight loss may occur during the cleanse, much of it is water loss, and will be gained back when returning the body to solid food.
This is a regime to help detoxify your body and reset your system toward greater health. Ten days is the minimum amount of time recommended for the cleanse, or up to 40 days or more for what the author describes as extreme cases. Following the protocol carefully-especially when coming off it- is very important. Not following the directions closely could cause you to become seriously ill and may even jeopardize your health long term. Do your research before trying this program. Directions can easily be found on the Internet, so I’m not going to post them here because I did not author this diet.
This is a regime to help detoxify your body and reset your system toward greater health. Ten days is the minimum amount of time recommended for the cleanse, or up to 40 days or more for what the author describes as extreme cases. Following the protocol carefully-especially when coming off it- is very important. Not following the directions closely could cause you to become seriously ill and may even jeopardize your health long term. Do your research before trying this program. Directions can easily be found on the Internet, so I’m not going to post them here because I did not author this diet.
FULL DISCLOSURE
January 2008 marks the completion of my 39th year. The grand start of my 40th trip around the sun. My personal “Happy New Year!” Birthdays are generally a time when I stop to reflect, assess, and give myself a sort of quasi performance review based on how far I’ve come. Based on this past year’s performance, I’ve decided things need to change. If forty is the new thirty, then I’m pretty much…well, ageing badly. Not catastrophically, just badly.
Part of my so-called health mission/epiphany (and subsequent blog) can be blamed on vanity. I am certainly not immune to excessive pride or to the forces of ego. I think that for most of us, there comes a day when the image we see reflected back in the mirror is no longer in harmony with how we imagine ourselves to be. Ahem. Startling, isn’t it? Believe me, that day has came and gone for me! Still, changing my outward appearance is not my primary objective here. I’m more interested in the inner landscaping. I’m beginning to feel things breaking down in there, -sluggish bowels, achy joints, shortness of breath, thinning (graying) hair, aging skin, extra weight, etc.
Then there is the mind. A few decades of having negative self-talk for a travel companion is starting to wear thin on me. Thoughts can manifest themselves in the body, and over the past few years, my thoughts have become increasingly toxic. It’s time to hear some new music. Change the tape already!
What this all amounts to is the need to clearing out the clutter and giving myself some room to grow. As Alison Rose Levy put it, “In minds crammed with thoughts, organs clogged with toxins, and bodies stiffened with neglect, there is just no space for anything else”.
Part of my so-called health mission/epiphany (and subsequent blog) can be blamed on vanity. I am certainly not immune to excessive pride or to the forces of ego. I think that for most of us, there comes a day when the image we see reflected back in the mirror is no longer in harmony with how we imagine ourselves to be. Ahem. Startling, isn’t it? Believe me, that day has came and gone for me! Still, changing my outward appearance is not my primary objective here. I’m more interested in the inner landscaping. I’m beginning to feel things breaking down in there, -sluggish bowels, achy joints, shortness of breath, thinning (graying) hair, aging skin, extra weight, etc.
Then there is the mind. A few decades of having negative self-talk for a travel companion is starting to wear thin on me. Thoughts can manifest themselves in the body, and over the past few years, my thoughts have become increasingly toxic. It’s time to hear some new music. Change the tape already!
What this all amounts to is the need to clearing out the clutter and giving myself some room to grow. As Alison Rose Levy put it, “In minds crammed with thoughts, organs clogged with toxins, and bodies stiffened with neglect, there is just no space for anything else”.
Blog's First Post
The WHAT
This blog is NOT just another “I’m 40-something and trying to find myself” blog to add to the already the over-crowded blogsphere.
Well…okay. Maybe it is. I AM trying to find something-namely, better health. Nevertheless, I am NOT forty (at least, not yet). This is really a blog about my garbage. Or rather, getting rid of it. But not the kind of garbage I haul to the curb once a week for collection. It’s more about throwing out the things that no longer serve me-physically, mentally, and spiritually. It’s about me taking out my trash.
The WHY
Astrologers call it Uranus in opposition to Uranus. And I believe it was Carl Jung who coined the phrase, “mid-life crisis”. Personally, I would call say it is a jumbled mix of discontentment, self-doubt, and confusion, capped off by a quizzical sense of adventure. Toss in some astrological urgings and, voila! The Internet has another blog.
This blog is NOT just another “I’m 40-something and trying to find myself” blog to add to the already the over-crowded blogsphere.
Well…okay. Maybe it is. I AM trying to find something-namely, better health. Nevertheless, I am NOT forty (at least, not yet). This is really a blog about my garbage. Or rather, getting rid of it. But not the kind of garbage I haul to the curb once a week for collection. It’s more about throwing out the things that no longer serve me-physically, mentally, and spiritually. It’s about me taking out my trash.
The WHY
Astrologers call it Uranus in opposition to Uranus. And I believe it was Carl Jung who coined the phrase, “mid-life crisis”. Personally, I would call say it is a jumbled mix of discontentment, self-doubt, and confusion, capped off by a quizzical sense of adventure. Toss in some astrological urgings and, voila! The Internet has another blog.
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