The Master Cleanse

I fell for the MC about 2 years ago....i wanted to clean out my system after years of sugar and processed foods, feel less tired and I thought it would help kick start my weight loss. I stayed on the MC for 14 days - it is very hard - it takes tons of will. My personal journey had me losing 3 pounds when it was all said and done, I never "cleaned out" the way the books tell you you are going to, my energy never changed and the salt water flush and lax tea made me feel sick daily.
A few months after the MC I started to eat right (healthy, fresh vegetables, lean proteins and no refined sugar), i also watched my calorie intake (no exercise to speak of outside of normal summer activity) and I lost 9 pounds in the first 2 weeks and wen ton to lose 11 more the next month.
that is my experience with it - it wasnt worth the time, $ and effort for me.

I really don't believe in a cleanse. I think eating healthy is the better way to do it. It's just another shortcut and there are no shortcuts in losing weight. I've lost 42 lbs and 44 inches in 4 months by eating healthy, cooking healthy, eating every 2 to 3 hours, getting in all my water and exercising every day.

I did the master cleanse for 7 days beginning 1/17/10. I wanted to try for the full ten, but by the 7th day I was feeling very dizzy and having blurred vision. So, I stopped. I wanted to clean my body out in preparation for a new, healthy lifestyle (which I have begun). It is very difficult for the first few days, but by the 4th day, it gets a little smoother as far as hunger goes. I know a lot of people try this to loose weight (especially after hearing about Beyonce's results) but that is really not what it's supposed to be about (just an added bonus). I ended up losing nine pounds.

I would not necessarily recommend it, but I will say, if you are going to try it to cleanse your body, don't go back to eating "badly" afterward. That's when it's a waste of time. Also, follow directions exactly how they are written, they are there for a reason. Otherwise, it will also be a waste.

I was able to make it through 7 days. It was pretty rough at first. You get really irritable when those toxins start evacuating your body. And you have to really stick with the organic items. When you use the lemons you have to be careful that you drink it right away. You don't want to pre-make you lemonade drink.

If you do the Sea-Salt cleanse before hand make sure you have nothing to do for about 2 hours. Because it's going to go right through your body.

Buy a tongue scrapper. Your tongue is going to get really fuzzy and gross. They say to use organic toothpaste too.

Also, read the on-line blog. You may want to do the 3 day ease on 3 day ease off.

. "You get really irritable when those toxins start evacuating your body. "

That's probably because your electrolytes were all screwed up.

You body has its own "cleansing system" Its called your liver and kidneys. And it is done for free. These "cleansing" diets are dangerous and can land you in the hospital. Don't waste your money, and the weight loss that occurs is usually from dehydration.

waste of time and money

I know some people that do the Cleanse for more than 10 days. I'm personally glad I did it for the short amount of time. I felt better after doing it. I didn't do it for the weight loss honestly. I don't feel nearly as bloated as I did before.

To each their own.

See, I don't doubt some people feel better after the cleanse. Less bloated, etc...

The point that a lot of people are trying to make is that cleansing is unneccessary (and potentially dangerous). Yes, it may make you less bloated by reducing water retention (if all you're DOING is drinking, yes, you'll let go of water retention) and clearing out your colon (through the salt water 'flushes' and senna tea). Yes, you may feel better after doing it.

But would you feel any LESS better if you'd flushed out 'toxins' and got rid of water retention through a good old-fashioned low sodium diet and by drinking a lot of water? Would your colon be any less 'cleansed' if you ate a bran muffin every morning and 8 cups of water a day?

It's not about doubting the PHYSICAL benefits of a cleanse (because of course it feels better to get rid of the bloat and the crap inside your belly). Rather, it's about pointing out that none of the benefits you get from a cleanse can't be gained from fibre, water and reduced salt intake. Your bowels, your kidneys, your liver- they're all fine-tuned machines quite capable of doing the job on their own. It's simply not necessary (and is potentially harmful) to go to such drastic lengths as living on a lemonade diet for 10 days.

I totally agree with all of this. There is no scientific evidence out there that there is any benefit at all to these cleanses. Fiber and water will give you a good old fashioned cleanse.

I have done the Master Cleanser 3 times in the last 5 years and I think it has good points and bad. Twice I made it for 7 days, once for 14, and one time I quit after three days because it was my TOM and I felt so exhausted I had to call in sick to work.

The most important thing to realize is that this is not about the body nearly as much as the mind. By choosing not to eat for 10 days, you will see how much of your daily thoughts, routines, and social gathering are centered around food and drink. You will notice when other people eat and turn down food. You will be hyper-aware of your bodies digestive and elimination processes. For people who have spent a lot of time focused on eating too much of the wrong things and ignoring the parts of digestion below the stomach, this can be a very good reminder that eating is just part of the process.

For me, when it worked the best, I was not very busy, it was a warm time of year where I was, and I had enough money not to stress out about the costs of Grade B Maple Syrup and organic lemons. I definitely recommend getting the proper syrup. You can order it from a health food store if it's not there. If you want to do it, do it right. Spend your time not cooking and eating doing yoga, going for walks, meditating, relaxing, going to a sauna or hot springs or swimming pool, or walking in nature. It can be a really refreshing, trying experience, but it can also be rewarding. Once you have finished the fast, that first drink of orange juice is the most delicious thing you will ever drink. It makes your whole body tingle and you feel like you could fly.

The most important thing about fasting is how you start and how you come off the fast. Actually listen to the advice in the book about what to eat before. Stick to raw veggies and fruits, broths and juices for a couple of days before. It will be so much easier the first three days if you gradually get into it.

The cleansing every morning... it is a necessity. You must drink a strong cup of laxative tea. I have always used Senna leaf tea. Yogi teas makes one called Smooth Move that tastes great. In the morning wake up early and slam down a quart of warm salt water. Make sure it's measured exactly. If it's too salty you'll throw it up and if it's not salty enough, you will have a terrible stomach ache. I have always found it to go pretty much right through me in an hour, but it's different every day. You don't want to be at work or in a public restroom for this event. Trust me.

All that being said, I think it can be a rewarding experience. You won't lose any weight that won't come back, but if you really want to examine your life, you relationship to food, and start with a clean slate, it's not bad. From me and all my friends who have done it over the years, no one got sick, had any permanent damage or went to the hospital.

But, a week of raw fruits and veggies is also really difficult to pull off and a great cleanse. A week of brown rice and raw veggies, or a few days of vegetable juice are also really good at getting your digestion and metabolism moving. If you adopt a new healthy eating plan and stick to it, it's not going to be easy. Doing something where you get to eat good things all the time is probably better for your body in the long run and as soon as you get started changing the way you eat, the better. Taking a break from eating is not going to help you change what you crave. Good luck!

The reason why its so hard at first is because if your overweight and youve been eating processed foods for years your kidneys and livers have a hard time keeping up, the toxins are being released so its going to be rough for the first part!

I did the MC for three day. During that time, my skin glowed and I lost the ache in my joints but you can't live that way. I have discovered the best solution is to give up the wheat, pasta, and sugar and eat a high fiber diet and drinks lots of water. I have joint stiffness and positive RA factor. Since giving up the wheat and taking high doses of Glucosamine, Chrondroiten, MSM (1,500 mg 3 times a day). the joint stiffness has improved dramatically.

I am not for any diet or cleanse that promotes muscle loss such as the MC does. I do not recommend it. I do however, recommend drinking 2 tbs Braggs apple cider vinegar with water at meals. It helps to keep the body in an alkaline state and promotes weight loss.

here's my experience:
I did it in November 09 for 10 days along with my husband. I felt so good doing it. I had energy and everything. I lost 7 pounds in the 10 days and was also exercising while doing the cleanse. Yes, it is very hard to do. You are not supposed to eat anything, just drink the lemonade concoction. I also had the book that you have which was a huge help. I probably could not have done it without the book. The book guides you along and answers many questions of things you may be experiencing while on the cleanse. and yes, I definitely did detox. I think I cheated and gave in to eating almonds. I think my husband lost ~14 pounds or so because he stuck to it 100%. I think the almonds somewhat derailed my lost. Now the flip side is, once the cleanse is over and you eat regular, yea the weight does come back. I applaud you for using it as a detox. It works! If you are using it for weight loss, not so much a good idea, as it is possible for the weight to come back. In summary, works really well as a detox because the lax tea and the saltwater flush really gets the crap out. Good Luck!

Just finished my New year's master cleanse .. Went 20 days again.. Feel great!!.. The cleanse has curbed my bad eating habits for three weeks and now I feel so much more in control. The trick now will be to use MFP to keep me eating sensibly so as not to fall backwards.

BTW I told my GP I was doing the cleanse and he heartily approved..
Each to his own.