Comments on: The Master Cleanse. “Today is my 45th day without eating any solid food.” ~ via Harold Linde

By: AMO

AMO — Fri, 27 May 2011 09:17:16 +0000

It's actually scientifically understood why people feel euphoria when they're starving. The scientists guess that this is due to some trigger in the brain that keeps you from suffering as you die. It happens when you freeze to death too. You begin to feel hot and even remove your clothing as your body shuts down. Scientists also assume that the euphoria keeps you from hibernating in your cave and dying when you have no food. The euphoria will drive you out into the world, it's assumed, to find food. Your body assumes you want food of course. It's one of the reasons anorexics can't understand how skinny they are. The messages firing in their brains, due to a severe lack of certain necessary minerals, are giving them false messages about what they look like. Even while they starve to death though their brains are hyper focused on food, what to eat, what not to eat, what they look like because of what they eat. Extended periods of time without a varied and healthy diet does not make people well. I understand that cleaning the body can feel wonderful, and I understand how hard it can be to moderate food on a regular basis. I very seriously doubt that the writer will keep his food clean on an ongoing basis. Sure, that first meal will be all pure and clean for the body and the earth, but the truth is that the body will react with a kind of shock to the reintroduction of food after such a long period and, having been made clear that you WILL starve sometimes, it will begin to conserve calories, driving you to eat. The more often you starve your self, the more reactive your body will become to this. When it has food available, in the West that means whenever you decide to eat, your body will drive you to eat more. Soon you'll be needing another "cleanse" though cleaning really isn't the point is it? If you were so committed to clean you wouldn't eat all that crap in the first place would you? Let's just be honest. It's a diet. It's an extreme diet. A person can lose up to 30 pounds on a 45 day fast, which can be dangerous and is extremely unhealthy. If you're not fat, you definitely don't need to go without solid food for a month and half.

Finally, maybe the writer is one of those people whose metabolisms will bounce back, maybe he's one of the 1 in 1000 who, having undertaken an extreme diet/"cleanse" will stick to the program after the extreme period is over and maintain healthy eating for longer than a year, but what about the other 999 who read this and convince themselves that starvation is the road to euphoria in the body? What about the women in yoga rooms all over America studying every lump and bump on their bodies in the mirror (never mind that women's bodies are supposed to have lumps and bumps) who hear diet when you say cleanse, especially if you talk about weight loss.

Yes people can have extreme feelings about food. I'll bet you got some feedback of a fairly extreme nature. Of course, you're doing something extreme and presenting it as "normal" and "healthy" so people will tend to have extreme responses to that. Not surprising. Sometimes the feedback you get is a message that you're not in sync with the natural world.

The body can store enough glycogen in the muscles and liver to last about 3 days. If you're obese you can live off your fat for a while, but be careful not to burn through the brown fat, you need that. Don't know what brown fat is? Maybe you don't really have enough information to go this route. Longer than 3 days without solid food is not healthy or safe for most humans. Extreme processes bring extreme results. Please be careful…

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 05 May 2011 10:44:56 +0000

I did the MC 1.5 years ago for 13 days. In fact, I prepared a large Thanksgiving feast without tasting anything. THAT was difficult. I did it. I lost weight. I definitely purged whatever was in my system. For me, the stomach churning and hunger pangs, especially at night, were palpable and loud. My dear wife dealt well I think. She was not a fan of the diet. Apparently I was surly! I have low blood sugar issues which usually crop up around feeding time, yes, like a zoo animal feeding schedule, where tempers can quickly rise and the sole focus of existence becomes food. I don’t think my family will ever let me do the MC again unless I sign a no jerk behavior while cleansing pledge.

By: Magda

Magda — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 18:42:31 +0000

I tried the Master Cleanse recently and didn't make it through one day. Maybe I'll try again! Thanks for sharing your story Howard:)

By: jolinda Van Haren

jolinda Van Haren — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 03:02:41 +0000

Why?

By: Lee

Lee — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 07:59:03 +0000

I've just started what I hope is a 30-day stint on the Master Cleanse, and I found this post so encouraging!

By: BJ Galvan

BJ Galvan — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 21:06:05 +0000

I thought of more…. Think of your body as a vehicle.. (or a Conscious Meat suit). If your exhaust pipe (colon) is all clogged up all the toxins go back into the body (back up in the Meat suit). You wash it (hygiene and practices to keep the windshield of your Heart clear) you use the best fuel, (what you eat, drink and put on your skin). You empty your oil, flush all the fluids (Master Cleanse) and all systems good to go… It was GREAT for my well Being…

By: bj galvan

bj galvan — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 00:00:53 +0000

I did the Master Cleanse two years ago. I had never even fasted at Yom Kippur. I started for just half a day, then the whole day.. I went 13 days and felt EFFERVESCENT.. LOVED it.. would’ve kept going but I had to travel in a week. Someday when I have a few weeks at home i will do it again. It was for sure a boost to my system on every level, and I feel better than ever.I will do it again the first chance I get! And… an old ganglion went away.

By: pam

pam — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:23:43 +0000

You are always an inspiration!! I want to try this… or maybe I should just squeeze some lemon on my mac n cheese?

By: Anne Chastain

Anne Chastain — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 15:40:48 +0000

Interesting! We don't need as many calories as we think, at least, I don't.. (I'm paranoid about cheap, processed foods & I can't afford to eat the way I'd like, so I just eat a little.) Leanness gets you in touch with your hunter/gatherer. The best part besides energy and alertness is you really feel your smaller muscles when you're not carrying extra stores. Conscious movement is much more nuanced. But fat sure is good insulation against the cold. brrrrr….shoulda stored up a little!

By: Eat Like Your Ancestors. ~ via Chelsea Komlo | elephant journal

Eat Like Your Ancestors. ~ via Chelsea Komlo | elephant journal — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:48:57 +0000

[...] is good news, though. There’s a new diet about town, only this time there’s nothing new about it. This diet is actually an ancient lifestyle that has [...]