Master Cleanse "Challenge"

Thought I would check in about the cleanse. I decided to take a break in the cleanse after 20 days before continuing onto the next 20 days.

I know there has been some discussion about the healthiness/effectiveness/wisdom of cleansing so I thought I'd write a bit about my feelings on that matter. I am not an advocate of using a cleanse for the purposes of losing weight- and if that is your goal, you probably shouldn't consider a cleanse until you come to a better understanding of how it works in your body. I have been using a cleansing as a part of my healing process. I was very sick with Lyme disease (that the doctors refused to treat) and had to turn to alternative methods to be well. I began a little over a year ago with a 20-day master cleanse and a vigorous herbal regimen to treat the infection and improve my immune function. Cleansing was very effective at causing a spirochete die-off *and* increasing my T-lymphocyte function. That's what prompted me to do another cleanse this year. Anyone who knows about Lyme and it's treatment probably knows about the dreaded "Herx" reaction. Cleansing surprisingly helped me by both triggering a herx (by alkalizing the body to make it inhospitable to disease-causing bacteria) and greatly speed the process of herxing because of the constant flushing of the system. So that is my main reason for cleansing. It also quickly cleared up digestion problems for me like chronic heart burn (I believe it's the vitamin A in the cayenne pepper and fasting that heals the stomach lining.)

The master cleanse in particular is a powerful tool for promoting tissue healing and regeneration and addressing imbalances of an unhealthy gut. If you eat the typical "SAD" diet (standard american diet), your body is probably in need of some level of cleansing. (SAD includes pesticide infused on-organic, processed, refined sugars and flours, genetically modified, chemical laden "low fat", hydrogenated oils, artificially flavored or colored) Many common ailments are linked to an imbalanced and unhealthy gut. Additionally many toxins and chemicals are preferentially stored in fat- a mechanism your body uses to protect you from the illness-causing effect of toxicity free floating in your body.

A cleanse and other forms of "alternative" health care are not for everyone. It is not a quick fix to an unhealthy lifestyle. It will not help if you don't stop ingesting toxins through your food. And if you are quite attached to a medicine cabinet full of pharmaceuticals and genetically modified potato chips, this would not be the path for you. The process of removing toxicity encased in the protective cells of your body and intestines is not easy. Ceasing your relationships with all addictive substances is also not easy. If you are toxic, you will get a headache and will likely taste and see toxins being released from your body. But the headache passes as soon as you get in a good flush cycle- and by the 4th day you will begin to understand your body on a much deeper level and see the effect of addiction in your life. You can also expect the added benefit if greatly accelerated healing process in the body. As you get deeper into the cleanse you may feel old injuries flare up as your body begins to work on replacing damaged tissues in the body. If you have never done it before- get a coach- see a homeopathic, naturopathic, or chinese medical doctor for guidance.

If you are lucky enough to have lived free from toxicity in your diet or environment, and your body tissues are in need of no healing at all, then a cleanse would not be for you. Move on and go about your day.