One of the first real blogs I ever read was a running commentary on what it was like to do the Master Cleanse.
Horrifying, I would say. Words like “explosive diarrhea” and “want to stab the postman in the eye” and “if I don’t eat something soon, I will literally gouge my stomach out with a melon baller” were used liberally throughout the real-time updates.
Fascinating, I thought. I must do this some time. Because what is life without suffering?
In all honesty, I have been saying – FOR YEARS – that I’m going to detox. “This year, for two weeks, I’m going to detox. Starting next month.” And then I put it off longer, because I like not wanting to kill the postman. Also because I plan on getting rid of my melon baller first.
This time it’s different.
This time I have you guys.
If I say I’m going to detox, I’m going to detox. That’s it. The words are spoken and must be obeyed. Next month (no really, I mean it) or maybe January. Either way, it’s happening – and I want to keep a live blog going while I’m losing my mind (or becoming horrifically sane, for once in my life).
So help me prepare for this monumental task. This great, big, giant mountain I’ve built out of an emotional molehill.
The Community Question today is:
Have You Ever Detoxed? If So … Help!
Even though this detox/fast thing has been in the back of my mind for at least a decade, I was recently motivated and inspired by the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. This Australian guy travels across the United States for 90 days doing nothing but drinking fresh fruit and veggie juice.
In the end, he’s all vibrant and healthy, and I want that, you know? I want vibrant and healthy and juice-infused joy.
But, alas, I cannot afford to do the Reboot juice fast, based on the fact that a juicer costs money, and the 80 tons of organic fruits and veggies that are involved in a 10-day fast, alone, cost more than my entire yearly earnings and current net worth. (It’s not a joke. Don’t laugh.)
So that’s the story behind the kind of detox I’d like to do, but probably won’t.
With that in mind:
- If you’ve ever detoxed/fasted, how did you do it? Is it something you’d recommend? What was your personal experience like?
- What kind of tips can you give a newbie who’s never detoxed before?
- Are there any special tricks to keep from writhing in pain in your bed for the first three days?
Last question (informal): When I decide to do my detox/fast, does anyone else want to do it with?
Signed,
Obeying the Postman’s New Restraining Order
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I can’t help but wonder if the benefit of ‘detox’ fasts, cleanses etc is felt more for people who aren’t eating well (for them) or are eating foods that are considered healthy, but in fact they don’t tolerate well. Whenever I read about how good people feel on a cleanse or the beneficial effects, I always think ‘that’s how I felt when I stopped eating gluten’ (after I found out, finally, that I was celiac)… and I didn’t have to fast or sit on the can all day. Though I will say that years ago, when my gut was really bad, I went all meat/fat for awhile and it was great! Nothing to irritate my stomach/intestines (fiber, veggies etc were not agreeing with me at all then). Skin cleared up, gut started working properly, slept like a baby, dropped a bunch of weight, had tons of energy, etc. So YMMV, I suppose… depends on your body and situation at the time.
Also… if you feel like crap during a cleanse, it is possible (possible) that it’s not a ‘detox’ reaction – it’s just a reaction. Unless you’re detoxing some seriously nasty stuff (like drugs, booze, bromide etc), it might not be a good sign that you’re not feeling well during a cleanse. I’ve talked to too many people who powered through a cleanse thinking they were doing themselves some good… and they weren’t.
I can’t help but wonder if the benefit of ‘detox’ fasts, cleanses etc is felt more for people who aren’t eating well (for them) or are eating foods that are considered healthy, but in fact they don’t tolerate well. Whenever I read about how good people feel on a cleanse or the beneficial effects, I always think ‘that’s how I felt when I stopped eating gluten’ (after I found out, finally, that I was celiac)… and I didn’t have to fast or sit on the can all day. Though I will say that years ago, when my gut was really bad, I went all meat/fat for awhile and it was great! Nothing to irritate my stomach/intestines (fiber, veggies etc were not agreeing with me at all then). Skin cleared up, gut started working properly, slept like a baby, dropped a bunch of weight, had tons of energy, etc. So YMMV, I suppose… depends on your body and situation at the time.
Also… if you feel like crap during a cleanse, it is possible (possible) that it’s not a ‘detox’ reaction – it’s just a reaction. Unless you’re detoxing some seriously nasty stuff (like drugs, booze, bromide etc), it might not be a good sign that you’re not feeling well during a cleanse. I’ve talked to too many people who powered through a cleanse thinking they were doing themselves some good… and they weren’t.
I can’t help but wonder if the benefit of ‘detox’ fasts, cleanses etc is felt more for people who aren’t eating well (for them) or are eating foods that are considered healthy, but in fact they don’t tolerate well. Whenever I read about how good people feel on a cleanse or the beneficial effects, I always think ‘that’s how I felt when I stopped eating gluten’ (after I found out, finally, that I was celiac)… and I didn’t have to fast or sit on the can all day. Though I will say that years ago, when my gut was really bad, I went all meat/fat for awhile and it was great! Nothing to irritate my stomach/intestines (fiber, veggies etc were not agreeing with me at all then). Skin cleared up, gut started working properly, slept like a baby, dropped a bunch of weight, had tons of energy, etc. So YMMV, I suppose… depends on your body and situation at the time.
Also… if you feel like crap during a cleanse, it is possible (possible) that it’s not a ‘detox’ reaction – it’s just a reaction. Unless you’re detoxing some seriously nasty stuff (like drugs, booze, bromide etc), it might not be a good sign that you’re not feeling well during a cleanse. I’ve talked to too many people who powered through a cleanse thinking they were doing themselves some good… and they weren’t.
One word: rash.
I get a rash on the insides of my elbows for some reason when I detox. It’s all itchy and gross. Every time I go 100% raw for a few months I start to detox. It’s a fun way to ‘tox though, because you get to eat yummy food, and if you’re around some farms it can be cheaper to get organic greens.
Hey, I done a semi fast. I had everything in liquid form for 4 days. Juices. Smoothies. Soups. Barley lemon water. Best thing I’ve done. I don’t like coffee anymore. (I should state that I would have 3 cups of strong coffee in the morning before 10). I felt more energetic and alive.
My mom is diabetic so she had to eat something every few hours. After 4 days of Green Juice in the morning, her sugar levels were lower so much so her docs reduced her insulin injections to 1 a day.
Maybe you can start by have a green juice first thing in the morning instead of coffee. Make it a veg-fruit juice, then you taste only the fruit. In fact I would make it at night, transfer it into a mason jar and store it. And in the morning instead of reaching for the coffee pot, reach for the mason jar in the fridge. (No excuses that way). Also Would make the juices for my day and store them and drink it every time I felt hungry, which was every 2 1/2 hrs.
The first thing I noticed was how much better my skin and hair looked and felt.
Hope this was helpful.
I tried the juice fast after watching that documentary, but used a friend’s >$400 juicer. I made it 7 days. My skin looked amazingly clear, more even, & brighter; my undereye circles were practically gone, but I did get a couple of horribly big, deep pimples that I assumed were from released toxins making their way out of my system. My mood improved & I had way more energy than usual. I noticed the underarms of my shirts were free of any odor but that of my antiperspirant/deodorant. My goal is to juice for 1 meal of every day & for 1 week every 6 months. The only deterring factor is that it takes SO much produce, you literally run out of fridge space. I bought a couple of 3-tier hanging baskets to help combat the problem, but my dining room table & fridge were already choked by that point. But if you DO juice, drink a LOT of juice for each meal- like 20-30 oz. It keeps you full. You COULD use a food processor & run the results through a fine mesh if you don’t want to buy a juicer. If your produce isn’t organic, wash w/diluted Dr. Bronner’s & rinse before use. DO use mint, parsley, & ginger. Research has shown that we aren’t meant to always be in “feast” mode. Periodic “famine/fasting” boosts immunity (among other things) & this is the best way to drastically reduce calories while still getting not only ENOUGH nutrition, but more than enough. Commercial fertilizers don’t provide everything crops need or used to naturally pull from the soil. Crops have steadily had less vitamins & minerals available from the depleted soil, & selective breeding has boosted size & yield while decreasing other vital characteristics. We might HAVE to consume produce in this way to get the what we need in the present day. & believe me, there is still plenty of fiber in the juice. Even if you strain. Good luck!
When I detox, I ate only fruits and vegetables. Juices and smoothies are ok 2, as long as they are fresh. Vegetable juices are great, as they help balance the alkalinity of your system.
DO NOT just do a juice cleanse, as that doesnt even give you half of the calories and nutrients you need.
I did fruitarian for 6 months. Very simple:
1. Eat only fruit, seeds, and nuts- remember that melons, peppers, and tomatoes are all fruit
2. Eat what you are hungry for
3. ONE fruit (peaches or whatever) at a time- NO MIXING
4. Eat until you are not hungry- when you feel “done”, stop. No clean plate club.
The money you save on cooking, shopping, meat, condiments, etc. will be well more than the amount of money you will spend on organic fruit. I did mine for 6 months and then wanted cooked food again- do this as long as it works for you & NO LONGER.
(I lost 60 pounds just from the diet change- got to my ideal weight and never dropped below it!)
Resources for further research:
Loren Lockman, Tanglewood Retreat Center
David Wolfe, author, raw food guru
Viktoras Kulvinkas, author, former University professor
Victoria Bouchenko, author/lecturer, her kids wrote a raw cookbook
So I’m watching the Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead documentary and I am starting to get really convinced that I should do some sort of juice cleanse. I feel like I’d have to take some time off from working to make sure I don’t affect my productivity, though I feel like I’d probably get more energy and focus after a few days.
I am already thinking about digging through my mom’s kitchen for our ancient juicer, I seriously hope she still has it. I hope you do a post on a detox soon, but either way I plan on doing in the next few months when I have the time, money, and resources to get it done.
I wanted to do a cleanse for about 15 years before I actually got around to doing one. You have to prepare both mentally and physically. First get rid of any food that is off limits. Even if you have the self control not to eat it, seeing it will be torture when you’ve only had liquids (or whatever you’re allowed) after a few days.
Do not plan to distract yourself by watching tv or movies because it’s really hard to find anything where people aren’t eating. Instead of following the plot, I found myself thinking things like, “How many sandwiches is Joey going to eat in this episode? Gaaaaaaah!” If you watch tv without tivo, you’ll also have to endure food commercials. During my cleanse, I realized that almost every commercial I saw was either for food products, restaurants, or grocery stores. Needless to say, avoid the Food Network!
If you can get whoever you live with to participate in the cleanse at the same time, it will be a lot easier for you because you won’t have to smell your spouse or roommate cooking delicious food that you aren’t allowed to eat. The smell of anything cooking was torturous for me!
Ingest the largest variety of food that you are allowed to have. If your cleanse says you can only have salad or juice or whatever, switch up whatever fruits and veggies you can. I did a cleanse that had prepackaged food mostly made of nut/fruit paste and after about a week and a half, I had an allergic reaction. It was exactly the same as the allergic reaction I’ve had to medication. After a week straight of ingesting it, I broke out in hives. There was nothing in the nut/fruit paste I hadn’t eaten before but apparently a whole week of eating nothing but that was enough to trigger an allergy (my friend had a similar experience with eating too many strawberries and she’s now totally allergic to them).
If you know there are any food related events coming up (Thanksgiving, weddings, that kind of thing), schedule your cleanse to avoid having to bring a thermos of vegetable soup with you. One of my coworkers as in the middle of her cleanse when we had this big party to go to and it was torture for her. Not only could she not partake in any of the delicious food but all she could eat was her little thermos of soup.
I, myself, have never detoxed but friends have and one apparently does this with a juice fast combined with a small amount of some type of clay (?) -I’m sure you could google it. She says it’s not as terrible, the clay makes you feel less starving and also helps the detox process.
Okay, I have read through all the comments and strangely did not find the one piece of advice that I wish I had known when I did the Master Cleanse (which I have done a couple of times and the others do not lie about being near the toilet). If you choose to do the Master Cleanse, DO NOT start it the week that you have PMS. I don’t know if that would also hold true for other detox programs, but I was seriously ill and weak when I tried to do it that perilous week. Seriously, give yourself a break and wait a week or two. Good luck
Hi Betty,
I have detoxed many times and it just so happens I am on day 3 of a detox right now. I tried a new one this time its Dr. John Doulliard’s 4 day Home Cleanse. I was interested in it becuase I love ayurvedic medicine and thought I’d give it a shot. After I am done I am going to post a review on my site. I’ll tell you one thing – the main thing you are supposed to eat on this diet doens’t taste great so that makes it hard to do.
Other cleanses I have done were simple – only eat vegtables, or just cut out meat, dairy, sugar, and caffeine.
I hear you about the master cleanse. I did it and it sucked!!
Roxanne
It looks like you have dozens of comments on this already – so you’re probably now thoroughly informed on lots of different detox plans. But I’ll throw in my 2 cents anyway.
I’ve done lots of different cleanses – master cleanse, juice fasts, psyllium shakes, etc., etc. I’ve even water fasted (not recommended!) I’ve come to the conclusion that just like diets – some programs work wonders for certain individuals and are awful for others. It’s kind of a matter of trial and error and finding out what works for you. For myself, I’ve come to the conclusion that the best detox for me is a gentle one – eating super light and eliminating all sugar, oil, alcohol, coffee, dairy, and all those other baddies. Concentrating on vegetables, a little fruit, etc. There’s lots of different plans to choose from.
However, a dear friend just finished a 10-day Master Cleanse and she hasn’t felt better in years. That’s the lemonade, maple syrup, cayenne fast. Her aches and pains are gone, her eyes are clear, she’s finding it easy to make good choices now about what to eat. So – as I said above – it’s different for everyone.
If you do decide to fast, here’s my thoughts on how to avoid wanting to kill that postman: *Make sure you take several days to taper off on sugar, coffee, etc before you start the fast. This will prep your body and you will have a much less severe cleansing crisis. *Allow yourself time for rest and introspection each day. You will feel kind of crappy especially the first few days and your body starts to eliminate the toxins. This is not the best time to be powering through on a big project. *When you end the fast, introduce foods very slowly. Eat super light for the first few days (even though you will be tempted to shovel everything in sight into your mouth.) I’ve ruined many fasts by eating too much too soon after ending the fast.
Good luck with your detox! January is a great time to do it. (November may be harder because you will be faced with all those holiday goody temptations right after you finish.) I look forward to following along.
I have never done a detox, and would love to do one…only problem is, if I do it by myself, I’m more inclined to ‘fail’ it. So…when are we starting?
Hey CB,
Just found your site and I LOVE it, so thanks for being here.
I’ve been cleansing for years. I did the liver cleanse with epsom salts and olive oil a few times. I did the Master Cleanse. Now, I do the Crazy, Sexy, Diet (book by Kris Carr). I have to say that the epsom salts are miserable and the Master Cleanse is really enough to make you take a melon baller to your own guts. Not to mention fairly stupid from a nutritional point of view (Drinking sugar water all day and night? Um, no.). On the other hand, the Crazy Sexy Diet is so unbelievably awesome. I actually feel clean after doing it (that’s the point of a cleanse, right?). And it makes so much sense. Lots of green veggies, mostly raw. A little fruit, some nuts, seeds, grains and beans. Makes a whole lot more sense than sugar water. And while juicing is encouraged, I just make green smoothies in my blender (way cheaper and more filling). Oh, and you can have chocolate when you really need it, to prevent mailman murder. Good luck!
PLEASE HELP! i just recieved a package of veg. emulsifying wax to make facial cream and i have no idea the quantities i have to use. help!
@Kater
You are a great big ball of sparkly rainbow sunshine – talk about a bath of positivity! Thank you for that 🙂
“Great big ball of sparkly rainbow sunshine”… I LOVE it! That may be the most complimentary way anyone has ever described me. Thanks RowanMist_Gen! See my post above as well. Health, peace and happy vibes…
I admit… I’ve never worked up the nerve! But good luck!
I’ll keep my fingers crossed for your postman.
Oh, Crunchy Betty, I MUST share my amazingly positive detox experience with you!
I am so grateful to you for bringing the oil-cleansing method and raw honey to my facial care routine (my 15-year battle with cystic acne might almost be over!), that I think I owe it to you to tell you about my experience with detox. Ellen Livingston’s “Ultimate Raw Food Diet Detox and Wellness Program” is THE BOMB. Ellen is a natural raw foodist and her detox method is based on the way nature intended us to eat. Her book is the easy-to-use handbook version of the very science-y “80-10-10 Diet,” by Dr. Douglas Graham. The idea is to neutralize your body’s PH level through eating just raw fruits and vegetables. It’s easy! It’s tasty! My body is functioning properly and getting smaller (woo!), and I have mental clarity like I haven’t had in years… or ever. I’ve been eating this way for about 2 months now and while I’ve made a few social-wine-with-friends or social-pancakes-with-friends exceptions, I’m following my body’s natural cravings and feeling generally amazing. http://www.detoxwithraw.com. And you don’t need to buy gadgets, gizmos, pills or potions. Everything you need can be found in the supermarket. Any supermarket.
Once you know how your body is supposed to function, you just want to get it to that point. My advice: Instead of going on a super-detox for a week or two and then going back to gunking up your body with toxic food again, start slowly, consuming nothing but fruits and vegetables until noon for a week or two. Then work up to consuming nothing but fruits and vegetables until 5pm. Continue to cleanse and add more and more raw, whole foods into your day. Our bodies are meant to be healthy and if we stop messing with the way nature intended us to eat, we would be! My body feels so clean and functional now that I hardly ever want coffee or pizza or ice cream or [insert your fave comfort food here.]
If you want to set aside a period of time to cleanse, I would recommend the guidance provided by Kris Carr in “Crazy Sexy Diet.” http://www.crazysexydiet.com. But don’t buy into all her oil-heavy, spice-heavy, lots-of-ingredients raw meals. Keep it simple. However, the 21-Day Adventure Cleanse portion of the book is amazing! Kris’ meditations and affirmations got me over my wanting-to-kill-the-postman hump. Also, I use a neti pot, do the dry-brushing and daily yoga Kris recommends with Rodney Yee’s AM Yoga for your Week DVD. It has 5 different programs to mix things up. Yoga in 20 minutes before I jump in the shower? Yes please! I also take an hour-long walk everyday. No matter what. Even in the blustery cold of Michigan. I found that turning my living room into a sacred space (clean, homey and with lots of plants) really helped me. I meditate in front of my window every morning. Detox is a spiritual experience and without all the detox-symptom-warnings and emotional support provided by Ellen and Kris’ books, and the bomb feelings of getting stronger while working out with Rodney and getting outside for an hour walk everyday to feel the sunshine on my face, I probably would have killed the postman. I know my looks are improving, but this is most important—I feel beautiful. Knowing that the way I’m living is improving my body and the earth is very, very sexy ☺
If you decide that all-raw (or almost-all-raw) all the time is for you, or might be for you, Dr. Graham’s recipe book, “The New High Energy Diet Recipe Guide” is fabulous! Easy and tasty recipes that take just a few ingredients and are extremely satisfying.
The last thing I’ll tell you is that eating this way is NOT expensive! Eating processed food products is expensive. Buying cold-pressed-truffle-infused olive oil is expensive. Supplements are expensive. I get my vitamins and minerals from my fruits and veggies, and vitamin D from the sun! Once you find a place to buy decent-priced organic fruits and veggies, you’ll be good to go. My groceries this week cost $30, and I’m no teeny ballerina. And best of all, I’m never ravenously hungry anymore 🙂
I’m smitten with cleansing. Highly recommend 🙂
Best of luck! I can’t wait to hear all about it!
Kater, your reply is just what I needed to read at the start of my day 😀
Kylieonwheels and RowanMist_Gen, I’m glad I could send some positive energy out there to you! I really hope you find success in cleansing and that the resources I’ve provided are helpful. One thing that I used to keep myself on track was the idea that Kris Carr came to this lifestyle because she was diagnosed with cancer. And I really don’t want some awful disease to be the motivating factor for me to live my life more fully. And living this way, hopefully it won’t get to that point 🙂 Let me know if you have any questions about the resources I provided. Muah!
what is the oil and honey method you use for your face? i too struggle with cystic acne and would love to find help. i cant seem to find the method on this site 🙁
I went on a detox once. I was only allowed liquids plus one meal in solid form a day. No sugar, no caffeine. I felt like I was dying from the inside out. It started out good, but I was working full days during the detox and on day 3 the headaches began. Headaches like someone was using your brain as a squeeze ball. It was a bit too much for me.
My tip is: Do not start a detox when you have a lot going on work-wise, and/or if you have to attend several meetings during the first week. Maybe start on a friday if you’re staying in for the entire weekend.
However, I loved the cucumber-spinach-mineral-water-smoothie I had every morning.
Good luck!
Many many times, from a long period of time with one day a week designated for fasting, and several times for periods of one to 2 weeks, total cleansing and detox.
Wonderful experiences. Worth every minute. Easier to do when you go on a trip that gets you away from your daily routine.
This post got me thinking about maybe trying a cleanse, but after reading every comment I decided probably the best way to go is to do the goop one that was mentioned. I also liked what Verity had to say (Verity, have you ever read Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis? That’s the only place I have ever heard of the name Verity). Being a nursing student myself, she made a lot of sense.
I like the idea of cutting out sugar, coffee, pop, etc, and incorporating more fruits, veggies, etc as a way of detoxing and getting healthier. What’s nice about the goop one is that it gives you a day by day food list, and at the end gives recipes on how to make the food! Winning.
Good luck! Can’t wait to hear about your adventures in detoxing!
I’m super supportive of you doing a cleanse if it’s been such a long time aspiration! Go you!
If it is at all possible could you give us a warning heads up when you are going to be doing this and when it will be over? It’s a pretty intense form of food restriction and is super super triggering for me to read about (recovering from an eating disorder) and I’d love love love to know how long I need to vacate the blog to keep my noggin in a good place. I’d love to only have to skip the posts that have to do with the cleanse!
I would so do a cleanse with you. I have started cleanses in the past, but just was never able to stick with them. There is power in numbers!
Hello all,
Right after watching Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead I started looking at the juicers and recipes on the film’s website. I’m not impressionable, but I was amazed that those two flabby, puffy-eyed guys turned trim, handsome, and athletic in such a short time. I was, however, dismayed by the part that showed a day of juicing costs $29.00 per day. But I call bull**** on the cost of juicing compared to cost of medications and surgery without insurance. There was no mention of how much Bear paid. This got me thinking about how I could do a penny pincher’s juice fast.
First I looked at the price of juicers recommended and for a minute I even wondered if I had an extra $199 plus the daily cost of fruit and veg on my meager teacher’s salary. I don’t. Then I started poking around the blogs on the site and someone mentioned getting a juicer from craigslist. Brilliant! So simple and dimwitted of me! I jumped over to craiglslist and found multiple offers for “barely used” high-end juicers priced $40-$80. I also know of several grocery stores in my area that bag up “quick-sale” produce and sell for almost nothing. I’m wondering if slightly overripe produce is okay for juicing. I’m convinced that it doesn’t have to be that expensive.
I’m fighting a nasty sinus infection right now and refusing to take antibiotics. My chiropractor recommended removing all sugar and grains from my diet and increasing amounts of fruit and veg to boost immunity. After the first day I realized how addicted I am to bread, even though I think I eat a healthy diet! It’s time for a juice fast. This week I intend to prepare for a fast, and try to get my hubs to think about it too. Anyone interested in trying it with me is welcome.
I did a fast salt cleanse years ago(sounds like the one Adrienne did). I don’t remember all the details but it went something like this:
-drank ounces and ounces of very salty water.
-drank some more
-explosive diarrhea
-yoga poses (sorry, I can’t remember which ones)
-more salty nasty water
-more explosive diarrhea
This went on for about 4 hours.
It sucked!
A few months ago I did the fat flush…I hated it! My girlfriends talked me into it and I whined the entire time.
I did a 7-day Ayurvedic cleanse last month that was kind of awesome. I followed the Fall Cleanse set out at yogajournal.com and noticed wonderful results. You can even continue the cleanse for a few weeks, which I would have done were it not for the exhausting fact that I was having to cook separate meals for the rest of my family.
I have also done the Master Cleanse. I loved it, but I have no idea how anyone could do it while still going about their normal day. I had some time off work and my days were like this:
1. Wake up and chug salt water.
2. Sit uncomfortably for an hour or so (books and blogs really helped this part)
3. Engaged in aforementioned explosiveness (sorry if that’s TMI, but I’d rather you be warned!)
4. Went on a walk.
5. More explosiveness.
6. Went about the rest of my day.
My boyfriend, who also cleansed, had a much easier time of it — one explosion and that was that. For me it was on and off for a few hours. That part sucked.
However! I felt great. I loved the lemon juice/syrup/cayenne, I went to yoga twice a day, I took long walks, I didn’t have to cook or clean the kitchen, I lost that stubborn five pounds that never wants to budge…I would do it again in a minute, given time off from work.
The hardest part was easing back into solid foods. I wasn’t really hungry during the cleanse (once I realized that most of my hunger was psychological), but when it was over I WANTED FOOD. I have never loved vegetable soup so much in my life.
The best part was re-evaluating my relationship with food, as someone has already mentioned in the comments. I smelled food when it wasn’t there, I had cravings that had nothing to do with my stomach. After the cleanse it was much easier to look at food as a source of essential nutrients (that I can still enjoy).
Hey,
I’ve done a 30 hour famine before- I think that’s similar. I would suggest just doing a 24 hour detox and then working your way up to a week, a day at a time.
I have never detoxed, but I have read a little by Robyn Openshaw on her website/blog: greensmoothiegirl.com. She gives different approaches some less traumatic than others. Just thought I’d put it out there as a resource to check out before undertaking such a big change.
What about some kind of cleanse from the outside in? Maybe daily body brushing followed by a warm sea salt bath to help pull toxins out through the skin. Then follow up by rubbing your whole body with some healthful oil, looking in the mirror and telling yourself that you love your body. Detoxing any negative body images?!
Swapping your daily three cups of adrenal robbing coffee for say toasted dandelion tea would also be a very effective detox!!
I have done the master cleanse and it didn’t work for me, I had a migraine the entire ten days (the first i’ve ever had) and drinking the salt water had me curled up in a ball on the couch with stomach cramps for hours.
I do raw food for one month every summer to help reset my eating habits and i love it but it’s not for everybody and i find it difficult when the weather gets cold.
This is good timing since I have wanted to do a cleanse for awhile now. I have not been very motivated as of late to do it. You may convince me. I have a body type that cannot handle major cleanses and so the idea of eliminating all foods and just drinking juice scares me. I also tend to be cold so the idea of just juice makes me think I would make myself colder. I don’t want or need anything colder or too strong(that can create more issues). I think sometimes people go to gung-ho to quickly and I think that’s why people get all the side effect or the icky symptoms starting out. The symptoms later on could be releases from the body.
I would start out a few weeks ahead gradually eliminating all coffee and sugars(Yes all!). I have heard or read somewhere that b-vitamins help reduce the symptom of cravings and withdrawals. I would also gradually cut out any animal products and processed food…if you eat them every day cut back to every other day or every 2 or 3 days and see how that goes. Then on the week of the cleanse I would do a few days of food and then do the juice fast for a few day and then slowly reintroduce a new food every couple of days.
I like this doctors cleanse because you still eat foods but you’ve eliminated the crap and hard to digest foods. He has recipes on his website that are really good. One I really like is a sweet potato soup. http://drbenkim.com/full-body-cleanse.htm
Some foods are going to be harder to eliminate from your diet starting out. At one point, I tried to go totally vegan(no animal products)for a few weeks. It was hard. I remember I went a full week before I caved and then about every 4 days I would cave and eat some meat and then feel as though eating the meat wasn’t worth it. This happened for a good month or so before I finally stuck to the no animal products for the 3 wks. I was eating meat everyday before I started so I didn’t stick to the diet. I felt better eliminating the animal products but didn’t stick with it. I have been on a wheat/dairy/soy/corn free diet for a couple of years now and when I stick to that diet I feel good. Lately I haven’t been very good about staying with my diet so I feel as though I need a cleanse just to help my system reboot.
I just checked out your link, and will be starting this raw veggie cleanse today. Thanks, Debora!!!
One of my favorite blogs/podcasts Joy the Baker wrote about doing the Blue Print Cleanse.
http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2011/02/blue-print-cleanse-and-giveaway/
You may want to take a look at livestrong.com and read what they have to stay about detoxing. All the best with whatever your decision is. Have you checked with the major place you purchase your products?
Hi, as a nursing student I just had to add my 2 cents here. If you must do a ‘detox’ (I’m not a believer, but wouldn’t force that viewpoint on any of you), please remember to make sure you know the facts about exactly how it will work with your body and do it in a healthy way, so you don’t end up hurting yourself. For a start, there’s really nothing that can make your kidneys process toxins faster. Drinking plenty of water can HELP process toxins as it dilutes them, but drinking too much water all at once(I’ve seen a detox programme that recommends drinking 2 litres of water first thing in the morning!) can be harmful as it could lead to hyponatremia (low sodium and electrolytes in the blood), which causes fluid to move out of blood vessels into tissues. This can cause swelling which damages cells and electrolyte imbalances can be dangerous for your heart. Another point to consider is, if you are depriving your body of nutrients it needs (unless you’ve carefully planned the nutritional content of your detox diet) your organs and body systems will not be working at their optimal level, and may in fact reduce their efficiency at removing toxins and wastes from your blood. On a liquid diet, it is important to remember that fibre is essential for gastrointestinal health – another component of your body which has the job of eliminating waste. In short, your body is very well designed and does know what it’s doing. The best way you can help it do its job is by feeding it a nutritionally balanced diet free of pesticides, preservatives and chemicals (as much as is possible) and keeping active. There’s no ‘quick fix’ for health, and many of those which claim to be such are useless at best and harmful at worst.
Oh, and one interesting point about raw food diets – some foods actually have more nutrients available made to the body when cooked, as long as they aren’t cooked for too long. For example, spinach and carrots have been found to boost higher levels of beta-carotene after being lightly steamed as opposed to raw. All I’m saying is, make sure you do some research before you decide to follow any restrictive diet plan to ensure that you really are doing the best for your body, not just blindly following instructions or popular opinion. Whatever you choose to do, be safe and good luck! I’ll butt out now 😛
I did the detox after watching the movie. My husband only lasted 5 days his problem was mental, he didn’t like the idea not being able to eat. I juiced and ate veggies for 15 days and lost 12 lbs I didn’t have headaches or any other problems other than cravings. I had no idea how addicted to food and how I ‘ treated’ my self and emotionally ate it was very eye opening. It has been a month and a half since finishing the fast and I have slowly introduced some meats, brown rice, and wheat flour I have lost 5 additional pounds. The fast was the best thing I’ve done in a long time I feel so much better, its so much easier to fall asleep, I don’t have achy joints, I NEVER have stomach problems (I used to feel like crap every day from waking until noon). I have hypothyroid so be carefull with cruceferus vegtables they can mess up your absorption of meds. Overall I recommend the fast, it has really helped me reprogram my brain to not crave sugar and crap food.
Forgot to add that I was never hungry! You really are full when drinking just juice. But it is mentally challenging to dealing with cravings and habits.
Marie, how did you deal with the mental challeges and cravings?
Well there wasn’t really anything, I walked, tried not to watch tv commercials, had tea in the evenings and lemon water during the day. I hosted some friends and neighbors over to watch FS & ND and they also started the program so we were all going thru it and could talk. On the few days I couldn’t stand it I had celery and carrots, avocados & coconut water (both important for fats), salad, or one of the recipes from the fs& nd website my favorite was the zucchini/squash bake I still make it a few times a week. I think one of the biggest things that helped me was that I truly felt so much better physically almost immediately.
Check out Bulk Herb Store’s Detox+, or Dr Schulze’s detox products. I mixed my own and was happy with the mildness and yet results. It’s safe for anyone, nursing, pregnant, etc. You eat normally on it, clean, but normal food. There was no torture involved. : )
I did the Fat Flush Cleanse once and I wanted to hurt somebody every minute I was awake. Now I drink a line of organic shakes that aid in detoxing, but I can’t do a true detox since I am currently breastfeeding, but people I know that have done the cleanse from the same line have had amazing results.
I prefer to do raw foods detoxes. They are less extreme and you won’t go crazy doing them. The first three days are the worse (as it is when you cut out any type of bad food or product)just make sure to load up on raw foods. That’s the nice thing about a raw detox. You can eat as much as you want so long as it’s raw. You wouldn’t believe how much watermelon I ate. 🙂
I detox all the time. The people who are laying in bed just did not mentally prepare. Eating raw fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds or making juice will in fact give you more energy, improved health, and more.
My best tip is to be prepared. Really prepare for everything, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack. if you eliminate the temptation all you will have to eat are the good things. Also mentally prepare. You really have to be committed in order to complete a detox successfully. Do it for the right reasons, not for weight loss, bc you might not even lose any way. you release what your body needs to- like if you are lacking focus, you will gain clarity.
You will feel great and now that it is fall it is a perfect time to start a detox. i like to do one every season.
enjoy!
I’m in. Let’s start in the morning. Nothing like the present! I have my water kefir brewing (batch #2!) that must be part of it. I’m totally ready to treat myself better by fueling more consciously.
I tried the Master Cleanse, and just couldn’t deal with it – nasty. Then I did the cleanse Gillian McKeith (the crazy scary tiny Scottish lady that did “You Are What You Eat”) suggests, modified to add in some herbal teas that weren’t dandelion root, easy yoga & meditation, and no TV. I loved the teas, the food really wasn’t bad at all, the yoga I was kind of naughty about (which is ridiculous when they only person you’re cheating is yourself!), and I missed True Blood but got quite a bit of journalling and needlework done. The worst part? I was still drinking coffee and non-decaf black teas then, and the combination of quitting caffeine and detoxing made me feel dreadful starting on day two. By day four I couldn’t deal with the headache and nausea, so I started back on coffee.
Best tip I heard from anyone about detox – drink a LOT of water, preferably with lemon juice in it, and if you don’t feel like doing anything more strenous than lotus pose, then don’t. Just make sure you are still getting enough fiber, so you are actually getting rid of the toxins.
Oh, and salt baths help too (they open up your skin); just don’t sit there for longer than 15 mins. or so, or your lovely open pores will start to suck all the yuck out of the water again.
Good luck!
When you drink the salt water, chug it fast and tell yourself it’s really salty broth. And get a good book, and camp out in the bathroom… seriously.
I prefer to “detox” slowly for 2-4 weeks by omitting all processed foods, grains, and dairy. Even so, I do feel the detox symptoms in the middle of my second week, but they pass in a day or two and aren’t terrible. There is also a one-day juice fast by Ann Louise Gittleman you might check out called “Fast Track Detox”.
I too have done the Master Cleanse and I really liked the results. I, of course, did cheat in that there was NO WAY that “flush” was going to enter my body. No way, No How. Despite all tricks that I tried I couldn’t get it down. But I did the juice fast part (in essence) and I loved it. I have been wanting to do it again, like within a few weeks, so your request for detox buddies couldn’t have come at a better time!
*much love and detox support*
Hey I am in. I have never detoxed before, but have wanted to. I have had friends do the Master Cleanse, but one friend gained so much weight after she did it for 6 weeks, I thought no thanks. I had to laugh about the money for the organic fruit and veggies for the juicing. My hubby wonders why our food bill is still the same for only 3 as it was when all 6 of us were at home. I say, I am buying better ingredients for our food.
Can’t wait to see what you decide on.
I tried the Master Cleanse once. I lasted 2 days before I got to a point that I was literally gagging on the “lemonade”. At first I was all, oh this tastes not bad. By the second day I had to fight vomit. And the salt water flush….I get a pukey feeling in my throat just typing that.
I do a mini detox every morning though and it really (like REALLY) boosts my day. I drink a cup of distilled water, then I have a cup of water with 1/2 a lemon squeezed in, and I finish it all with a cup of Chai tea. It really gets things moving, if you catch my drift.
I’ve tried a few different kinds of detoxing. The first time I did a juice fast with my boyfriend, after that I’ve tried to do some detoxing while he’s on trips (mostly because our main hobby is cooking together and it’d be so boring not to). I’ve also tried a Master Cleanse, and most recently I did a more or less all raw detox for about a week.
Out of all these, I actually found the juice fast the most difficult. It might of course be because it was the first time and because I had more things on my plate (figuratively speaking!) so I didn’t have time to relax in the same way. But I actually found the master cleanse juice to be quite filling and I was hardly ever hungry except for maybe the first day or so. The downside for me was that the MC got quite expensive as maple syrup costs quite a lot up here.
But I did feel a lot better after all of them, my skin cleared up and I had more energy to do stuff (I cleaned our house. Just because I felt like it.)
So yeah, I’d really recommend doing a detox. It’s not like you have anything to lose and if it’s awful you can always stop.
A few tips.
– Especially if you’re doing an all juice fast, try to pick a time when you have the possibility to relax. Take it easy and take care of yourself, other wise you’ll want to take the postman’s eye out. Make this time me-time. Meditate, do some yoga, take walks… Like someone already mentioned, nothing cleans out the toxins as exercise (but you don’t have to do the high-impact 120 minute aerobic program. Unless you feel like it).
– Don’t start fasting straight after a huge steak. Try taking it in steps. A few days before going all-liquid, do an all-raw diet, eat raw salads and veggies and fruit. Eat often but very little, like a carrot an hour.
– And don’t put your goals too high. It’s fine to start easy, maybe just a weekend of fasting with a couple of days raw before and after, and get the feel of it. I’ve never done more than 10 days at a time, but that’s already helped heaps and made me feel a lot better.
Hope this helps and good luck fasting 🙂
Okay, I don’t know if you can count this as necessarily fasting, but when I was 13 I was hospitalized for a month and I was not allowed to eat anything because they wanted to be prepared in case I had to go into surgery. I was allowed to sip on a little water now and then but for the most part I was kept hydrated through a salene iv. The first two days I was fine. The next three after that were complete agony. Afer that I didn’t feel a thing. But after my surgery, when they let me eat again, my body rejected almost everything I ate and I couldn’t keep it down. It took me about half a year to build up my stamina again. I still -ten years later- only eat about 1 meal a day and that’s it. Occasionally I still even get soooo sick.
So, no, purposefully fasting is not on my to do list. I don’t think it’s very healthy.
And organic or chemical free is of the up-most importance. I’m sure you all know fruit and veggies can be sprayed dozens of times before we eat them and washing does little to rid the cellular structure in which the many chemicals have attached themselves to. Juicing chemical fruits and veggies is like getting a concentration of poisons. It seems like organic are pricier but they arent when you consider subsidies and waste from mono-ag crops (which include almonds to most peoples surprise). Farmers markets and local fruits and veggies! Bananas & pineapples dont grow where i live, so i dont eat them. But rosehips, raspberries, and apples do!
Spring and Fall are the best times of year to cleanse or detox the body, if you are going the route of a special set of actions for a relatively short period of time.
Otherwise, daily actions that add up. I think it was John above who described these well.
I have followed an Ayurveda cleanse in the Spring and again that same Fall. I have an Ayurveda practitioner who customized the cleanse for me and my health issues. Compared to the cleanses I have seen online and alllllll those pills/supplements to buy, my practitioner was a lot cheaper and she’s a professional who was available to me 24/7 via email and phone. I saw her at the beginning of the first cleanse and was encouraged to check in via phone or email daily. I ate food and took a few supplements to aid in digestion and elimination. The food and supplements were accompanied by a written plan that included more than just those. Dry skin brushing, breathwork, meditation, specific tea, etc. For the second cleanse, I called her to let her know I was starting and we modified my Spring plan a bit over the phone. Then, I saw her at the end.
The best tip she gave me was to clear my schedule for three weeks for the 10-day cleanse (first cleanse). I had some allergic reactions to the spices in the food plan and I was very sick for over a month. Although it sounds awful, AND IT WAS!, I also feel it was completely necessary for my health issues.
The second time around, we did things differently (7-day cleanse; somewhat clear schedule; I already had most of what I needed food- and supplement- wise; and I specifically set up as many supports as I could). I had a handful of various gift cards for massages and spa treatments I had been saving over the years. Don’t ask me why I never used them. The answer is deep. I used them all over a three week period while I was doing the Fall cleanse that we modified based on my reactions the first time around. Wow! Very powerful and positive experience!
Since then, I have chosen the daily route for some things (walking, breath work, yoga, healthy salt, meditation, lots of fresh produce, etc) and the periodic route for other things (qigong, swimming, bentonite clay, oil pulling, dry skin brushing, massage, gardening, warm water with lemon, etc). Nothing extreme.
In my Naturopathic Medicine class, I am learning A WHOLE LOT about the human body. Since I am passionate about nature and natural healing, many of the topics have been familiar to me. Consequently, I am able to focus on the bigger picture and zero in on some of the finer details. One golden nugget for me was learning that the liver needs to be functioning properly before the body can effectively remove toxins. All other methods of “detox” are meant to be secondary and when they ramp up it is a sign the liver is not able to do its job effectively. Our bodies are actually quite miraculous and WANT to heal themselves. Another light bulb moment was when I was reflecting on how much time we have spent in class on healthy digestion. To paraphrase, a healthy gut equals a healthy person. Truly fascinating!
BTW, at no point in time did I want to kill anyone. LOL The work I needed to do the first time was go deep inside and release really old “stuff”. The cleanse provided the space for me to do so because I followed my practitioner’s instructions (clear my schedule, meditate/pray daily, do specific breath exercises, etc). I’m not entirely convinced the food and supplements were necessary for that portion of the cleanse. KWIM? The second cleanse was equally important in sort of the opposite way. I needed to see I am part of something bigger and that no one person can do it alone and that it is okay (good even) to rely on others sometimes and that we’re all in this thing called life together (different paths or purposes, maybe, but all living with connections to all other living organisms). Again, not sure how the food and supplements had much to do with it, except create the space for the focus. These were just MY lessons to learn. YMMV.
Totally newbie to this world so would you please explain… “KWIM”? And “YMMV”? Thanks.
Absolutely…
KWIM – know what I mean
YMMV – your mileage may vary
I am currently doing the 7 day Flor Essence detox and i love it. No need to deprive my body of healing nutrients, this cleanse you can eat real food (whole foods, broths, fermented foods, traditional healthy foods!) the only difference is i cut out honey.
I read Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and it is the most sensible nutrition book I have ever found. I am studying to be a nutritionist and watched all the documentaries listed below, and most people seem to miss the mark. Maybe it’s not about cutting out certain foods, but examining and changing how they come to be. Much like your website! It’s not that body products are evil (like grass-fed humane meat and raw or fermented grass-fed dairy), it is how we have perverted them into something harmful to us, the community, earth, and the future (like grocery store meat and bread or shampoo).
We forgot the age old ways of preparing food and keeping ourselves healthy via hygiene without harming ourselves.
For a first cleanse, keep it simple and use a herbal program to rid the body of toxins, then work our way up to a fast or liquid cleanse when the time is right.
i did an herbal cleanse when i was 19…i’ve been meaning to do it again because it was a really spiritual experience for me. i feel like i learned a lot about myself and other people. by the end of it i was tired out just by walking across campus but i felt ENORMOUS empathy for everyone. i tend to get annoyed by people a lot (because i guess i’m just a horrible person) but when i was cleansing i felt like i literally couldn’t be mad at anyone, i was constantly putting myself in everyone else’s shoes but it felt reeeeally good. i felt more “outside myself” i guess. good experience. i definitely want to do it again soon now that i’m reminiscing.
it was not expensive at all…i mean i was on a SEVERELY limited student budget but i did everything with herbs that i got at a wiccan store (that was a lucky coincidence) and made all of my brews in a 15 coffee maker. my paintings and drawings got better too 😛
i didn’t experience any sickness at all that i recall, but i did a three week program that eases you into it by eating mostly raw vegetables.
I have detoxed once before, but it was very low-key. It was 2 weeks long. I could eat, it was all about the foods I was eating. They needed to be natural, whole, organic foods. Sugar and caffeine were eliminated from my diet. Then while I was eating this way, I was taking herbal pills that aid in digestion and detoxification. Because I was still able to eat, I would say it was great for a first timer.
I just read wheat belly by Davis and the wheat has gotta go completely now.
xo jana
My boyfriend and I did a detox/cleanse in the spring and although it was trying at times, it was definitely worth it. I also found that having someone to suffer with made it easier not to slip! It was similar to what Deanna described above: no caffeine, no alcohol, no meat or poultry, no dairy {but some fresh goats cheese would be okay ;)}, no gluten, no salt or sugar. Daily essentials: warm water with half a lemon squeezed in every morning, lots of herbal teas, a handful of unsulfured dried apricots, a couple cloves of garlic in food, 20 mins of gentle exercise and 20 mins of meditation/deep breathing etc., dry skin brushing. We also didn’t consume any liquids an hour before or after meals so that the fresh goodness was better absorbed.
We actually followed a plan out of a book called “Detox” by Sara Rose (Parragon Publishing) but the above pretty much summarizes it (minus the recipes they provide).
There’s another detox plan posted on Goop.com that I want to try out, complete with recipes and all. It’s pretty similiar and I think I’ll follow that plan this time in solidarity with you Crunchy Betty and anyone else out there ready to detox. Here’s the link if you’re interested: http://goop.com/newsletter/15/en/
Good luck everyone!!
that sounds like a really good one..i forgot to mention the lemon/lime in water in the morning thing. that is key!
I also did the Master Cleanse, maybe about two years ago. Like Summer said, it really wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. I have no recollection of feeling like I was starving, or even low on energy. And I actually enjoyed the lemon juice/maple syrup concoction, as I love the taste of both. The whole thing was also a nice break from having to plan out my meals everyday. All in all, I’d say it was a good experience, although I don’t know that I had as miraculous of an experience as others have had. And no, I did not get to the point where I felt like I was totally free from food cravings and temptations, but I did feel more confident that I do have *some* willpower.
Hmm…tips….
I’m sure you’re not as silly as I was the first time around, but after the salt water flushes, absolutely, positively, Stay. Near. The. Toilet. Not painful, but definitely “explosive”.
This one is perhaps also obvious…I also love cayenne, so I went crazy with the amounts I was adding to the lemonade. While I enjoyed it going down, it was not as pleasant coming out. Sooooooo, yeah. Be careful.
Good luck!!!
I know there are lots of differing opinions on the Master Cleanse and that many people swear by it but I for one think it is very dangerous. You’re robbing your liver (and every other organ) of essential nutrients that are vital to your everyday functioning. Maybe doing this for 1 or 2 days would have some benefit but I can’t imagine doing this for a week or 10 days. I think it’s more of a quick weight loss fad than it is a detox. But that’s just me 🙂
A cleanse doesn’t have to be bad, if you do it the healthy way instead of the world’s way. I did it a few years ago and didn’t notice a difference, except how many pills I was taking. How your body reacts depends on how toxic you are – that’s it. And the point is to get rid of toxins. (One of the guys i worked with had explosive diarrhea all day long, but he ate fast food for every meal and went out drinking every night.) Now, I did notice a difference afterwards. After my body was cleaned out and I went back to eating normally, I could tell automatically which foods hurt my body – milk made me bloated, non-grassfed beef made me nauseous, etc.
When I did it, I was working at a Maximized Living office and used the NeuroCleanse. During that cleanse, you stick to the maximized living diet, which is EASY (unless you’re a sugar freak) and you don’t go hungry. Promise. The Dr I worked for takes part of the cleanse as a regular supplement and does the full cleanse every month.
That’s a really good point about the effects being related to how much detoxifying your body needs. I think there would be a few people in this crunch community that wouldn’t experience the extreme detox symptoms that other ‘more soggy’ types would.
I’ve never tried a cleanse, and like Lissa, I think it’s more the lack of willpower I think I’d have. But if you find one that looks okay, I would try it with you!!
I did the Master Cleanse for 9 days about a month ago now. I didn’t feel like hurting anybody. Maybe I was doing something wrong 🙂 It was very eye opening for me because I wasn’t hungry, but still had a strong urge to eat at my usual times, when things smelled good, or for various other reasons. I feel like it really changed my relationship with food and hunger. It’s a mind over matter thing and ANYONE can do this when they put their MIND to it.
I think my body needed to keep going but I had social obligations and decided to break the cleanse at 9 days instead of the requisite 10. I definitely plan to do this again early next year. I also work full-time outside the home and it was manageable.
Hey. I’ve never done a cleanse. If I don’t eat real meals, my blood sugar dips and I get migraines. It just wouldn’t be healthy for me to do. I have heard however, that doing a diet transition before cleansing really helps with the nasty side effects. Sayward over on Bonzaiaphrodite.com did her second cleanse after she began eating vegan/raw. She said her experience was much better than before she changed her diet. I think introducing more raw food and eating less meat (and cutting out processed food altogether) would help the body prepare, and you’d also detox a little bit along the way.
Here is her intro post on the master cleanse: http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/2009/05/so-why-cleanse/
Her subsequent posts are about her experiences throughout the detox. I hope this helps!
I’ve never done a cleanse, partly because of the cost like you described and partly because I have not much willpower. But when you do one, I will be right there with you!
Instead of one of the extreme juice fasts, you could try some sort of raw food detox. That way you could eat solid food and not be hungry for weeks on end, but also detox at the same time. It would still certainly cost more money than your average grocery bill, but is definitely less expensive than a juice detox!
I occasionally do one day fasts. Just water and coffee because I don’t have a juicer.
Have you thought about going vegan for a week instead of doing a juice fast? It’s potentionally cheaper.
Also be sure to cactus brush your body and do light execrise to help your body detox.
Good luck!
Okay, so I havent actually done this yet, because I, like you, have put things off, but this is the detox that I have planned.
For about a month (I think you need that long, or longer, to have a real effect):
Cleanse body with Bentonie clay, psyillium husks, and activated charcoal (you can find various methods/schedules for this).
-This was my big thing, cause I wanted to actually be “cleansed”. Bentonite clay to pull out the toxins and radiation, activated charcoal for toxins, and psyllium husks for forcibly removing all the nasty crap that builds up in your intestines. Thats the easy part. Then the hard part becomes, what to eat?
Eat…carefully (this is the only way I think to describe it. I have a set of “food rules” to follow).
-No processed food. At all. Try and get as close to something like the Paleo Diet or the Raw Food Diet or whatever those things are called (without the whole “hey! eat raw meat!” thing). Mostly fruits, veggies, and “raw” ingredients. Meat is okay, but in much, much smaller portions and quantites throughout the month than we’re used to. (And since you’re eating so much less meat, you’re more able to afford real meat- grass fed, free range).
-Eat much, much less than you normally would. (The best helpful thing I have found for this? Buy tiny plates. And tiny silverware- eat slower and eat less, but eat more throughout the day. Lots of little meals to keep that digestive tract moving).
-Take whatever supplements float you boat, nothing can hurt.
-Water, water, and more water. Around a gallon a day, upwards if you can (but not TOO much).
Exercise (nothing pushes toxins out better). It doesnt have to be hard, muscle building exercise, just stay moving consistently.
Dry brush/use a strigil in the shower (a strigil is a bent spoon like obbject that romans used to scrape dead skin off after they had an oil bath. Cookie cutters with a curved edge (like hearts) work just as well. Rub yoursefl down in oil once a week after you dry brush, then use the strigil to scrape along and remove the oil. You’ll be disgusted by how much dead skin/dirt comes off).
This one kindof goes without saying, but don’t put anything soggy on yourself. You’re just slipping toxing back in through your skin.
Thats the best way I can think to cleans yoursefl totally and completely. You could probably slip in other things for total mind-body health (ayurvedic massage, yoga, etc). I love how cleanses are so modifiable. I would also maybe add an emotional element to this: start releasing things. Stop keeping emotions pent up inside you: that can be just as toxic. Something you need to say? Find a way to say it. Something you want to do? Find a way to do it. Stop holding your emotions back like they’re some 4 year old in a candy store who needs to wear a leash.
Thats just the cleanse I want to start soon. It’s a sort of amalgamation of various bits of information that I’ve read. I keep reading up on various cleanses, picking a choosing what I like, adding to this list. Eventually, it will be (for me) the ULTIMATE way to detox your body.
OMG, your line about the 4 yr old in the candy store just made me guffaw sitting her all by myself on the sofa!! Such great advice…
I did a cleanse very similar to this for two weeks. I found it in a book written by a naturopathic MD. You made a shake with rice protein powder, psyllium husks and add bentonite clay to whichever milk substitute you prefer. You start with one a day, then gradually go up to 3 a day. She also recommended taking garlic and/or olive leaf to help kill any ickies hiding in your system. And eat mostly raw, fresh, organic…..
The first few days I had some headaches, flulike symptoms, etc. Then I started feeling much better. I still do the shakes minus the clay almost daily. It’s much more gentle than a harsh detox.
I’m doing an 11 week high raw feast. It’s not exactly a detox. But, it is a sustainable eating clean plan. Not too scientific or expensive. Basically – vegan, no sugar, no coffee, no caffeine, no alcohol, no gluten. Eat as many fresh fruits and veggies as possible. Greens every day. The occasional cooked vegan meal (for me – some people are 100% raw). Easy on the nuts, avocado, seeds, coconut, but include some. I’m also doing no grains at all, while some people are doing raw buckwheat or sprouted grains.
You can do a smoothie detox – similar to the juice one, but you keep the fiber which means you’re more full and don’t have to use as much produce, making it cheaper.
I’ve done similar. Few years back I went 100% raw vegan. All foods put into the body were fresh (nothing from a box) and nothing cooked. No animal stuff at all. All shopping was done in organic produce dept. or local sourced from farmers.
There was definitely a detox period. First three days – aches & pains and headaches. Then I felt great. 20 lbs dropped off within a few weeks. Slept less, woke up bight eyed and bushy tailed.
I found this lifestyle change hard to stick with. A lot of the dishes I’d make would take days to prepare – sprouting, dehydrating, fermenting etc. It’d take longer and longer to “eat enough” – i.e. huge salad with every possible raw veggie /leafy green could take up to an hour to finish!
After a few months, my body got over the shock and awe of all the great nutrients and in trying to regain homeostasis called out “Hey John, where’s the bacon? How about some nice red meat? You know – the kind that the farmer down the road raises in his pasture… Or how about one of those deer that are always trotting through the yard – they look tasty”
So I modified. Now I’m mostly paleo – just good clean food – local if I can swing it. I cook food, and eat a lot more animal fat /meat but still eat a lot of green leafy stuff and limit starchy veggies. I feel more “balanced” and the whole family enjoys the stuff I make a lot more 🙂
Peace
john
I came here to see if I could find out how you get your drawings on the site.
I’ll tell you a few “painless” detox type cleanse things.
Kidneys/bladder etc. – Put a bucket of parsley in a pot of water, heat it, till you have a tea. Drink it
Get some organic Chlorella or Spirulina and take some every day.
Mix Aloe Vera into your Orange (or any) juice and drink it
Get Celtic Salt – use it.
I think the best detox might be “Don’t put toxic stuff in”. See ya, don’t forget drawings – Doug
I’ve never detoxed, but like you have thought about it. Its funny you mention “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead” I watched that 3 weeks ago, followed by “FoodMatters” and “Fork over Knife.” Needless to say, all left me upset with the way corporations have messed with what is supposed to be good. I also cannot afford to juice, its at least $30.00 a day. Where I live, there is extremely limited produce. So, I decided 2 weeks ago that the common theme between all documentaries was to become Vegan, and either eliminate or limit the amount of animal product. So, I refuse to swear anything off at this point because if I create rules I will only break them. My goals are to consume 80-100% veggie and fruit with occasional use of legumes and grains. I told my hubby I would possibly eat a small serving of meat or dairy once in a while, but no more than twice a week. I have been satisfied with not eating meat and dairy so far. I feel a little tired, but I think its because I’m getting used to the changes and my body is cleansing itself. I also have become caffeine free and pretty much only drink water or tea now as well. Its a process. Good luck with your venture. I am curious how a detox like you have mentioned may work. I can’t wait to read your updates.
I’ve actually done the Master Cleanse a year ago, and am now in the midst of doing the juice fast (also inspired by F,S,&ND !). I did/am doing cleanses in an effort to figure out how my psoriasis is related to my diet.
– I did the Master Cleanse for 11 days. It was quite tough, especially as a college student–with all the running around to classes and organization meetings and to and from the apartment. You def have to plan out when/how much lemonade to make according to your schedule…and my sched was tough to plan around. The first few days were of course the worst, but after that, drinking the lemonade was oddly satisfying. It was def enough to keep me up and running (when I had time to make enough of it). Plus, my psoriasis went away! But then I reverted to my awful college diet, and it came back.
– I am currently on the 4th day of my juice fast, and my boyfriend is doing it with me (what a guy!). We are shooting for 10 days, if I think I can do it, I’ll probably go longer. Yesterday and today have been pretty bad–all I can think about is the texture, feel, and taste of solid food!!! However, I haven’t had much physical symptoms other than weakness. I was already on a gluten free, dairy free, sugar free diet so I didn’t Other than that, I think you could afford to do the juice fast–I’m doing it on a measly research assistant’s hourly wage. I bought this juicer from amazon (http://amzn.to/2aRa8IQ). It was $100 and is a centrifugal juicer. Juice fast experts (whatever that means) say that the best juicer is actually a masticating juicer, but those are $200 and up–def not in a college student’s range!
As for buying veggies, yes it can be expensive, but I live in Los Angeles…everything is expensive. Maybe produce in your area is more affordable. My boyfriend and I try to shop at farmers markets and Asian grocery stores–they seem to be the cheapest. I also don’t really focus on buying organic…hopefully that isn’t too much of an issue!
Since I’m still beginning the juice diet, there hasn’t been too much change in my psoriasis. However, besides physical weakness, my mind is startlingly awake! I’m def more clear headed for much longer. I’ve been losing weight as well. I’m also scheduled for a colonic next week…we’ll see how that goes haha.
Hope this helps! Your website is amazing and thanks for all you do!
I just did a 7-day fall detox which is on the Yoga Journal website (http://falldetox.yogajournal.com) or you can find it at https://www.doctorblossom.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=109
It’s a more gentle detox and helps clean your digestive system while still actually eating solid food!
Its an Auyervedic method and even has yoga routines for every day of detox. I felt great and it even helped my heartburn issues.
I was inspired by the same documentary and have been planning a cleansing of some sort during my trip to LA. This Auyervedic method sounds like a much more doable plan…I’m a little frightened of the juice-only method given my…fragile(?)… temperament lol. However, I have confirmed there is a juicer where I’ll be staying 😀
Let’s dooo eet!
I tried looking up this cleanse that I read about on Serious Eats, but once I found their website I was asked to create an account to get pricing info. This makes me think it’s one of those “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it” situations. Either way, it’s called the Blueprint Cleanse.
If you find a good and safe (and low cost) program, I’ll give a shot with you. I’ll always wanted to try something like this, mostly cause I want to see if I could go without sugar and/or be a vegetarian.