Day 24

Happy Leap Day!

Not much to report. Was sooo nice out today! (39!) and the sun was shining. Got some good outdoors walking time in. I also did a little bit of "spring cleaning". I don't know if it is because of the cleanse, but the Lysol Bleach spray that I usually use for the bathroom smelled so TOXIC and horrible. It made me sick.

I should be starting my period either today or tomorrow, and my skin broke out a little bit. It has also been pretty dry, but I think that was just from the cold. I never got the glowing skin so many people seemed to get. I bet it would be different in the summertime. The skin on the rest of my body looks better though. Instead of chalky butt white, I look just butt white.

One thing I did notice is that my gums look really healthy. I think salt water is actually good for you gums. I was hoping for some old scars to go away, but that hasn't happened yet.

I was reading some stuff about eating slowly and making sure you chew your food enough. I think after my 2 juice days I will move to fruit, but have it in a smoothie form, to help my digestion along.

A University of Rhode Island study has shown slow eating can help you lose weight. Basically, it leaves you physically satisfied longer and makes a meal more enjoyable. The study considered chewing a mouthful between 15 and 20 times “eating slowly".

Chewing sends messages to your stomach about the nature and amount of food that is about to be digested. If your stomach knows ahead of time that there is an ice-cream sundae, some deep-fried chips and a Coke on the way down, it can better prepare the right amount of acid to help digest the mess.

If the stomach acids are not working sufficiently - which is often the case in those following a western-styled diet and gobbling it hastily on the run - food can remain in undigested clumps and move into the intestines where it rots and festers away, creating ill health. Get those teeth working!

And if you get those teeth sufficiently a'crunching, you may be able to throw away those magical moisturisers. According to university studies, chewing stimulates the endocrine system, keeping your hormones in balance for a happier, younger-looking you. In particular, the parotid glands just under your cheekbones release a cell-rejuvenating substance. I'm sure they would bottle it if they could, but they can't, so chew for youth instead.

And what's the use of beauty without brains? The more you chew, the more oxygen is sent to the brain. So take your time and give your meal a thorough munching if you want to score well on those exams.

There is a semi funny movie from the early 90's with Anthony Hopkins and Matthew Broderick called The Road to Wellville.
It is based on the true story of Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, who invented Corn Flakes.... anyway, in real life as well as in the movie he believed in chewing your food 50 times for health. (a bit much!)
The only reason I bring it up is because in the movie they all sing this stupid song:
Chew, chew, chew,
it is the thing to do...

and it has been stuck in my head all afternoon after reading about chewing

more, later...

(chew, chew, chew....)

Day 23

So have decided that Day 28 will be my final day. Exactly one month. Nice ending feel to it. I feel fine, I have no complaints. I could probably go longer if I wanted but decide to stop in 5 days because...

1) I am really thinking about food a lot. Thinking about what I want to eat. Looking for great raw food recipes.

2) I am looking very Mary Kate Olsen. I finally weighed myself and I am 101. Yikes! I think any more weight loss would come from my boobs. And I need those.

So, I will actually drink the juice on Day 28. In the meantime, I just started reading this:



Makes a real good argument to go Vegetarian.

more, later...

Reasons to keep doing the Salt Water Flush

Why Salt?

Salt has been used throughout the ages as a preservative and to draw out poisons. Salt will not do harm when used this way and will sterilize and make it possible for the body to repair itself. When you have a wound on your arm that gets infected, soaking the arm in saltwater draws out poisons. If you have damaged the intestinal tract with fissures or diverticula (small pouches in colon), the salt will cleanse in a similar way.

The Salt Water Flush is an ancient Ayurveda intestinal and whole body cleanse. It purifies the digestive system from top to bottom and leeches impurities from the organs. The two aims of any cleanse are to mobilize the waste and then eliminate it. The Salt Water Flush is mainly eliminative, so it is safe to perform on its own to rid yourself of toxins, or in combination with other cleansing procedures. While laxatives and enemas only clean out the colon, which is a relatively small part of the digestive system, the Salt Water Flush cleans the entire digestive system. It also does not promote dependence as do expensive store-bought remedies. The Salt Water Flush is often used to treat colds, high blood pressure, digestive problems, and fever. Many people report increased energy and appetite after several mornings, along with fresher breath, better sleep, cleaner skin, and improved digestion.

Day 22

Some people are doing the Cleanse for weight loss, some for detox, probably most of us for both. When coming off the fast, I am sure most want to either keep losing some weight or maintain the weight that they have lost. That is why I am going to do a month long raw food challenge.

I was just reading up on "Superfoods". So it makes perfect sense to not only make good choices, but make the BEST choices. Adding some of these can help to look make you look and feel even better.

Here is what I learned about Superfoods.

A superfood is a type of food believed to have health benefits beyond those of more common foods due to specific phytonutrient content. "Phytonutrients" refer to phytochemicals or compounds that come from edible plants

Imagine a superfood -- not a drug -- powerful enough to help you lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer, and, for an added bonus, put you in a better mood. Did we mention that there are no side effects? You’d surely stock up on a lifetime supply. Guess what? These life-altering superfoods are available right now in your local supermarket.

List of some Superfoods

Cacao, Raw chocolate Pronounced "ka-cow" Cacao is the raw, un-cooked, form of chocolate.

Blueberries High in Vitamin C and antioxidants. Raw organic Blueberries have one of the highest ORAC ratings of any fruit

Raspberries - Also high in Vitamin C and antioxidants

Bilberry - Also high in Vitamin C and antioxidants.

Blackberry - Also high in Vitamin C and antioxidants.

Coffee Berry - In the production of coffee, the berry surrounding the bean has always been discarded because it was too perishable to process. Research has shown that the fresh coffee fruit contains antioxidant polyphenols, chlorogenic, caffeic and ferulic acid. One gram of coffee berry provides the same amount of free radical protection as over two kilograms of organic grapes.

Bee Pollen - Bee Pollen is an immune boosting nutritional supplement. It is absorbed quickly into the blood and has been used by athletes for strength, endurance, energy and speed.

Honey, Raw - Honey is the richest source of healing enzymes that increases reflexes, and increases mental alertness.[citation needed] Some types of Manuka honey from New Zealand have been shown to have antifungal, antibiotic and antiviral effects.

Açaí - Pronounced "ah-saee". Has anticancer effects in in vitro lab tests.

Aloe Vera - Aloe Vera is a plant that has wonderful healing and softening properties. Many people have an Aloe Vera houseplant, because you can break off a piece and use the extract from inside to soothe and heal cuts, burns and abrasions. It can also been taken orally to cleanse and heal the intestines and colon.

Chlorella - Some oc Chlorella's key abilities are being a powerful blood cleanser, liver cleanser and anti-cancer agent.[citation needed] It also promotes a healthy pH balance, helps to detoxify the body and decreases constipation.[citation needed]

Probiotics

Noni Fruit

Yacon Root

Rose hips

Quinoa - Pronounced "keen-wah". Quinoa is a complete protein in a "seed" form. It is a good source of fibre and great source of complex carbohydrates.[citation needed] Many people have begun to use Quinoa in cooking as a grain alternative.

Flax seed - Flax Seed Oil is high in omega-3 oils and is impressive in the prevention of heart disease and atherosclerosis.

Leaf teas have also been shown to be of great benefit to people, green tea being the most popular at this time. In the past, various leaves have been used for herbal medicines and in general to assist the body in fighting toxins, colds, flu, and various other ailments. However, they are classed as herbs and not superfoods, but because of their great medicinal properties they have been included here. PLEASE NOTE: Teas are best when seeped raw and should not be heated above 60 degrees centigrade. If you pour boiling water on the leaf, you will be drastically reducing its potency.

Best Tea:
Green tea and white tea from the camellia sinensis plant (also black tea, but with fewer benefits)
Bilberry leaf
Dandelion leaf
Black walnut leaf
Goldenseal leaf
Rosemary leaf
Nettle leaf
Alfalfa leaf
Lemon grass
Horsetail

Dr. Perricone made a list of his top 10 superfoods

The 10 featured here were chosen because of their direct link to the Brain-Beauty Connection. These foods (listed here in alphabetical order) are rich in either the Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), antioxidants or fiber, and as in the case of açaí—all three! In addition, we have included foods that have been proven to lower or help regulate blood sugar levels—an extremely important factor for all of those concerned with slowing the aging process and preventing diabetes, obesity, wrinkles and a host of degenerative diseases.

Açaí
The Allium Family
Barley
Beans and Lentils
Buckwheat
Green Foods
Hot Peppers
Nuts and Seeds
Sprouts
Yogurt and Kefir

more, later...

Day 21

One tip I have for anyone on the cleanse would be to make sure you don't ingest anything that needs to be digested. If you do, you will stay in a constant state of hunger and food craving because your stomach is still manufacturing acid needed to digest. One of reasons people can fast for such a long amount of time is because after 3 or so days your stomach stops producing these acids and digestive enzymes and basically "shuts down" so there is no more hunger.

Everything you ingest should be completely liquid. I found that straining the lemon juice so that there is no pulp in it made a HUGE difference. The first time I did the cleanse I did not do this and never lost my hunger. So if you are having problems on the cleanse, this could be one of the reasons.

Another thing I have noticed on the message boards is there seems to be a lot of people who are taking cayenne capsules. Once again, that is going to make your stomach need to digest something. I am someone who does not usually like hot foods, and I am fine with it. You really get used to it after a while. Maybe that gross white layer on the tongue helps block the heat!

You only need to use a PINCH! 1/10 of a teaspoon! It really is not that much. The longer the pepper sits in liquid, the hotter it gets, so if you are making your lemonade ahead of time, leave the cayenne out and add it right before drinking.

I found something else about why they are not good to take:

Don't use cayenne capsules for two reasons. First, most capsules are made from gelatin (boiled hooves, tendons and sinews of pigs) which require digestion and thus defeat the fasting aspect of the Master Cleanse, which is what gives it its power.

Secondly, Master Herbalist, Dr. Richard Schulze, who rates cayenne as the #1 most important, useful herb, says that people who take it in capsules don't get the maximum healing effect because it bypasses the nerve endings in the mouth which react by sending blood throughout the body especially into blocked areas.

Most people who have problems taking cayenne by mouth once tried it by taking way too much at first. It is such a beneficial herb, it is worth learning to take it. (It is a learned food, just like celery or tomatoes.) So, start with whatever amount is comfortable and gradually increase it until you can use a 1/10 teaspoon in each 10 oz. lemonade drink...or more!"

So, like I said, if you are still feeling hungry after the first 3 days or so, make sure you are not forcing your stomach to stay in digestion mode.

Any whooo....Three weeks for me today! I treated myself a bottle of my favorite perfume. "Luctor et Emergo"

It is pretty expensive for a fragrance, but I really love it and Luctor et Emergo translates as "I struggle and emerge" or "Struggle and Conquor". What could be a better motto for my Master Cleanse experience?

more, later....

Day 20

My trip was good, and it was bad. It was nice to have some different scenery to look at and to be able to be out in the fresh air for some nice nature walks. It was bad because I didn't realize how much harder it is to be around someone you associate with eating and drinking.

My friend started her cleanse, but I doubt she will stay on it. She wants to do it mostly for weight loss, and I find people are much more motivated when they are doing it for health reasons as well.

Tomorrow will be 3 weeks for me! I am going for at least one more week. There are still some things that I would like to get rid of if I can. I hear people say old scars that they have had gone away on a longer fast, and I have quite a few of those. I also have a rather large calcium deposit on my collar bone where it was broken a few years back. I would hope my body might start to break that down sometime soon.

I just read this today about cold weather and detoxing...

When the body becomes chilled the skin pores close and other body reactions take place to protect against chilling as much as possible. In these instances, energies being redirected to temperature maintenance may result in temporary neglect of regular chores of elimination. The skin normally respires and the closing of pores throws an additional burden of elimination onto the respiratory system. If the body is already toxic, the added toxin retention may reach a level that will trigger a body cleansing crisis, such as a cold or flu.

That makes me worried about having done my cleanse in such cold weather. Thankfully it is a bit warmer now. I plan on doing more cleanses in the future, but I will NEVER do them during the winter. Unless I move to Florida...... I think the extreme cold made my cleanse much harder mentally and physically. Plus I think I definitely have suffered from SAD this year.

Tomorrow...3 weeks! I am going to buy myself something special.

more, later...

Day 15

I bought the same exact brand of Maple Syrup at Whole Foods as I did last time, and this one looks and tastes completely different. It is much lighter and a lot less sweet. My other one was thick and dark and sooo sweet, I thought people were nuts for using 2 tablespoons. It was too sweet with just one.

One of my friends got interested in doing the cleanse after hearing about the benefits from me. We are going to take a trip up to Wisconsin tomorrow and stay at her sisters house in Lake Geneva. She thought it would be easier to get through the first couple of days without a lot of distraction or having to be around food. Hopefully we can get some good walks in. It will be a nice change of pace. I am getting a little sick of the city.

So I won't be updating again until probably Monday.

more, later.....

Day 14

I know that day 14 is supposed to be one of the harder ones. It seems the body detoxes in 7 day cycles or something. But I don't think that the "day" necessarily is sunup to sundown. I think mine started last night.

Around 8 pm, I started getting really hungry. I haven't really had such a strong desire so far on the cleanse. I sometimes miss food. I happen to love to cook and love to find new interesting things to make. But last night it was more HUNGRY! I have been pretty much sticking to 6 glasses of the lemonade so far, but last night I added 4 extra to that. Then my stomach started burbling and churning. I felt really gassy and strange. I went to bed, but got up around 3 am to pee. I had an awful headache and a sore throat! I also had quite a bit of gas.

I woke up this morning feeling weak and dizzy. Still a sight sore throat. I did my SWF. When it made it's exit an hour later, it was pretty foul. I felt really dizzy again while eliminating, but when all was said and done, all those symptoms went away! I felt so much better, and the sore throat went away. I have much more energy and feel great right now! Strange, huh?

So when I am done with the cleanse, I am going to do a one month raw food challenge. After seeing how I feel I will decide if I can stand to be 100% raw. It will most likely be around 90%. Right now I can't imagine giving up things like black beans and soup...sweet potato fries.... I am reading plenty of sites from raw foodies, and found these two to be quite inspirational.

Raw Model Darn cute, huh?

Jinjee She and her husband are 100% raw and have had 5 kids that have all been brought up raw.

Good arguments for the raw food lifestyle, huh?

more, later.....

Day 13

On the first week or so of the cleanse, I constantly had a metallic taste in my mouth. I just figured it was from the acid in the lemons. But after the 9th day or so, it went away. I was reading an article about the different detox symptoms you can get when your body is getting rid of different toxins and realized that the metallic taste in the mouth is a symptom of detoxing heavy metals. This makes perfect sense to me because of the large amount of fish I used to consume. The levels of mercury in salmon and tuna are very high. Besides being toxic, mercury can also cause depression.

Heavy Metal Elimination

Almost every person is poisoned by deposits of heavy metals in the body. Lead, aluminum, copper and arsenic collect in organs throughout the body. Because of their heavy weight, they are difficult to eliminate, and may cause discomfort as they leave the body.

Lead enters the body through auto exhaust, paints and canned foods. Aluminum may come from preparing or storing food in aluminum containers. Arsenic is present on sprayed foods, and so on.

Since these metals are heavy, they, tend to remain in the body until a cleansing diet or fast is followed. As these metals come out, headaches and a general achiness all through the body may occur. The gums may hurt and the kidneys may throb as these metals leave the organs and bones.

Occasionally, you can actually taste the metal that is being eliminated. Lead, especially often leaves a metallic taste on the tongue when it is leaving the body.

Heavy-metal poisoning can make you feel uncomfortable all over, and it is very common due to all the environmental toxins. As you eliminate these metals, bear the uncomfortable body aches and realize that they are leaving your body forever.

The article has many other interesting detox symptoms which are good to know.
The entire article is here.

I found another good resource. It is a website that has lists of every kind of fish and tells you how healthy or toxic it is based on where it was caught or farmed.
Seafood Watch Program

Not much else to report. I feel a bit lazy and uninspired today. I think its a bit of depression that the temperature went back down to the teens and I really can't go outside and get any fresh air or exercise. It is going to be this way for the next two days as well. Ho hum..

more, later....

Day 12

I did a little experiment this morning. I measured a few places on my body with a tape measure before doing the SWF and then an hour after to see if I am retaining any of the salt and bloating. Nope! Same! The SWF seems to be a bit easier now. It still tastes gross, but comes out quicker and easier. None of that bloated belly of the first 5 days. Although what comes out is still amazing. 12 days without solid food and there is still waste coming out. Makes me happy to still be on the cleanse knowing all that "crap" is still in me. I hope by the time I break my fast I will have the clean pink tongue and clean bowels.

I have been having food dreams the last few nights. Last night it was all about chocolate chip cookies. Better to dream about them than to eat them!

So, there are lots of arguments around about whether or not this diet should be followed exactly as it was written, or if you can add some things to it. Most people say if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Peter Glickman is the author of "Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days". It is the same exact Master Cleanse as the original by Stanley Burroughs, but answers more questions. He had this to say:

"After coaching more than 500 people on the Master Cleanse in just the last 2 years, I can tell you with great certainty that adding anything to the Master Cleanse (other than items prescribed by licensed health care professionals is
A) unnecessary and
B) reduces the gains."

I agree with this for the most part. Some people are taking supplements, laxative pills, tablespoons of Olive Oil, hoodia or Bentonite & Psyllium.

I totally agree in this case that those things should not be added. Or that they are needed. Pills, or anything solid for that matter, takes your body out of fasting mode. Once your body had to produce acids and enzymes needed to digest your hunger will return. Plus, they could be dangerous. The Bentonite and Psyllium is up for debate as well.

You can find all over the internet photo's people took of what came out the other end using these products. It is called "mucoid plaque" a phrase that was coined by the man who invented this form of cleanse. People are amazed that all of this is coming out of them. I seem to think that it looks pretty much like Bentonite and Psyllium digested and making its exit. Doctors say it's a perfect scam - the more of the product you take, the more of the rubbery product you pass in bigger longer intestal wall formed clumps.

(CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO SEE "MUCOID PLAQUE")

So, even if you believe in this product for a colon cleanse, why do it during your Master Cleanse? This is a time for letting nature take over and letting your body do its thing.

Having said all that, I actually am going to make a modification to this diet , albeit a small one. I did the 10 cleanse to the letter, which is pretty much the suggested time. So now I am going to allow one cup of Green Tea in the morning and some other herbal teas during the day, such as Ginger Peppermint from Alvita Tea's.

They carry these tea's at Whole Foods and they have nothing added to them. Green Tea is just Green Tea. Ginger and Peppermint are the only ingredients. Some tea's like Yogi Tea, which I love also add lots of other things. Even if they are natural ingredients, I don't want them right now. So I'll let you know how it goes. I can't imagine any strange reactions to this.

Oh, the Miracle Whip! It has a very strong vinegar smell and bothered my eyes a bit. It did tighten my skin and make it very soft though. I may have to try it a few more times before I decide whether it is worth it or not to smear sandwich spread on my face.

more, later....

Day 11

Had one of those nights where I slept soundly and for about 10 hours. I either seem to toss and turn and not sleep, or I sleep for a crazy amount of time. Your body is supposed to do most of its healing while you are sleeping so I greatly welcome it.

For some reason this morning the SWF was very hard to get down. I really haven't had any trouble with it so far. It seemed to taste worse than usual and my stomach didn't want anything to do with it either. This is the first time I gagged and almost puked it back up. But I stuck with it and it did its job.

I had a lot of energy today and I feel really good. I am going to try a very strange facial tonight that I read about. It is a product that I would never consider ever eating, and why it works so well on your face is beyond me. It is..... dum, dum, dum.....
MIRACLE WHIP!!

I read that page, then googled it some more, and everyone seems to be amazed with how good it makes your skin. I will tell you how it went tomorrow.

more, later....

Day 10

CLICK TO MAKE BIGGER


Yay! Today is either my 1/2 point or my 1/3 of the way point.

The SWF seems to be a bit easier. It has been coming out pretty quickly and the full amount is excreted. I tried something I had heard of, putting a little bit of lemon juice in it. I didn't think that it would do much but it actually fooled the tongue into recognizing the lemons sour taste and not the salt. Some people also recommend drinking it through a straw.

So, I feel good. I still haven't reached that amazing euphoric state that some people claim to get. I am expecting much more intense results now, after Day 10. I read this on one of the forums:

"Remember 10 days is the suggested minimum. I always liken it to the first 20 minutes of any workout at the gym - relatively useless on it's own, it's a warm-up period for your body and it's what happens after that warm-up that is really where the benefits and action happen. Ten days is the time it takes to flush the digestive tract out and for your body to fully switch over to using it's fat resources for energy, thereby releasing toxins stored within. The longer past 10 days you go, the more cleansed your body will become, and the more deeply stored toxins will be able to be removed. Give your body a chance to really cleanse, you won't regret it!"

So, I am looking forward to bigger and better things. One of the things I am going to make sure to start incorporating into every day is dry brushing. You get a natural bristle body brush, the kind you use in the shower, but you use it on your skin before your shower and dry.
Some good info here

more, later...

Some helpful links

Here are a few links with some really good information

Here is a pdf file for the Master Cleanse. If for some reason you have not read the book, or can't find the book, this is it! It is a short read.

This is a great little short article about the stages of fasting. Helps a bit when you don't know what is happening with your body.

Some more general info on fasting. Another quick read. Some of these facts may be a help when others question what you are doing.

Another short article on the benefits of fasting.

Some of the benefits of Maple Syrup. You would be surprized at how good it is for you!

The healing powers of cayenne. Good to know.

This is a good site for post fasting recipes. It is from a fasting site and all the recipes are designed to use post cleanse/ fast.

Find vegetarian, raw, vegan restaurants. If you are planning this type of diet after your cleanse, a good resource for going out to eat.

Reason to choose organic:

Lemon has the number 25 highest pesticide load of 45 common fruits and vegetables studied in 2006 by the Environmental Working Group and is therefore a prime candidate for switching to organic. The EWA explains, “While washing and rinsing fresh produce may reduce levels of some pesticides, it does not eliminate them. Peeling also reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel. The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.”

According to USDA and FDA tests on commercially grown foods collected between 2000 and 2005, lemon has a 55.6% (percentage) of samples tested with detectable pesticides, a 10.0% (percentage) of samples with two or more pesticides, a 0.7 average number of pesticides found in a sample, an average of 0.188 parts per million of all pesticides found, and 10 different pesticides found in use growing lemons. These toxic pesticides don’t apply to organic foods.

Day 9

Last night was probably the worst I have felt on the cleanse thus far. Still, it wasn't all that bad. Problem was, I had trouble falling asleep. I was tossing and turning most of the night. Then around 3 am I got a splitting headache. It was only on the right side with pain at the base of my scull and pain by my right temple.

Then around 6 am I started having some of the laxative tea stomach cramps. I ended up eliminating some solid waste. (ewww! Why is that crap still in me??) Even though I wanted to crawl back into my warm bed, I decided that this was probably the best time to get my salt water flush out of the way, since by body was in elimination mode. I drank it down in record time and went back to bed to wait until it had done its thing. This was actually perfect because many have suggested laying on your right side while waiting for the salt water to do its thing. Something to do with the shape of the intestines.

So salt water came out about and hour and a half later. Headache was all gone! I felt much better. I don't know if the feeling crappy was because of not doing the flush the previous day or if it was just a coincidence and I was just in a major detox mode anyway.

Went for a nice walk this afternoon. Made a trip to Whole Foods to get more lemons. I also got a few Myers lemons. I am going to mix it with the regular lemon juice for a little bit of a change. Maybe some lime too.

As I mentioned before, I am trying to be all natural during this detox time even with moisturizers, toothpaste and deodorant.
I have been using pure Coconut Oil on my skin. It works great and smells good. Problem is, it goes solid in this temperature. A friend suggested that I buy Hemp Seed Oil. I did, and I must say, this stuff is fab! It is really good for your skin. I did some research on the net, and I am also amazed at how good it is for you to ingest! When I go back to regular eating I am definitely going to make it a part of my diet.

I have always used a lot of natural fats in my diet. I eat tons of avocado's, nuts, seeds and I also take Flax Seed Oil tablets. The good fats make you skinny! But now after reading the benefits about Hemp Seed Oil, I am going to use that instead of Flax. My bottle of the stuff makes a great moisturizer and a great oil to ingest! And no, you can't get high off of it.

Here are some facts I found:

The green color in hemp seed foods comes from chlorophyll, that mysterious healing substance in nature that modern science can't as yet explain.

Of the 3 million plus edible plants that grow on Earth, no other single plant source can compare with the nutritional value of hempseeds. Both the complete protein and the essential oils contained in hempseeds are in ideal ratios for human nutrition.

Hemp seeds contain the highest percentage of Essential Fatty Acids in the entire plant kingdom.

Essential fatty acids in nutritional oils like hemp oil govern growth, vitality and state of mind. LA and LNA are involved in transferring oxygen from the air in the lungs to every cell in the body. They play a part in holding oxygen in the cell membrane where it acts as a barrier to invading viruses and bacteria, neither of which thrive in the presence of oxygen.

It also provides the derivative gamma linolenic acid (GLA) which stimulates growth of hair and nails, improves the health of the skin and can reduce inflammation. Its content of (GLA) makes it unique among edible seed oils. No other common seed contains (GLA).

Hemp seed oil also provides an adequate supply of antioxidants (Vitamin E), carotene (precursor to Vitamin A), phytosterols, phospholipids and a number of minerals including calcium, magnesium, sulfur, potassium, phosphorus, along with modest amounts of iron and zinc. Hemp seed oil also provides a good source of chlorophyll.

Google it. You will be amazed.

more, later...

Day 8

Drank some laxative tea this morning instead of the SWF. It does not feel like you are flushing very much. I had stomach cramps and when I went to the bathroom not much came out. Being on a diet without fiber, there really can't be any movement so I guess that the SWF is much better. I will resume tomorrow, but I have to admit it was nice to take a break from it.

Another thing I need to do is to start drinking my lemonade earlier in the day. I have never been much of a morning eater and for some reason this carried over to my lemonade drinking. I would have the first one around noon an end up drinking the majority of the liquid in the PM. Then I would get a huge burst of energy and not want to go to bed. I figure it is much better to be peaking in the afternoon and let myself fizzle out by the evening and hopefully get a good and an early sleep.

One thing I have not done is weigh myself. My normal weight is around 103 lbs. I have always been on the small side and I eat a lot, I just usually eat pretty healthfully. But now by the way my clothes fit I believe I am around 10 lbs heavier than that. I wrote about this on Day 1 but I will summarize quickly by saying it was a combination of my quitting my job and being at home all day, quitting smoking, Holiday munching in a bad way and just some bad choices.

So I don't really care what my start weigh was, I just know where I want to end up. I will probably weigh myself around day 10 or 12 and see where I am at. I think the first week, you can fluctuate as your body gets used to the salt water etc. I think it is funny when people are so excited that they lost 4 lbs or so in the first 2 days and wonder why it is slowing down to 1/2 a lb to 1 lb a day.

The first 2 days mostly what you are losing is (to be gross) feces. And some water weight. Not that it is a bad thing! It is so good for your body to catch up with that elimination. Then your body needs to burn off its glycogen reserves first before you are burning fat.

From the web:
During this time the body will use its glycogen (sugar) reserves that are stored in the muscle and liver cells. These glycogen reserves are mobilized to provide the central nervous system, including the brain, with its normal fuel, glucose.

Were it not for the body’s ability to switch fuels, where the body switches from glucose to fat metabolism, therapeutic fasting could not take place. The body’s protein reserves would be quickly depleted.

Fortunately, this is not a problem. In fact, within ten hours from the last meal approximately 50% of muscle fuel is coming from fat. Even the brain itself begins to shift over the fat metabolism. The consumption of protein reserves decreases from 75 grams per day at the beginning of a fast to just 20 grams a day by the end of the second week.

As you can see, excess activity including excess emotional stress could increase the body’s fuel needs, interfering with the optimum adaptation to the fasting state.

Body reserves differ from individual to individual. But a “typical” 155-pound male at normal weight has enough reserves to fast for between two to four months. If the fast were allowed to continue beyond the individual’s reserves, starvation would ensue and serious damage and eventually death would occur.

I found a great website about fasting and there is a really good bit about the Master Cleanse here.

more, later...

Day 7

This is the view outside of my window right now. I can't complain though. I would rather have the snow than the brutal cold of the last few days. Last night, I kid you not, I watched tv dressed in snowboarding pants and a hat and gloves. It is chilly and the MC brings my body temp down so I was pretty cold.

Did the SWF this morning and it did not really make a return exit. Hopefully it is just loosening some junk up and I will flush out better tomorrow. My stomach looks a bit distended though. I thought of skipping a day and just doing the tea instead, but I am always hopeful that I am going to have a big clean out with the salt water.

I feel really good today though. None of the Day 7 major detox symptoms some people get.

I have been trying to find some other things to do with my lemons. I read a bunch of places on the internet that a little lemon juice on a cotton pad applied to your face at night really clears up your skin, tightens pores and clears up blackheads.
Another thing that I have done is to stick my fingers in the juiced out lemon halves and leave them there for about 5 min. When you take your fingers out your nails are very bright white, healthy and clean looking.

Here are some interesting uses I found on the net for lemons:

Remove limescale from draining boards and taps - use half a lemon to rub over stainless steel draining boards and taps. Leave a minute, rinse and shine with a dry cloth.

Cut them up and place in a bowl of water and microwave for five minutes. It loosens the grime that gathers and makes your microwave easier to clean, not to memtion smell really good!

Boil a pot of water with lemon skins inside to help get rid of household odors.

Make a room deodorizer: Mix the juice of one lemon with 1 bag strong tea. Strain and store in an old spray bottle. Spray into rooms to make them smell fresh

Save leftover lemon peels. Cut the peels into smaller pieces and then toss them down the drain. Run the disposal to grind them up. You will smell the difference immediately.

Homemade furniture polish. In a spray bottle mix a cup of vegetable or olive oil with a half-cup of lemon juice. Spray when you need to polish up.

Instead of bleach soak your clothes in lemon juice and baking soda for about half an hour before washing it.

Stained dishes like coffee pots can be filled with warm or boiling water and lemon skins. Let it sit for about 3-4 hours. Drain and then wipe the pot clean.

Clean glass shower doors by applying lemon juice with a sponge. For an unbeatable sparkling shine, dry with crumpled newspaper.

You can remove ink from clothing by applying lemon juice on the ink stain. Wash the garment with regular detergent in cold water on the normal cycle.

Pouring three to four teaspoons of lemon juice into the water in your humidifier will help to eliminate odors.

To clean copper pots, rub a cut lemon with salt and use as a scrub. Rinsing and buffing with a soft cloth gave a beautiful shine. You can clean silver with lemon juice and buff with a soft cloth, and you can remove tarnish from brass by using the same method.

Get the stain off countertops by scrubbing with a cut lemon and salt. Rinse well and dry. Works great for laminate and stone countertops. For kitchen tile grout, mix lemon juice with water and scrub with a toothbrush.

more, later...

Day 6

I feel really good today. I really froze my butt off going to the store for my lemons. Being in the grocery store reminds me how much I miss cooking. I am not really hungry or having cravings but I miss some of the ritual of eating and preparing food.

I have also been trying to use much more natural products on my body during this cleanse. Some of the best products I have ever found are at Lush.
We have their stores here in Chicago in Macy's but you can shop online if you don't have one by you.

From the website:
A LUSH Life

We believe in making effective products out of fresh organic* fruit and vegetables, the finest essential oils and safe synthetics, without animal ingredients, and in writing the quantitative list on the outside.

We also believe in buying only from companies that test for safety without the involvement of animals and in testing our products on humans.

We believe in making our own fresh* products by hand, printing our own labels and making our own fragrances.

We believe in long candlelit baths, massage, filling the house with perfume and in the right to make mistakes, lose everything and start again.

We believe that our products should be good value, that we make a profit and that the customer is always right.

*We also believe words like "fresh" and "organic" have honest meaning beyond marketing.

So we are supposed to get a foot of snow tonight! Oh joy! I will remain happy and positive though. I guess it is not too bad to do the cleanse in the winter because I am not really missing much. No one I know is really in the mood to go out and do anything so I don't feel like I am missing out on anything being on a restrictive diet. When the spring has sprung I will be looking and feeling good!

more, later....

Day 5

Today we only had a high of 1. As I am sitting here in my apartment, I am FREEZING! So I basically did nothing today.

Did the SWF. I ended up passing some solid waste at about 3 am last night, so I thought the flush would be better.

I have been watching lots of people's cleanse experiences on youtube. Some of them are ok. A lot of people can't make it past the first couple of days. I found one guy though, that I absolutely loved. He was so positive and inspiring! He went 32 days and lost 30 lbs and had a great experience.

Here is the link to his last day. You can click on his name to access all his vids. I watched them all. Like I said he made me feel great about doing the cleanse.

Not much else going on. I hope it is a little warmer tomorrow. I need to walk to the store to get more lemons.

more, later...

Day 4

Today was actually the roughest day so far. I had a really hard time sleeping last night. I kept tossing and turning and waking up every hour or so. I also have a bit more hunger than the first three days.

Did SWF this morning. I may try doing lax tea tomorrow and see what that its like. I feel a bit bloated today, which is a bit discouraging but reminds me of something a friend told me once. When you have a toxic diet like most people nowadays do, with all the chemicals and hormones in our foods, you most likely gain weight. Your body tends to store this "bad" fat in fat storing areas away from your heart, which means the butt and hips.

Because there is still toxic remains in these fat cells, when you diet and exercise and your body is ready to break that fat down it tends to bloat the area up. It is supposedly your body's natural defense, using more water in that area to help flush out the toxic fat cells. I don't know if that is true or not but it would make sense.

So all in all it was an ok day. Had a little cravings but not too bad. Did get outside for a pretty good walk right before it started to snow. Now I am being lazy surfing the net. Found some pretty cool facts about lemons. Good to know since I will be living on them for so long!

It checks the excessive flow of bile and cleanses the mouth.

It dislodges phlegm (cough) and expels wind from the digestive tract.

It helps in digestion and removes constipation.

It prevents vomiting, throat trouble, acidity and rheumatism.

It destroys intestinal worms.

Though lemon is acidic to the taste, it leaves off alkaline residues in the body. This is why it is useful in all symptoms of acidosis.

Lemon-juice is a powerful antibacterial. It has been proved by experiments that the bacteria of malaria, cholera, diphtheria, typhoid and other deadly diseases are destroyed in lemon-juice.

Natural vitamin C is much more effective than the synthetic one. Vitamin C of lemon-juice is very effective because it is combined with bioflavonoids (vitamin P). In addition to vitamin C, lemon also contains niacin and thiamin in small amounts.

Lemon-juice prevents or restrains influenza, malaria and cold.

Lemon-juice gives good relief in fever. Lemon-juice mixed with water is useful in quenching the thirst of the patients suffering from diabetes. It gives immediate relief in abdominal disorders. Lemon acts as a sedative for the nerves and the heart and allays troublesome palpitation.

Vitamin P in lemon strengthens the blood vessels and prevents internal haemorrhage. It is, therefore, extremely useful in high blood pressure, in which cerebro-vascular accidents commonly occur.

The most valuable ingredient of lemon, next to vitamin C, is citric acid, of which it contains 7.2 per cent. Lemon contains more potassium than apple or grapes, which is beneficial to the heart.

Lemon is very much useful in maintaining the health of the teeth and the bones. The vitamin C content of lemon helps considerably in calcium metabolism.

Lemon has been used for many years in gout and rheumatism. Lemon-juice is a diuretic. It, therefore, gives relief in kidney and bladder disorders. It has been used in destroying intestinal worms. It prevents vomiting and helps to cure hepatitis and other innumerable diseases.

more, later...

Day 3

Today has been a pretty good day. I slept an insane amount again. Almost 11 hours. I feel pretty good today though. None of the Day 3 badness that most people complain about. Maybe sleeping so much is giving my body extra detox time.

SWF went pretty well. All in, all out. Not much substance though. Mostly liquid.

I went for a pretty good walk. I walked to Whole Foods to get more lemons. I also did a little bit of light weights. I have also been doing some deep breathing exercises.

I have only ever had the lemonade hot. I don't know if i would even like it cold. Hot it tastes so good to me, like a lemony, sweet tea. I also don't really notice the cayenne that much. I make it fresh each time. I squeeze my half of lemon with one of these, use only one tablespoon of maple and a sprinkle of the cayenne. I mix it in a coffee cup which is already 10 oz and I am set to go.

Day one I had 6, and yesterday I only had 5. Tisk, tisk, I know. I will have 6 today.

more, later.....

Day 2

Felt a bit tired this morning. I had planned to wake up at around 7 am and do the SWF. I ended up sleeping in until 10 am. I was really out of it and tired when my alarm went off, so maybe I needed the sleep.

The flush went ok. It took about 2 hours and 4 bathroom trips, but I think that all of the liquid that went in came back out.
The thing that concerns me is that I am so thirsty when I wake up, but I take the SWF first thing so it is on an empty stomach. It just seems so strange to be drinking salty liquid when you are thirsty. I may try drinking a little plain water first tomorrow.

Went for a half hour walk this afternoon. I could have gone longer but it is 32 outside and I got too cold. The prediction for Sunday's weather is a high of 10, so I am pre bummed about that. I cannot wait until spring!

I live in an apartment, so I can smell my neighbors food sometimes. Today it was popcorn. I really don't even like popcorn that much, but something about the smell of it is sooo good! I remedied that situation by burning some pretty strong incense. That helped a lot.

more, later....

Day 1

The general consensus seems to be that day 3 and day 7 for some reason are the hardest. For me, it is always day 1. On the first day it is just too easy to give in to cravings in the pm and just decide to start the next day. Today we had a huge snow storm, and I have been stuck inside all day. I tried to read, but I pretty much just was a bum and watched television. The boredom and the cabin fever makes me want to start tomorrow so I can order up some Chinese or something.

Anyway, I have been on fasts before. I did a fresh juice fast for 7 days. I did a pure water fast for 3 days. I had always heard of the Master Cleanse, but never wanted to do it because the thought of consuming maple syrup instead of something like fresh juice seemed crazy to me. But after much reading and researching on the web, and a friend who completed 10 days, I decided to give it a try.

I started a Master Cleanse last month and ended it on day 5. The day I began the cleanse was about 6 days before the start of my period. This is a time when a woman is already moody and bloated and craving food. Not a good time to start a fast. Well, I did it anyway and it wasn't bad at all hunger and cravings wise. The problem I did have was with the salt water flush.

If I was going to commit to do this cleanse, I wanted to do it the correct way. The way recommended by Stanley Burroughs. The salt water flush seemed like a good idea and much more of a flushing of the system than just taking lax tea. The first day I did it wasn't that bad. My bowels emptied after about 45 min. No problem.

The second day did the salt water flush. After about an hour and a half, I had a bowel movement, but out of the quart of salt water that went in, only half came out. That freaked me out a little bit. Day 3, did the salt water flush. NOTHING CAME OUT! I was getting a little freaked. The thought of all that salt water in my system did not seem good. My stomach and intestines were distended and sounded like a water bed when I pushed on them. I decided to take some laxative tea that morning to see if I could push things along. Still nothing. Day 4 was pretty much the same. Salt water flush AND laxative tea. This time only half came out again. Stomach bloated.

Day 5 just did the laxative tea. Not much movement. I decided to break the fast and consume raw veggies for a few days before I started the cleanse again. I thought this would get things moving, which it did. I ended up going for 9 days before starting this cleanse again. Thought it would be better to just wait until my period was over.

So here I am on day 1. I did not do the SWF this morning. Only had some laxative tea. I am wondering if my bad experience with the salt water was because of PMS and my body just naturally wanting to retain liquids.

I guess I will find out tomorrow. I would like to do this cleanse with the SWF, but I will just listen to my body. I have found some other websites that are not affiliated with the Master Cleanse that have positive things to say about a SWF for healing and bowel cleansing.
They suggest you do it at sunrise because it is the natural time for your body to want to vacate the bowels. My first try I was sleeping pretty late and doing the SWF at around 11 am. So I will try getting up early tomorrow and see how it goes...

more later....

Pre-Cleanse

After a few false starts, I am going to finally start the cleanse tomorrow.  Today was to be my start day until I realized that it was Fat Tuesday!  I had to have one last hoorah!  I did start to do the Cleanse last month, but quit after day 5.  I will explain that story later.  This time around I am aiming for 20 days.

I am pretty much a naturally thin person, but in the last few months I think I packed on 10 lbs.

I had quit my job  and the weather here has been nasty!  I am talking days where the high temp was 1 degree.   Even in my apartment snuggled under blankets, I was chilly.  Going outside was physical torture.  the skin on my face would leterally freeze.  

So the boredom of being stuck inside really got me chowing down on junk foods that I normally do not eat.  Prior to December my diet had been very healthy. Pretty much a Pescatarian diet, meaning the only animal food I would eat was fish. No meats or poultry. I was also eating lots of fresh fruits and veggies and whole grains. My weight was around 103 for my height of 5'3".

November 1st I quit smoking. This was right after I left my job as a manager of a restaurant. I really wanted to take some time off this winter before resuming work. My job had really sucked the life out of me. On the plus side, I was able to eat and drink there for free. That was quite an advantage and like I said my meals were mainly Salmon and veggies. The negative side, was the long hours and the waiting around. The night would go by pretty fast while it was busy. Then the restaurant end would close and we would have to wait around for the bar to close up. This is where my drinking and chain smoking got out of control. Out of sheer boredom, I would smoke and drink all night, every night. 

So after I left the job, I had grand plans to go on a real health kick. But with the holidays, and the terrible cold and boredom that I mentioned above, I really got out of shape and on a total crap diet that has lasted the last 3 months. So the change starts now! Or actually tomorrow;) I really hope to lose some weight on this cleanse, but more importantly, I am looking forward to the cleansing and healing effects of this diet. I also like the challenge. 10 days is the minimum you should go on it, but I am aiming for 20. We will see... 

So tonight I had a meal of minestrone soup, and am also being very bad by having some wine and chocolate. 

more to come...