I am writing this as I begin Day 4 of this Springtime “Master Cleanse”.  So far I am feeling great!

So, what is the Master Cleanse?  The Master Cleanse is one of the most simple, effective and inexpensive cleansing and healing programs available.  It is a liquid monodiet designed to work with and complement your body’s own cleansing and detoxifying processes, and at the same time effectively nourish your body.  It is not a fast or a means to starve the body.  A fast by true definition is to drink only water and to starve the body for a given period.

You may have heard it referred to as “The Lemonade Diet”.  It is true that no food is consumed during the Master Cleanse.  During the Master Cleanse you consume only purified water (a PH level of 7.0 is most ideal), organic lemon juice, organic Grade B Pure Maple Syrup and organic cayenne pepper, mixed to exact measurements as outlined in “The Complete Master Cleanse” by Tom Woloshyn. 

With regard to my Spring 2009 Master Cleanse experience so far, this time around I’m doing a few things differently.  This time I am testing my PH levels in the morning and before bedtime and monitoring my weight each morning.

The Master Cleanse suggests drinking a laxative tea at night before bedtime.  Senna is a substance commonly found in herbal laxatives.  Some studies have shown if taken in high doses and for long periods of time senna can produce  serious side effects for the body.  During my last Master Cleanse before bedtime I would drink a cup of the tea containing senna, before bedtime not steeping it too long.  As I found out my body did not like it or do well with it.  So, this time around before bedtime I take herbal digestive stimulator capsules.  So far this is working much better and I am not experiencing any cramping as I did a few times when drinking the tea.

In the morning I do a salt water flush.  I mix 2 teaspoons of non-iodized sea salt in 1 quart of warm water.  Within one hour it has passed right through me.  I am consuming approximately 6-10, 10 oz glasses of my lemonade drink each day and it gives me plenty of energy all day.

Each day I do my yoga in a 105 degree humid room for a minimum of 90 minutes.  I also spend several hours each day seeing clients for Ashiatsu Massage, Lypossage, Thai Yoga and Therapeutic massage.  You could say I have a pretty active  lifestyle.  I am able to do all this while doing the Master Cleanse and consuming no solid food for 11-12 days and have plenty of energy.  During my last cleanse I even competed in the Southern Regional Asana Yoga Championships.  When some of the other competitors found out I did a lot of the training and competition while consuming no solid food during that time they couldn’t believe it because of my high energy level.  Another competitor was so inspired she did the Master Cleanse right after the competition and continued doing the yoga each day and was also amazed at how great she felt.

I have done many other cleanses in the past.  So far I have found the Master Cleanse to be one of the best for me. During the training for my competition I experienced no muscle soreness and noticed increased flexibility.

The benefits of the mixture:

• Lemon is an acid food however very alkalizing to the body when digested.  Several acids in the lemon help to break down various calcified substances throughout the body, such as kidney stones and gallstones. The high levels of potassium, calcium and magnesium make it an optimal choice to alkalize the body’s tissues.
• Pure grade B maple syrup provides you with the fuel for you body over the period of the cleanse.  It contains a number of minerals and vitamins in trace amounts, depending on where it was collected.  Also found in pure grade B maple syrup is Potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, tin, sulfur, silicon, vitamins A, B-1, B-2, B-5, B-6, biotin, folic acid as well as minuscule amounts of amino acids.
• Cayenne pepper is a stimulant that raises metabolism, increases circulation by purifying and thinning the blood and helps many digestive dsorders.  Like lemon, cayenne breaks up and loosens mucus in the body.  This benefits the sinuses, bronchial tubes, lungs and allows clearer and easier breathing.  Easier breathing is a good thing during this pollen season, don’t you think?  Cayenne pepper is also high in vitamins A and C, contains some B vitamins, potassium and calcium which make it highly alkalizing to the body.
• Water is the final vital component of the Master Cleanse.  Your body uses water to help flush and transport toxins to the organs of elimination (the colon, bladder, skin, etc) to discharge them.  Water with a PH of 7.0 is best because of it’s high alkalinity.

You can read much more about The Master Cleanse in Tom Woloshyn’s book “The Complete Master Cleanse”.  He has followed the works of Stanley Burroughs who was the one who initially introduced this cleanse.   Another author who also writes about The Master Cleanse is Peter Glickman.  I would encourage anyone interested to do their own research, read the books and determine if it feels right for you.  There are many other cleanses out there.  Remember, it’s your life, your journey and you’re the one that lives in your own body.

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 4th, 2009 at 2:06 pm and is filed under Cleansing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.