[pepper]

tj, a good inexpensive one is called the porkert (yes, ha ha, very funny i know). it also works for berries and very soft fruit like peaches, etc.
nice call on the epsom salts too, that's a great idea. a swim and a sauna would be awesome too, got a local pool with a steamroom nearby?

[voodoo_princess]

http://www.therawfoodsite.com/mastercleanse.htm

sorry about the double post BUT.... erinjane - here is a site that outlines the "Master Cleanse" and is the same place I found the "Lemonade Brigade" certificate of completion for *mouse*.....

[voodoo_princess]

https://123webmagic.com/themastercleanse/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=38&produ cts_id=83

hey mouse - here is a really cute certificate you can print out for yourself after you finish your master cleanse and then you can be a member of the "Lemonade Brigade" for "people who have actively searched for ways to improve their health and followed that search with action"
i though it was really cute and thought you might like it.....

[erinjane]

Someone posted a really great link to a site that had the whole master cleanse (i'm pretty sure it was teh mc) in one of the health threads quite a while ago. Does anyone know what the site was? It had all the info on it.

[cloverbee]

I'm doing the no more Effexor cleanse ;)

[turbojenn]

damned double post!

[turbojenn]

mouse - you might want to take some hot baths with epsom salt - about 2lb per bath, and water as hot as you can stand it - that will assist the detox, and loosen your muscles..Be sure to shower off afterward, or you'll have salty skin.

wheatgrass definitely gives me a boost in energy...and pepper, thanks for the juicing tips...I've definitely had some issues using my juiceman for wheatgrass...I'll look for a hand cranker for that.

[pepper]

aching muscles can be a sign of detox, you're doing great. the icky tongue too. and when you fast you don't need calories, water fasting and even short term dry fasting can have even more profound (and quicker) results than the master cleanse. the mc is a "cleanse" not just a fast, it's designed to flush and support and clean you out at the same time. but don't worry about cutting down or even cutting out the syrup, whatever feels right to you.

yes the wheatgrass really is all that. super detoxifying, amazingly nutritionally powerful, really incredible. it can give you lots of energy, but it can also just knock you out. depends on what your insides are like and how you react to it.

[mouse]

wait, clover, are you doing the cleanse too? or is this a different diet? did i miss something?

today......i can stomach the syrup fine. i've been using less and the smell doesn't gross me out. i don't want to cut it out entirely tho since that's where you get the majority of your calories from and i'd really rather not pass out.

my legs kind of hurt, in the way that they feel when you first wake up and are all stiff, or when you're trying to stretch too far. but they feel like that just standing up or lying down. weird....maybe an effect of the cleanse, or maybe.....i just am not stretching well. i've been walking around, but nothing strenuous. ..i dunno.

the major thing today is, other than my tongue being totally grossly coated, is.............i feel highhhhhhhh.

[neverending]

pepper:Are the health benefits true and does it give you energy?

[pepper]

mouse, cut the syrup. you don't have to use so much, especially if it's too sweet for you. i only used a splash and the fast was great for me. and remember the first three days are the hardest. it will be over before you know it and you'll be so glad you did it in the end.

as for juicing wheatgrass. there are a few inexpensive models around but they're almost all manual hand crank type juicers. while a regular centrifical force juicer (shreds veggies and fruit up and spins out the juice) can handle a bit of, say, spinach mixed in with some carrots or apples, it isn't for wheatgrass, sprouts or even most leafy greens in larger quantities. the ratio of juice to grass is very low in comparison for one thing. wheatgrass is best juiced with a press, the hand crank and electric models crush and squeeze out the juice which gets out way, way more of it and also doesn't damage the juice through oxidation or heat (oxidation from spinning, many centrifical force juicers heat up too much for wheatgrass). wheatgrass juice (and many green juices) lose potency extremely quickly when exposed to air and light and especially heat. once juiced, it should be consumed well within 10 minutes and the best way to take that kind of juice is all by itself, not mixed with anything at all. that maximizes it's nutritive and cleansing properties.
well worth the effort, amazing stuff indeed.
can you tell i worked at a wg farm? whew.

[cloverbee]

okay, day 1 folks and I'm dizzy and hot and my arms are heavy but I'm in the best damn mood of my life!!!! WOW!

[raskel]

cstars - the cheapest organic foods are at walmart. everything's 20 cents less expensive, but you can't get everything there either. i can always get pasta, bread, fruit and vegetables at walmart, and occasionally they have other organic foods there. i've also heard that sam's choice milk is hormone and steroid free, but i have never looked into that myself.

[cloverbee]

mouse, hang in ther, girl.
cstars, thanks for the advice. I once skipped a day and it was a freaking nightmare. I have found myself at the drugstore crying to the pharmacist when I was out and my doc was away. yes, it is a bad drug to come off of. some say it's the worst.
turbo, can you go into more detail about how you grow the wheatgrass? do you leave it inside? how do you juice it and how much does it take?
I'm starting my diet today. I slept until 1:00 this afternoon. I think it's PMS. it's time for a change.

[mouse]

i feel a lot better today--no headache, not hungry. the maple syrup is still making me queasy--so sweet!! and i don't generally have much of a sweet tooth even when i'm eating crap. i'm drinking some mint tea right now to switch it up a bit and feel a little better about the thought of the syrup. i'm just adding less to the concoction.

i think the headache was part caffeine withdrawal (and i KNOW that i get headaches when i go too long without coffeeeee...yuck), and partially cos i didn't get much exercise yesterday. i'm getting over a cold and felt kind of fevery so i slept most of yesterday, but today i feel a lot better.

[cstars124]

Clover, you take effexor? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not just stop it completely. I have been taking effexor for almost 4-5 years and anytime I am without it (like the time my dr just flat out refused to prescribe it to me, without giving me prior notice), I became horribly horribly depressed and really weepy (right word?), headachy, and very sucidial. Def not something I would ever wish on anyone.

As far as natural stuff goes, I totally want to start eating organically again. I just end up very broke when I do. Does anyone know of any inexpensive natural food stores? Kinda like a cheap whole foods?

[maddy29]

Cloverbee-Just stay on it? Um, ok, that's great advice. What was your dr. thinking? I'm glad you are going to slowly wean yourself off of it, cause I think cold turkey will hurt a lot. Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

Tatiana-thanks a bunch! i'll get one of those books and start doing the research. It just makes me tired to have to learn all this new stuff about nutrition and stuff....

[turbojenn]

I got my juicer at Target - its not a super deluxe model, I think it was around $40, and I think it might be a Juiceman model...I remember laughing with turboman in the store about its 'as seen on tv' status...but it works just fine.

I buy my wheatgrass already growing - natural food stores sell them in about 4" x 4" blocks with dirt and everything, and its crazy easy to grow, and it makes me happy to see green growing things in my house. I'm getting half a flat of wheatgrass this weekend at our organic produce co-op, and I'm going to fill a whole window box with it!

[neverending]

turbojenn:Can you tell me how you grow it and where to get the juicer because I really want to try it; people say wheatgrass is really good and has lots of health benefits!

[turbojenn]

hello - I hope you see improvement when you cut down on the soy...I stil eat tofu about once a week, but that's about my limit, with a litte soy cheese pizza occasionally. And when I eat tofu - I make sure its worth it by getting the handmade stuff by the artisan tofu-ery in our 'hood.

raskel...I've no real advice on the natural asthma treatment, though again, I'll say that changing my diet made mine go away completely...of course, I worked on getting in decent physical shape too, so I'm sure it was a combination of factors.

mouse....be sure to listen to your body, and if you don't feel right, then stop the cleanse, and rethink how you can do a cleanse and still support your body's needs. I'm a firm believer that cleansing shouldn't mean suffering.