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Master Cleanse question

I'm on Day 10 of my MC and was planning to end it now. However, I seem to in a heavy detox cycle at the moment, so I'm wondering if I should prolong it. The course of the cleanse has varied...felt great days 1-5, felt like crap days 6-7, great again on days 8-9. Then I awoke this morning feeling bad again. I should mention that I have MS (well, currently, anyways. Don't plan to keep it!) , which means that any upset to my system, like detoxing, has a much heavier effect on me. I have extreme fatigue and weakness until the body catches up and gets the toxic load under control again. Should I extend the MC until I'm in a good place again? Thanks for your advice! :)

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  • I definitely am not an expert on the MC. But from my understanding, when you are feeling bad while doing the cleanse you should continue the process of the MC. You should feel better within a day or two. Then if you want...you could end the MC. If you do end while feeling bad...you would just have to go through it again on your next MC. Just remember your body is going through a healing process. In addition, to having "The Master Cleanser" by Stanley Burroughs... I also have the following two books...

    1. The Complete Master Cleanse

    by Tom Woloshyn

    2. Lose Weight, Have More Energy Be Happier in 10 Days

    by Peter Glickman

    Peter Glickman also has a website you can go to and ask questions.

    http://therawfoodsite.com/mastercleanse.htm

    I am not familiar with the MC and MS...so it might be a good idea to check out

    Peter Glickman's site.

    I have really enjoyed Tom Woloshyn's book. I have refered to both books often in regards to symtoms of detoxing I have gone through while on the MC. Tom's book has been very helpful getting me through the low points of my MC experiences. Here are two quotes from his book that give be comfort and the the strength to continue....

    Quote #1

    "About 4 in 10 people may experience headaches, joint pain, low energy, and a general feeling of malaise at one or more stages during the cleanse. This is not at all unusual, because your body is going through withdrawal from sugar, caffeine, and other additive foods, while at the same time familiarizing itself with low-protein liquid diet, and at the same time stirring up toxic wastes in your body that will be eliminated. These symptoms are, in fact, caused not by the Master Cleanse but by what you have done to your body in the past."

    Quote #2

    "The Master Cleanse is something like a time machine, in that it takes you back in time and you reexperience old symptoms or conditions as you stir up old toxins in your body." We are like onions...removing unwanted and damaged layers. All in all...only you will know what is best for you on this journey.

    Best of Health to you - freewitheft

  • freewitheftfreewitheft Raw Newbie

    Thanks to both of you. I was planning on doing a longer MC in the fall, but I'm going to concentrate on other detox stuff in the meantime so I'm not real committed yet. ;) This was definitely a shock to my body...obviously the other cleanses and short water-only fasts I've done did not get me to the detoxing level this did.

    I had a feeling I should wait until this passes so I shall. Plus, I want to end on a good note. lol

    SimplyRaw, that second quote sums me up perfectly. I've managed to get rid of all my symptoms using diet, acupuncture, and some other stuff...but it's still a delicate balance. Those symptoms seem to still be lurking just under the surface, so the slightest upset brings them back. The fatigue is just unbelievable. Of course, that's one of the motivations for doing the MC in the first place...part of the healing of the underlying issues so that those symptoms will eventually be gone for good. :) Thanks for the book listings. I have The Master Cleanser, but I will check out the others as well!

  • I went 14 days, but I didn't feel bad at day 10. I only felt bad for the first few days. But, if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't do the master cleanse at all. There are much healthier ways to detox, that aren't as much of a shock to your system. If you feel like you need to detox more, I'd switch from the MC to a juice fast (juice feast). That's a much healthier alternative, in my opinion.

  • joannabananajoannabanana Raw Newbie

    since this is the master cleanse question, i figured i'd ask my question on here, too.

    i haven't done this cleanse before, but is it okay to exercise while you are cleansing? i exercised while i was on my juice fast and i was SO weak.

  • Most people have no problem exercising during the MC. You should refer to Peter Glickman's site (posted above)... for more information. Here is the forum for his site....

    http://therawfoodsite.com/forum/

    Few people need to take it easy. It really depends on the individual. We are all different, so our experiences are different. Onions...healing layers. Each onion's layer is different. I feel Iike I should mention on my first MC I did 14 days. Once I got through the first three days, I had tons of energy. I was able to work outside, exercise, and stay really active. During the first three days, I dealt with food cravings and caffeine withdrawals. After the third day, it was smooth sailing from there on. On my second MC, I needed to take it easy. My goal was 42 days, but I found that it was time for my body to end the MC at 30 days, I had pulled my back since my first MC. Toxins also accumulate within the legs. So, during the first 13 days I went through leg pains and my body healing my back pain. After the 13 days, I felt energized and alive. There were a few days of fatigue...days where I felt the need to take it easy. After Easter my goal is to do another 14 days, but I would really like to accomplish 20 days. Listen to your body and intuition. Do what you think is best for you.

    Hope this Helps.

  • ddigiacomoddigiacomo Raw Newbie

    I just finished a 10 day MC. I did exercise while on it but not as heavily. I had no fatigue. I worked the entire time also. The only hardship was joining friends for dinner/drinks and just having water lol.

  • ZemphiraZemphira Raw Newbie

    I've been thinking of going on a juice cleanse, but I don't have a juicer. I do have a Vita-Mix which seems to blend veggies and fruit down to almost pure juice. Would this suffice on a juice fast(feast) or does the pulp have to be strained out?

  • Zemphira, you don't need a juicer (or blender) to do the true MC. In fact, I would be a little leary of some of these claims to be the "Master Cleanse" - when in fact they are not because of the different variation of the original Burrough's formula. In regards to your lemon juice, just be sure they are fresh, and organic if you don't mind the price and can find them. You can juice the lemons by hand with just a simple manual juicer you can find at Walmart. It doesn't have to be any sort of electric juicer/blender. I do this and don't mind the pulp, however I do find you have to strain it for the seeds that might pop out.

    Remember, too, that with the MC you MUST use non-fluoridated water. That means, for most of us, the municipal tap water simply won't do.

    Also, the original recipe calls for grade B maple syrup. Not honey, not agave. I've seen horrible mash-up of this formula with people adding carrot and orange juice, not drinking the recommended 9-12 drinks (that's at least one an hour, folks!), sneaking cheat treats on the side, not doing the saline flush... and then they complain that the MC did nothing for them.

    I truly recommend Peter Glickman's book, "Lose Weight and Be Happy in Ten Days" and his web site. He has a free bulletin board, much like this site, with lots of information. He has brought Stanley Burrough's Master Cleanse back to the masses. You can also find Burrough's book too. Hope all this helps!

  • Hi Zemphira! On a juice feast, I personally strain the pulp. I have both a juicer and high powered blender, and I actually prefer to make juice in the blender. It's quicker with easier clean up. Cheese cloth, sprout bags, or super fine wire mesh strainers work well to strain the pulp. I like the sprout bags because you can just pour it into the bag and squeeze out the juice. Here's an example of the type of bag I'm talking about: http://www.rawgourmet.com/shop/nut-milk-sprout-bags-p-183.html

    Also, here's a somewhat comical video about juicing:

    It's worth checking out juicefeasting.com for more advice too.

  • Hi guys! Its funny because I discovered the raw lifestyle on Peter Glickmans website. Friends of mine were doing the MC for weight loss and I needed to lose weight, but I also thought it would be a great way to clean my body. (I was a terrible SAD eater, smoker, body abuser.) On the second day of the MC I had such bad detox symptoms and they lasted 3 days and I stopped. I could not function to work, go to school, or anything. It didn't make me think bad about MC, it made me realize that I had a lot of crap in my body and I had abused it for to long. I researched for weeks and discovered raw eating. I decided to change my lifestyle, detox a bit thru eating healthier and try the MC again when I had time to be ill. I'm happy to say that I start my MC in 2 days! I've been transitioning to raw for about a month and have been 90% raw for a little over 2 weeks. I've made some time at work as well. I can't wait to take this part of my journey!

  • Hi carrothuff! I just finished my 10 day Master Cleanse on Sunday. The first time I did the MC was two months after I began eating raw. The detox wasn't as bad as it if for most other people, I am sure. I'm sure you will not have as bad of an experience as your first time since you've probably done a lot of detoxing since going raw! Best of luck to you! Let us know how it goes!!

  • I want to start my Cleanse Diet in a few days. I will follow such a diet for the first time. I am of the opinion that it is important to detox your body from time to time in order to prevent your body from serious damage. I hope I will make it till the end and won't feel bad after a few days.

  • carrie6292carrie6292 Raw Newbie

    The first time i did the MC, i felt horrible on day 7 but felt terrific on the other days. The last 2 or 3 times I've done the cleanse, I haven't had that horrible day 7 feeling. I think it's because i'm eating more pure foods and not as many toxins and I did before going raw. The detox symptoms depend on your lifestyle (i believe). I use a tongue scraper and this helps with any of the nasty MC detox taste. I would definitely do the MC longer if your having a lot of detox symptoms. I'm on day 4 of a 26 day juice fast. Feeling great :)

  • I am looking to start a 10 day master cleanse....anyone interested in joining me? I could use the motivation!

  • coconuttycoconutty Raw Newbie

    I'm currently on day 17 of the MC. I've done it a handful of times and yes after you get over some of the detox hurdles the amount of energy you have is amazing! It's funny how each MC I've done has been different. The very first one I did was absolutely hell the first few days, like I thought I was gonna die. This one started out smooth as could be but I've had a few days here and there where I had the muscles aches and fatigue. But now I feel great coming in on the home stretch. I agree with the others though. If you are having symptoms of detox keep'er goin!

    And I definitely agree with what ABQNick said. The only people who complain about the MC are the ones who don't follow it EXACTLY! And then they wonder why it didn't do anything for them....

    Happy cleansing to all! :-)

  • I would really love to do a MC, but I just started nannying a three and four year old, so I am running around a lot - MUCH more than I normally would. If I decide to do it, do you recommend waiting for a three day weekend, so I have three days to detox if I need it? after that, how are your energy levels? good enough to chase after two out-of-control kiddies?

  • carrie6292carrie6292 Raw Newbie

    I'm always okay on the MC... actually, I have MORE energy than normal! I love it!!! But, everyone reacts differently to it. So, I'd start the cleanse on a Friday and just see how you feel over the weekend. The first day is the hardest for anything.... My husband and I treated ourselves the last time we did the MC... we made shaved ice with the MC liquid (minus the cayenne). So, it was almost like having a snack!

  • Thank you Carrie. I'm am nervous and excited!

  • coconuttycoconutty Raw Newbie

    I always have more energy as well. Last night at 10:30pm i felt like I could go run around the block or something LOL. As long as you have your drink handy you should be fine running around after the kids! And I agree I would start it on a Friday so you have the weekend to break it in.

    Good luck :-)

  • Thanks coconutty! I think I'm going to do a lemon run this week!

  • Annabelle77Annabelle77 Raw Newbie

    Is it possible to work like normal during the Master Cleanse? Ive been wanting to do it for over 1 year-- but don't see how it could go okay if I had to run to the bathroom at work every hour.

    What do you all do? Take vacation? Remain working?

  • Unfortunately, Annabelle, "running to the bathroom every hour" is actually more like every 30 minutes -- depending on how quickly you are consuming the drinks. For instance, you are supposed to drink 9-12 glasses each day. If you did that, to get the maximum weight loss results, you'd probably want to get in the 12 drinks and in order to do so, that's literally a drink every hour! So what I do is make up a double batch each time I make it on the hour and then try drinking them every half hour. That way, if I start making my drinks at, say, 10 a.m. -- I am "done" at 4. (Otherwise, when it's time to go to bed it seems like you are running to the bathroom all the time. If I quit early enough, I have a few hours of non-bathroom time to relax!)

    As for doing it while at work. Wow - I don't think it's impossible, but could be difficult. I guess it depends on what you do. If you answer a phone and are likely to be having business conversations, or dealing with the public, or talking to groups of people... you probably aren't gonna want to say "Hold on!" suddenly as you make a dash for the nearest restroom. I teach school, for instance, so I would be crazy to leave my 4th graders alone when I suddenly have an urge! (Thank goodness for summer breaks and long holiday vactaions!) I suppose this could actually be a hilarious comic situation...

    Good luck and I hope some of this info helps!

  • Annabelle77Annabelle77 Raw Newbie

    thanks for the info ABQNick!

    I have had grade B syrup for over a year-- trying to fit in a cleanse. I work at a university and there is talk of a required 4-day unpaid leave to help balance the budget-- maybe I can do it then.

    and yes-- I think that 4th graders would find all the running to the bathroom serioulsy funny!

  • Hi Annabelle,

    I've done the master cleanse several times now, and while I was working. I've done it while I had a landscaping/gardening type job and I've done it while I was in college taking classes, and when I was teaching elementary school, etc. My point is that in many of these situations, an escape to the bathroom is not always readily available, but I think if you regularly consume water and water-filled foods, you'll find that you shouldn't actually need to urinate much more than you already normally do.

    As for the other type of bathroom duty, you can time things so they work out for you, like drink your tea in the evening leaving at least 8 hours before you have to be anywhere the next day, so the laxative does its work and you do your business before you leave the house. Also, this worked for me, but may not work for everyone -- I drank the saline solution only on days when I did not have to be anywhere, since that will send you to the toilet for quite a while. I've also done the master cleanse where I regularly drank my laxative tea in the evenings, but did not take the saltwater flush, and I felt just as good. (I would argue that Burroughs almost makes the saltwater flush seem optional, and as long as you're moving toxins out, like with the laxative tea, you should be fine).

    Also, I would add, and this is just how I feel about it, but a big part of the Master Cleanse is getting in tune with your body, its processes, and realizing when you're truly hungry. So I'm going to have to disagree with ABQ and insist that you actually do not force yourself to down these drinks and try to fulfill the regimen by a certain time of the day. Instead, you should drink it as you feel hungry, listen to your body and you will know. Drink water and herbal tea when you are thirsty. Tune in and make that distinction. Of course, you'll want to monitor that you are drinking enough (the minimum is actually 6 10oz glasses/day) to keep up your energy and nourish your body, but this consumption can happen throughout the day as your body needs it.

  • Annabelle77Annabelle77 Raw Newbie

    Thanks Karli!

  • troublesjustabubbletroublesjustabubble Raw Newbie

    Alright, I'm ready to try a Master Cleanse. I haven't done a cleanse before except for juice fasting and though I detoxed and it was good it didn't actually 'cleanse' my digestive system. I have an awful digestive system and when I stop eating, I stop going. Literally, so the things I ate the last day I ate were still in me during the entire fast. Same with my water fast and liquid fasts. I'm feeling the need to really empty out my digestive system and truly cleanse it.

    I have a few questions though, has anyone with serious digestive issues NOT had success with the saline flush? I'm very interested in this but I want to make sure it'll work with everyone. Also, what is the ideal amount of time to be on it? I heard that anything over two weeks is dangerous. Is that true?

  • What's the saline flush that you have to do? I'm thinking of starting a master cleanse as soon as school gets out on the 19th. I did one this spring (while teaching seventh grade) and I was fine- pretty tired throughout most of it, and had a lot of explaining to do when I brought jugs of the lemonade to school with me. I had a really weird allergy detox experience one day, where my whole body blew up and I had minor anaphalaxia and all of the points where I ever got allergy shots swelled up, but luckily that was on a weekend! I couldn't go to the bathroom the whole time, so I ended up doing a bunch of enemas.

    -Does it matter if you use organic lemons or not?

    -How many lemons does everyone use daily (approximate)

    -Is it really best to use maple syrup? Maybe that's why I had troubles the last time, I used raw honey.

    I think the second time around will be a lot smoother, if I get my act together.

  • lilburger -

    I cannot remember exactly how many lemons I used daily... approximately 6 - 8 a day. Depending on the size of the lemon. Organic lemons are best. It is really best to use maple syrup. It is the ingredient that provides the fuel for your body. It's properties are what make it suitable for the cleanse. Using the honey and not doing the salt water are probably why you had problems during your cleanse.

    The following is from Peter Glickman...

    Part one is the detox:

    mobilizing the waste from the parts of the body where it is stored.

    ***This is what the lemonade does.***

    Part two is elimination:

    ensuring the waste is washed out of the body quickly and regularly so that the toxins are not reabsorbed, which will make you feel sick or miserable.

    ***The salt water flush is a powerful part of that elimination process.***

  • 10 days is the minimum length of time recommended. Anything less really is not a good idea. You have started a process of cleansing, if you stop the cleanse too early, the body may take over and make you sick in its attempt to continue the process you orginally started. It is also very important to know how to end the MC. If not more important than the cleanse itself. On my first MC I did 2 weeks. I thought...if I am going to do 10 days. I might as well just do an even 2 weeks. So, 14 days is the shortest amount of time I have done. I have had a very poor digestive system since I was a young child. I have more BM's eating raw than I ever have in my life. On the MC I have found I cannot miss a morning of the salt flush. Cannot stand the stuff, but I do have a huge success drinking the salt flush. I also drink a laxative tea before bed. (Organic Smooth Move - herbal stimulant laxative) I drink the tea every night for the first 3-4 days. After that I start to drink it every other day, so my stomach does not become sore from the senna. But I do have to drink the salt flush every morning, or I do not see the results I would drinking it.

    I have also felt the need to follow my salt water 30 to 45 minutes later with a cup of laxative tea in the morning, before I start drinking my lemonade. Not every morning just once in a while. When I ended my 30 day MC I was still having BM. I really went through a major healing period with my body and mind, On my 30 day MC I could really feel the healing benefits of the cleanse. I was really amazed!! I was amazed to feel my body healing it self...feeling it at work. Anyhoo, sorry for the BM graphics.

    I would suggest going to Peter Glickman's site. I posted it above in an earlier post. During my 30 days I went everywhere with Tom Woloshyn's book.

    This is the original book and author...

    The Master Cleanser

    by Stanley Burroughs

    KathrynL posted a site where you can read it online.

    http://healthandlight.com/TheMasterCleanse.pdf

    I also recommend the following two books...

    1. The Complete Master Cleanse

    by Tom Woloshyn

    2. Lose Weight, Have More Energy Be Happier in 10 Days

    by Peter Glickman

    Peter Glickman also has a website you can go to and ask questions.

    Go to the bulletin board for answers.

    http://therawfoodsite.com/mastercleanse.htm

  • SimplyRaw- lol. You crack me up! :D

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