Wednesday, September 3, 2008

So how was the Master Lemon Cleanse?

I highly recommend a cleanse someone that really wants to do it for the cleansing purpose. Perhaps a time when one is turning a page in their life, trying to break old habits (smoking, drinking, eating) or trying to cultivate health and discipline. One should maintain a strong will to keep the fast through the 10 LONG days and nights(a 4 day weening period) as well as put thought of planning a healthy diet to have a successful and constructive cleanse. The mind is the the tricky part as the hunger is temporary as with all sensations, eventually wane.

The account from one of the books on the cleanse tells of people experiencing some heavy emotions, that are brought up by the cleanse. The body is releasing junk locked up in your large intestine and flushing out parts of your circulatory system. Places all around the body hold memory in the neurons and associations to pain and not so pleasant emotions can be brought up with this release. There are reports of long time smokers who have quit for years experiencing the taste of tobacco on the cleanse.

It took me to accept that I wasn't going to eat, and that hunger meant to drink some of the lemon mix, which gets really tiring to the tongue. Cravings passed and curbed, my thoughts felt had a heighten clarity, and a euphoric feeling was present.

The process of finding lemons around the neighborhood, squeezing and being consistent about replacing my need to eat with such a simple diet of freshly squeezed lemons, maple syrup (200 calories per serving available for your body to use) and Cayenne Pepper was part of a process.

Lemons are nice...the skin holds pores of oil, that will ignite if you squeeze them to a flame. The color of a lemon is calming at the same time invigorating and indeed cleansing. The lemon trees I harvested had thorns which tatooed my arms for the following week.

While on this cleanse and not eating regular meals, it was clear how much of my normal day is based around my stomach and my need to satisfy my desire to eat.

The past few years I have been working on a more function based diet, continuing the gap of my pallet with a sugar colonized pallet of the North American sugar barons, who colonized Cuba, involved slave trading, and colonized the American pallet with fast food, high frutose corn syrup, and Coca-Cola. Sugar is a drug, most of America is hooked on and the high fructose corn syrup really messes with the body, and creates a lot of "dis-ease." I really can't see fast food as food suitable for a human body.

I have been very lucky to have access to farmers markets very locally in Los Angeles. I am able to have organic produce from local farmers where I could eat for less then $40 for the week, very well. Good for the body and despite the arguments that local farming infrastructure uses fuel resources, it is probably better for the local economy and the environment, because it is localizing nontheless.

If my experience makes you interested in trying the cleanse, I highly recommend reading the book on the master cleanse, cover to cover, to fully understand the different aspects behind this process. The Full Master Cleanse by Tom Woloshyn, it is holistic to the approach and may open up other avenues of wellness. The OG cleanse is written by Stanley Burroughs.

Although, Oprah's doctor show my say different, and Penn & Teller from Bullshit! (who are very unhealthy looking, to put it nicely) might bash a cleanse and claim it's a fad...even my father who is a physican didn't think it was a great idea, I feel benefits, and there is another school of thought that feels that cleanses are highly beneficial. In fact fasts and natural cleanses are built into a lot of cultures around the world. That being said there are many other cleanses you can try other than the Lemonade Diet if you can't handle the ingredents.

My older brother Peter dropped about 30lbs during his first attempt on the cleanse--right on.

My younger sister Robyn didn't read the book and dropped the cleanse the first day--maybe next time.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Master Cleanse Day 4, Day 5, Day 6...7

Day 4

Traveling to Downtown on the packed 33 metro through South Los Angeles I am witness to an exchange of an 40 year old black man and 18+ black girl. The bus was packed and they were yelling about being too loud and negative, throwing around many threats. It was useless argument of ego.

A black women with her three young kids chastised the two saying "my ten year old is scared wondering why niggers are acting so niggerish!!! That's right, I said niggerish. I moved my family from Rancho Cucamunga so they could be around black people...and this is what I get!?"

Eventually, the shit talking subsided, but the infighting, claiming to parts of the "hood" was just blatantly glaring to this white boy as senseless and destructive.

There were so many things wrong about the situation, false pride, ego, needless disrespect and a proliferation of disharmony within a community that faces many hardships. Life on the bus carried on while young women were talking about sexing each other up and grinding on each other literally right in front of the small kids.

It was a scene that I would escape at Venice and Grand...but, implications for the way things are seemingly so toxic to society were playing out through my head...reaffirming needs for a refocus, something like The Green Projects could provide some tools.

I tried to deflect some of the negative energy, with my bright green shirt...a good color for the detox.

Day 5

I danced to House music into Day 5 at Inspiration, at the Palmer. I came out with a stronger desire to improve my body control and movement.

I picked more lemons today. Down the street, a lemon tree on city property, the people with the store front offered their homemade lemon picker. Climbing the tree, and getting all scratched up from the thorny lemon tree while harvesting a lot of the lemons, they were appreciative. I took a sack that will last me through this cleanse, and the people at the store should have lemonade.

I then went to play beach volleyball with friends down the beach...seeing some friends.

Feeling really good about the cleanse.

Day 6

Mornings are definitely a little uncomfortable.

I drank my laxative tea, then got ready for an hatha yoga session with Vytas the calm one. Needless to say, if you know his style, but it was a really intense session, which was extra sweaty. More toxins out.

My love handles are reduced, although my love endures.

I have been working on The Green Projects proposal

Vision Statement:

To mobilize people in low income neighborhoods to become educated for highly skilled green jobs and facilitate a network necessary to retool their communities through green technologies. An ethic of green, socially responsible, non-violent creative emancipation will be cultivated through various educational (artistic, academic, and vocational) workshops.

I am writing it to put together my ideas in hopes of my network of people that are looking to affect change and a group of UCLA friends who want to start a charter school will direct there energy more efficiently to affect positive change.

Feeling pretty good.

Day 7 - morning

Had a friend quip that the cleanse is bullshit, after telling her I am only my 7th day.
The effects seem very real and physically apparent to me. My diet is mostly non-toxic, whole organic vegetarian food. Even so, I am still seeing a dark plaque like substance be eliminated from my body even after seven days of Lemon, Maple Syrup, Cayanne Pepper.

The comment came from one point of view, usually involving a high metabolic game of too much in too much out, that is stressful on the mind.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Master Cleanse Day 1 Women Down Day 2 and 3

Woman Down
Day 1
Robyn dropped out the first day... I advised her to read the book, but she procrastinated. The book is a good tool to help inform the intention of this cleanse.

I made her drink the first dose of maple syrup, lemon and cayenne pepper too soon after the salt water too soon, she wound of vomiting the lemonade.

So, I left to the DMV to get my lost liscence renewed. When I come in the house I looked at Robyn, and new she had eaten.

She doesn't like lemons, and can't do spicy...so, she decided this was not for her.

--
Day two

I drank 96 ounces of the liquid through out the day. I can handle being around food and other people eating, the urge to eat is there just for the taste, I gave away the Gouda cheese I had in the refrigerator. I don't really feel hungry . Each 8 ounces of the lemonade is 200 calories.

I missed the coaster by a few minutes coming back to LA, but made it back by Amtrak to catch the Twilight Dancer Concert at Santa Monica pier.

--
Day three

The mornings seem to be the most difficult. That is when the herbal laxative kicks in from the bedtime tea.

I went to yoga in the morning and was worried that the abdominal work would squeeze too hard and the laxative still in effect would produce a not so Zen experience. A lot of sweat, felt good, keeping hydrated. I got through it, using my forearms in all my postures that require my hands. I hurt my hands last night after my wheels of my skate board came off the board.

I feel a little euphoric at times. So, far, I recommended it...

I went and picked some more lemons around Venice, found some really juicy ones.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Master Cleanser: Preparation

The Sablove children are going on a cleanse.

Preparation

Get Ingredients:

Master Cleanse Book - Bought and I read
Sea Salt - With it's trace minerals, for morning internal salt bath.
Maple Syrup (B-Grade) 3 Quarts: TJs was most reasonable
Cayenne Pepper 6 Ounces: Bought in bulk - Henry's
Laxative Herbal Tea - Smooth Move: Take before bed and in morning.
40 large wrinkled Lemons: Hand Picked from someones abundant tree in their front yard. It's OK to do this , I read it in the bible.

I am excited to do this...it sounds like quite a flush, and what good timing for me.