I Survived the Master Cleanse Diet

Yes,  I did survived the Master Cleanse Diet a.k.a. Lemon Diet and no, I am not following Beyonce who dropped 20 lbs for her Dreamgirls role or Jared Leto who shed 62 lbs for his role in Chapter 7.

This cleanse was recommended by my Theta Healing teacher Sanaiyah Gurnamal after taking the intense three-week Intuitive Anatomy course.  She advised to do the cleanse  to complement all the emotional release [that happened during the course] with physical release, the actual elimination of toxins in the body.

The Master Cleanse is a ten-day juice fast introduced by Stanley Burroughs in the 1940s. The benefits are as follows: to dissolve and eliminate toxins and congestion that have formed in any part of the body, to cleanse the kidneys and the digestive system, to purify the glands and cells throughout the entire body, to eliminate all unusable waste and hardened material in the joints and muscles, to relieve pressure and irritation in the nerves, arteries and blood vessels, to build a healthy blood stream and to keep youth and elasticity regardless of years. This is also good to take when sickness has developed (for acute or chronic conditions), the digestive system needs a rest, overweight has become a problem and for better assimilation and building of body tissue is needed.

Well, to tell you the truth, this is my second attempt. The first time I did it, which is right after the course, I lasted only five days. My body started shaking and I was afraid that I wouldn't make my scheduled trip to Los Angeles because I was feeling weak and frail.

I tried again right after the Disease and Disorder Theta Healing course. This time, I made sure I stayed home most of the time. I also eased down on my food intake  two days before the cleanse.

For those who want to try, the recipe is easy to make:
2 tablespoons of organic lemon or lime (or 1/2 a lemon)
2 tablespoons of grade B organic maple syrup
1/10 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
8 oz distilled water at room temperature

The organic lemon or lime is available in any of the organic stalls at the Salcedo or Legaspi weekend market and the rest are available in any Healthy Options branch. I like the lemon variety from Baguio because they're bigger.

Just combine the juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper in a 10-oz jar with lid and fill with distilled water. Shake it up and drink.  Note that you can't take anything else during the ten day fast. This means, strictly no other food or even vitamins and supplements. Peppermint tea is the only allowed drink.

I made at least two to three liters of this mix and stored it in a one quart container which I carried with me wherever I went.  It is also strongly recommended to drink a laxative tea like Traditional Medicine's Smooth Move blend in the evening before going to bed and to drink a quart of warm water mixed with two tablespoons of Epsom salt first thing in the morning.

Warning though, the cleanse does not end after ten days. There is a protocol on how to break the fast which requires another 3-5 days depending if you're a vegetarian or not.

For vegetarians, drink several 8 oz glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice slowly on the first and second day after the cleanse.  The orange juice apparently prepares the digestive system to properly digest and assimilate regular food. Raw fruit can be taken for lunch on the third day, followed by fruit or raw vegetable salad at night.

For non-vegetarians, same protocol on the first day and on the second day, vegetable soup may be taken for dinner. The third day, orange juice in the morning and more soup for lunch and dinner. Normal eating may be resumed on the fourth day.

I actually felt strong during the first six days of the cleanse. It was only on the seventh day when I felt faint and weak. In fact, I almost collapsed during my hot yoga class. I was wondering why I was mumbling as I called out the poses.  I tried waving to my  co-teacher Edel Tubog who was in the front row. Since she didn't respond, I gathered all my strength and commanded my body to finish the class. Edel said after the class that she couldn't see me because she wasn't wearing her eyeglasses.

Also, my eyesight deteriorated on the 6th day of the cleanse. I couldn't read or use the computer. I guess since I have astigmatism, my eyesight corrected? I'm not sure what happened. I can see normally now.  I'm supposed to do a liver cleanse which will help improve my eyesight.

I may do the liver cleanse after I do the master cleanse again. Yup, I plan to do another one after the holidays.  Stanley Burroughs recommended doing the cleanse every 4 to 6 months.

To those who have weight loss as a goal, please try not to go back to your eating habits. If you eat consciously, you will sustain the weight that you lose.  Believe me, you will definitely lose weight. From 54 kilos,  I went all the way down to 47 kilos and now, I have maintained my weight to 50 kilos.  So eat well after to sustain your weight loss! Good luck!