I am finally ready to do another cleanse and I feel my body is more than ready... so I begin tomorrow 8/9/05. I will journal my journey to a 'pink tongue' here daily as long as it takes. I am shooting for 60 days and then will be eating 100% raw.
My body has been telling me since the end of my first Master Cleanse that it prefers raw food. I have been struggling with this ever since. I have a history of over 30 years of compulsive overeating cooked food. I have increased my intake of raw foods, but had many bouts of cooked food binging again. This became very distressing to me and I looked for more info and support online. Now, I have read Alissa Cohen's book Living on Live Food and have her DVDs - boy do they make raw look inviting. I have also read Victoria Boutenko's books 12 Steps to Raw Foods and The Raw Family. The Master Cleanse had the effect of waking the raw bug in me.. and now I will use it to segue into raw living. And this is the main goal of this cleanse.. to clear the body enough so I can successfully go 100% raw.
Monday night- Day Minus 1: I am feeling crystal clear about this, have stocked up on lemons and have Victoria Boutenko's book 'Raw Family' to enjoy while I cleanse (actually finished it tonight -it is an easy and inspiring read). I had pizza and ice cream for dinner. They were both good, but not as wonderful as I expected and I won't crave them again anytime soon.
Later: I have made and am drinking some 40 ounces of raw fresh juice from carrots, celery, spinach, baby bok choy and a half a lemon... it is delicious and will be my last food before the cleanse. I will make a cup of the laxative tea in a while and let it get cool. I use Smooth Move.
Later: I also did a good 20 minutes of sweating and really shaking my bon-bon to Ricky Martin - a new CD just gotten today along with an older one. I love Ricky's dance numbers.. they really get me to move. I need to seriously build my stamina back up!! And I am eager for my-newly-won-on-Ebay electric citrus juicer to arrive, to take any burden off my right wrist from squeezing lemons!
Tuesday - Day 1: That tea certainly makes for interesting dreams and light sleep. I had no problem with the SWF, and followed it with another 30 ounces of plain water, as I used to do.
I have such a good feeling about this cleanse. I just came back from once around the park. This is a new routine I began today - I climb the hills to the park and then go along the outside of the park. up and down and up and down and up and down as many times as I can handle and then back down the hills to home. I built up a sweat and got winded and had to rest about half way, and then came home feeling so strong and full of life. The fog was rolling in, it always smells so clean and fresh. I will see how many time round the park I can build up to doing.
Later: Okay, I am in touch with why the first few days are so hard!! I want to EAT!!! Aargh!! Almost anything would do.. but not really.. and that is the frustrating thing about this... I don't want a specific thing, just the comfort and ritual of eating. I will go have another big glass of water... sigh I keep telling myself how much betterI will feel in just a couple more days... just a couple more days, keed!!!
32 oz SWF, 60 oz water, 10 lemonades, 14 oz peppermint tea
Wednesday - Day 2: I had lots of detoxing dreams along with some deep sleep. I am slightly irritable today - that ranh-ranh-ranh monkey mind is chattering away about everything. I can feel my resolve under the annoyance, though. I feel lighter in my body, there is less bloat in my face, hands and feet.
My moods keep changing. One moment I am grouchy and impatient, the next I am weeping, the next I am feeling impish and up to mischief. Some achiness on the back left side of my head, otherwise, just a bit foggy and tending to gaze off into nothingness.
Later: Moody in the extreme, some aches in the lower left part of the pelvis.
Later: Pain passed along with some sludge... and I felt some energy, so I began to work.. and worked late.. I just had my tea and will hit the sheets feeling pretty good, overall. I still WANT to eat, but it is calming a bit.
32 oz SWF, 40 oz water, 10 lemonades, 14 oz mint tea, 10 oz lax tea
Thursday - Day 3: I slept around the clock and woke with a headache. It is milder than four hours ago when I first woke up. I am guessing this is the caffeine withdrawal I thought I had eluded. I am hoping the SFW helps even more with it. I will be guzzling water today, as I did not drink enough yesterday. I was not only not hungry, but not thirsty, either.
I managed a half hour walk in the fog, that helped while it was happening, but home and having lemonades made my head feel more like a migraine. I may go back to bed. Blech... day three no fun. Did not improve... headache and burping for over 12 hours. Could not work.
32 oz SWF, 60 oz water, 8 lemonades, 14 oz mint tea
Friday - Day 4: The headache and the burping is still happening. I am not hungry or thirsty. I will try some mint tea and see how it goes. I also soaked my feet in an epsom salt bath.
Later: The headache is finally lifting. Burping continues apace. My tongue is totally creamy white.
As usual after detox passes, I felt better than I did before. And the lemonades taste fantastic. I got right to work and enjoyed it. Then I boogied and it was big fun!!!
14 oz mint tea, 10 lemonades, 14 oz lax tea
Saturday - Day 5: Okay, so all maple syrup makes for a morning headache.. 1 tsp of MS knocked the headache out. I will add back in a T of molasses to the lemonade and see how that works. Maple syrup alone in the lemonade tastes so great!!
Energy is up and down - mostly up, with short periods of extreme fatigue.
32 oz SWF, 30 oz water, 10 lemonades, 14 oz mint tea, 14oz lax tea
Sunday - Day 6: I feel great! I feel light, clear, energetic, calm and happy. I like this. No hangover from the MS use yesterday.. I think having a T of molasses with the last tea made the difference, or my bodyis adjusting to the cleanse. I confess I don't like the thought of not eating soon, but I feel great! So... I will just keep going as I intended to. I tried a new tac with the SWF - I literally chugged it.. it took only about 15 seconds to get it down and it worked perfectly within an hour and a half - all done! Lovely! I used to dither a bit, and it took a good 10 minutes to get it down. This is much better.
Boy, a great day... I really had steady energy and felt great.
32 oz SWF, 20 oz water, 10 lemonades, 14 oz lax tea
Monday Day 7: I feel great today. I have lots of energy and was able to go walking for a couple hours on less sleep. I skipped the SWF because of the outing. Later I got really tired and slept for five hours.
10 lemonades, 14 oz lax tea
Tuesday - Day 8: Still feeling terrific, lots and lots of dreams.
My electric juicer came today - much easier on the wrists. Easy to clean, too. Yay!! I went to the Whole Foods near me and got a bunch more lemons and maple syrup.. and sniffed at some of my favorite produce.. nothing smelled as wonderful as the lemonade does.. even vine ripened tomatoes and papaya did not do a thing for me.. I think this means my body is love, love loving this and wants nothing more right now. Not even cookies smelled good. This is a nice bonus, sure to help me keep going.
Achey pain in my left shoulder.. like I used to have before I did all those liver flushes. I think my liver is healing. I did a 20 min epsom salt foot soak and rested.
32 oz SWF, 14 oz water, 12 lemonades
Wednesday - Day 9: I slept really deeply, the destruction of a house nearby did not disturb me. I feel good - pain in the shoulder gone, the SWF is much better chugged and surely does it's work. I was energetic and clear all day.
32 oz SWF, 14 lemonades
Thursday - Day 10: Deep sleep again, lots of detox dreams, but interesting. I woke clear and happy again. SWF went fine, on to lemonades.
My energy is flagging today, I want to watch TV and sleep. Meanwhile, the cleanse is showing on the outside as well... I am a grease monkey when it comes to my facial skin.. I have to wash multiple times a day, my pores are larger and full of ick - most notably down the center of my face. I am NOT complaining, actually, this could be much worse - just noticing it.
Boogied for a half an hour.
32 oz SWF, 60 oz water, 10 lemonades
Friday - Day 11: Popped out of bed after 7 hours then popped back in for anohter 4 hours. I guess I needed it. SWF did not seem to work much this time. Shrug I will try drinking more water today, maybe I am dehydrated.
More sleeping.. then lots of energy, got more lemons, more maple syrup, was chatty and friendly with people. Then I got deeply fatigued. I rested with a blanket on my lounge chair.
32 SWF, 30 oz water, 8 lemonades, 14 oz lax tea
Saturday - Day 12: I get short bursts of energy, I get ready to do something, then poop out. Feels odd. So, rest is still in order and more water, since I am home. I took a new pic. I am one fifth of the way to my goal. I keep repeating that to myself And I keep reassuring myself that the food will not only be there, but it is not what I want, actually. I want to feel great and have steady energy and feel like I can do stuff!
Man, I watched the cooking shows, a marathon of Lydia's Family Kitchen, normally a fun show and it was torture and relaly difficult to turn off. I want Italian food so badly!! Ilaugh at my self, but I still feel it. So, I decided to get movies and get under the covers and assuage my cravings with hunky guys and other eye candy! It took me too long to get this going and get this far.. I am not stopping because of some crappy detox - cause that is what it is. All the Italian food I have eaten in my life is coming out of my pores. BTW - people really smell!! LOL I have noticed in my travels today that people reek! I know what they had for dinner - can spot someone who had alcohol the night before or just ten minutes ago! And the funny thing is the pong does not bother me that much - well, the alcohol and cigarette smoke are chokingly awful, but other than that - it is just people.
32 oz SWF, 24 oz water, 12 lemonades, 14 oz lax tea
Sunday - Day 13: Woke nice and clear, happy and cheerful. Lots of energy for talking.
A little moody and blue later but it passed. And I went to the movies - not full of vigor, but okay overall.
32 oz SWF, 46 oz water, 8 lemonades, 14 oz lax tea
Monday Day 14: I am kinda groggy today and have a bit of a headache, but I look great. I have taken to having doubles and triples of the lemonade or limeade... easier to make and then I can take my time getting them down.
32 oz SWF, 24 oz water, 12 lemonades, 14 peppermint tea, 14 lax tea
Tuesday - Day 15: I feel fabulouso!! I danced for 45 minutes last night and it totally took care of the headache! I sweated up a storm and feel grand today. I am all excited at the thought that I am 1/4 done! I am so proud of myself! LOL It has been mostly smooth sailing thus far. And I am very glad and am enjoying the freedom from the whole food thing. The lightness in my body and how happy I keep noticing I am. My libido is alive and well, too.. I am adoring looking at men everywhere I find them. Hubba hubba.
I did an hour of dancing today.
32 oz SWF, 9 lemonades, 14 oz lax tea
Wednesday - Day 16: I feel great again today. I could get used to this! My sense of smell is getting keener.. I cannot tolerate the funk of the water sitting in the vase of cut flowers - I have to change it after just a couple days. I am very aware of the scent of the disturbed earth and broken cement from across the street's demolition. I am keenly aware of the smell of my own breath - so I am brushing my tongue and teeth often. I need to have open windows more often and for longer periods, the closed in rooms have a distinctive smell, and I prefer the fresh air so much more! I can smell the toast of breakfast. I am not craving today.. the commercials have no effect - Pizza?? Who CARES!!! Not me. LOL That I like a lot.
Later: HEARTBURN! So, I have had some plain mint tea. A headache is coming on, so I am going to go workout and hope this detox passes.
45 minutes of sweaty dancing kicked the headache to the curb!! I feel great!!
32 oz SWF, 46 oz water, 7 lemonades, 14 oz mint tea
Thursday - Day 17: I went for a long walk, and it was a challenge. I felt lots of fatigue later, soreness from the dancing. I watched a movie, talked on the phone and went to bed.
32 oz SWF, 56 oz water, 4 lemonades, 14 oz lax tea
Friday - Day 18: I feel much better today, did not sleep long, so am up relatively early. Not at all hungry. I had to go back to bed, though - I am needing more sleep.
Still not hungry, forcing the lemonade... I want to eat, feel vulnerable to commercials about pizza and Subway sandwiches. The thought of not eating for 42 more days is horrible.. but I started with thinking I had 60 days to go. I can do this. The foods will all be there for me if I still want to eat them then. I can also feel the good this is doing for my body - I bounce back a bit faster, joints and muscles feel loose and good. I have just the hint of a headache. I will try dancing in a bit if it does not lift.
Once again, cardio worked!! No more headache.
32 oz SWF, 22 oz water, 8 lemonades, 14 oz mint tea
Saturday - Day 19: Mosquito bites woke me up early.. blech. And again I went back to bed. Weird rhythms, these last few days. I took a long walk and got some more maple syrup. I know this reluctance to drink the lemonade and the thoughts of eating are just old habits and detox at work. I have developed a couple small bumps under the skin in odd places... also detox, I am sure. Tomorrow I will be one third done. Seems like forever till 60 days so I focus on how much I have done already... and the promise of a different experience after day 21. Danced for 30 minutes.
32 oz SWF, 12 oz water, 10 lemonades, 14 oz mint tea, 7 oz lax tea
Sunday - Day 20: Short day, felt great, got more lemons and hit the sheets early.
7 oz lax tea, 12 oz water, 4 lemonades, 14 oz mint tea
Monday Day 21: I feel good today, too. grin My tongue is still coated - and a mild yellow color is down the center - no brown in sight like the last two long cleanses. Maybe is was not dehydration, but merely me cleansing!
Noticed a headache beginning and danced again today - and felt great.
32 oz SWF, 60 oz water, 14 lemonades, 8 oz mint tea
Tuesday - Day 22: I had more detox dreams.. not quite nightmares, but nto pleasant. I was very tired most of today, I did go on an outing, and came home overwhelmed with a headache... I will dance and see if it goes away. I tried agave nectar for the first lemonade of the day - I am not sure now if my reaction - foggyness - was a result of the agave or my detoxing.. shrug I will let this whatever it is pass and try the agave again to see. It has no flavor, so the lime REALLY came through.
45 minutes of dancing worked again!!!! No headache.
32 oz SWF, 11 lemonades, 14 oz mint tea, 14 oz lax tea
Wednesday - Day 23: I did not get enough sleep, other than that I feel great... again! I did manages some errands and a climb up my favorite big hill with lemons and maple syrup.
Later - after a nice nap, I felt much better, I had lots of energy and worked all night. I just noticed when I stopped that I have an odd stitch in my back/spine - only when I take a deep breath. Hmmm. Of course that will not stop me from dancing.
32 oz SWF, 24 oz water, 10 lemonades, 14 oz lax tea
Thursday - Day 24: Wow, wow, wow!! I had the best dream of my whole life. And the longest. Wahoo! Complicated stories developed and I loved it all. My dancing last night was adequate to get a sweat going, but not inspired. I got all dreamy afterwards, took a long hot shower and slept. And I feel so happy, safe and well today. I look calm, too. I count that to go the whole way I will be cleansing through September and one week into October. We shall see how it goes.
Needed to go back to bed and rest. I am craving eating. Big time. I want to eat and the commercials are driving the images deep into my head - so I changed channels and finally gave up and will watch a movie, or two (High Fidelity by Stephen Frears and Pushing Tin). I am sucking down lemonades... not feeling a bit satisfied. Ah, well, the day is almost done, I will make tea, dance and shower and see how it goes tomorrow.
32 oz SWF, 10 water, 14 lemonades, 14 oz lax tea
Friday - Day 25: Today has been interesting. I slept well, some 8 hours. I awoke happy, relaxed and was up awhile, then hit the sheets a few hours later and slept for 5 more hours. I feel good, not great. I want to eat, but not nearly as badly as I did yesterday. I was reading the raw food forum and almost salivating at the mention of ripe fruit. The thing that got me all excited was a post about a woman cleaning out her liver gall bladder over 7 days. She got out over four cups of stones. Can I just tip my hat and way Wow!! I am contemplating doing her protocal after the MC and I get back into regular eating raw. She drank a gallon of apple juice on day one, that night took two doses a half hour apart of 1/4 cup EVOO and 1/4 c grapefruit juice (or lemon) and after the second one, lay down to sleep. Eat normally the next day, doing the double dose of EVOO and juice again that night and repeat day two for days three through seven. She did mention she felt the stones passing and it occurred to me that magnesium chloride supplements might help with that discomfort. This thought inspired me to take two magnesium capsules tonight. (NOT MC PROTOCOL!!!) I have felt sooooo fatigued these past few days, and I am feeling pressure in the gall bladder area, so I felt my body asking to be relieved of some stones. I will see if any pass. I confess, I love this cleansing stuff. It gets me all excited - especially when it works and I feel as much better as I have with my 11 liver flushes and the MCs. I danced for 40 minutes.
32 oz SWF, 10 lemonades, 2 magnesium caps (NOT MC PROTOCOL), 14 oz lax tea
Saturday - Day 26: I am hanging on by my fingernails this morning.. Aargh. I don't even want to eat - much. I am restless, cranky and not much fun. So I am going for a hike over the hills.. That has got to ease this on out. I know this is detox, and I am trying to soothe myself with that knowledge and the reminder to never stop on a down. And I think this is a down. Blech!!
A hike helped a lot with the mood. I still needed to distract myself with movies, sleep and lots of lemonades... I made it through.
32 oz SWF, 15 oz water, 12 lemonades, 7 oz lax tea
Sunday - Day 27: After an epsom salt shower.. I slept okay. Woke clear headed and ready to continue. I need more maple syrup and Smooth Move - man do I dislike the chocolate kind.
It is official - the detox has passed, I am in happy land again. It is so good to be back. I walked to the store and stocked up on maples syrup and got more tea and limes... and I walked home - so happy! Yay!!! Three days of detox and I am back feeling fantastic. grin Who knows I might just go the whole 60 days after all.
7 oz lax tea, 9 limeades, 14 ox mint tea, 14 oz lax tea
Monday - Day 28: A quieter day, but still very pleasant. My skin is breaking out again, I am still passing semi-solids in the morning, and have had short bouts of intense fatique. I will dance, shower and drink the lax tea and hit the sheets. I know I will complete 30 days. That is half way - I will see how I feel then. The little odd bumps are all but gone, too.
32 oz SWF, 8 lemonades, 28 oz mint tea, 14 oz lax tea
Tuesday - Day 29: Slept a long time, with nice dreams. No more solids passing this morning, and I feel really calm. Something good has happened. I am excited that tomorrow is day 30. If I stop anytime after that, I gotta confess I am already so pleased and proud of this cleanse and of me.
I needed more sleep, went back to bed. I am going to go for 40 days - and then see. I know this is a powerful cleanse, I can trust it.
I really do need more sleep, I am hitting the sheets early - no dancing. I watched Victoria Boutenko's raw food prep DVD and got all excited about when I do go on raw. I loved Alissa's DVDs, just as much. And she covers many recipes, and people taste them!
32 oz SWF, 8 lemonades, 14 oz mint tea, 14 oz lax tea
Wednesday - Day 30: I woke feeling fine, got some errands done and came home. I am cranky, and fatigued. I will try a nap. So, I could not end today, even if I wanted to - end on a high!
Slept four hours, felt better after I passed some more icky gook. I might just not look in the bowl anymore - it is that icky. I am still fatigued. I will be dancing before bed.
32 oz SWF, 30 oz water, 8 lemonades , 14 oz lax tea
Thursday - Day 31: I boogied but good! It was great after a break to get all sweaty and loose by dancing for 45 minutes or more. I slept well, dreamed I saw my mom - she was smiling and chuckling. I liked that a lot. My period began today, without much warning and not on time. shrug Nature has it's own calendar.
Major bowel movement today - actual poop amounts... big surprise. shrug Otherwise, I am fatigued and cranky.
Danced before bed and that felt fantastic.
32 oz SWF, 6 lemonades, 14 oz mint tea, 14 oz lax tea
Friday - Day 32: Woke feeling fabulous, great dreams. Passed a bunch of ick - mucus and the like with the SWF. Danced again before bed.
32 oz SWF, 10 oz water, 7 limonades, 14 oz lax tea
Saturday - Day 33: Woke happy - again... I feel so grateful to feel this well, even as I notice bumps come and go, and I pass ickie into the bowl. My skin broke out yesterday on my face again, my body is dumping lots of stuff as fast as it can.
32 oz SWF,6 limonades, 8 oz water, 14 oz lax tea
Sunday - Day 34: Happy morning, again. I feel calm and my face is already clearing - it was detox for sure. Maybe the calmness is the spiritual stuff others have mentioned. I am going on a hike in the city.
Hike was GREAT!! And then I passed some more mucus globs. Very interesting cleanse this is. I may indeed go the full 60 days - I will see. I feel really wonderful today. I even did a couple sets for the upper body with weights. (delts, tris, bis, chest, back)
32 oz SWF, 24 oz water, 8 limonades, 14 oz lax tea
Monday - Day 35: Detox day - lots of tears and early to bed - but not before dancing. That helped the mood a lot.
32 oz SWF, 50 oz water, 4 limonades
Tuesday - Day 36: Feeling really great today, woke happy, went on a longish outing. Danced again before bed.
6 limonades, 24 oz water, 14 oz lax tea
Wednesday - Day 37: I am a bit sore and achey today. I expect it is detox, as I took it easy dancing last night. I am going to switch back to lemons with the next drink - limes are tasting brackish to me. shrug Moody tastebuds. I have been on limes for days now. I took a new pic today. Energy lasted all day - I will dance again before bed.
32 oz SWF, 2 limonades, 6 lemonades, 14 oz mint tea
Thursday - Day 38: Detox day - nausea, woozy head, only want to sleep. All food smells FANTASTIC. Even raw fish smells GREAT! headshake So, I am going to try dancing - getting the heartrate up - cause I do want to feel good for the season opener of Survivor. I may also just make lots of mint tea.. the lemonade is not agreeing with me.
Well, nothing is working, I danced, I watched the show.. I still feel foggy and headachey.. blech! I am going to take a hot, hot shower and hit the sheets. I sure hope it passes with the morning's SWF. No hot shower - I did a hot towel scrub and hit the sheets.
32 oz SWF, 4 lemonades, 28 oz mint tea, 30 oz water
Friday - Day 39: Well, today is different. My tongue is almost all pink -0 almost no coating at all. A big change from the last week of major gunk every morning. And Hot toxic exits after the SWF today - no fun at all... without any change in amount of cayenne, these hot toxic exits are toxins leaving the body - for which I am grateful. I struggled with the SWF today and yesterday - stomach fighting it. That never happened before. And with the lax tea gone, the lemonades making me sick yesterday - I am thinking it might be time to end this cleanse soon. I will see how I feel today, see how the lemonades sit - if all is well, then Saturday will be the last day. If not, well we shall see how long this detox lasts.. shrug - Don't end on a down - cause that is the body dumping stuff... wait until it passes to stop the cleanse. Either way I will go buy some Rejuvelac.
32 oz SWF, 32 oz water, 8 lemonades
Saturday - Day 40: I feel fabulous again!!! Yes!! Excellent, a great day to end this! I slept well, have a totally pink tongue, and lighter by thirty pounds and feel clear and happy.
20 oz water, 4 lemonades - then liver flush at 9:30 p.m. - 1 T Epsom salts in a little warm water, followed by 3 cups fresh fuji apple juice - 1/2 c fresh grapefruit juice shaken with 1/2 c EVOO at 11:30p.m.
Sunday - Day 1 after the cleanse I feel groggy and foggy, but okay. I woke up slowly, finally passed some stones and felt that usual elation of the effective liver flush. I went for a walk, and then watched TV, and had some more food - some was so delicious, some was just okay. I have a couple cravings to satisfy and then I will go 100% raw because eating just for flavor and texture has lost it's appeal - I want health. I liked how clear I felt on the cleanse and from what I remember of when I eat raw. So... it is up to me. Victoria Boutenko says the desire for cooked food goes away at 18 months, so this might be a bit of a haul for me... however, I honestly see no better option. Meanwhile, I love my after picture - I see major progress, which I did not see for myself on MC one.
32 oz SWF, 44 oz rejuvelac, 1 cup soaked prunes and juice, 2 pounds grapes, chicken noodle soup and crusty bread
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