Monday, February 4, 2008

MASTER CLEANSE

Monday, February 04, 2008


Master cleanse
Current mood: fascinated

So .... yesterday as a good friend of mine, Elli (or so we will call her), and I were driving back from New York city when we started discussing weight. Now, many of you know that weight is not a topic of discussion one should have among friends because we are all our own worst critics and it is even worse when your friends agree with your worst critic.

We talked about how we couldnt believe how much weight we had gained throughout college and how out of shape we are. Now, I am not saying we are obese but for out body types and our past the new shape is one that is more rotund and less refined.

Elli started talking about this Master Cleanse to clear you body of toxins and break down waste stored in your body. I had never even heard of the master cleanse or met anyone who had done it. She looked at me as though I was an alien. " Didn't you know Beyonce did the cleanse to lose 14 lbs in 10 days to play the younger version of herself in DREAMGIRLS." Well no, I didn't know that. When we finally made it back to Baltimore after a long 3 1/2 hours of discussion about waste in the body I ate some chicken drank some wine and went to sleep.

In my head were thoughts of "where did the chicken go?" "did some of it breakdown and the rest is just stored somewhere?" "Has my gradual, but not so gradual, weight gain all been a result of built up waste that hasn't been excreted?" needless to say, I woke up completely disgusted and determined to gain some information about this issue.

My first finding, colon hydrotherapy. Now, this is when they take a water hose and put it in your rectum and shoot water into your colon. (YUCK!) I learned that this is a big trend in Hollywood and that celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Ben Affleck, Courtney Love, Andie McDowell, Janet Jackson, Cindy Crawford, Alicia Silverstone and Liv Tyler, just to name a few, all enjoy having their colons cleansed and toxins removed through Hydrotherapy. This peaked my interest. Where would you even have something like this done and how really does it work.

Thanks to google I found that there is a retreat that is a Hollywood favorite where they fast, cleanse their colons and meditate which, costs upwards of a couple thousand dollars. Not so much something in my budget nor any longer in my neighborhood. There are a few spas in Maryland that perform the Hydrotherapy as well as many in DC.

I am debating having this done but it still kinda freaks me out. I think I am going to try the Master Cleanse first. The master cleanse also known as the Lemonade diet is similar to that of a fast, considering you dont actually eat, except you have 32 oz. water with 2 teaspoons uniodized sea salt in the morning, 6-12 8oz glasses of the "lemonade" throughout the day and then 1 cup of herbal laxative tea in the evening.

The lemonade mixture is the juice of 1/2 lemon, some grade B maple syrup, and cayenne pepper added to 8 oz of water.

It sounds really gross and unhealthey but apparently its not. Here are some excerpts from therawfoodsite.com on the master cleanse
The Master Cleanse (or the Lemonade Diet as it is also called) is divided into two parts: The Agitator and The Rinse Cycle. By not eating, you enable your digestive system to use its energy to eliminate old waste. Additionally, the lemonade dissolves the old waste and the laxative herb tea stimulates the intestines' contractions to slough off old waste.

With all that going on, if you don't drink enough lemonade and water, and if you don't do the salt water flush each morning, you will have mobilized toxins which are not being eliminated. The result is you will feel tired, sick, achy and have cravings.

Most people know that citrus fruit (including lemons) are a good source of vitamin C. What many people do not know is that lemon juice is also a good source of potassium. However, that's beside the point. The idea that people cannot exist without protein for 10 days may be a dream of the meat industry, but it is not true. Fasting, as recommended in the Bible, has been recognized by many doctors for hundreds of years. The most current, visible American MD who is a major proponent of fasting is Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of Eat to Live and Fasting and Eating for Health. He has had numerous successes curing with diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. In Europe, there are many health spas run by doctors that practice fasting for healing and rejuvenation.

Ok guys so I am going to do it, starting wednesday morning, tuesday night I am competing in a karaoke contest and will more than likely be drinking, or tomorrow morning depending on how well I do in the contest tonight. I will keep you posted at www.AFRO.com and here as I go through my 10 day fast journey. Hey if it works out maybe I will go the full 40 days. That is uber optimistic!

Here are two photos of me. one from 2 years ago at my sisters graduation and one from two weeks ago
Photobucket
Photobucket
There is a bigger copy of this picture and others in my photo album on myspace.
[IMG]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e57/collegechix2002/onphone.jpg[/IMG]

before the cleanse
before the cleanse
[IMG]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e57/collegechix2002/befroethecleanse.jpg[/IMG]

I will post pictures when I am done and blog about the entire experience each day. Wish me luck. Oh and if you wish to do the cleanse with me I recommend purchasing the book "Lose Weight, Have More Energy and Be Happier in 10 Days." leave a comment let me know how it is working out for you each day. Also, send me messages of encouragement, I am going to need it.

subscribe to my blog and check back in with me each day as I struggle with the MASTER CLEANSE who knows maybe one day I will do the colonic. lol

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