Oh bliss! Today is Friday and that means it's the 5th Day of the Lemonade Cleanse.
Drinking the tea last night was a pleasant experience, simply because we had a friend over for dinner. His late wife was a very dear friend of mine and although I wasn't eating, it was a pleasure to cook for the two men. Mom's dinner was an organic butternut and sweet potato soup with small selection of dinner rolls, which she was more than happy with as she really doesn't enjoy pasta, and, being 85 I don't make a big issue if there are things she honestly isn't happy with.
I tossed fresh pasta with basil pesto, added the tiniest and cutest little Roma tomatoes I have ever seen, roughly sliced 3 buttery avos, lightly steamed and chilled prawns and served this with a gratings of fresh Parmesan and black pepper. They had a warm roll selection and ate with gusto, their conversation so animated and intense that they did not even notice when I removed the large serving bowl from between them (after they had helped themselves to thirds!) and quietly replaced it with a cheese platter accompanand by little garlic and rosemary crostini and a confit of figs in light syrup.
Illy plunger coffee and little puddings with cherry preserve on top and hidden inside, dusted with a light shower of chocolate, brought the evening to a warm and convivial close as we bowed heads and thanked the Lord for all the new things He has planned for our friend. I sipped peppermint tea and then the herbal laxative tea and really and truly, apart from feeling a little tempted, felt quite comfortable chatting and sipping my herbal brew. It's easy to forget for instance when your fingers are sticky with chocolate, or you are slicing avos, that you can't taste and lick. Not even to see if there is enough salt in the pasta dish.
This morning the salt water went down the way it always does - with claws, dragging and kicking till the last drop. Well, not really, I never get to the last drop, I sort of leave about 1/2 cupful of salt water in the bottle, because it stubbornly refuses to get past the back of my tongue. Ack!
I feel good, not great, just good. I have energy and plan to shampoo carpets this afternoon instead of having a nap (that's a good sign isn't it?). Halfway to 10 Days and with the weekend in sight, that's enough reason to be upbeat. Sadly I won't be able to share my Hubby's Birthday Dinner with him tonight, but I sure will cook that Peri-Peri Calamari with Chourico Lemon and Parsley from the recipe he proudly sent a couple of days ago. I can do this, I can sip my herb brew and flash-fry marinated baby calimari tubes into hot Verlaque Bird's Eye Chili oil and butter and watch as the butter foams and curls it brown at the edges. I can do this because I have watched the Tooth Fairy!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The Master Cleanse - Day 3
Day 3 elimination stage over, i.e. the Salt Water Flush. I managed the dreaded stuff only leaving a tiny bit at the bottom of the litre bottle, but it sure feels wonderful to wake up to no nausea and no headache. I even had a fitful night's sleep last night. The MSM powder just under the tongue trick is too wonderful and I resorted to doing that at least 3 times yesterday (Day 2) for the pain. Just the tip of a tsp, mind, because it is not only a pain-reliever but it is also a powerful detoxifier in its own right. Did I mention that if you place it directly under the tongue, it is absorbed straight into the bloodstream bypassing the gut, and hits the spot far more quickly than just swallowing it with some water.
I can even face the Lemonade drink today and have polished off 3 glasses already and its only mid-morning. On Day 2 I could hardly get the stuff down and had to dispose of at least 2 glasses down the sink.
This morning, I commented that it was a beautiful, sunny day and Hubby cautioned: "No walking!" He must have read my mind because that was exactly what I was planning, but he is right. Tomorrow I will probably be feeling more up to it and will tackle a bit of my old route and see how I go.
Last night's supper options were "freezer specials" for the family and Hubby chose Chili Con Carne with buttered rye bread and for Mom it was Veggie Soup with buttered rye bread. Both were more than happy and I disappeared for a long hot soak in the bath with a cup of organic peppermint tea. I must say that my food thoughts are leaning more and more toward the raw spring rolls with dipping sauce I made some nights ago (you'll find the recipes on a previous blog if you page back). Hubby emailed me a recipe for Peri-Peri Calamari With Chouriço, Parsley and Preserved Lemon with a small hopeful note: Mmmmh...sounds like supper? I replied, not likely, sounds like hard work and specially since I have to sniff up all those smells - maybe tomorrow.
I know its early days still, but the whites of my eyes seem whiter and brighter and the white coating (something to expect) on my tongue is only in the middle, surrounded by pink again. From what I have read, an indication that your body is returning to a normal (non-toxic state) is that the colour of the tongue should be a nice healthy pink colour, all over.
Smiling again, I lift my glass of Lemonade and drink it down. I must say, I do quite like it!
Roll on this evening because tomorrow will be Day 4 and then I am "over the hump" so to speak. I believe that it just gets better from here on, physically I mean. Boredom and food cravings are the next hurdles to overcome. Oh well, I can always chew on the pages of the Rawlicious Cookbook if I promise not to swallow any paper.
By pre-tearing it into tiny even shreds, or making torn paper patterns, that should alleviate some of the boredom at the same time.
I can even face the Lemonade drink today and have polished off 3 glasses already and its only mid-morning. On Day 2 I could hardly get the stuff down and had to dispose of at least 2 glasses down the sink.
This morning, I commented that it was a beautiful, sunny day and Hubby cautioned: "No walking!" He must have read my mind because that was exactly what I was planning, but he is right. Tomorrow I will probably be feeling more up to it and will tackle a bit of my old route and see how I go.
Last night's supper options were "freezer specials" for the family and Hubby chose Chili Con Carne with buttered rye bread and for Mom it was Veggie Soup with buttered rye bread. Both were more than happy and I disappeared for a long hot soak in the bath with a cup of organic peppermint tea. I must say that my food thoughts are leaning more and more toward the raw spring rolls with dipping sauce I made some nights ago (you'll find the recipes on a previous blog if you page back). Hubby emailed me a recipe for Peri-Peri Calamari With Chouriço, Parsley and Preserved Lemon with a small hopeful note: Mmmmh...sounds like supper? I replied, not likely, sounds like hard work and specially since I have to sniff up all those smells - maybe tomorrow.
I know its early days still, but the whites of my eyes seem whiter and brighter and the white coating (something to expect) on my tongue is only in the middle, surrounded by pink again. From what I have read, an indication that your body is returning to a normal (non-toxic state) is that the colour of the tongue should be a nice healthy pink colour, all over.
Smiling again, I lift my glass of Lemonade and drink it down. I must say, I do quite like it!
Roll on this evening because tomorrow will be Day 4 and then I am "over the hump" so to speak. I believe that it just gets better from here on, physically I mean. Boredom and food cravings are the next hurdles to overcome. Oh well, I can always chew on the pages of the Rawlicious Cookbook if I promise not to swallow any paper.
By pre-tearing it into tiny even shreds, or making torn paper patterns, that should alleviate some of the boredom at the same time.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Master Cleanse Day 2
Second day today and it is really scary how I feel. If it wasn't for the fact that I KNOW that keeping up to the end will yield the results I want, I would have stopped it last night! My head is pumping and joints are aching, and I feel sluggish and very tired. Slept lightly throughout the night and battled with nausea, so drinking the Salt Water Flush this morning was a real struggle. In fact, I didn't finish the whole litre, probably left a small glassful in the bottle, but I understand that it does get easier, so probably by tomorrow (the 3rd day) it will fine.
Here are some excerpts from Peter Glickman's book "Taking Charge of your Health with the Master Cleanse":
"Detox symptoms are what you feel when toxins are mobilized, but
not yet eliminated. They are a double-edged sword. Detox symptoms
are a milestone in the detoxifying process. They indicate you are
mobilizing and eliminating toxins. Unfortunately, they do not make
you feel good."
"It is important for someone on the Master Cleanse to know what
detox symptoms are and that they typically go away after the next
morning’s eliminations. It is next to impossible to go through ten
consecutive days of cravings or tiredness with no relief in sight, but
when you know those feelings will be gone with tomorrow’s
eliminations, anyone can make it through the Master Cleanse."
On the headaches, he writes:
"Headaches and other aches. Very few people on the Master
Cleanse get headaches or other aches: in my experience perhaps
5% or less. Those who get headaches have heavy caffeine habits (that's me thank you! Cappuccino addict!)
before going cold turkey on the Master Cleanse. These headaches
lasted three to five days. Other people may have aches and pains
from previous illnesses for a few days before these aches and
pains disappear a few days later. A friend had very severe
hemorrhoids previous to the Master Cleanse. They appeared a
few days after he started and went away a few days later. It was
his impression that they would not be back.
Funnily enough, my one rib began to ache last night from an old injury when I fell off my bike a while ago. It hasn't bugged me since it healed, but apparently there must still be some unfinished toxic business around the soft tissue. Well, hopefully this will dissipate as Peter G says it should in a couple of days!
One important point to note here - my headache was so bad all night that this morning I placed a small amount (tip of a teaspoon) of MSM powder under my tongue and in virtually no time at all, the stinging behind my right eye had gone. MSM is an organic sulfur which is produced in the body naturally and is responsible for just about every cell in the body. It is also a known natural pain reliever.
Other than that, apart from extreme tiredness (I must be very toxic - all the more reason to continue to the end), I am moving on slowly. Family dinner last night was shamefully a bought vegetable curry and rice from the local Supermarket for Mom, but Hubby decided to have a salad with springbok carpaccio (which we had in the snack drawer of the 'fridge - so that was handy), sprinkled with Bragg's liquid aminos, a little organic olive oil and finished with a grinding of pepper. I had bought a fresh loaf of rye and onion bread from the local baker and this was appreciated by both of them.
I will have to think about tonight's repast, but thankfully Hubby is fully supportive of this Cleanse, so will understand and step in if I ask nicely. Mom on the other hand can't for the life of her see why someone would deliberately make themselves feel ill. "Just stop it for goodness sake and eat a nice sandwich or something!"
Here are some excerpts from Peter Glickman's book "Taking Charge of your Health with the Master Cleanse":
"Detox symptoms are what you feel when toxins are mobilized, but
not yet eliminated. They are a double-edged sword. Detox symptoms
are a milestone in the detoxifying process. They indicate you are
mobilizing and eliminating toxins. Unfortunately, they do not make
you feel good."
"It is important for someone on the Master Cleanse to know what
detox symptoms are and that they typically go away after the next
morning’s eliminations. It is next to impossible to go through ten
consecutive days of cravings or tiredness with no relief in sight, but
when you know those feelings will be gone with tomorrow’s
eliminations, anyone can make it through the Master Cleanse."
On the headaches, he writes:
"Headaches and other aches. Very few people on the Master
Cleanse get headaches or other aches: in my experience perhaps
5% or less. Those who get headaches have heavy caffeine habits (that's me thank you! Cappuccino addict!)
before going cold turkey on the Master Cleanse. These headaches
lasted three to five days. Other people may have aches and pains
from previous illnesses for a few days before these aches and
pains disappear a few days later. A friend had very severe
hemorrhoids previous to the Master Cleanse. They appeared a
few days after he started and went away a few days later. It was
his impression that they would not be back.
Funnily enough, my one rib began to ache last night from an old injury when I fell off my bike a while ago. It hasn't bugged me since it healed, but apparently there must still be some unfinished toxic business around the soft tissue. Well, hopefully this will dissipate as Peter G says it should in a couple of days!
One important point to note here - my headache was so bad all night that this morning I placed a small amount (tip of a teaspoon) of MSM powder under my tongue and in virtually no time at all, the stinging behind my right eye had gone. MSM is an organic sulfur which is produced in the body naturally and is responsible for just about every cell in the body. It is also a known natural pain reliever.
Other than that, apart from extreme tiredness (I must be very toxic - all the more reason to continue to the end), I am moving on slowly. Family dinner last night was shamefully a bought vegetable curry and rice from the local Supermarket for Mom, but Hubby decided to have a salad with springbok carpaccio (which we had in the snack drawer of the 'fridge - so that was handy), sprinkled with Bragg's liquid aminos, a little organic olive oil and finished with a grinding of pepper. I had bought a fresh loaf of rye and onion bread from the local baker and this was appreciated by both of them.
I will have to think about tonight's repast, but thankfully Hubby is fully supportive of this Cleanse, so will understand and step in if I ask nicely. Mom on the other hand can't for the life of her see why someone would deliberately make themselves feel ill. "Just stop it for goodness sake and eat a nice sandwich or something!"
Monday, September 27, 2010
Master Cleanse Day 1
Monday mornings are always a little on the blue side, but this particular one had navy streaks written all across it!
6:00 am and the wind is howling, lifting white licks of foam across the ocean. My backyard lawn is sporting the neighbours' trampolene, upside down, just having narrowly missed my lovely little veggie garden. The monstrosity must have flown right over their wall, clearing our line of palm trees to land where it did!
After weighing myself (being the start of this Cleanse) and measuring tummy, hips and chest, I eyed my litre of salt water blearily and downed it. No, not all in one go, I sort of closed the back of my throat (?) and poured it down; checked the level in the bottle, heart-sinkingly noticing that it wasn't even past the halfway mark. I just couldn't do it - it was not the best, first thing in the morning but I swallowed on. The stuff threatened to come back up again and I suddenly felt sick, but I finished it, every last drop.
Well, they say don't move too far from the loo in the first 1/2 hour and they are right. A short while later, I managed to freshly squeeze my lemons, measure out 2 Tbsp per glass, multiply that by 10 (because I planned on having 10 glasses during the rest of the day), then I did the same for the maple syrup. Adding that to my large bottle of chilled mineral water, I tossed in 1 level tsp of Organic Cayenne Pepper (luckily I like this taste) and gave the whole mixture a good shake. The first glass tasted really pleasant and I knew I was going to be okay.
Feeling a bit fluey, complete with sniffy nose (which I understand is normal, and will probably get worse before it clears completely), I went for a quiet lie down and had a light sleep for about an hour. It wasn't really necessary as I have not felt depleted at all, but I normally go for a brisk walk on a Monday morning and as the weather was so inclement, I couldn't do that, so I gave in and tucked back up in bed. Throughout the day I drank glasses of the "lemonade", knowing that if I ran out I could always make a bit more, but the 10 glass quantity was quite sufficient for me.
This evening, after having a long hot soak in the bath, I drank a cup of S
Night night.
6:00 am and the wind is howling, lifting white licks of foam across the ocean. My backyard lawn is sporting the neighbours' trampolene, upside down, just having narrowly missed my lovely little veggie garden. The monstrosity must have flown right over their wall, clearing our line of palm trees to land where it did!
After weighing myself (being the start of this Cleanse) and measuring tummy, hips and chest, I eyed my litre of salt water blearily and downed it. No, not all in one go, I sort of closed the back of my throat (?) and poured it down; checked the level in the bottle, heart-sinkingly noticing that it wasn't even past the halfway mark. I just couldn't do it - it was not the best, first thing in the morning but I swallowed on. The stuff threatened to come back up again and I suddenly felt sick, but I finished it, every last drop.
Well, they say don't move too far from the loo in the first 1/2 hour and they are right. A short while later, I managed to freshly squeeze my lemons, measure out 2 Tbsp per glass, multiply that by 10 (because I planned on having 10 glasses during the rest of the day), then I did the same for the maple syrup. Adding that to my large bottle of chilled mineral water, I tossed in 1 level tsp of Organic Cayenne Pepper (luckily I like this taste) and gave the whole mixture a good shake. The first glass tasted really pleasant and I knew I was going to be okay.
Feeling a bit fluey, complete with sniffy nose (which I understand is normal, and will probably get worse before it clears completely), I went for a quiet lie down and had a light sleep for about an hour. It wasn't really necessary as I have not felt depleted at all, but I normally go for a brisk walk on a Monday morning and as the weather was so inclement, I couldn't do that, so I gave in and tucked back up in bed. Throughout the day I drank glasses of the "lemonade", knowing that if I ran out I could always make a bit more, but the 10 glass quantity was quite sufficient for me.
This evening, after having a long hot soak in the bath, I drank a cup of S
Night night.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Master Cleanse - Just Before The Start
Reading through my recently purchased book entitled 'Rawlicious' by Peter and Beryn Daniel, I have been amused, entertained and enlightened. According to Peter: "There is a big difference between information and knowledge. What you are reading now is simply information. If you test out these concepts and practice the principles, you will have personal experience, which is knowledge."
Knowledge is what I am after, not just information, so being results focussed, this inspirational observation, I decided, would be the motivator for me to take those first steps to make those better fundamental food choices and thus help toward building a healthier lifestyle; one which would pay off in the long term and hopefully serve as a motivation for my family and friends along the way.
The Master Cleanse or "Lemonade Diet" made sense to me and having spent most of the past weekend reading many of the success stories posted on various forums across the web, as well as reading of other people's struggles, learning from their questions and the answers to those questions and their ultimate "victories" as each one successfully completed their own particular journey, whether it be for 3 days or 40. I have decided that 10 days on the Master Cleanse would be the most beneficial for me personally to start out with, with an extra 2 days afterwards to come off the Cleanse properly, according to the book gently weaning the body back onto solids (hopefully wiser choices here and not just straight back into old bad eating habits).
I purchased Canadian Maple Syrup (250g) from the local Health Shop at around R145 (ouch!) This is not going to be enough to go the whole 10 days as I will be needing at least 2.36 kg to be sufficient to make up at least 8 - 10 glasses a day at 60 grams per glass. I need to buy this stuff online but because I wanted to get on with the Cleanse without waiting, I will "bite the bullet" and bear the extra expense this time round. Hopefully I can bring in enough next time to be able to pass the extra savings on to friends and family.
Tonight just before bedtime, I have to drink a cup of Herbal Laxative Tea, preferably one with Senna. Nothing else added - no sweetener, no honey, just as is. By my bedside I will have ready 1 litre of pure water (filtered or pure spring water or bottled mineral water) to which I have added 2 tsp of grey Celtic Sea Salt. (Could not find the Celtic Sea Salt but will use the Himalayan Pink Salt until I find the salt I need). The reason for the Celtic Sea Salt is that it contains huge levels of minerals and trace elements which the body will need. The salt water acts as a Flush and the Herbal Laxative Tea is the Agitator (like a washing machine). Oh boy! I am so looking forward to downing one whole glass of salt water first thing in the morning - doesn't it sound yummy? Then, half an hour later will be my first sip of "Lemonade", which I am sure will be known from that moment on as my Best Friend. The only nourishment to see me through the dark, lonely, hungry hours...and days.
For One glass of Lemonade:
1 glass of mineral water
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemons (or lime). Interestingly enough, you can juice the whole thing, pith, peel the lot BUT only if they are ORGANIC, otherwise they are to be squeezed
2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
1/8th tsp (just the tip) or more if you can tolerate it Organic Cayenne Pepper
Night Night!
Knowledge is what I am after, not just information, so being results focussed, this inspirational observation, I decided, would be the motivator for me to take those first steps to make those better fundamental food choices and thus help toward building a healthier lifestyle; one which would pay off in the long term and hopefully serve as a motivation for my family and friends along the way.
The Master Cleanse or "Lemonade Diet" made sense to me and having spent most of the past weekend reading many of the success stories posted on various forums across the web, as well as reading of other people's struggles, learning from their questions and the answers to those questions and their ultimate "victories" as each one successfully completed their own particular journey, whether it be for 3 days or 40. I have decided that 10 days on the Master Cleanse would be the most beneficial for me personally to start out with, with an extra 2 days afterwards to come off the Cleanse properly, according to the book gently weaning the body back onto solids (hopefully wiser choices here and not just straight back into old bad eating habits).
I purchased Canadian Maple Syrup (250g) from the local Health Shop at around R145 (ouch!) This is not going to be enough to go the whole 10 days as I will be needing at least 2.36 kg to be sufficient to make up at least 8 - 10 glasses a day at 60 grams per glass. I need to buy this stuff online but because I wanted to get on with the Cleanse without waiting, I will "bite the bullet" and bear the extra expense this time round. Hopefully I can bring in enough next time to be able to pass the extra savings on to friends and family.
Tonight just before bedtime, I have to drink a cup of Herbal Laxative Tea, preferably one with Senna. Nothing else added - no sweetener, no honey, just as is. By my bedside I will have ready 1 litre of pure water (filtered or pure spring water or bottled mineral water) to which I have added 2 tsp of grey Celtic Sea Salt. (Could not find the Celtic Sea Salt but will use the Himalayan Pink Salt until I find the salt I need). The reason for the Celtic Sea Salt is that it contains huge levels of minerals and trace elements which the body will need. The salt water acts as a Flush and the Herbal Laxative Tea is the Agitator (like a washing machine). Oh boy! I am so looking forward to downing one whole glass of salt water first thing in the morning - doesn't it sound yummy? Then, half an hour later will be my first sip of "Lemonade", which I am sure will be known from that moment on as my Best Friend. The only nourishment to see me through the dark, lonely, hungry hours...and days.
For One glass of Lemonade:
1 glass of mineral water
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemons (or lime). Interestingly enough, you can juice the whole thing, pith, peel the lot BUT only if they are ORGANIC, otherwise they are to be squeezed
2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
1/8th tsp (just the tip) or more if you can tolerate it Organic Cayenne Pepper
Night Night!
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