★★★★★
The longest I've done the Master Cleanse is 5 days. I ended up breaking the fast because my friend tempted me with an organic green smoothie. Haha. I lost 7 pounds, but gained it all back pretty quickly.
I do the Master Cleanse in the spring time to help reduce allergy symptoms. I also use a nasal rinse bottle, and that helps a LOT. The lemonade has helped me expel a lot of mucous (mucous = toxins! ) but I am still having an issue with post nasal drip.
I have also tried the salt water flush numerous times, prepared many different ways, but it's never worked for me. I suppose it's my iron-strong stomach.
Master Cleanse
★★★★★
I have graves disease and still have my thyroid in tact. I have been treating it with supplements for almost a year now and it has been fairly normal for most of that time. But the most recent labwork I had done showed a higher TSH (Hopefully due to the recent addition of iodine which caused an unloading of TSH) than I have ever had with normal T3 and T4. My adrenals have been tired for a while as well but after getting diagnosed with adrenal fatigue I have also been treating them with supplements and have found much relief using them. So I was completely at a loss for why my weight was going up (20 lbs in 2 months). I decided the best way to find out what is causing it was to detox and then get a fresh start. I researched some different detox programs and decided to go with the popular "Master Cleanse" which consists of nothing but liquid for at least 10 days. I have never done anything so drastic but was very determined to try it at least once. I drank the concoction 8 to 12 x a day, for 10 days straight. Some days I felt amazing and others I felt drained to the point of giving up. I couldn't exercise as my energy levels dropped drastically over the week and a 1/2. I lost about 1.4 pounds a day with a total of 14 pounds on the morning of the 11th day.
It was very hard to complete some days but now that I am done I am so grateful that I did it. I feel like I have a fresh start. If I start gaining weight now I might be able to pinpoint what it is that I am consuming that is causing it. I am only on the 5th day after completing the cleanse but I feel amazing. I have so much more energy now and am able to stay away from foods I think might be the culprit. Like dairy, chocolate, sweets, or bananas. I used to eat 2 banana's per day, I occasional had some chocolate, and every now and then I ate a gluten free muffin or cinnamon raisan bread w/ coconut oil. I have no desire for any of them now. I have continued to lose a little even after beginning to eat again. I am not tired and lethargic around 1:00 or 2:00 in the afternoon like I was before. I feel like my head is more clear and my will power is rebuilt. I also have a lot more respect for my willpower which I think was lost for a while. I know there are many cons with this diet/detox as well. You loose muscle from not intaking protein. You are drinking 1200 calories a day but there aren't many vitamins and minerals or at least not enough. You gain most of the weight back from what I've read because it is mostly water that you lost. And on and on. I would not suggest that anyone try this detox without researching it forsure. If you have health problems you should definately research it. I still took my supplements because I worried about causing harm to my thyroid and adrenals but you are not supposed to take any vitamins, supplements, minerals, or even medication while on it. I found that there were no strange side effects from taking my supplements and I think it helped to keep my energy up somewhat.
The Recipe: 6 to 12 of these per day
2 tblsp fresh squeezed lemon
2 tblsp grade B maple syrup
1/10 tsp cayenne pepper
8 oz water
You are supposed to do a salt water flush in the morning but I did it at night every other day because it sucks.
2 tblsp organic sea salt
1 liter of (warm to hot) water
Chug this and within 30 minutes you will need to be near a toilet for around an hour or so:)
This is to clean out your bowels which would otherwise be static with no food intake.
I also had a few cups of tea per day. Peppermint 1 or 2 x a day and 1 cup of Smooth Move tea to help on the days I didn't drink the salt water drink.
You are supposed to do an "Ease Out" after the cleanse which consists of fresh squeezed orange juice on the 1st and 2nd day. Then raw veggies, broth, and raw fruits and seeds on the following day. Then you can choose to add things that you feel are good for you. You will find that your digestive system will take some serious adjustments. I began taking refrigerated probiotics on the first day of the "Ease Out. " Just to put back the vital bacteria I had washed away.
I will try to update you when I have had a little more time to adjust and see what happens with my thyroid, adrenals, and weight. Good luck to all that choose to do this detox. There is lots of helpful videos on youtube if you want to see how people make it all the way through the 10 days.
