Table of Contents
FOREWORD
Why Keep a Master Cleanse Journal?
Life on the Master Cleanse
In deciding to read this book, youve taken the first big step on the road to a life-altering Master Cleanse experience. Youre probably aware that the Master Cleanse is a rigorous mono diet consisting of fresh-squeezed lemons, cayenne pepper and maple syruplikely the polar opposite of the diet you follow now. Given that fact, the week and a half looming ahead is bound to be a difficult and challenging experience. Ten days on a liquid diet is no hundred-yard dashits the dietary version of a marathon.
One of the most intense trials youre likely to endure in your first few days of the Master Cleanse is that while you embark on the body- and soul-revolutionizing cleanse, life goes on as normal all around you. Indeed, Master Cleansers say the hardest part about the cleanse is that you invariably go it alone. At work, youll be surrounded by people sipping coffee, snacking on pastries, eating lunch. Then youll come home only to be tempted again by the aroma of your spouse or roommates cooking dinner. All the while, youll be gulping down lemonade by the quart, along with laxative tea and the occasional saltwater flush. This is no picnic. The lack of energy, flushing of your digestive tract and monotony of consumption can cause frustration that needs an avenue for release. Turn to the journal! With such a great outlet for self-expression, plus a little support, determination and careful organization, those ten days will fly by.
Using This Book
Whether youre attempting your first cleanse or your fourteenth, journaling may make the difference between a successful cleanse and a Day Four binge on french fries. The majority of cleansers embark on those tough ten days alone. Even those who are fortunate enough to find a cleansing companion say the process is daunting. With such a radical transformation in diet its hard to get a clear idea of whats happening to your body, what your expectations should be and whether or not the things youre experiencing are normal. Having some sense of what the cleanse is like for others is extraordinarily helpful. To try to clear up that picture, weve collected journals from across the country that represent a range of different experiences and perspectives. We hope this will help demystify the Master Cleanse, and perhaps even provide a little camaraderie to make the challenge less isolating.
As you make your way through your cleanse day by day, follow along with the journals. You may find these cleansers went through the same experiences youre facing right now.
Keeping Your Own Journal
You should treat your Master Cleanse journal as a mixture of an intimate personal diary and a fascinating scientific record. Chances are, this is one of the most intense transformations youll ever put your body through. Keeping a record of the experience not only documents a great personal triumph, but it can make the difference between success and failure by giving you strict organization and a fantastic way to vent! Heres how to get started.
Record everything. Thats the advice most cleansers give when it comes to keeping a journal. Along with the triumphshow many pounds youve shed and how much energy you have gainedtake serious notes about the tribulations, including those unmentionable bodily functions. You dont want to forget this radical transformation.
Keep track of your goals. If you set out to lose ten pounds on your Master Cleanse diet, make sure youre weighing yourself daily and recording your progress. Keep in mind, weight loss can be frustrating on the liquid intensive cleanse as your bodys water weight will shift daily. Dont let raw numbers get you down; make sure youre recording how you feel, not just what the scale reads.
Write down the tools you need for confidence. A huge part of getting through the Master Cleanse is summoning the mental strength and confidence to do it. The Complete Master Cleanse details how important it is to create affirmations to assist your body in letting go of the waste it has accumulated. The mind-body connection runs extraordinarily deep and just writing and repeating your positive thought patterns can make all the difference during difficult moments.
Keep an eye on your emotions. The rigors of the cleanse can be emotionally trying. On top of that, your bodys physical chemistry changes as you release toxins, often leading to some hormonal turbulence. You may just find that your cleanse is affecting those around you almost as much as it affects you. Treat your journal like your own personal confidant; record your ups, downs and rocky inbetweens. Chances are your friends and family will be grateful.
Take note of your energy levels. Probably the most radically noticeable change during the cleanse is your daily stamina. Many cleansers report plummeting energy levels during the first few days of the cleanse, followed by remarkably high levels toward the end, as the body adjusts to the strict diet.
Follow up with a couple of days after the cleanse. Your Master Cleanse experience probably wont end with your final glass of lemonade. Reintroducing food to your body is not only a bit of a challenge, its a fantastic opportunity to pay attention to what your body wants and needs. Pay careful attention to what foods you can digest easily and what foods your body would rather not have. The more you listen, the more your diet will improve in the future. And remember, write everything down; chances are two weeks after your cleanse is over, you wont recall how those first few meals felt.
PART 1
IntroduFction: The Master Cleanse in Review
If you have not yet done your Master Cleanse, this section will serve as a primer to help guide you through the ten days of diet transformation. However, these are just the very basic elements of the Master Cleanse. For more in-depth information, you should follow the detailed instructions in The Complete Master Cleanse or Beyond the Master Cleanse.
Benefits of the Cleanse
Over my many years of practice, people have reported myriad benefits that occur during or after a Master Cleanse. To give only the principal ones:
Better sleepSleep becomes deeper and more restful.
More energyThose who complete the cleanse experience report increased energy to the point where some people start following an exercise program, even though they have never exercised in their lives.
Clarity of mindPeople tell me that a burst of awareness has come over them, almost frightening them, because after a cleanse they realize how out of touch they were with their bodies and their overall health.
Positive outlookOne woman called to thank me for my help with her cleanse because she no longer harbored thoughts of suicide.
Greater flexibilityEven yoga instructors who have done a cleanse have told me how astonished they were at their increased physical flexibility.
Weight lossWomen often lose one pound per day during a cleanse, men up to two pounds.
Freedom from addictionsI have known many people who stop smoking, using alcohol, doing recreational drugs or consuming junk foods.
Increased strength