Day 0: In preparation I quit smoking and drinking any alcohol or cigarettes. I ate lightly off goji berries, alot of water, and a Greek dish of falafel : )
I hadn’t decided I was going to do the Master Cleanse until this evening. I had thought I would simply do the salt water flush + P&B shakes, but upon researching what to do before I went to bed I decided I am trying out the Master Cleanse for as long as I can, with a goal of 10 days. Day 5 I am going to add the P&B to it.
note: I have no health issues spawning this cleanse. I am beginning a transition into a raw diet though, and I figured this would be a good way to jump into things. In addition I have started smoking cigarettes again for the past few months at a higher rate than ever before, and am using the detox as an excuse to myself to throw them down again. I know my unhealthy vices over the years probably have caused some build up in my liver to occur, and I want to do a liver cleanse (I bruise easily, and a few other symptoms that make me think I should). When researching the liver cleanses they seemed to recommend doing a total system cleanse first.
DAY 1(5/28/08):
Woke up and did the salt water flush. I didn’t have a tsp so put a little less than one large soup spoon of sea salt in 1 quart of lukewarm water. I figured I would err on the side of too much salt rather than too little. It was insane, I didn’t realize that by the bottom of the glass the salt had concentrated (apparently I did not stir well enough) and after already forcing down so much salt water the last few sips of extra-salty were a very unpleasant surprise. I had to stop drinking it w/about 4 oz left in the glass or else I was going to throw up. I drank about 2 more glasses of water, but due to the extreme nausea had to lie down under blankets, which resulted in my falling back asleep (which is strange because I had just woken up from a long nights rest). The sleep was very deep. My tummy started rumbling after about an hour or so but I was so asleep I did not want to get up to help it. I know this is not good, because you want to expel the toxins asap, but I will work on that (I am a very sound sleeper, haha).
I finally woke up and drank some of the lemonade concoction. After half a glass or so I am starting to enjoy it. I am using fair trade organic molasses instead of the Grade B maple syrup because it is cheaper. I also like more of the cayenne. I love spicy and this idea of spicy lemonade seems great to me!
About 10 minutes after being awake from the nap and 1/2 a glass into the lemonade the salt water flush kicked in. I believe it is quite aptly named. Nothing strange though, just the remnants of undigested goji berry seeds and some sprigs of parsley, all of which was eaten yesterday. Alot of poo-colored liquid… (perhaps silt, but not sure) At first I had sworn I would never do the SWF again, but after it came out, I think I’ll give it another shot tomorrow. I am quite confident my body doesn’t absorb it and that it does not go through the kidneys, because it looked like about a quart of salt water that came out of me 
(and I haven’t had to urinate yet)
Energy level has been tip top after that nap though!
I also purchased rock-salt deodorant and organic toothpaste to try and minimize my toxin input during this cleanse. This is my 2nd day of no cigs. I was up to 1/2 a pack to 1 pack a day (more than I have smoked ever before in my life) and I am just trying for cold turkey giving them up during the cleanse. It is getting difficult, I hope I can make it!
update: I couldn’t do no food! I cheated. I ate ~2 kale leafs, 4 tbsp chia gel, and 4-5 dried goji berries. However, on the plus side I did not break down and try to drink alcohol or smoke any cigarettes (HURRAY)
I have NEVER not eaten before, and rarely tried dieting (opting for exercise and healthful food choices to stay in shape). I also realize the chia was probably a bad choice since it is a seed with proteins and fats. I cannot simply not eat, but tomorrow I will try and stick just to occasional pieces of kale (if I must!)
I went to sleep super early for me. I kept getting drowsy but was afraid I’d pass out and forget my tea, so I tucked myself in.
SWF, Lemonade:~60 oz Water: 32 oz 1 Chinese Slim Tea (Main ingredient senna)
DAY 2: I cannot believe it! I did it again. Drank down the entire SWF with no left overs this time. I stirred it up extra while still on the stove and measured the salt out with a tbsp (3 tsp= 1 tbsp, so I put slightly less than 1 tbsp trying to err on the side of over estimating the salt). Also woke up super early today (~4 30 am) which is very unusual, but I did go to sleep before midnight (which is also very unusual). I am waiting for the SWF to kick in…
It kicked in much faster this time. The first bit was more solid than I’d expected (but still very liquid-y) and was definitely detoxifying. I believe the tea did allot of work while I slept because there was allot of gurgling down there but no urges for the restroom. It looked allot like the lemonade drink… molasses/cayenne colored, but was super smelly and greasy floating things on top. The SWF kept coming, I would have about enough time to lie down and get comfortable before there’d be another rumbling and I’d have to dash for the restroom again. This continued for about an hour or so. Not as significant a detoxing however after the first. Went back to sleep until 12:30 pm.
I think the repetition of the trips to bathroom may be due to drinking the SWF too slowly. I tend to do several large gulps with some space between. Tomorrow I shall try my best to drink it all at once and see if that make a difference.
Makes me think sleeping w the senna tea is very important, I am going to buy some straight senna today, the China slim tea has other herbal ingredients which probably aren’t the best.
In addition, my forehead has been greasy. That has rarely happened to me since I started exercising regularly and eating healthy (~a year ago). Though I do break out on my cheeks, and I think that is from the alcohol. Energy level has been fine, though I have been sleeping allot. (I have been in a bad sleep cycle the past month and often get 10 hours/day anyway, so I don’t think this is necessarily the cleanse causing it) but I still haven’t exercised. I am going to try swimming this evening.
I didn’t realize switching over to a majority un-processed diet would initiate detox. I wonder if that is why I have been sleeping so much. I think had I realized I would have taken my alcohol drinking more seriously to try and speed it along. Of course cutting down to the point of almost never is part of the plan, but I was taking baby steps toward eliminating all my vices, and alcohol would certainly be the the last to go (I love it so much, and my friends and family are terribly dependent on using it to have a good social time…) I really hope this cleansing speeds everything along, and I will definitely think long and hard before allowing myself to drink again. I don’t like sleeping all the time!
I also have been taking wheatgrass regularly first thing in the morning for weeks up until the cleanse. The book states that peppermint tea is acceptable on the cleanse because the chlorophyll will help clean you out. Wheatgrass has chlorophyll! So today I drank ~2 oz and am much happier about it (I was missing that sweet green goodness) I also poured some into my hair, trying to work it into the scalp.
~I just bought the Grade B Maple syrup, and it is DELICIOUS. The only brand available was from coombs, and they didn’t say if they used formaldehyde pellets or not, so one can only hope! I do prefer it to the molasses, it tastes much more like lemonade this way, but I will probably continue to drink both for variety.
Went for a jog around 8:30 pm. Ended up only running 1/2 way (2 mile run + 2 mile walk) not because I was tired but because it was so lovely outside. There was a very nice breeze and there are still springtime flowers out, so I walked the rest of the way home. I was ravenous on the walk back. I only keep craving healthy things though (like a sashimi boat, or chia with kale, or a smoothie…) I do have the occasional craving for pasta, chips, or pizza… but I feel thats more only because I am so hungry. I should have brought the lemonade with me but I didn’t want to try running with it. Haven’t cheated yet today, gonna see how long I can hold out.
I also suddenly find myself concerned with my clothing. Most of it is synthetic… I never minded the fabric before today as long as it looked nice. Now I keep rummaging through all the ‘cute’ underwear looking for something made of cotton, and the shirt I put on has polyester and has suddenly become very itchy… :-/
I don’t like this part. If it is all in my head or not I do not believe I can afford a new wardrobe!
MEASUREMENTS: I figured I better write down my weight and measurements even though I am not doing this for weight loss purposes. As a matter of fact, I was much smaller the day before I started (probably dehydrated) but now it is the opposite. I am retaining water and bloated.
Weight: ~160 lb (~5 lbs higher than before the cleanse)
Bust: 37 in
Waist: 29 in (~ 1 in larger than before)
Hips: 36 in (~ 2 in larger than before cleanse, I am certainly bloated!)
Thigh: 24 in (normal)
DAY 3: Hurray! I did it again! (Only slept ~4 hours). This is wonderful for me. I have been terribly over sleeping the past year of my life. It keeps getting worse too. My Korean roommate says I have the life of an owl, when (to function properly) I need to be a chicken! Perhaps this cleanse will help turn me into the chicken I’ve always needed to be 
Also, bloating is way down!! I think the exercise did me some good yesterday! Another strange thing occurred, about 20 min after my shower (which I took right when I got back from my jog/walk) I had this attack of a very itchy back, and when I would scratch it I would find these tiny bumps that when scratched properly, little balls of waxy-oily substance would come out, typically with a small blonde hair follicle attached (Sort of like black heads on my back, but without the black part, and much easier to remove). This has happened to me before off and on for ~4 years now, but I figured out it was mainly due to sleeping in dirty sheets (thank you ex-boyfriend)/not laundering my bras properly (ahh, such wisdom that comes with age). I have both clean sheets and have been showering more than usual as the cleanse recommends, so perhaps it is a detox? If this cleanse can clean out my skin for me so I no longer suffer such attacks it would be much appreciated!
Ahh, the SWF! Who could have known I would grow to love it so. You see, I was raised in the ocean, and I find the smell of it so soothing. The concept of drinking ocean water (though this is NOT ocean water) to clean me out is comforting… listening to sound reflect of the warm waves of sea water as I gulp them down from my over-sized beer stein … I have never performed an enema, and I am glad this is the alternative. It seems much more natural. I am not knocking anyone that does enemas, but I am an odd enough creature already without adding that to my list of peculiarities.
Oh, and my non-bloated measurements: 156 lb, B:37, W:28.5, H:34, upper thigh:24 (I’m 5’5″ btw)
hurray! back to normal! I am not doing this for weight loss, but I have been trying to get back below 150 ever since I went above it in 2005. I have since gone way above it (173-ish) and then back down once I started exercising and eating healthier (eliminating trans fat was the first step, then increasing fiber, then green smoothies, …). Since then I have teetered just around 160, occasionally getting close to the 155 mark (as I am now). I have learned throughout all this that numbers do not matter, because nary a person I meet believes I weigh as much as I do (I am quite muscular) but there is just something about having to put that big weight the extra notch over to the 150-mark instead of being able to leave it at the 100 that bugs me… haha
I personally do not believe dieting works for me. In the past I have lost a few pounds by cutting calories, only to have that and more come back because limiting my intake drops my metabolism so low. I really hope this doesn’t do that to me, because I have been working so hard to increase it the past year!
DAY 3: I woke up early again, drank my SWF as quickly as possible, and lay down to read a book. It hit only 2 or 3 times as opposed to yesterday. I am not seeing many detox symptoms. I have some eliminations, but nothing of significance. No tongue colors (except from the drink), no BM’s except in the morning (not really anyways). If I continue to show no signs of detox I will probably start my liver cleanse early then.
Tonight I wwent to the local pub with some friends (I know, I like to torture myself sometimes!). I had no problems just drinking water and the lemonade drink I brought with me. The smell of the food was quite tantalizing though, and my friends ordered some of their homemade tator tots. It was an interesting feeling, on hand I was really happy watching them eat it, and on the other really jealous. I made it through without a taste however, and on the way home my friend stopped for some chips at the gas station. Cheeto’s (one of my favorite chips) just came out with a new one: jalepeno. I love spicy!! I watched him eat half the bag and they have been sitting on my counter all day now. I know I should throw them out, but I keep hoping after the cleanse I can taste them.
From all that temptation I ended up cheating a little though. A piece of kale wrapped around leftover falafel. A few more bits of kale, and some of the “disappearing kale” recipe I was experimenting with. I substituted coconut oil for olive oil (which was lovely) rice wine for apple cider (worked out) and Bragg’s for Namo Shoyu (big mistake). The bragg’s was too salty and I should have watered it down. First time trying out my dehydrator though and it worked great. I am excited at all the adventures we will share after this cleanse is finished.
Soaked my senna tea extra long tonight to try and get more of a response.
DAY 4: Even though I went to sleep 4:30 am, I woke up feeling fine around 9. Drank the SWF and nothing much came out. I am going to try more water tomorrow. I have been cheating all day with the disappearing kale, but I also went for a 6 mile walk (jogged ~2 miles of it) on the trail. Very hot! We went around noon (silly girls). I then went to the sauna for 3 or so hours (after a 2 hour delay due to me locking my keys in my car at the gas pump). We tried some phalaso-therapy: sauna ’til we’re covered with sweat, then cold shower, then sauna ’til covered with sweat, then cold shower… we repeated 4 or 5 times, and I feel lovely after! I have some aches in my hips and legs I haven’t felt in awhile, but I think it may be my running shoes losing their support?
Went bowling afterwards where I smelled some delightful philly steak sub, and actually held a plate of french fries in my lap while my friends ate them (I think they were trying to torture me, but unbeknownst to them, I kind of like torture!). I thoroughly enjoyed smelling them anyhow, while I drank my lemonade. I ate a few more broccoli pieces when I got home however, and now am going to drink my tea and off to bed (2 am)!
note: lots of clogged pores all over!
DAY 5: I slept so much! Makes sense because I only slept ~4 hours the night before, and did some exercise and the sauna, so hopefully allot of healing was going on. I woke around 6 am because the senna tea hit. I was too sleepy to go downstairs and do the SWF right away though, and actually ended up sleeping ’til ~4:00. A very deep sleep until the end too. My skin feels so soft! I am in love w/a sauna . I feel great. Though I am positive it is water weight, I am down 2 lbs from Day 3 (154 lb). Which makes it ~2 lbs total I have lost so far! I definitely think I faltered a bit by eating so much broccoli yesterday. I have been reading more on how the MC works, and it probably activated my digestive system. The stuff that came out from the tea was allot and felt like there was something more than liquid, but upon investigation I could not see anything because it was all molasses-colored and had only a sweet odor to it? Perhaps the molasses is not a good substitute. I am getting more Grade B for today. The first SWF elimination was all digested broccoli. I want to see some mucoid plaque!!
I believe from all the sweating though my electrolytes are down now. I see black when I stand up too quickly, and feel kind of strange. Don’t think I should add the P&B until I fix this.
5:30pm: just took my first P&B shake. Not very tastey, but it goes down quickly. I am going to try and follow this regimine:
Four times during the day (five if you weigh more than 150 pounds), at three-hour intervals, add 1 tablespoon of bentonite (Dr. Irons Vit-ra-tox Bentonite, Bentonite Minerals, or equivalent) and 1 rounded teaspoon of psyllium (Dr. Irons Vit-ra-tox Colon Cleanse or equivalent) to about 6 ounces of lemonade. It doesn’t matter what time you start adding them, as long as you begin early enough to work in all your doses. These two substances will cleanse your colon. Indeed, most colonics professionals consider bentonite the only proven method of stripping plaque from colon walls. Shake the mixture thoroughly, then drink it immediately, before it gels.
DAY 6: I stayed up to ~3:00 am. I got tired around midnight but pushed myself because all my friends were hanging out. I think it was a bad idea though because while I woke up at 8:30 feeling fine, I didn’t drink any lemonade after my SWF and went back to sleep from 10 until 2:30 pm. I am trying to not sleep so much, and I also think the P&B may have had something to do with it. I am not taking it anymore. However, I have added Black Walnut tincture to the regimen to see if I can get any parasites out. I grew up spending alot of time walking barefoot in the Florida Everglades as well as in general (around my yard, etc). I have always felt it is likely I have picked some up and I would like to see if it anything comes out. Yesterday, I took 5 drops in a small glass of water 3 or 4 times. Today it is 10 drops 3-4 times I am going for.
I know I have been drinking plenty of the lemonade and water. However, my energy level is low today. I don’t like it, and as I haven’t been having any significant detoxing symptoms it makes me wonder if I am famishing my body. Might be my cheating by eating the kale and the P&B that is to blame though. I am going to not eat ANYTHING today, and see how I feel tomorrow. Also make a point of making the lemonade as I make the SWF so I can immediately start drinking it. I wanted to see some mucoid plaque damnit!!! lol
I have yoga at 6:30 tonight, and errands to run before that. I hope I feel good and am not wreaking havoc on my metabolism.
The wheatgrass did the trick in fixing my energy issues. I just need to remember to take it in the morning. It is so lovely to have so much energy without using stimulants (i.e. without crashing afterwards). Yoga was awesome! We didn’t make it to our heated yoga class because we got lost, but my friend told me what to do and we did the yoga in her apartment. I feel so good right now! We have plans to try it again on Wed. I am excited because it will definitely make me sweat allot and I think that is very good for my detox process.
DAY 7: Hip HIp Hurray! 1 week anniversary of the Master Cleanse 
. I ended up going to sleep very late last night, probably around 4:00 am (but mind you, I didn’t wake up until 2:30 pm yesterday). And this morning I was up and to the toilet by 7, downstairs by 7:45!!! I am sleeping normally
I feel like this detox is some sort of magic reset button allowing me the power to change my life into the healthy, energetic direction I want it to go.
I drank the China Slim tea again last night because I noticed more going on in my tummy from it then just the senna tea. It definitely involved allot more rumbling, and finally this SWF produced a bunch of mucus-y product. Nothing rope-like, but also not just liquid. They say days 7-9 are the most detoxing, lets hope so!
WoW! I just passed out HARDCORE from ~6:30-9:30 pm. I hope my body was doing some good detoxifying and healing, and not just the usual (where I sleep to avoid doing what I am supposed to do). MY body feels so nicely sore from yoga yesterday! Makes me wonder how the muscles will rebuild with no nutrition coming in?
Day 8 & Day 9: Went about the same. Passed more mucus in shape of small intestine. Started making food for my trip to Ft. Pierce this weekend however. I am very nervous about how to break the fast and want to make sure I have plenty of options of healthy raw food on hand. I am making nut cheese, flax crackers, hummus, and pesto (no parmesean). So, I have been tasting tiny bits as I make it. It is hard, because it smells so good, but I try to make sure the tiniest amount necessary to understand the flavor is all I taste.
Day 10: Took the bu down to Ft. Pierce today. They drop me off on the turnpike and then my brother came to pick me up. Broke the fast that evening around 10:30. First with cantaloupe, then I broke out all my goodies I’d prepared. My best friend LOVED the nut cheese (and so did I!). They weren’t as big a fan of the crackers, but I liked them (I think my taste buds are changing a little). And the poor, sad hummus. I made so much, and it should have been awesome, except my first attempts at a “raw” hummus have been thwarted. The bulk chick peas I bought must have been slightly stale. It is the only ingredient the stale flavor could have come from…
Day After: The next day my feeble attempts at not drinking or smoking were lost. I was on the beach with my brother and best friend!! I also ate seared tuna and crab-corn chowder for lunch, scallops with rice and tomato-mushroom saute for dinner; copious amounts of vodka, wine, and cigarettes. The first sip I took off my lemon drop martini though (one of my favorite drinks) tasted absolutely terrible to me! I had to regain my taste for alcohol (which came back after the first martini). Still going to try and eat as much raw food as possible though, taking it one day at a time, and focusing on reducing my alcohol consumption to once a week… that will be another blog. Also still need to do the liver cleanse!!
