What prompted me to take the plunge? Pain. Plain and simple. My body was screaming that something was wrong. Debilitating pain was the motivating factor & every morning I would awaken to stiff and pain-filled joints, lower back, fingers, neck, you name it, it was sore. I had awful headaches two to three times a week that would last for days. My allergist told me to see a neurologist because he was convinced they were migraines. They were so painful that I would want to cut my head off or drill a hole in my forehead to relieve the pressure! To top it off, I felt sluggish and some days I wanted to go back to bed right after waking up.
The icing on the cake was being diagnosed with Plantar Fasciitis this past August. Plantar Fasciitis is a painful heel condition caused by the shrinking tendon (plantar fascia) on the bottom of the foot. I believe that my case was caused by ballroom dancing. Every week since January 2005 I had danced, I thought, to bring more joy into my life. It was great fun, but may have been the culprit in the Plantar Fasciitis saga. Needless to say, these tootsies haven t been out dancing recently. I had been doing everything I could think of to alleviate the pain. I was wearing orthotics. I stretched daily. I received Reflexology and deep tissue massage. And of course, gave myself daily Reiki treatments. Still....the pain continued.
One fine October day I was out with a friend who said, as I moaned and groaned about the pain in my joints, My God, Andrea, you sound like you are 60 years old! (whatever 60 is supposed to look like!) Even though I was only 47, believe me, I felt like I was well over 160!
That day was my turning point. I realized that I had to do something drastic. I needed to find out what was causing the pain and reduce it - somehow. I often wondered if it was something I was eating, or if I had built up toxins over the years. If I was filled with toxins I needed to release them, now.
In his article General Detoxification and Cleansing , Elson M. Haas M.D. writes:
"A toxin is basically any substance that creates irritating and/or harmful effects in the body, undermining our health or stressing our biochemical or organ functions. Through detoxification, we clear and filter toxins and wastes and allow our body to work on enhancing its basic functions. Our body handles toxins by either neutralizing, transforming, or eliminating them.
Detoxification occurs on many other levels as well. Physically, this process can help clear congestions, illnesses, and disease potential. It can improve energy. I believe that many "detox" processes can help rejuvenate us and prevent degeneration. Mental detoxification is also important. Cleansing our minds of negative thought patterns is essential to health; the physical detoxification also helps this mental process. Emotionally, detoxification helps us uncover and express feelings, especially hidden frustrations, anger, resentments, or fear, and replace them with forgiveness, love, joy, and hope. On a spiritual level, many people experience new clarity and/or an enhancement of their purpose of life during cleansing processes. A light detox over a couple of days can help us feel better, while a longer process and deeper commitment to a new way of life, such as eliminating certain abusive habits and eating a better diet, will help us really change our whole life."
Dr. Haas, is Founder & Director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin (since 1984), an Integrated Health Care Facility in San Rafael, CA and author of many books on Health and Nutrition, including Staying Healthy with Nutrition, The NEW Detox Diet, Staying Healthy with the Seasons, The False Fat Diet, and A Cookbook for All Seasons.
Leonard Smith, MD, of Gainesville, Florida states, "Allowed to accumulate in tissues and organs, toxins make you sick, the same way a garbage strike makes a city odiferously unlivable. And that accumulation, researchers now believe, lies at the hart of disease and is the moving force behind illness.
We are constantly taking in oxygen, water and food for metabolism, and that process makes latent products that need to be dealt with. Even if we lived in a pristine world with no chemicals, no air pollution, pure water, and pure food, still with the passage of time we would experience cellular toxicity.
In addition to coping with the natural production of toxins within the body, your body also has to deal with a constant bombardment of industrial waste products. (If you want to find a report about toxic substances released in your neighborhood, visit the website http:/tinyurl.com/2pudh and enter your zip code.)
Toxic build up is a dangerous process, some suggest that it can lead to cancer.
When cells are stressed long enough either the nucleus, cytoplasm or membrane may respond (malfunction) in reaction to the toxicity, notes Dr. Smith. If the cell reproduces and makes other cells that all malfunctioning the similar ways an adenoma (small growth) may form. When a few more for, you may have a carcinoma or minimal cancer. But left long enough, it may progress to an undifferentiated, highly toxic cancer. " ( Is Toxicity the root cause of all disease? - Essential Cleansing Magazine, Vol. 1, pg. 13-15)I have been pretty health conscious most of my life. I was raised by health-minded people who ate organic foods, took vitamins and drank only spring water way back in the 1940 s and 1950 s! And they lived that way because it was the smart thing to do not just take part in a passing fad. But something had built up in my body that I needed to release now!
Then I remembered a conversation that took place nearly 15 years ago a conversation that still is as clear as if it had taken place yesterday. It was with a close friend and massage therapist who had been doing the Stanley Burroughs Master Cleanse* for several years. I thought it odd that she would stop eating every so often for 10 days at a time, but she did and she was vibrantly healthy and pain free! She encouraged me to try the Cleanse*, but I assured her that I could NEVER do it, because of my hypoglycemia issues. She assured me that I could do it and would not have any problems. It took me 14 years to even consider actually doing it and I was ready in the autumn of 2004. But I came down with an awful cold instead that fall and said, Well, scratch that idea.
By Fall 2005 my pain was so intense and constant, that I decided to really take action. On November 30, 2005 with Thanksgiving behind me, I started the 10 day Master Cleanse.
During the Cleanse, I did not eat any food for ten days, giving my body a needed break. I drank a lemonade mixture made with 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice, 2 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup, 1/10th teaspoon cayenne pepper mixed with 10 oz. of water. Drinking 6 to 12 glasses of this per day, as well as additional water. Clear filtered or spring water is essential for clearing the toxins. The process includes internal cleansing of the toxins that were released from my cells, so every evening I drank one cup of a laxative tea and each morning I drank 32 oz. of sea salt water. Internal cleansing is very important on the Master Cleanse as it is imperative that the toxins be completely released from the body. I completely understand that this may all sound too difficult or disgusting, but I assure you that I found the entire process quite pleasant. The best part was I felt healthier, younger and more vibrant with each new day!
Benefits from the Master Cleanse that I have experience are numerous. First, I was never hungry and I never experienced the discomfort of a low blood sugar attack (which was once very common for me). I have not had any headaches. What I once thought were hormonal issues such as poor memory and cloudy thinking have disappeared, and I am now vibrantly energetic. I have no cravings or desire for sweets of any kind. The absolute best part is the pain that plagued my body is gone completely. The Plantar Fasciitis pain has diminished to a mere 5% of what it was prior to the Cleanse.
On December 13, 2005 the cleanse was complete and I began eating solid food. I continue to lose weight and feel fantastic! I have lost 13 pounds but remind you that is NOT the reason I did the cleanse. It just happens to be one of the bonuses of the program. Because I don t need as much food, I believe that I am metabolizing my food better. As a result of improved metabolism I do not require as much food, and if you know me, you know this is really amazing! Before the Master Cleanse, I needed - I mean really required! - protein at each meal and a large amount of food to feel satisfied and not have a hypoglycemic attack. My health has improved so much since the Cleanse* that I have been telling everyone about it!
Cleansing my body and really sticking with a cleansing program for ten full days is the best thing I have EVER done for my health. Actually, I see now that this turned out to be best decision of my entire life! Even though my goal was pain reduction, the benefits of this cleansing have gone far beyond simple pain reduction. I can safely say that my entire world has changed on all levels - physical, mental, emotional & spiritual.
So this is my Resolution: I honor and nurture the quality of my own health. How? By continuing to take charge of my health, by listening to my body, and by repeating the Master Cleanse* next fall.
Andrea
P.S. Please read the following before you even consider doing the Master Cleanse* - or any cleanse for yourself.
* Words of caution: The Master Cleanse is not for everyone and anyone who is considering it should absolutely consult with their physician first. If you are on a prescribed medication, especially such as that to avoid a heart attack, stroke or other fatal event, do NOT discontinue your medicine without consulting the prescribing licensed health care professional!!!! If you are taking medication of any kind, you would definitely not want to begin a cleanse or any detoxification process without your doctor s approval and guidance. Medications are vital for the well-being of many individuals and many must be taken with food, so, if you are considering a cleanse, please speak with your physician first as they may have suggestions as to the best way to proceed for your individual needs.
If you are interested in reading more about the Master Cleanse by Stanley Burroughs, you can find lots of information by doing a search in Google. The most informative website I found was: http://www.therawfoodsite.com/the_master_cleanser.htm
There are several books available that are extremely helpful.
The Master Cleanser by Stanley Burroughs (ISBN: 0963926209)
Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days by Peter Glickman (ISBN: 0975572229)
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