I was introduced to the Master Cleanse detox by one of my classmates in the Kinesiology Department at Wayne State.  I read the book by Stanley Burroughs who designed the cleanse in the 1940s, and decided it was something I would like to try.

That was over 12 years ago, and I have completed about four or five Master Cleanses since then.  I have gotten into running in the last few years, so I have not felt the need for fasting.  However, over the last several months my eating habits have gotten out of hand due to my hectic schedule.

Every time I do the Master Cleanse, there is a long-term improvement in my eating lifestyle.  One of the biggest changes I’ve experienced is ditching coffee for green tea. I am also reminded that every stomach pang is not for food, but my body’s need for water.

The benefit of fasting is immediate weight loss.  I always lose about a pound per day, or 10 pounds.  The lifestyle eating changes help me keep it off unlike fad dieting.

The only items to be consumed during the Master Cleanse are:  Organic Smooth Move tea to be sipped at bedtime, 1 quart of lukewarm water with 2 teaspoons of dissolved sea salt, and a lemonade mixture.

How to Make the Lemonade:

The book gives directions for preparation based on drinking the lemonade by the glass.  For people on the go I suggest mixing a gallon at a time as follows:

1 ¾ cups of fresh squeezed lemon juice.

1 ¾ cups of Maple Syrup.

A few dashes of cayenne pepper.

The Master Cleanse lemonade.  The mixture is good and satisfies hunger.  I used one gallon container for mixing and another to transport to work.

Note- organic lemons are preferred and limes may be substituted.  The book calls for Grade B Maple syrup but the grading of maple syrup has changed and Grade A is fine to use.  The key is that the color has to be dark amber.

Sea Salt Flush:

The sea salt flush is the absolute worse part of this cleanse due to the awful taste.  I count the days down based on the number of salt flushes I have remaining.  The idea is to flush out everything that was loosened by the Smooth Move tea the night before.  My experience is like someone running a garden hose through my body.

I suggest waking up and drinking this flush 3 hours before you need to be anywhere.  It takes about 30 minutes for the urge to come and when it does, watch out!  The urge may come 3-4 times before you can get back to “normal.”  Now is the time to start drinking the lemonade.

Pre-cleanse ease in:

Like most things outside the norm, it is easy to be successful if you are mentally prepared for the process.  Timing is everything.  Although the minimum time is 10 days to get the full detoxing effect, you have to plan ahead for any social events that involve food.  It just so happened that my yearly thyroid exam was due, and my medical check-up was normal.  Everyone is different, so consult with a doctor if you have medical conditions.

It is also important to have enough lemons for a few days and plenty of maple syrup. The night before the official Day 1 is when you start the Smooth Move tea.  The taste is not that great compared to green tea.

My 10 Day Master Cleanse:

Day 1- Friday and off work.  Easy day to begin due to a cold and rainy Kentucky Oaks day.

Day 2– Entertained by the Kentucky Derby coverage.

Day 3– I ran 5 miles.  I wanted to go to the movies, but I did not want to miss out on popcorn and candy.  I’m realizing how much food is a part of our lives for social and entertainment purposes.

Day 4– No lack of energy.  A busy Monday with work, Louisville Laser hair removal treatment in three areas, and the start of summer semester at U of L.

Day 5– 3 mile run.  Cooking lesson for my foster daughters.  The smell of food does not bother me.

Day 6– Work and School.  My tongue is completely white as a sign of the toxins coming out my body.

Day 7– Work and School.

Day 8- Feeling very nauseated and almost double the elimination.  T.G.I.F.  I just need to get through one more weekend and I’m good

Day 9– Hot Yoga Class and 502 Power Yoga.  Absolutely loved it and my body has not felt a challenging work out like this since my spinning days.  I consumed 20 oz. of lemonade and drank a bottle of water during my one hour hot yoga session.

The Nike Studio Wrap Pack for Hot Yoga class.

Day 10– Happy Mother’s Day Pampering.  Time to stock up on fruits and veggies.

Mother’s Day gift from my two Foster Daughters.

Breaking the Fast:

This is the most important part about the Master Cleanse.  The idea is to get the digestive system prepared for solid foods again, and it has to be done meticulously.  This is where the lifestyle changes come in because after 10 days of cleansing, I am super careful about what I put back into my body.

Day 11- Breaking the fast with orange juice.  This was the hardest day for me.  If I could only eat a banana I would be satisfied. That night I prepared a vegetable soup in the crock pot.  I used every vegetable that I was craving.

Vegetable Brooth Base with tomatoes, potatoes, mushrooms, squash, baby carrots, celery and onions.

Day 12– Only orange juice all day.  Dinner is mainly the vegetable soup broth with a few vegetables.

Day 13– My tongue is turning back pink and I can finally look forward to soup for lunch and dinner.  Orange juice is not appealing to me, so I switched to Bolthouse Farms Carrot and Naked Green Machine.

I will not consume any meat for about 2 weeks, and that will be mainly fish.

Tips: 

• For the sea salt flush it is best to chug the quart of water without stopping.  I used my Reduce 32 oz. tumbler for the perfect measurement of a quart.  The salt water also cleaned out the tea stains from my daily green tea on the stainless steel.
• Prepare the lemonade right before you go to bed.  The mixture is good for a day.  I found it easier to squeeze lemons at night rather than at 4:15a.m.
• Pour a half gallon out for work and make sure you have enough left for when you get home.
• If you take medications, seek Doctor’s approval first.  I took my thyroid pill about 30 minutes after the sea salt flush to make sure the hormones were absorbed into my bloodstream.
• Lie down after the sea salt flush and let it work its magic.
• For ladies, I suggest timing the cleanse in between menstrual cycles to avoid having too much going on at one time.
• On the days I worked out I added more maple syrup to make sure I was getting enough calories.

KelsieLou