The Master Cleanse--Spring Cleaning for Your Body

As I have struggled with Lyme disease, the times I have felt completely healthy have been during and following a Master Cleanse. I can vouch it is awesome. I lost weight that hadn't been budging and kept it off without any other work (but that's not a promise for everyone!) In fact, I weigh as little now as I have since I was in my teens (and I can't even do cardiovascular exercise right now.) After the fast, I had more energy and felt great! Actually by the 3rd or 4th day I felt great, with very short exceptions.

Think fasting is radical? Remember, it was the norm to fast 2 days a week in Jesus' day. (Though I wonder if it was a full fast or not.) If you study how the body repairs itself during fasts, it's as if it were created to work that way and we just never give it the chance! Hmmm.... Just think how you lose your appetite at times when you are sick. It's almost intuitive.

With that said, I should warn you, don't try a Master Cleanse (10 days!) until you are comfortable with shorter fasts. I had some 3-day fasting experience plus a major determination when I first tried it. But fasting is something anyone can do. And it's an incredible health tool.

Jordan Rubin recommends fasting one day a week--just breakfast and lunch. This is a great thing to try if fasting is new to you. In fact, it's a great lifestyle that's really not too hard after the first few weeks. Just think of the money you save on food AND health. Your never too broke to try this health tip--especially if you count the money you save when you don't have to go to the doctor! I feel so much better when I'm doing a weekly fast 1/2 day fast.

Here's some basic fasting tips:
-Don't eat a heavy "last-chance for food" supper--it just makes it worse.
-Drink TONS of water or juice
-Make sure the juice is not pasteurized or "clear"--meaning it's over-processed. Fresh juice is best.
-Come off the fast gradually--eat things like raw fruits and veggies and homemade chicken broth, but no heavy meats or pasteurized dairy (that can hurt your stomach)
-Understand your body is cleaning out--so you may experience weakness, headaches, sinus drainage, or even strong specific food craving. These are signs of the junk your body is detoxing. Remember it will either get cleaned out sometime or it can be stored and cause bigger problems later. "Pay me now or pay me later."


Now about the Master Cleanse. The basic program is fasting 10 days on what I call "spicy lemonade." Count on another day of juice fasting and then a day of eating light.

Drink several glasses a day. Here's the recipe. :
-Juice from 1/2 organic lemon (2 Tbsp.)--I used limes when I couldn't find lemons, though I don't think it's as good. Fresh is best.
-2 Tbsp. organic Grade B (or C) Maple Syrup
-1/8 tsp. (non-irradiated) cayenne pepper (start with a pinch and work your way up)

Add 8 oz. water to make a 10 oz glass and stir. You may want to stir occasionally to keep the cayenne from settling to the bottom.

Yes, organic is essential--you can't add toxins to your body and expect it to clean itself out. The price is not an issue--it's less than the food you eat in a normal day. I confess I thought it would taste bad, but it basically tastes like lemonade with a spicy aftertaste. It helps if you start slow on the cayenne. Make sure you keep it pretty well mixed so you don't get all the cayenne pepper in the last swallow! Drink it every time you are hungry and don't get dehydrated.

Actually, the program also calls for drinking salt water in the morning and a laxative tea at night. I can't handle salt water, so I just did the tea, but if I drink more than half a glass--well, let's just say, it's too effective! There really is a lot to this, but this is already long. The Dr. that created this wrote a whole book on it: The Master Cleanser. You can even find a forum on the Master Cleanse: http://www.therawfoodsite.com/forum/ There's lots of info on library or in books.

Hopefully, you'll consider giving you digestive system a vacation soon! It works hard for you so give it a break and it will thank you. You don't have to do it all today. BUT before you go spend tons of money on the latest health thing, try a simple, ancient secret: FAST!