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Juice Fasting vs. The Master Cleanse

This year I decided it was time to do some heavy duty de-toxing and tried out a few researched techniques. Fasting has some extraordinary benefits but should not be undertaken lightly. My original goal when I started the Master Cleanse in late January, was to spend the first 3-5 days away at our beach condo to be away from distractions and have a chance to fully rest, but my husband Jeff insisted that I stay close to home so that he could monitor my progress.

Some of the benefits of fasting are:

• The breaking down of fats stored in the body (via a process called autolysis, which releases the fat cells through the bloodstream so that they can be utilized by the liver).
• Elimination and neutralization of stored toxins in the body from the major organs, including the skin, which is technically your largest organ.
• Cleansing and clearing the colon of undigested food, thus improving elimination and overall well-being.
• A natural healing process occurs when the attention of the body is drawn away from the digestive system. Approximately 30% of our daily energy is channeled into digesting and metabolizing the food that we eat – so when we limit our intake to water, juice, or specially combined drinks (as I will describe below) many fasters experience surges of energy and vitality.
• Weight loss is generally a by-product of fasting, but people often gain back at least half of the weight when returning to normal eating.

The Master Cleanse

The Master Cleanse was developed by alternative medical practitioner Stanley Burroughs in the 1940’s. It is a 10-13 day program (10 days of fasting with 2-3 days of slowly adding solid foods) that consists of a morning purging method for clearing the colon and a lemonade* recipe that keeps you hydrated and satiated throughout the day. Thousands of people have done this popular fast since its inception, in recent years the most famous of these being Beyonce, who lost 20 pounds on the Master Cleanse while filming the more youthful version of her character in Dreamgirls. *Mix lemon and/or lime juice, Grade B pure maple syrup (higher in minerals and nutrients), and cayenne pepper in about 64 fluid ounces of spring water.

I have done some short juice fasts in the past, as well as fasting occasionally for a day for spiritual purposes, but taking on 10+ days seemed pretty daunting. (I think that considering some of potential detox symptoms, such as irritability and discomfort, Jeff might have been more apprehensive, wondering how I’d be to live with.) From Peter Glickman’s book on the Master Cleanse titled Lose Weight, Have more Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days, I learned that the days that often produce more classical detox symptoms are the 2nd, 3rd and 7th – symptoms described above as well as feeling hungry, tired, experiencing headaches, muscle aches and cramps. I kept a computer journal that time to track my own progress to compare it to what I had read.

From Day 1, I had virtually no hunger! From Day 2, I had a such a serge of energy that I literally felt like skipping when we were walking the dogs. Jeff, who expected a less than amiable demeanor from me, even commented that I was actually more pleasant ON the fast (hmmm). Somewhere around Day 4, I was going over some recipe ideas for my upcoming book and had some mild hunger pangs, but nothing exceptional. I completed the 10 days without much drama or discomfort. It wasn’t difficult for me to watch others eat and I even prepared a few meals for my family. I had a very mild headache on two occasions, and both went away easily when I used a heated flaxseed/lavender/marjoram pillow from my Fairy Line Naturals line. My energy level continued to be high – indeed, I truly felt the difference that having 30% more vital force meant in every aspect – mind, body, spirt – of my life. My overall weight loss was about 8 lbs, which I managed to keep off by starting to do racewalking 6 days a week for about 2.5 miles. (Beyonce, on the other hand, gained back all of the weight and found the Cleanse to be quite difficult.)

Here’s an online a reprint of Stanley Burrough’s book on the Master Cleanse at this link (IE only) and you can also find many helpful resources by Googling Master Cleanse.

I felt very fortunate to have “escaped” the large majority of the cravings and discomfort that I had read about. Having read a multitude of websites devoted to the subject loaded with testimonials by individuals going through the fast, it did seem as though I had an easier time with Master Cleanse than most. This does leave me wondering if having adopted a high raw (70-80%) diet for over a year before the fast might have cleared out many of the toxins that could have caused a lot more distress. (Raw) Food for thought…

The Juice Fast

So as a “seasoned” and satisfied faster, I decided to embark on a 5 day Juice Fast last week – a kind of internal “spring cleaning” designed to flush liver and gallbladder – consisting of 1 day of raw fruits and vegetables, 3 days of pure fruit and mainly green vegetables juice, and a final day of integrating solid foods. The 5 days were devoid of any fiber, fat, or protein (outside of the protein contained in the leafy greens, which is surprisingly abundant).

Much different experience! Day 1 was not a huge challenge but I was quite tired by the end of the day. Day 2was exhausting and even though I enjoyed some of the juice recipes that I was trying out, I thought almost constantly about food (mainly nuts and seeds as I was really feeling the lack of fat in my diet). There is no fat in the Master Cleanse Lemonade, but I was never as hungry over the 10 days than I was consistently throughout the juice fasting days. Day 3 brought a bit more energy and I got back to my racewalking, but by late afternoon I felt famished and sucked on some dried fruit. I also ate a plum in the early evening. Day 4, which was meant to be my final day of pure juice, I started out with a great citrus juice blend, but my schedule had some unavoidable changes and since I couldn’t find a juice place, I wound up having a salad and eased back into some solid foods in the evening, along with a juice. Day 5 I made a smoothie and also a green shake (with sesame milk) and added more solid foods. Through most of my pure juice days I had headaches and felt extremely irritable.

Baffled at how different and difficult this experience was from the much longer Master Cleanse, I shared information with a colleague and discovered that she, as well, found her Master Cleanse of only 5 days much easier than a shorter juice fast. Her theory was that drinking the juices gets the digestive juices flowing more and signals more hunger to the stomach and other digestive organs. I will have to do more investigating on this to see what I find out to explain this anomaly.

What I do know is that juicing and drinking fresh, organic greens and certain fruits (apples play a big role in the liver/gall bladder detox) sends the nutrients DIRECTLY into the bloods stream and to the cells. The flood of beneficial vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants to the organs (especially those that are functioning below par) can cause an accelerated reaction, releasing unpleasant-feeling toxins into the bloodstream. Juice fasting is indispensable for people who are seeking to recover from acute conditions, such as diabetes, or life-threatening disease, such as cancer or auto-immune disorders.

Part of the reason that I like the practice of fasting, and will continue to do so a few times a year from now on, is that it breaks some of the addictive eating patterns that evolve slowly but surely over our regular regimen. It’s so easy for me to add more and more nuts and seeds to my daily diet, to the detriment of leafy greens and fresh fruits, so when I go through the discipline of the fast, if helps me to see how well I survived without them and gives me perspective on what I’m consciously and unconsciously choosing to eat. Fasting with discipline also strengthens my sense of having control over my actions and seems to enhance my meditation practice.

The best experience of this Juice Fast was inventing an extremely delicious blend of my own that I am callingBlood-Building Tonic. I actually looked forward to having another one of these when I got home from my long day away on Day 4. Here’s the recipe – just juice through a centrifugal or masticating juicer. You can also blend in a Vitamix or other blender, but make sure to strain it if you are drinking juices or fasting for health benefits.

Blood-Building Tonic

Ingredients:

• 2 tomatoes
• 2 carrots
• 3 celery sticks
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 small piece fresh ginger
• 1 lemon
• handful of leafy greens (baby spinach, arugula, dandelion leaves)
• dash of cayenne
• tablespoon of nutritional yeast (when not fasting)

Directions: Juice through a centrifugal or masticating juicer. You can also blend in a Vitamix or other blender, but make sure to strain it if you are drinking juices or fasting for health benefits.

FAIRY ALERT: Before starting a fast, make sure to check with a medical professional to gauge whether you are in good physical condition and/or to supervise your fast. Also, it’s vital to have someone checking in with you several times a day to monitor your progress. If you feel light-headed or extremely weak or nauseated, do not continue your fast! Furthermore, coming off a fast should be done slowly and according to recommended procedures.

TOXIC BLUEBERRIES AND KALE?

Friend or fiend? New study suggests that inorganic blueberries high in pesticides.

The Environmental Working Group uses USDA data to publish its annual report revealing which greens contain the most pesticides on on average. Historically, certain fruits – including strawberries, peaches, and apples – have consistently held the top twelve toxicity spots. This year, however, two raw food favorites appeared on the scene: blueberries and kale now rank in the so-called the dirty dozen.

Perhaps explaining the discrepancy, this year marked the first that the USDA included blueberries in its study. Dr. Walter Crinnion at The Huffington Post expressed surprise at kale’s appearance on the list, citing that brassica family members typically show up in the so-called clean fifteen. Equally baffled by blueberries’besmirched name, he pointed out the redundancy of pesticides:

“I had four bushes that were over 75 years old, and they produced a lot of wonderful blueberries. Now, I did I raise my entire garden organically, but I did not need to use any pest control on the blueberries with the sole exception of bird netting. So, I have been quite baffled by the addition of blueberries to the most toxic list, as pesticides shouldn’t be necessary on them in the first place.”

“If you like to eat any of the dirty dozen, then these are the foods you should be using your organic food budget money to purchase,” Dr. Crinnion recommends. Fortunately, frozen blueberries, which pack a greater load of healthy pigments, contained half the insecticides as the fresh berries.