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The Lemonade Diet, also known as the Master Cleanse Diet, is a relatively simple program that has gained popularity recently. Several well known celebrities, Beyonce for instance, claim that it helped them lose weight.

Just remember, following the program can pose problems of its own.

There are three major components of the "lemonade" diet including Ease In, The Lemonade Diet, and the Ease-Out. The ingredients necessary must be followed precisely in order for the program to work right.

The first part of the program eases you into the routine and prepares your mind and body. Your stomach will adjust to receiving less food and you will be mentally prepared. The first part consists of 3-days, on the 1st day you can eat fruits and vegetables, removing meat and processed foods from your diet. On the 2nd day you can only drink fruit and vegetable juices, if you do not have a juicing machine create a broth. The third day entails drinking two liters of fresh squeezed orange juice with a tablespoon of maple syrup and water to fill.

The main part referred to as the Lemonade Diet is an intense process that will be challenging. There are three steps that need to occur on a daily basis. The 1st step is about preparing your lemonade for the day. As soon as you wake up go into the kitchen and prepare your "meals."

Here is the Recipe for the Lemonade Diet

You will need to gather 14 tablespoons of hand squeezed lemon juice, three 1-liter reusable bottles, 14 tablespoons of maple syrup, 1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper, and two liters of water. Place seven tablespoons of the lemon juice into a 1-liter bottle and repeat with a second bottle. Do the same with the maple syrup, add the cayenne pepper and fill it with water. Fill your third bottle full of water as you will need to drink it throughout the day to give your body the illusion you are full.

The second step of the diet entails drinking the lemonade and water throughout the day. When you feel hungry take a swig of the lemon mixture and follow it with several drinks of regular water. You need to drink the entire two liters of lemonade at the end of the day.

The hardest part of the diet is the third step, which is salt water flush. In essence, you drink salt water to induce several bowel movements to cleanse your system. Mix one liter of room temperature water with a teaspoon of sea salt. It is easiest to drink the solution in one gulp, but be sure to stand by the sink as your reflexes may sink in halfway through. After drinking the mixture you can go about your night until a bowel movement occurs - typically within 60 minutes of drinking the salt water. It is important to perform the flush in the evening because you will be on the toilet for a while. You must be near a toilet for several hours after the first movement. When you reach the point where you can go 15 minutes without eliminating, you are safe.

The time frame for which people stay on the lemonade diet depends; some do it for as little as three days while others can go up to two weeks. Whenever going on such a diet always consult with your physician if you have prior medical conditions.

The ease-out steps are an essential process to prepare your body for regular food again. It is critical that you change your eating habits afterwards and it's important to remember that this diet, like all diets, will slow metabolism.

That's right.

You will be losing muscle during this diet and muscle is your metabolic engine. If you started the diet with a 200 horsepower engine, you will finish the lemonade diet with a smaller engine. The longer you stay on the diet, the smaller your engine will get. So don't do this for weight loss. If you choose to go on this diet, do it to flush your colon, not as an attempt to lose fat.

How to ease back into eating real foods:

1. On the first day drink three one liter bottles of orange juice with two tablespoons of maple syrup in each.
2. On the second day drink fruit and vegetable juice or broth.
3. On the third day re-introduce your body to fresh fruits and vegetables.
4. On the fourth day you can eat anything, but be sure to include live products.

If you choose not to follow the ease-out process prepared to become nauseous and possibly sick.

Kevin: I finally decided to quit smoking and was wondering if you had a tea that can help me through the process.

TC: Congrats! We all know that nicotine is bad for you but many people don't realize that the withdrawal symptoms can last from 2-5 weeks as your body is trying to cleanse itself of the toxins and nicotine. The two main withdrawal symptoms are nausea and insomnia. Ginger is a very popular ingredient that is known to help with nausea and it can be found in ONO Stomach Soother. If you add 1/2 tsp of honey and crushed ginger to 2 cups of Stomach Soother, it makes a delicious tonic for nausea. For insomnia I recommend ONO Sleepy Time. Rooibos will help with insomnia and nausea while chamomile will help you relax and unwind.

Kevin: That's great stuff! I recently tried your Throat Revival tea and absolutely love it! It tastes great and my throat feels really good after drinking a cup.

TC: That's because ONO Throat Revival is made mostly from licorice root. Millions of smokers use it to soothe their dry throats since Licorice root improves secretion of the throat mucosa. ONO Throat Revival is also used by singers, public speakers and others who utilize their vocal cords excessively. In addition, licorice root has acquired the name in China of "the Great Detoxifier." It is considered to be one of the primary detoxifying herbs in the Chinese herbal arsenal.

Kevin: WOW! Thank you so much! I'm going to ONO tea and ordering right now!

No you cannot eat a steak on day 11! It is very important to EASE OFF the cleanse properly. One of my girlfriends had a turkey sandwich on day 11 and felt sick after. Yea, I warned her and she didn't listen. You've gone this far you can last a couple more days. If you haven't read my first journal, click here. For my second journal, click here.



Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner for Day 11

Day 11 (August 11): I woke up this morning and was happily surprised with a pitcher full of freshly squeezed orange juice with the pulp...I LOVE my Mom!!! Freshly squeezed OJ has always been yummy but this tasted AMAZING! It made me realize how I take the littlest things for granted sometimes. In addition to the OJ, I aslo added a new tea today to my regimine....ONO Serenity Now. The base of this tea is a green rooibos, which aids in the relief of stomach and indigestive problems like nausea, vomiting, heartburn, stomach ulcers and constipation. I didn't want to add caffeine to my system yet so this caffeine free blend was perfect and so delicious! The rest of the day I continued to have more OJ and alternated between Serenity Now and Holy Detox. Around 6pm Mom I went to the grocery store and it was pure torture. Everything just smelled so amazing. I picked up a bunch of parsley and it was as if I never smelled parsley before! I swear I could smell the dirt on the leaves. I bought a bunch of veggies for the soup I'm going to make tomorrow. Stanley Burrough's Master Cleanse said to not add spices to the soup, but anyone who knows me, knows I've gotta have spice in my life.  :)  If I can drink cayenne pepper and salt water for 10 days, a little oregano and pepper is not going to kill me. I can't wait to make my soup tomorrow!  A cup of Serenity Now and I'm off to sleep.

Day 12 (August 12):  Yay!!!  Food....vegetable soup!  I was so excited to make this today. I had 2 cups of freshly squeezed OJ and started making the soup. This is not one of my gourmet recipes, but trust me it will taste like 5 star dining after 11 days of drinking juice.


Here is my recipe:

1.5 C pasta
2 C mirepoix  ( 1 C diced onions, 1/2 C carrots, 1/2 C celery)
2 C beans of your choice (I chose cannelloni)
1 c. stewed tomatoes
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
1  bay leaf
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. dill
1/2 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne
2 T parsley
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

* Handful of spinach (optional)

Combine the above ingredients in a large soup pot, cover with water. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Throw in a handful of spinach about 10 minutes before the soup is ready.

You're supposed to just have the broth but I couldn't help it and ate everything! I know my body and I knew that it was ready for some substance. I ate mainly broth with some veggies for lunch with a cup of ONO Endurance. This tea has caffeine in it so I only had half of the amount of tea....1/2 tsp per 8 oz of hot water. Wow, I'll have to tell you...I was ready to take on the world. The little amount of caffeine in that tea gave me so much energy. I had a great amount of energy already from the detox but the tea took it to another level. I did some vinyassa yoga and felt amazing! I enjoyed 2 cups of Holy Detox before bed and was excited for the next day! Salad,  a croissant...YAY...and Slimming Goddess for me!

Day 13 (August 13): You won't believe it! I'm craving the lemonade today so I made myself 2 cups before devouring my yummy croissant!!! Yes, I had a croissant today, a chocolate one and it tasted so good! I had a cup of Slimming Goddess with the croissant to burn the calories. I wanted to maintain my weight so this was the perfect tea. I just loved how I felt and the way I looked the past few days. I had a spinach salad for lunch with delicious strawberries.  YUMMY! It was so nice to have real food and I wasn't craving meat at all....only veggies, fruits, and of course croissants.  :) I felt amazing and so proud of myself!

 


YUMMY!

This was not just a 10 day thing for me. My goal was to start taking better care of my body both physically and mentally. Here are a few tips on achieving a long-term healthy lifestyle.

1. Small changes over time are the most likely to stick. If you want to eat more vegetables, then sneak in that extra serving. Add your favorite veggies into every meal. If you need more whole grains, add barley or whole wheat pasta to your soup.

2. Keep saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium low, while keeping fiber, potassium, iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C high. Be sure to look at the serving size and the number of servings per package. The serving size affects calories, amounts of each nutrient, and the percentage of Daily Value.

3. Watch what you drink! Did you know that Vitamin water is one of the worst drinks? Coca-Cola's VitaminWater is more likely to increase a regular consumer's chances of being obese or developing diabetes, says the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Each VitaminWater bottle contains 33 grams of sugar...you're getting almost a Coke's worth of sugar and calories! Stick to natural, pure drinks that are loaded with antioxidants such as ONO Endurance, Antioxidant Junkie, Tee Time and Mighty Athena. Keep an eye out for my next blog : World's Unhealthiest Drinks...coming soon.

4. If you're looking to maintain the weight you lost, you should:

         * get at least 25 min of excercise a day

         * eat healthier (see #1)

         * stay away from artificial sweeteners. Please read my article: Sweetener For Your Tea.

         * incorporate energizing, SLIMMING teas into your diet. Please read my blog: Why You're Not Losing Those Last 5 lbs!

                    * Slimming Goddess

                    * Endurance

                    * Mighty Athena

                    * Geisha Green

                    * Holy Detox - great everyday tea.

 
Disclaimer: Although this worked for me, I am not saying it will work for you or should be construed as any type of medical advice or treatment instructions.  If you start any type of cleanse or treatment you should always ask your primary care physician.

Here is the rest of my journal for the ONO Master Cleanse. If you haven't seen the first journal please click here.   Viewer discretion advised: the next few days are more detailed and may be a little nauseating. Instead of displaying the images on this page of what you may experience, I included links.

I've been doing a lot of research on other people's cleanse experiences and most people can't make it past the first couple of days. I found one guy who was so inspiring! He went 32 days, lost 30 lbs and had a great experience. I lost a total of 9 lbs and gained about 3 lbs back after the cleanse. Body reserves differ from individual to individual. But a "typical" 155-pound male at normal weight has enough reserves to fast for between two to four months. If the fast were allowed to continue beyond the individual's reserves, starvation would ensue and serious damage and eventually death would occur. Therefore, always consult your doctor and listen to your body! You do not want to push yourself beyond your comfort zone when it comes to the cleanse. My Mom tried the cleanse and couldn't get past day 2. She started experiencing vertigo so I told her to stop immediately. She still wanted to cleanse so she went on a fresh fruit, veggie, and tea cleanse instead. I will post that program later. That didn't get rid of as many toxins as the master cleanse but it was much safer and more comfortable for her.

Day 5 (August 5): I woke up today with a ton of energy! The first thing I did was run to the bathroom to check my tongue.  More of that yucky white coating.  Yuck! But I noticed that my thighs were leaner and my stomach was flatter....but what do you expect not eating for 5 days right? I heard that you gain half of the weight back after the cleanse though. I did my salt water flush and this time a lot of mucus and really dark brownish almost black gunk came out. I did more research and found that the dark stuff was called mucoid plaque. They are the toxins that are built up within our internal systems and do cause much discomfort and stress when they are full enough. They are the result of junk food, food poisoning, environmental pollutions and unhealthy health habits. Here are pics of what you may experience. Today my experience was more like the picture on the left - viewer discretion advised. It was crazy to see that my BM (bowel movement) actually took the shape of my intestine. I've heard that some people may not experience this until day 8 so don't give up if you don't notice a drastic change in your BM yet. I had 2 cups of Throat Revival and Immunity Booster after the flush and waited an hour before having the lemonade. My body is getting used to the cleanse and actually look forward to the morning bathroom experience. I know it sounds gross and probably a little weird but it feels great to see that I'm expelling toxins! I was so inspired that I decided to work out today. I was able to fast walk on the treadmill for about an hour and felt great! When I was low on energy I had more of the lemonade drink. Before bedtime I had my usual 3 laxative pills, 2 cups of Holy Detox, and made more fresh lemonade for tomorrow. Night night...today was a great day.

Day 6 (August 6): I woke up early this morning and ran to the bathroom. A bunch of dark-brown sluggish gunk came out. I'm passing more solid wastes as the days progress.  I decided to skip the salt water flush this morning since I already did what I needed to do. I was craving Holy Detox so I had 2 cups then the lemonade. My sore throat was completely cured so I didn't have to drink the Throat Revival anymore. I think it's all Holy Detox and lemonade today. One of my friends invited me to go on his boat so I packed my lemonade drink and rinsed my mouth with listerine.... being VERY careful not to accidentally swallow any of it. Since I was going to be around people, I thought that gum would be a good idea too. Boy was I wrong. I chewed a piece of gum and it made my stomache twist and turn. I looked at the ingredients and of course what did I see? ASPARTAME!  Gross. That stuff is evil. Please read my blog on the dangers of artificial sweeteners. I decided to bring Holy Detox instead of the lemonade and gum. Spearmint has been known to combat bad breath and is the main component of Holy Detox. I was out for 3 hours and was very content with my tea. But by the time I got home, I was very hungry. Images of a flakey butter croissant was in my head, but of course I had a few servings of the lemonade instead. Just a few more days left!

Day 7 (August 7): I'm starting to crave the lemonade today. I washed my digestive tract and colon with the salt water flush and had 2 servings of the lemonade and 2 cups of Immunity Booster. I added extra cayenne pepper for a little kick. I felt like it keeps my metabolism racing and helps the lemon juice scrub my insides.  My BM this morning was more like the picture to the right. Yes, very gross but I'm so glad I'm seeing such great results!

Day 8 (August 8): Today was actually the roughest day so far. My mind was playing games with me. I just couldn't stop thinking about food. I am not a quitter so I controlled my cravings with more ONO tea and juice. I did the SWF this morning and it didn't work! Hopefully it was just loosening some junk up and I will flush out better tomorrow.  I hung out with a few of my friends today and I swear I could tell what they had for dinner! I think they were annoyed because I told them they smelled greasy...lol. I don't know if I have gone mad or if I can really smell the difference when a person has junk food. I decided to join them for wine that night too. The bar tender thought it was so weird that I was guzzling water all night.  When I told him I was doing the cleanse he said that he tried and gave up after a day. It's always the first 3 days that's the hardest I told him. It was so rewarding to see that I could go a whole day surrounded by food and wine and not desire food. Yay for me....almost done!  I'll tell you though, it's really annoying to be able to tell what people ate and what perfume they were wearing.

Day 9 (August 9):  I did gentle yoga this morning to help release more poisons and noticed that I am definitely in the toxin-release phase of the cleanse. What does that mean? I am releasing toxins through my sweat and pores. Yuck! Thank goodness I did yoga at home and not in a class. I have never smelled bad before and I am not smelling too sexy right now. My senses were also magnified even more today...I can smell any scent no matter how small.  This time, the scent was me and it was very traumatic. Although I smelled horrible...lol...I was even more inspired to live healthier. I also noticed that my tongue was not as coated today. I was told that if I kept going my tongue would eventually turn a bright pink. It really is very fulfilling to see everything I've read about actually happen. I passed more black solids today after the salt water flush. I only have one more day left but I was told that I should keep going until I only pass mucous. I'm going to stick with 10 days and next time do a 14 day cleanse. Plus, 10 days is really 12 days because I'll have to break the cleanse...which means no solid food right away.

Day 10 (August 10): I'm feeling better than I ever have in my entire life. I weighed myself and I lost a total of 9 pounds. I don't need to lose any weight but it was nice to see leaner thighs. However, I think I may have a lost some of my butt! Not good....can't wait to start eating healthy again. I did the SWF and released more toxins. Then it was back to the Holy Detox and lemonade. The whole day I was planning my first meal. I know that I have to slowly incorporate food so I decided tomorrow I would start with freshly squeezed orange juice.  Off to the grocery store! I know it sounds crazy but I was looking forward to going to bed so that I could have my OJ breakfast, lunch, and dinner tomorrow. I still drank my Holy Detox but stopped the fiber pills tonight. I will post the next blog soon about how to ease of the cleanse. 

Have you ever wanted to physically and mentally rid your body of toxins and boost your energy level? Those are just a couple things that the ONO Master Cleanse has done for me.

What is the Master Cleanse?

     * The "Master Cleanse" was published by Stanley Burroughs in 1976. It can help you look younger, cleanse your body of internal waste, boost your energy levels, ease chronic pain, and even help you lose up to 20 pounds, but most people do NOT last for more than 1 day. The Master Cleanse concoction consists of water, fresh lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup and you drink at least six glasses of it a day. As it is necessary to bathe the outside of our bodies, so it is with the inside. Therefore, you should also do a salt water flush every morning. A salt water flush consists of drinking 32 ounces of water combined with 2 tsp of sea salt. You are not allowed to have food BUT, according to page 83 of Stanley Burrough's "Master Cleanse," you can have herbal teas.  Which leads me to....

What is the ONO Master Cleanse?

     * When I found out that I was allowed to incorporate herbal teas into the Master Cleanse, I was super excited to create a program for myself. The ONO teas I've selected for the cleanse, Holy Detox, Immunity Booster, and Throat Revival,  helped flush more toxins from my body, boost my immune system, and kept my taste buds from getting bored. Seriously, a person can only go so long without food and only lemonade and cayenne pepper. Here are the ingredients and their benefits in aiding with the cleanse:

* Cayenne Pepper - the inclusion of cayenne pepper in the cleanse recipe is to break up and cleanse mucus, increase warmth and provide vitamins.  Cayenne also acts as a catalyst, increasing the effectiveness of other herbs. It dilates blood vessels and accelerates circulation, it helps to rebuild stomach tissue, aids digestion and assimilation and stimulates peristalsis in the intestine, improving elimination.

* Lemons - Long known for their cleansing abilities, Lemons are high in vitamin C and potassium, and also contain limonene, a compound shown to have anti-cancer properties in laboratory animals. Lemons are also astringent, which causes tissue in your body to contract, squeezing out toxins stored deep within.

* Sea Salt -  Raw, unrefined sea salts and salt from sea deposits can contain over 80 individual nutrients and minerals! Needed for the salt water flush.



* Water - Water is the universal solvent which washes toxins out and mobilises them for cleansing throughout your body.



* Maple Syrup - Maple syrup is one of the few unprocessed good sugars that provide micronutrients as well as calories to the body. It is high in minerals including zinc and manganese. For the Master Cleanse, Burroughs recommends grade B because it contains more minerals than the lighter grades of maple syrup.

* Fiber pills - helps loosen your stool for an easier BM.




* Holy Detox: This tea is a natural and gentle way to detox your body. The main ingredient in this tea is Tulsi Basil - it helps protect the physiology from environmental toxins and pollution. Tulsi Basil helps to detoxify any toxin that might be circulating through our body via blood thereby it has the property to purify blood.

* Immunity Booster: The main ingredient in this tea is Echinacea  - it is believed to stimulate the immune system to help fight infections. This helped me keep my immune system strong while I was doing the cleanse.


* Throat Revival: The main ingredient in this tea is Licorice Root - its antioxidant, antiviral, and antibody-stimulating properties make it a liver protectant and detoxifier.


What did the cleanse do for Me, Beyonce, and Jared Leto?

I did this cleanse last year and never had so much natural energy in my life! It's amazing how getting rid of years of toxins and pollutants can change your body and your mind.  It helped detoxify my body, I dropped about 5 pounds (one of my guy friends dropped 15 lbs), it made me more focused and restored my energy and sense of wellbeing. After the ONO Master Cleanse, I felt more refreshed and more in tune with my body. It definitely showed me how much discipline I had and gave me a whole new outlook on life. I love food and no one thought I could stop eating for 10 days.  I found my journal and finally had the chance to share with you my experience. I'm doing a 14 day cleanse in a couple weeks and will blog about my experience again. This cleanse has become fairly popular in the last few years due to celebrities trying it, but it's been around for over 50 years now. Jared Leto did the Master Cleanse in order to drop the 60 lbs he gained to play Mark David Chapman for the movie Chapter 27. And Beyonce shared with Oprah that she had used the Master Cleanse to quickly drop 20 lbs so she could play Deena Jones at two different ages in the movie, Dreamgirls.

What to expect during the cleanse. (This is kind of gross)

               * It's common to pass pounds of waste in just 10 days on the Master Cleanse, and not the normal kind of waste. It's often black as tar -- The hardened phlegm and mucus comes out like long chunks of rubber -- The waste comes out holding the shape of the inside of your intestine because it's been inside you for years.  I know this is gross, but yes, it did happen to me.

                  * Several eliminations will likely occur within an hour after the salt water flush. When you first feel the rumble in your belly and your bowels, don't go running off to the bathroom. Give it a while. Yeah that is weird to think about, but you should let it build up. You are going to have 3-7 movements or even more. Generally speaking, you will end up pushing out what you put in. The entire liter of sea salt water will be immediately expelled along with wastes and toxins. This is because the solution is indigestible.

                 * Your tongue will be really gross.  Toxins will be coming out of every dark corner in your body, and all that garbage is floating up to the surface... your tongue being one of those places. You are supposed to do the cleanse until your tongue is pink again but if you have a lot of toxins, that may take longer than 10 days. I recommend staying 5 feet away from your loved ones till then.

Am I starving myself?

     No. Maple syrup provides for the body's caloric needs even as the lemon, cayenne, and high water intake encourage toxins and buildup to leave the body. Minerals and vitamins are provided by the mineral-rich maple syrup and lemon juice (which is high in vitamin C and other nutrients). Here is the journal from my cleanse last year.

Please be aware that this is my personal experience and I will be documenting some things that will be more than you would like to know about me.  :)

The Night Before (August 3) - I went to the local specialty market and bought everything I needed for the ONO Master Cleanse.  Here is the list of must haves:

* fresh lemons

* Grade B Maple Syrup (Grade B tastes better than Grade A)

* Cayenne pepper

* Sea Salt

* Bottled Water

* ONO Holy Detox, Immunity Booster, and Throat Revival.

* fiber pills - 3 before bed every night.

I came home and Mom had my last meal prepared. She was so cute tonight. She said, "I don't know how you, out of all people, can live without food. I'm afraid you are going to suffer and pass out. I'll stay here with you everyday if you need anything."  Awww...Mom was so cute. So after a delicious meal (it was one of her signature dishes with sauted shrimp and veggies), I drank two cups of Holy Detox and took my fiber pills. I decided to not use a harsh laxative and gently remove toxins with the herbal tea and fiber instead.  After a couple cups of Holy detox and the fiber pills, I decided to go ahead and prepare 60 ounces (6 servings) of the cleanse drink ahead of time so I wouldn't have to worry about it in the morning. Here is the recipe per serving and you should have 6-12 servings a day. I made 6 servings because I knew I would be drinking the teas in between.

               * 2 Tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice

               * 2 Tablespoons of  grade B maple syrup

               * 1/10 Teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

               * 10 oz of filtered water

Ok, now it's sleepy time. I hope the Holy Detox and fiber pills don't work too fast overnight. :)  Wish me luck!

Day 1 (August 4th): Every morning you should drink 32 oz of salt water on an empty stomach. This is called the salt water flush, a mixture of 32 oz filtered water and 2 tsp of sea salt. I really thought this was going to be easy. Salt water, big deal right? Well, I took the first sip and wanted to throw up. Bad start. So, I warmed the salt water on the stove, put it in my favorite bowl and pretended it was a hot bowl of delicious soup. That worked for the first cup....3 more to go. I seriously had to lay on the couch and take a break after the first two cups. It was pretty gross. Mom saw how disgusted I was and all she could do was shake her head. I knew what she was thinking, "Poor Phuong. There is no way she is going to be able to do this. She loves food way too much." Well, it took me 20 min to drink all the salt water and 20 min after that, I had to run to the bathroom. I was on the toilet for 15 minutes. The salt and water does not separate but stays intact and quickly and thoroughly washes the entire tract in about one hour. Several eliminations occurred. The salt water has the same specific gravity as blood, hence the kidneys cannot pick up the water and the blood cannot pick up the salt.  I recommend being close to a bathroom for 1.5 hours after drinking the salt water. Why? Trust me or you will be brought back to your infant diaper days and it could get embarrassing. Especially day 1, you just don't know how your body will react to the salt water. Seriously, within 1.5 hour I ran to the bathroom 3 times.....yes ran. The tea, fiber, and salt water really works. I learned that once you can go 15 minutes without a serious movement, you are safe to go about your day.  After an hour of the salt water flush, I started drinking the lemonade mixture. I had 2 servings and it actually tasted great! I like lemonade and a like a little spice in my food/drinks so the cayenne pepper was actually a tasty addition. I was happy to find out that the lemonade mix actually curbed my appetite.  Well that didn't last for long. Every 3 hours I had a food craving. I specifically craved a filet. I overcame my craving by watching a slaughterhouse video and put that up next to it an image of a juicy steak. I knew a lot of my craving was in my mind. I knew I could surpass it. The video instantly turned me off to red meat. Whew.....the craving for meat or anything solid was gone. I had a cup of Immunity Booster and another serving of the lemonade. Around 7 I had another craving and it was very very difficult. I decided to have a cup of lemonade and waited an hour before I had a cup Holy Detox with the fiber pills. I was feeling really tired at this point and went to bed around 9pm. This was a tough day.

Day 2 (August 5): Salt water flush again! This time I used a little less salt and I was able to drink everything in 5 min. It was still hard but a little easier this time. This may sound crazy but knowing that toxins and wastes would be eliminated so quickly after the flush motivated me to drink it faster. As expected, I ran to the bathroom within 30 min. A lot more waste was eliminated with the salt water this time. During the first 2 days you will be moving out remaining solid matter in the digestive track from the days previous. After several BMs,  I had 2 cups of the lemonade and went back to my office to work. I highly recommend being very close to a bathroom because the salt water works very fast and will not wait for when you are ready. You know what I mean? You do not want to have to change your pants at work.  If you don't work from home, I recommend doing the salt water flush in the evening when you get home. Privacy is very important because you will have no control over what happens. I finished my 6 servings of the lemonade and around 8 pm I was really tired. I decided to have my Holy Detox tea and fiber pills and go to bed. I've never been to bed that early but I was just exhausted and felt weak.

Day 3 (August 5):  I woke up around 5 am and to my surprise, I had so much energy! I was actually looking forward to my salt water flush. I seriously think it was because I knew what would happen after. My Mom woke up around 7am and was shocked to see that I was already up. I told her I had so much energy and she thought I lost my mind. She just couldn't understand how it was possible that I haven't had anything to eat for 2 days and had so much energy. I think my body was starting to flush out a lot of poisons and toxins that have been draining my energy. That energy boost lasted for a few hours then I had to take a nap after my 2nd serving of the lemonade.  My cravings weren't so bad today. Every time I started craving food, I would have the lemonade and Immunity Booster tea. Around 8pm I was tired again and had ONO Holy Detox with the fiber pills. I made it past day 3. Yay!  I heard the first 3 days was the hardest.

Day 4 (August 6): I woke up early again and full of energy but my throat was a little sore. I decided to have my salt water flush then had 2 cups of Throat Revival before my lemonade. I think my body is starting to excrete more poison and waste and it's taking a toll on me. I was warned of this and well, it looks like I may be coming down with something. I decided to drink more Immunity Booster and Throat Revival throughout the day. I took a look at my throat in the mirror and my tongue had a white coating. Gross!  It's happening, the toxins are being excreted though my tongue. Ewwww.... but at the same time it was so rewarding to see more wastes being eliminated.  Today I am starting to really crave food. I love food, but I have never thought about food this much. I'm starting to obsess over it. I swear my senses are on overdrive too! I miss sushi and would love a big piece of chocolate cake right now too. That only means one thing - time to curb that hunger with lemonade. This is the hardest day for me because I feel like I can smell everything!  Ahhh! Well, I decided to take a walk outside with my tumbler of Throat Revival instead. I came back around 4 pm and had 2 cups of the lemonade and everything feels a little better. I just can't get over how well I feel for not having eaten any food in 4 days.  I can't stop thinking about food though. Of course as I was thinking about a plate of sashimi and cup of green tea, Mom came back from dinner and gave me a huge hug. I think she just wanted to make sure I was still alive. She still couldn't believe that I could go that long without food. I totally guessed what she had for dinner too. I've always had pretty good senses, but this was amazing. Everything seemed magnified and my senses have never been that awake! My Mom thought I was losing it....lol. She told me that she could already tell that I was losing a little bit of weight. I didn't need to lose weight but I was very happy that the toxins were being eliminated. Yay!  It's 9pm and time for my fiber pills and 2 cups of Holy Detox.  Good night. Check tomorrow for Day 5-10.


ONO Sleepy Time

***ONO Tea offer until April 15th, 2009: Receive a Free ONO Detox Sampler Bag with any purchase over $25.

Disclaimer: Although this worked for me, I am not saying it will work for you or should be construed as any type of medical advice or treatment instructions.  If you start any type of cleanse or treatment you should always ask your primary care physician.

Heat experiences for health can be uplifting and will work wonders for your body and mind.

Heating the body for health is something that has been around since the days of Hippocrates, the founder of modern medicine.  Over two thousand years ago, he taught that raising the body temperature -brings about curative results.  

If you spend some time relaxing in a heat experience - I am sure that you will go away feeling refreshed and relaxed.

What 

What are these heat experiences?

There are two heat experiences that are common today - sauna and steam.  This discussion will talk about these two basics - and not the extensive water bathing rituals which exist throughout the world.  That is an additional huge subject - I will talk about, in the future.  

Where

Sauna and steam facilities can be found in the following settings:  in a spa, gym, health club, apartment complex, hotel, swimming pools, and in homes. Sauna and steam have always been popular.  

For years - gyms and health clubs have incorporated sauna and steam rooms into their locker room area facilities.  

The 'spa world' over the last ten years has taken this concept and expanded it into plush 'heat experiences' as it is called.  Some world class spas have based a large part of their concept on thermal spa experiences. And can offer as many as six chambers, each housing a different heat treatment - with temperature and humidity alterations. In my opinion, that is a bit over the top - not needed.  I say this in light of my experiences in the creation, building, and operations of spas and fitness facilities worldwide.

http://whitestarwellness.com/
 
Advice

What is important to know - is that these heat experiences form a powerful and therapeutic element of your spa journey.  Or your gym regime - or your relaxation and detox day.  
 

So my tip is this:  to allow yourself plenty of time to use the heat before a massage.  It definitely relaxes your muscles.  Some spas will offer this as part of the cost of your treatment.  Other businesses shy away from offering or have strict rules because they feel it is a drain on their expenses of laundry and amenities.  If the spa has the facility, ask about this when you make your appointment. 
 

Another tip:  whether it is a spa, gym, or health club.  There are times or reasons that you do not want to splurge on an expensive massage or purchase a year membership at a new gym.  Ask if they offer a day use pass.  I have successfully created these in gyms and spas and people will buy - so that they can enjoy the heat experiences and the relaxation areas.
 
Caution:  Pregnant women can not use heat treatments because they are not to heat their body core.

Heart patients with a blood pressure condition or others suffering from any disease - do consult your physician first.  

Note that rules change everywhere.  There are many locales worldwide, which actually enforce mixed-gender nudity-compulsory facilities.  And no sitting on towels - it is not allowed, in some countries.

It is customary to have these rules and signs posted in spas, pools, and fitness facilities worldwide.

Don't consume alcohol.

Do - drink plenty of water before, during, and after your time in the heat.
 
My suggestions:

    * It may sound fun to go to a co-ed sauna or steam, but in actuality - some do mandate a bathing suit.  I much prefer to relax with a towel around me in a female only sauna - and I can drop that towel, as I wish.
    * Always sit or lay on a towel - especially in steam room
    * This is a time for you to de-compress.  I advise you to go alone.  Or take a quiet friend - not the chatterbox type.
    * Look for off peak hours - when you can have the facility all to yourself.  Or with as few people as possible.
    * Many saunas have lights inside.  If the staff is not around - and you see the switch near the door - turn it off.  It is truly much more relaxing than having a naked light bulb in your eyes.

The most beneficial way to use the heat experiences is to relax for 10 - 15 minutes in one of the heat experiences and then take a rinse in the shower. Cool down and rest a bit - give yourself some time.  Even if the facility does not have a luxurious lounger - no problem.  You can still rest on a bench.  Then - if you have the time and you feel good - go back into the heat again.  

Alternating the heat with sufficient time to cool down and rest - is the most important.  If you have allowed the time - don't rush.
 
Benefits

Sweating helps the body rid itself of excess sodium, drugs, and some toxins.  

Sweating in a sauna or steam room dilates the blood vessels and thereby improves general circulation.

The skin is the largest organ of your body.  Heat treatments cleanse by opening the pores and flushing out impurities. 
 

Benefits of heat treatments may include the following and more:

    * soothe and relaxes tired muscles
    * improved blood circulation
    * enhanced detoxification processes
    * increase in energy
    * improved sleep
    * a strengthened immune system
    * improves skin and body tone
    * tension and stress relief

All in all - heat treatments have a lot going for them.  At the top of the list is that by doing so, you will be contributing to your healing processes and promoting feelings of relaxation and well-being.

When you do take some significant time for your heat treatments - afterwards you will feel like the edges of your body are not so solid.

Floating.....how wonderful ! 

Photo courtesy of http://www.amerimerc.com/sauna_n_steam/steam/acrylic_modular_steam_rm.asp

Did you know that the skin is our bodies largest organ? What many don't know is that the skin is also an important organ for elimination and cleansing. Would you believe it actually accounts for one-fourth of the body's detoxification each day?  Brushing the skin helps unplug pores, increases its ability to absorb nutrients and increases circulation to skin cells.  When you dry brush regularly, the nervous system is rejuvenated, nerve endings are stimulated and this healthful action also contributes to improved muscle tone.

Additional benefits of dry skin brushing:

    * Stimulates the blood flow to your skin
    * Softens your skin
    * Removes dead, scaly skin
    * Increases the new skin cell growth
    * Stimulates the lymph flow
    * Invigorates your whole body

Dry skin brushing is best done right before a bath or shower. It is done on dry skin and the brush is never gotten wet. Use a natural fiber brush or loofa sponge and brush skin once or twice in the same direction across all of the body. Don't dry brush your face. Use a sweeping motion, like that of a Swedish massage, across the skin and long smooth strokes toward your heart.  The brush size should be about the size of your hand and have a moderately soft natural vegetable fiber bristle.

To begin, lightly glide the brush across the top of your foot to the knee. Continue lightly stroking your whole body with long, light, smooth strokes, up the arms and legs. Brush each surface only once. One stroke for the front of the lower leg, one for the inside, then one for the outside and one for the back of the leg.
 
It should take four strokes from the foot to the knee, four strokes from the hand to the shoulder. It requires six strokes for the upper leg.  Brush the upper legs and arms with the same technique. The trunk area of the body is lightly stroked with the target area being the liver, which is under the ribs, on the right side.

Clean your skin brush using soap and water once a week. After rinsing, dry your skin brush in an open, sunny spot to prevent mildew.

Avoid dry skin brushing if you:

    * Suffer from a heart condition, have high blood pressure or diabetes
    * Have psorisis, eczema or extremely sensitive, easily-irritated skin
    * Have broken skin wounds or infections

Dry skin brushing is an easy and inexpensive way to aid not only your skin but your whole body health. With just a few minutes each day spent dry brushing your skin you will see and feel long lasting results both inside and out.  Make a positive change in your life today with dry skin brushing.

Photo Credit © Bbostjan | Dreamstime.com

I have been reading lately about "detoxing." I was looking at this from the perspective of cleansing my body from the unhealthy things I ingest. My goal was to feel renewed. A fresh start.

Even better I thought was a detox of the soul. No, not an exorcism, but a time to really check out and heal from pressure, stress, personal issuesm and assorted drama. Haven't you ever felt the need to just run away? Be still? Rest?

I do.

Once or twice a year I go to a monastery. I usually spend one day silent (no talking at all) and one day fasting. The amazing thing is that when I do speak again, I notice how much mindless chatter takes place instead of true communication. I am settled. Less anxious. I become closer to God and a bit more aware.

Find a quiet place where you can connect to what is important...and shake off the things that weigh you down. Don't forget your favorite books and PJ's.

My favorite places for rest are:

Mount Calvary Retreat House
Mission San Luis Rey
Prince of Peace Abbey

Photo Credit © Anna Ceglińska | Dreamstime.com