I am still here. Still sticking to the raw foods. I am just eating 'basic'. I have yet to attempt any of those recipes that you make a lasagna out of zucchini and sunflower seeds.
There is really not much to report. I am actually pretty sick of talking about diets and eating. I would rather just do it and not dwell so much on it and to concentrate on other things. I started working out with weights a bit. The weather is finally getting nice, so I can take some long walks by the lake.
Thats all for now...

I am feeling really good. No stomach problems and I am really chowing down! I had a whole pineapple and some blueberries in the morning, a real big afternoon salad and then some macadamia nuts and more salad in the p.m.
I really wish it was spring though. There are some really good farmer's markets around here in the spring.

Grapefruit Juice Day 2

Feeling good! Juice is yummy! Took a whole bunch of probiotics also. I CAN'T WAIT TO EAT A DAMN SALAD!! Sounds crazy, but I just want to crunch something!!

So, have you seen the commercials for this show on A&E with Paul McKenna? I can't wait to watch it.

He has written a bunch of books (I Can Make You Rich, Quit Smoking Today Without Gaining Weight, Instant Confidence, I Can Make You Thin, Change Your Life in Seven Days, How to Mend Your Broken Heart). He has been on British TV and now his show "I Can Make You Thin" is going to air on A&E here in the states.

He uses hypnosis and NLP training to help break bad habits. The part around 5:00 below where you use acupressure points to absolve a craving is pretty cool.



Off to drink more juice!

Day 27

I am going to start the juice today. Drinking only juice is still "fasting" so I will still be liquid only until Day 28. Day 29 I want to start eating! I am craving things like salad or raw veggies with guacamole.

I decided to do grapefruit juice. I really hate orange juice. There are some great looking Ruby Red grapefruits in the store right now.

If your cable lineup has BBC America, there is a really good show on called "You Are What You Eat". It is on here at 10am and then again at 3.

The shows host, Dr. Gillian McKeith, puts people on a two month health food diet. Lots of veggies, fruit, nuts, beans and sometimes fish. The average weight loss for the two months seems to be around 27lbs. The most interesting thing is how much healthier they all look afterward. Skin and hair wise, and energy!

So anyway, if you get the channel, the show is definitely worth watching.

more, later.... Grapefruit juice, yum!

Day 25

Motivation to stay on the healthy path...

I think everyone knows that fast food is bad for you, but I came across an article that talked about some of the worst. Just knowing how really bad these things are makes me want to stick with my healthy regime, hopefully forever.

Things to keep in mind...

First of all, salt:
The current recommendation is to consume less than 2,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day. This is about 1 teaspoon of table salt per day. It includes ALL salt and sodium consumed, including sodium used in cooking and at the table.

Second, fat grams and calories:
I just took this short little quiz that told me that my recommended daily calories and grams of fat should be:

Total recommended calories per day: 1700 to 2000
Total grams of fat per day: Less than or equal to 55 g

If you are trying to lose weight, the recommendation is 1,200- 1,500 calories a day + exercise.

So keep those numbers in mind and look at some fast food.

Outback Steakhouse Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch Dressing
2,900 calories
182 g fat
240 g carbs

Chili's Awesome Blossom
2,710 calories
203 g fat 194 g carbs
6,360 mg sodium

On the Border Grande Taco Salad with Taco Beef
1,450 calories
102 g fat
78 g carbs
2,410 mg sodium

Five different On the Border salads on the menu contain more than 1,100 calories each.

Chili's Honey Chipotle Crispers with Chipotle Sauce
2,040 calories
99 g fat
240 g carbs

On the Border Stacked Border Nachos
2,740 calories
166 g fat
191 g carbs
5,280 mg sodium

Ruby Tuesday Bella Turkey Burger
1,145 calories
71 g fat
56 g carbs

Chipotle Mexican Grilled Chicken Burrito
1,179 calories
7 g fat
125 g carbs
2,656 mg sodium

P.F. Chang's Pork Lo Mein
1,820 calories
127 g fat
95 g carbs

Quizno's Classic Italian Sandwich
1,510 calories
82 g fat
3,750 mg sodium
106 g carbs

Hardee’s Country Breakfast Burrito
920 calories
60 grams of saturated fat
2,000 milligrams of sodium

KFC Chicken & Biscuit Bowl
870 calories
44g of fat
60mg cholesterol
2,420mg sodium
88g carbs

Jamba Juice Chocolate Moo'd Power Smoothie (30 fl oz)
900 calories
10 g fat
183 g carbs
(166 g sugar)

Starbucks Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino Blended Crème
The 24-ounce (that’s Venti-sized in Starbucks lingo)
670 calories
22g of total fat

Chili's Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream
1,600 calories
78 g fat
215 g carbs

Burger King French Fries

Burger King makes some of the worst french fries you can buy at a fast-food restaurant. Thanks to the salty coating that allows more oil to be absorbed, a King Size order of their fries packs
590 calories
30 grams of fat
That’s worse than McDonald’s Super Size Fries — and more than half the “bad” fat you should get in an entire day.

YUMMY!

And these are just one item in one meal! Can you imagine if you ate a couple of these things a day? The awesome Blossom is an appetizer. You would eat 2,710 calories, 203 g fat and 6,360 mg sodium BEFORE eating the rest of your meal!!

I got some of these from this article
but these are just a few.

more, later....

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...

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.

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