HEALTH :: The Lemon Cleanse

[» ladycrowe]

Mm... I myself am very interested in the emotional/mental response to this after you have gotten yourself back on food. I've been quite heavily weighing whether I should try it out or not. Not for a cleanse of the body or to do a much needed thing like losing a bit of weight, but for a cleanse of the soul and to test my mental capacity against the physical.

[» meloyelo]

thanks you guys,
Mumbai, i feel quite confident that a great deal of negativity energy was expiated through the process. There were also some eye opening experiences concerning my lifestyle and the various traps and triggers I have placed throughout my daily life. This cleanse is perfect for testing your mental capacity against the physical... and test it it shall

[» marc]

good job dude.

[» becky]

yes melo! congratulations (ive thought about doing it as well because ive been feeling crappy lately...but i cant afford to lose any weight and i dont know if it would be a good idea)

[» ladycrowe]

So I've finally decided once and for all to give it a go. It seems the cosmos are plotting against me and pretty much everything I see and feel is directing me toward doing it. So I figure some time this week. I've got the cumin, type 3 dark organic maple syrup (though I've read you can use black strap molasses as recommended for diabetics.. though if you're diabetic it's highly recommended to do this under medical supervision if you so decide to try it) and a few lemons. Definately not enough lemons, but enough to get me started.

All I need now is to get an herbal laxative and some uniodized sea salt.. though I'm tempted to stick with the herbal.. I hate drinking salt mixtures with a passion..

So it begins this week. Friday at the latest if I just can't fit it into my new work schedule, possibly Thursday night.

[» ladycrowe]

oops.. I'm getting my spices mixed about.. it's supposed to be cayenne, not cumin *cough* >_>

I'll have to fix that.. ahem..

[» meloyelo]

Awesome!
Remember the first 2 days are the hardest, it gets pretty easy after that.
if you have to stop give yourself a day of fresh squeezed orange juice. I made a big pot of homemade veggie soup I've been working on for the past 2 days.
From what I hear it can be bad news to give in and eat a bunch of food once you've gotten into it.
Let us know how your doing.

[» ladycrowe]

So did you only ever use the salt water flush or did you manage to find an herbal laxative tea? I'm considering the former because my dad used to make me rinse my mouth out with warm salt water when I was a kid if I had a cut or sore in my mouth and man, did I hate the stuff! Thus far that's all I have left to get and I'm ready to go. Any recommendations on an herbal laxative? What I've read thus far didn't suggest anything specific.

Also, for the flush first thing in the morning, how much time would you recommend giving between taking it and having to leave for work? Should an hour and a bit be fine or should I try waking a lot earlier than that? (don't want to have to go really bad on the bus to work!)

[» meloyelo]

I did do the saltwater flush and the herbal tea. They work well together, the tea to loosen and the flush, to well... um... flush.

For the tea I used "Smooth Move" made by Traditional Medicinals. it's a rather delicious blend, orange blossomy.
You can get any brand just make sure the active ingredient is senna leaf.
This you take at bedtime, anywhere from 6-8 hours before you plan on getting up. It will wake you up if you need the help. But I think you'll find that you get out of bed earlier while on the cleanse. It's an energetic experience.

As for the saltwater, it is the least desirable part of the whole thing but after you've done it a couple times you'll look forward to it. I missed a day and it was the worst one. Sorry for the grossness, but I read that if you have stuff left behind in your colon, it can cause headaches and fatigue. So try and do the flush. It will take some will power but you'll be proud of yourself once you start to feel the results. One thing that helped me was to chase each gulp by sucking on a wedge of lime.... like doing tequila shots. Plus the sea salt tastes a little better than normal salt.

I had to allot about an hour for the process, but everyone is different. I would suggest starting on a weekend so you can get to know how your body reacts. Then schedule based on that.

If you can find a copy of The Master Cleanser, I recommend reading it.

You're gonna do great!

[» ladycrowe]

*nods* I'll start it on Friday night, then. I've read an online version of the book. At least, I'm pretty sure it was The Master Cleanse. Either way I've ordered it from Amazon (just under $10.00 CAD, so it's definately worth the price) and it should be coming in the mail soon.

That gives me two more days to find what I need in the way of salt and tea. Shouldn't be too bad. Just wish I had read this before I made my cereal this morning. I was planning on starting tonight and didn't want to open a new carton of soy and have the rest go bad on me over the next two weeks so I used milk on my cereal instead. Milk is so gross..ewww.. I can't bring myself to take another bite..

[» air]

Health Jedi: Yelo Wan Kenobi
A few questions if you please, sir.

» What were to best and worst aspects of the fast itself?
» What was the reaction of the people around you to what you were doing?
» Do you feel any enhanced physical or mental connection to your body now?
» What's next? Will you alter any of your life habits based on this?
» Is there anything else you wish to mention?

[» meloyelo]

health jedi? ha! Maybe a padawan learner...

» What were the best and worst aspects of the fast itself?

Lets see...
the best thing by far that happened during the fast was the ability I gained to distinguish my body's needs from my emotional responses to the environment. It was a lesson in self discipline that gave quick results. Looking back it seems like it was a bit too easy, but had you asked me that in the middle of it I'm sure you'd get a different answer
Aside from that, I lost about 15 lbs, quit smoking, drinking coffee and eating refined sugar.

The main problem I experienced was that I became highly sensitive, in all ways. This was good at times, but I prefer the stability I'm feeling now that I've come back down to earth. The only other thing was the taste of the salt water flush, but that was really nothing compared to the way I felt after it had passed.

» What was the reaction of the people around you to what you were doing?

Alot of people told me that I what I was doing was dangerous, that I needed protein or I would get weak, that fasting would ruin my metabolism etc. Several of the nay sayers actually became rather curious though after I took the time to explain everything about how the cleanse worked. I did get rather sick of talking about the difference between grade A and B syrup to tell you the truth though
But a lot of people were interested right off the bat, and I had alot of support. At least 3 people I've told about the cleanse are trying it now.

» Do you feel any enhanced physical or mental connection to your body now?

Physically I feel much more attuned to how my body is functioning. I've only been eating things whose ingredients I can keep track of, mainly fruit and vegetables and some wasa crackers
This controlled diet lets me focus on the physical activity needed to digest things after they've been eaten, rather then just eating whatever, whenever and not giving it a thought.
In terms of mental connection I would have to say that it's very much synchronized with the physical. I feel more responsible now, and elated to be thinner and more energetic.

» What's next? Will you alter any of your life habits based on this?

I am determined to at the very least maintain the state I'm in now. My appreciation for food has grown so much that eating healthy things is the most satisfying thing I could ask for. It's been a great victory for the part of me that is constantly striving to create value vs the part of me that needs to be constantly numbed and entertained. It's a struggle though, because socially, i'm still harvesting the undesirable effects of the causes I made before I started this...
The true test will be in my daily life as it unfolds.

Oh and yoga!

» Is there anything else you wish to mention?

I'm grateful for the opportunity to reset my inner workings like this, and I'd like to encourage anyone who is interested to read the material and give it a shot!

Thanks!

[» markscholey]

melo congrats for being able to stick to this and give up coffee sugar and tobacco. I think i'll go with phongs idea of 1 day fasts at a time.. losing 15lbs would be bad for me!

seriously, you rock.