May, 2006 - my first cleanse ever. I decided to spend only 5 days on it (in contrast to the 10-40 days suggested by Stanly Burroughs, creator of the cleanse.) I’m glad I did it. Despite the difficulty of being a foodie in a 5-day foodless world, I felt incredible, sharp energy, a sense of lightness I’ve never felt before, and a real sense of slowing down – something I’d prescribe for pretty much anyone I know living in this crazy town. My sinuses cleared up (months later, I still don’t have any issues), I lost a few pounds, and – perhaps most importantly – I truly appreciated how lucky we are to have copious amounts of food at our disposal 24/7. Following is an account of my 5-day journey on the Spicy Lemonade Diet.

DAY ONE (Friday)
We awoke this morning and approached the big box of lemons Sil bought from the food coop. I quickly figured out the formula for enough of one day’s mix of concentrate, saving the cayenne pepper to garnish my drink with, per Elson Haas’ instructions (the pepper gets stronger and stonger when left – best to add it at the time of consumption.)

Thankfully, the drink tastes pretty good. For anyone trying this, I heartily recommend spending the first day at home – as the herbal laxative we took this morning and last night… works quite well. My husband Silvio and I did this together, and thankfully we both work from home on Fridays.

We both did pretty well all day, working with good mental acuity, and I didn’t feel a pang of hunger until probably about 2:30 or 3pm. I did realize, however, how many of my thoughts involve food – all day I kept thinking “I’ll just go upstairs, go to the bathroom (thanks, Smooth Move) and get something to ea--- ohhh yeah...” Or, “wonder what we’ll do tonite… maybe we’ll get some dinn—oh yeah.” That type of thing happened just about every half hour.

Later in the evening, we both got headaches that just wouldn’t quit. For me, it wasn’t that bad – it felt like I’d been out in the sun all day, the type of headache where your eyebrows are sore from crinkling for hours. I felt like whenever I took a big swig of the Juice, it momentarily subsided. Though we felt ok, we weren’t really feeling social – I felt more inward and quiet. I read, watched a bit of tv, and hit the sac. Before going to bed, I thought to myself “I wonder if I’ll dream about eating…” well…

In my dreams I ate the most delicious, delectable pizza of my life. It wasn’t one of those gnarly, “ray’s” pizzas known best as a drunken late-night snack on NYC street corners. It was a gourmet pizza, with fresh sanguine red tomatoes, perfectly creamy cheese, organic (must have been!) garlic, vibrant herbs and an artisanal sourdough crust. Yum! Just as I was wrapping my mouth around another bite, I was struck with guilt – OH NO – no eating! I resolved to stay with my commitment, put the pizza down, and not tell Silvio I had cheated – effectively, I easily wiped that pizza clean from my conscience. What does that say about me?

DAY TWO (Saturday)
I woke up and felt great. No hunger whatsoever, fully refreshed…. Great morning for yoga! I bypassed the herbal laxative tea this morning, and headed to a completely full class. I hadn’t been to yoga in about 2 weeks, and my back body felt very tight. People say “I jogged every day while on the cleanser!” and while I believe this, I do think it’s wise to approach yourself gently - get some exercise, but don’t expect your usual performance: do it to support rather than challenge yourself. I was there to break a sweat, and while I held my own, I must say that between my absence for 2 weeks and this new ‘diet’ my body was adjusting to, it was a challenge. I completed the class, but left feeling a little dizzy. Surprisingly, no hunger.

I followed Elson Haas’ recommendation for a full body scrub, in a hot shower. This awaked my body, and made me feel really clean. I still felt a little weak – and my joints feel stiff (something Sil is complaining of also), but downed a couple glasses of the Juice, and found some strength. Today, I am to give a client a health-food store tour, but I think it wise to postpone. Surprisingly, it’s not the thought of being around food that I find challenging, but having the strength to wade through crowds the day before Easter Sunday, and educate my client, who deserves the best tour he can get. I postpone, and the weather is beautiful, so I fill my day with tasks that I know will make me feel more organized and on top of things – but that won’t run me into the ground. I planted my new tomato plants and cleaned up my garden.

Silvio, unfortunately, still suffers from the headache he has had since last night. He’s prone to migraines, which are usually set off by hunger, and he’s being a trooper and plowing through it all – despite having to work from home today. Later, thinking of trying a coffee enema, which purportedly alleviates headaches set off by the fast. I hope it works for him. I’ve never had an enema and I’m a little anxious about it. We considered going to the coop and announcing over the speaker “anyone know where enema bags are?” like you usually do when you can’t find something there. But of course we’ll remain civilized and quietly go to the pharmacy (I guess?). It will be a new experience. I’m sure you’re dying to hear about it.

Note of interest: Yesterday, I weighed myself: 130lbs. Out of curiosity, I stepped on the scale this morning – 125lbs. This is obviously water loss – but, wow. I haven’t been able to wear my wedding ring for weeks – now I can slip it on quite easily. Thinking this has to do with pH levels – lemon is one of the most alkalizing foods on the planet, the Standard American Diet (or, SAD – full of sugar, meat, and processed foods) is highly acid-forming and to buffer that, our bodies retain water. I don’t feel like I excreted 5lbs of water, but.. hey – I’m not complaining.

DAY THREE (Sunday)
Today is Easter. I awoke early, it’s beautiful outside. Yesterday I never could quite shake the feeling of weakness – and we never did get to the enema. Silvio’s headache went away, thankfully, and he’s feeling great – so he opted to try the salt water cleanse. He’s feeling a ton of energy and clarity and I’m feeling pretty good too.

Later in the afternoon, we visited Silvio’s only family here in the USA – his Aunt Rita & Uncle Lille. I was surprised at the level of interest they took in this “diet” we’re on – indeed, it did take many offers, and turn downs, of Easter Dinner before they got it that the only thing we were eating was this yellow stuff we brought with us in water bottles – but after all the questions, Aunt Rita exclaims: I should do that.” It’s fascinating to me how people so quickly change their position on this “crazy” cleanse we’re doing: first they give me funny looks that involve lots of eyebrow manoeuvres, and less than 5 minutes later they’re convinced they should try it. There’s an interesting “health” stigma in our society, but just beneath that is a strong desire to feel healthier. Ah, the irony.

Rita & Lille’s apartment was filled with the scent of traditional Maltese cooking – spaghetti and rabbit, and oh it smelled so, so good. Our senses of scent have become much more acute. Last night we made a trip to lowe’s to buy some plants, including herbs – which smelled so pungent, so good, we teased ourselves rubbing the plants and sniffing. I am no longer experiencing hunger, but my desire for food is great. I find myself thinking that I’ll never take food for granted again. I treasure the thought of those first few moments when I can bite into something delicious.

After the family visit, we were supposed to visit other friends, but found we were both at the end of our social ropes. It’s hard to hang out with people who are drinking and eating – not because I cannot have any food, but because it’s divisive. I deeply enjoy sharing food and drink with my friends. Yet, on this cleanse, I feel much more comfortable in my own space, being inward, doing things for myself. We agreed that we both felt this way, and went home to clean. Throughout the cleanse, we both felt that cleaning and organizing complimented our mental/emotional spaces perfectly. I’m trying to just relax and intuitively decide what to do, rather than knock items off a “to do” list. It’s a good change.

DAY FOUR (Monday)
I woke up today at 6am – leaving enough time at home to try this salt-water internal cleanse without getting caught in transit, starting my day. The recipe is 2tsp of sea salt (non-iodized) to 40oz of warm water. The idea is that because this degree of salination resembles bodily fluids, the body pushes is right through and out the colon, with whatever else is in there. Drinking 40oz of salted water is much, much harder than I thought – I barely resisted the urge to gag a few times before getting it all down. Then, it’s a waiting game. It turns out that 2 hours is a good amount of time to let it all pan out.

Today I worked in an office all day with regular, eating people all around me. I brought some concentrate with me, mixing and drinking throughout the day. One thing about not eating is that you then have this extra time that you would have taken for lunch, dinner, or breakfast, to do some other ritual for yourself. It was a beautiful day, so I went for a walk at lunch.

I don’t know how to describe the feeling I feel right now – I feel light, clean, simple, very sharply focused, energetic. I don’t feel hungry or tired at all – as long as I keep drinking the Juice. I believe that if you slack off, you will feel it- weakness may catch up to you, or you may get a little headache or hunger. Avoiding those, I really feel amazing.

Tonite my fasting habit forced my friend and I to find a tea shop to socialize in – and we discovered the greatest place right near my house. I don’t know if I ever would have found it if I weren’t on a quest to find a cool place to sit with a friend and drink chamomile tea.

But I still can’t wait to eat. I miss food.

DAY FIVE (Tuesday)
Today is the last day I’m doing the fast. I brought my mixture with me to work again, sipping often. I’m actually quite used to not eating – and though I look forward to eating again, at this point I feel like I could continue on the fast for quite a bit longer. I feel lighter, cleaner, and have had no digestive discomfort whatsoever – something that took a while to notice. I’m so used to living with mild acid reflux, indigestion, bloating, gas – that I consider it normal. To have no incidence or any of those whatsoever is really a gift.

Tonite I had a cooking class – and despite big bowls of beautiful fresh food before my face, I had no problem turning it down. I did, however, nibble on a piece of orange; I didn’t bring enough mixture with me and I was hungry. In less than 12 hours I break this fast, so I figured it was ok.

Overall, it’s been a pretty interesting experience. I have noticed some interesting things, however. I have broken out into eczema on my neck, a condition I’ve never had – and which is usually a sign of food allergy. This perplexed me since I’ve been eating nothing but organic lemon juice and maple syrup – neither of which are typical allergy offenders. But then I realized I’ve also been ingesting copious amounts of cayenne pepper – a nightshade, and nightshades are common offenders. I even tested for a slight allergy to tomato and pepper a few years ago. It’s amazing, when you quiet everything down, what hums in the background. I am grateful for the knowledge.

Another thing I noticed is that, despite absolutely amazing 65 degree April weather, I’ve been generally pretty cold. It’s widely cautioned that one should not do this in winter, and now I know why – your body needs warming, building foods to keep warm. I’ve now witnessed that first-hand.

By the way, we never did do the coffee enema – I did the salt water cleanse again today and we both felt we got what we wanted out of that. Silvio pushed through his headache – and did the salt water cleanse 3 times. He reports that he feels more amazing than he’s ever felt. He definitely seems to be better able to focus, and has a lot more patience in general.

Tomorrow I eat. Silvio has prepared a bunch of fresh orange juice and a delicious looking vegetable soup.

THE DAY I EAT
I awoke, and much to my surprise, all that anticipation of eating had dissipated – I could take it or leave it. But of course I took it, downing the orange juice and grabbing some fruit on my way out the door. Today something interesting happened; I ate a banana, an orange, a tangerine… still hungry. I ate the soup (which had only vegetables in it) and 20 minutes later I was starving. I had cravings for bread, but there were no wholesome choices around me. Finally, I decided that the hunger must go away, and ate a handful of peanuts in search of protein. This probably could have been the right decision, but by the time I ate them, I was starving and ate too many, which left me feeling bloated and full. I think next time it might have been good to bring a hard-boiled egg with me or something.

Tomorrow I will slowly begin to eat a more rounded diet, including proteins. I’ll probably have more vegetable soup, but add brown rice to it this time.

Learnings/ Recommendations:

Here’s what I will remember next time I do the fast.

1. you need about 8-10 lemons per day per person (that’s 50 lemons for a 5 day fast!) We bought a box of 100 for $25.
2. Plan time in each day to prepare your concentrate – and be sure you to have a glass container to store it in.
3. Try to start the fast when you have two days cleared of activities. The first two days are the hardest, and it’s a good idea (especially if you haven’t done it before) to have no challenges in your path.
4. Don’t plan too many social activities for the time you’re on the fast
5. Do plan to clean/organize or do something creative and fulfilling, for you and only you, while you’re fasting. Take this time for yourself. You deserve it.
6. Commune with nature. There’s something about being on this cleanse that reminds you you are a creature within an environment – you are connected. Cultivate this feeling.
7. Make note of any physical, emotional, or spiritual feelings you witness.

Posted by themindfuleater at 01:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here, you’ll find everything you need to know to prepare yourself for a cleanse, execute it confidently and safely, and emerge back into a regular diet.

PREPARE (the week before the cleanse)

It’s not essential, but five to seven days before the fast, you can start to prepare your body by eliminating alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, sugar, dairy, wheat, animal meat, fish, eggs. The diet should consist mainly of organic fruits, vegetables, and beans.

Take the time to prepare yourself mentally. Create an intention for the duration, thoughtfully clear your schedule of any big challenges, and prepare to follow the directions in detail and stick with it.

Clear your schedule - make sure you don't have any events which will create too much stress or activity during your cleansing time. It's better to play it by ear and decide what you feel you can partake in. Just don't put any big challenges in your path during this time.

Read this entire guide before starting anything. Be prepared.

The night before the fast, start drinking the herbal laxative tea, described below.

Get the things you need:
Organic lemons (about 10 per person, per day), or freshly squeezed (not canned or frozen!) lemon juice, genuine “grade A dark amber” or “grade b” organic maple syrup, cayenne pepper, Smooth Move tea (or other herbal laxative), and lots of pure spring water. You might also need a container to carry your lemonade around with you. (Consider carrying a concentrate mixture to mix with water wherever you are). At home, it will be best to keep a concentrate in a glass container (keeping it for long times in a plastic container will leech toxins out of the plastic and into your drink) – figure out what you’re going to use, or get a suitable container.

CLEANSE (The duration of your cleanse)

To make one 10oz glass of the spicy lemonade:
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed organic lemon juice
2 Tbsp genuine “grade A dark amber” or “grade b” organic maple syrup
1/10 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a 10oz glass, and fill with spring or purified water – warm is best, but cold is ok if it’s what you prefer.

To make one day’s concentrate of the spicy lemonade:
T he juice of 10 organic lemons
½ cup genuine “grade A dark amber” or “grade b” organic maple syrup

Combine all ingredients. You may want to strain the juice if you’d like a pulp-less mixture. Store in a glass container (plastic leeches undesired chemicals over time). When ready to drink, ladel ¼ cup of the mixture into a 10oz glass, add 1/10 teaspoon (a pinch or two) cayenne pepper, and fill with fresh spring water (warm is best, but whatever you prefer will do). Pepper continues to get hot over time, so it’s recommended to add this only at the time of consumption.

How much to drink
6 to 12 glasses daily – when hungry, drink the mixture. As long as you’re getting enough lemonade, also drink pure fresh water.

Aid Elimination
In order to help the cleansing along, you should drink an herbal laxative tea, such as Smooth Move. Drink a cup at night and a cup in the morning – the last and first things you do each day. Drinking tea is preferred to taking an herbal laxative supplement.

Salt Water Cleanse
Once you haven't eaten food for 24 hours, you can further cleanse your intestinal tract with a salt water cleanse. Here's what you need:

1 Quart of lukewarm spring water
2 teaspoons of uniodized salt

Double check your salt to make sure it's uniodized. Epsom, sea, or kosher salt will usually do, but regular table salt has iodine added. This is best done right when you wake up, and, importantly: make sure you don't have to go anywhere for about 3 hours. Mix the ingredients, and chug. It can be hard to get down, but do your best. Then, wait. The salination is similar to that of your bodily fluids, so rather than absorb this mixture, your body will expel it through your colon, providing a great cleaning. You can do this any number of mornings throughout the cleanse.

Can I eat anything else?
Unless you’re going to break the fast, do not eat any other food or take any other supplements or vitamins. This does not include medication – do not stop taking medication that is vital to you, though you may want to talk with your doctor before starting a fast.

You can, however, sip unsweetened mint or chamomile tea as a treat during the cleansing time.

Will I be... Ok?
According to Burroughs, between the maple syrup and lemon juice, your body is getting all it needs nutritionally to support you. Many people feel a great surge of energy. The cayenne pepper is part of the diet because it breaks down and helps wash out mucous.

Make sure to...
* Be sure to drink plenty of warm water in addition to juices.
* Go to bed early. In traditional Chinese medicine, 11 pm to 1 am is when the liver, the major detox organ, is most active. You’ll support your system best by being asleep and resting in this time.
* Keep warm.
* Nurturing and relaxing are important during this time. Do breathing exercises, yoga and/or meditation are great ideas for this time.
* Get lots of rest.

Suggestions for things to do while on the fast:
- if you’re using the fast to change your diet in any way, use this time to clean our your cupboards and reorganize – that is, if you can handle food without temptation. If you don’t think you can do this, I suggest ridding your cupboards of the food items you no longer plan on having in your diet before starting the fast. When you’re breaking the fast, make an adventure out of visiting a good food store and replenishing your cupboards with the food choices you want to support yourself with.
- Commune with nature. Take walks, lie on grass, sit under a tree. Use all 5 senses and take it in. Reconnect with your place on this planet.
- Practice mindfulness. Stress makes us ill: while you’re intentionally slowing down, practice these techniques that you’ll be able to recall during more stressful times later: No matter what you’re doing, pretend you have all the time in the world to do it. Do that thing as if it’s the most important thing in the world, even if it’s just washing dishes or walking to the mailbox. Experience the freedom and joy that comes from the feeling of having time and interest in the most mundane things. Have nothing better to do.
What to expect
In the first three days, it is not uncommon for headache and hunger to occur. These side effects are usually gone by the third or fourth day. As toxins are killed off, they can create aches and nausea. Many people notice a thickening in the tongue coating, which can be brushed off with a toothbrush or a tongue scraper. Other common experiences – known as healing crises -- are bad breath, unpleasant taste in the mouth, foul-smelling stools, digestive upset, acne, energy fluctuations, mucus in the stools, sinus congestion, skin eruptions, fever, irritability, yawning, muscle aches or tightness, and gas. Most healing crises pass within one or two days; it’s important to monitor your symptoms closely.

According to Stanley Burroughs, people often feel some discomfort in their digestive system. If your system feels upset, it’s because you don’t have sufficient elimination. Taking the herbal laxative is key – this is best taken in tea form. Even though you’re not eating, you should have 1-3 movements per day as waste is loosened from your organs and cells.

Healing crises often occur during a detox or other positive change in lifestyle. In addition to physical symptoms associated with the release of toxins, emotions can also be released during a healing crises. Old symptoms from the past can also appear during fasts. They usually last for a brief period.

IMPORTANT: If any symptoms last more than two to three days, it should be considered a problem and be addressed. If a problem worsens or causes concerns, or if fainting, bleeding, dizziness, low blood pressure, vomiting and diarrhea, palpitations, kidney problems, or arrhythmias occur, the fast should be stopped immediately and a doctor consulted.

BREAKING THE FAST

Breaking the fast properly is very important!

After fasting, it is important to return to a regular way of eating gradually in order to avoid adverse reactions. Here are some tips on how to do it gradually:
* Start slowly. Introduce solid foods into your diet gradually.
* Chew food well. Most people do not chew food thoroughly. Chewing releases digestive enzymes and minimizes the burden on the digestive system. Try to chew 30-50 times per mouthful.
* Don't overeat.
* Prevent constipation. Stewed prunes have a laxative effect and small amounts can be added at any point after the fast.
* Look for food reactions during the reintroduction phase. You may wish to keep notes on energy, digestion, cravings, and any symptoms, looking for any reaction within the 24 hour period after you have reintroduced a new food. Foods that cause reactions can be avoided for one to two weeks, eaten alone, and then monitored for any reactions.
* Many people use this time to transition into a healthier diet. Go to the health food store and try some new, healthy foods. It usually takes a while to adjust to new tastes, so give each new food two weeks before you make a decision.
* Go slowly. Don't reward yourself for fasting by splurging on a big dinner!

What to eat
For the first few days, eat a simple diet, consisting of fresh organic fruits, vegetables, and beans. As long as you don’t have any discomfort, continue eating this way. After 3-4 days, you can start introducing, slowly, dairy, grains or fresh fish, just a little bit at one meal a day. (if you’re testing for food allergy, skip this and see below.) If uneventful in the next 2 days or so, you can start adding small amounts of cooked meat and heavier cooked dishes. Within a couple more days, your system should be back on track and able to return to a regular diet.

If you have had symptoms before the fast and suspect a food allergy, prepare a schedule for working in the foods you want to test. The most common food allergies to test are: soy, wheat (gluten), dairy, corn, (*get full list). The best way to test is to “provoke” the food. Strictly refrain from eating all foods you want to test for the first 5 days. If you have no symptoms eating fresh fruits, vegetables and beans, introduce the first food and eat moderate amounts of it every day for 2 weeks. Monitor your symptoms for the reaction you’re used to. Journal what happens. If uneventful after two weeks, introduce the next food. Repeat these steps for each food and pay attention carefully. It’s very important to strictly eliminate the testing foods until they’re up for testing. The process can be very edifying and save you a lot of money in expensive diagnostics. Remember that you are the expert on your own body – the best science is what your body tells you it feels!

After a fast, be sure to spend the next months strengthening and rebuilding your system. Restorative or anusara yoga, probiotics (friendly bacteria) supplements, and stress reduction are some strategies that can help.

MORE INFO ABOUT JUICE FASTING

Benefits of juice fasting
Many people experience enhanced physical, mental, and spiritual well-being during and after juice fasting. In addition to promoting the excretion of toxins and decreasing congestive symptoms, juice fasting is believed to have the following benefits:

* Eliminates most food allergies and sensitivities.
* Reduces the burden on the digestive system, allowing it to heal.
* Releases pesticides, drugs, and other chemicals from stored fat, which can then be eliminated.
* Enhances mental, physical, and spiritual well-being
* Increased energy
* Mental clarity
* Glowing skin
* Prevents chronic diseases caused by poor diet and lifestyle
* Clears mucus dishcharge

People with these conditions often report the biggest benefits:
congestion (e.g chronic sinus congestion), constipation, headaches, white or yellow tongue coating (tongue coating can be a sign of toxicity), bad breath, acne or other skin eruptions, bloating, gas, flatulence, postnasal drip, premenstrual syndrome, runny nose, overeating, chronic bronchitis, muscle stiffness in low back.

When and how long to fast
It is often thought that the change of the season – especially in warmer weather, is the best time to fast. Most people should not fast more than twice a year. Spring is often thought to be the best time to fast.

Stanley Burroughs, the author of Master Cleanser, purports that the ideal time to do his lemonade fast is 10-40 days. However, you can still get a lot out of just a few days on a fast. If it’s your first time, it’s a good idea to take it easy – start with just a few days and monitor your experience.

Who shouldn’t fast
If you have any of the following conditions, fasting may not be for you, consult a professional before doing any sort of fast: diabetes, hypoglycemia, eating disorders, anemia, epilepsy, kidney disease, impaired or weak immune system, cardiac arrhythmias, weak heart, candida, cancer, peptic ulcer, malnutrition, pregnancy, nursing, gout, lactation, asthma, terminal illness, tuberculosis, ulcerative colitis, any condition that causes depletion and weakness, underweight, chronic infection, nutritional deficiency, low blood pressure, epilepsy. People should not try juice fasts before or after surgical procedures. Fasting can reduce blood proteins and change the way prescription drugs react in the body. People taking prescription medication should consult a health professional skilled in detoxification before trying a juice fast.

People with blood sugar disorders should only try a juice fast under the supervision of a health care provider. Juices that are higher in sugar, such as carrot, pineapple, grape, orange, apple, and beet, should be avoided.

Have you done the cleanse and have an experience or wisdom to share? Let us know by posting a comment...

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The above information was compiled mostly from these sources:

The Master Cleanser, by Stanley Burroughs
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0963926209/qid=1144807232/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-4809511-6480127?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Juice Fasting by Cathy Wong, Naturopath, on Alternative Medicine at about.com http://altmedicine.about.com/od/detoxcleansing/a/juice_fasting.htm

Posted by themindfuleater at 01:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Spring is a time for all sorts of cleaning – the yard, the house, the sock drawer that's full of sock orphans. This year, I decided to explore this concept a little differently – by ‘cleansing’ internally: fasting for health.

If the idea of what is commonly referred to as a “cleanse” or a “fast” is daunting to you, stay with me.

Until recently, I lived a pretty mainstream life when it comes to household habits – I shopped at regular grocery stores, ate food that comes in wrappers, and considered “health food” and “fasting” to be somewhat intriguing, but definitely in the realm of health nut – something I did not identify with. But then I started to learn what all this “cleansing” hubbub was about. And you know … it all makes a whole lot of sense.

To say our digestive system is complex is an understatement. There are more nerve cells in our gut than there are in our peripheral nervous system – in fact, as embryos, our neural center forms and then divides into two: one becomes the central nervous system, the other, the enteric nervous system – the nervous system of our gut. These two systems develop simultaneously and independently, becoming linked only later in development, but forever on remaining two integral nerve centers operating our bodies. When we eat food, it’s broken down, pushed through and absorbed by all the little moving parts in our gut – then carried from there to our blood and throughout our body to create each and every cell. In many ways, the digestive system is the first line of health, and if it’s in any way dysfunctional – not able to break food down, push it through, absorb nutrients – or if it’s clogged, or missing what it needs to fight off invaders – a chain reaction ensues that could ultimately be the cause of numerous ailments, - skin disorders, malnutrition, depression, fatigue, cancer - and more. Our digestive system is to the body as the brain is to the mind – it’s the engine that makes everything run. Seeing that we live long lives – over 100 years! - isn’t it a good idea to clean that engine every once in a while?

The amount of things our system is able to cope with is truly remarkable – fighting microbes, breaking down chemical-laden food, constantly balancing the acids that have potential to damage the system itself – and all the while keep us nourished and healthy and going forward. But along the way, there are little kinks that develop – such as food that hasn’t been broken down and assimilated properly, or cilia that are no longer absorbing nutrients efficiently. If you think about it, we eat every day, 3 or more times a day – and the system never really gets a good break. By “fasting” – eating a very limited diet, we give our gut this opportunity to come into balance – to heal - and potentially nip in the bud any ailments that these lingering imbalances would have gone on to cause.

So we’ve established some core reasons why cleansing is good for our digestive (and therefore overall) health. But cleansing is also said to produce enhanced physical, mental and spiritual well-being - during and after the fast. While giving our system a break, it also promotes the excretion of toxins and decreases congestive symptoms. On a more specific level, cleansing is believed to have the following benefits:

* Eliminates most food allergies and sensitivities (during the fast).
* Reduces the burden on the digestive system, allowing it to heal.
* Releases pesticides, drugs, and other chemicals from stored fat, which can then be eliminated.
* Provides increased energy
* Supports mental clarity
* Produces glowing skin (alleviates many skin disorders)
* Prevents chronic diseases caused by poor diet and lifestyle
* Clears mucus dishcharge

This information is probably enough to make anyone at lease consider trying some sort of cleanse. But seeing this is a move to support our body, we should ask the question, WHEN is the best time to offer this support?

Spring and summer are common times to cleanse the internal organs because, whether we realize it or not, this is what the body is already doing naturally. Similar to how animals shed their coats as the weather warms, much of the fat that we stored for winter to keep us insulated, warm and moisturized, are broken down and flushed out as we adjust to warmer, wetter weather in which it’s no longer needed. Along with this fat expulsion go harmful free radicals and various toxins stored in the fat – which is one reason nature provides us with high anti-oxidant and naturally cleansing foods in spring and summer, such as berries and fresh bitter greens. By cleansing in the spring or summer, we’re supporting our body’s natural process. Why not swim with the current?

This leaves one final question: Which cleanse to try? There are many types of cleanses, from gentle to extreme, and by far, the most popular juice cleanse is one that’s been around for decades – the Master Cleanse. Formulated in the 60’s by a health guru named Stanley Burroughs, the cleanse is well-known for its safe, balanced, and effective approach, and it’s been time-tested by thousands of individuals. The cleanse consists of drinking a “spicy lemonade” made of water, lemon, cayenne pepper and maple syrup (you can learn about the details here). The idea is that the lemon cleans, provides vitamins, aids in break down and alkalizes they system (lemon is one of the most alkalizing foods on the planet), while the pepper breaks down mucus and the maple syrup provides all the nutrients and energy our bodies need. Throughout the process, there are also numerous enemas, flushes, or teas one can drink to support the elimination process. While Burroughs recommends staying on the cleanse 10-40 days, and doing it at the change of each season, this might be too intense for most people – I encourage cleansers to pick a time frame they feel they can commit to and monitor their experience. Since it takes 72 hours for food to exit our digestive system, it is recommended to cleanse for at least 3 days.

So, there you have it – cleansing – or fasting – demystified. Inspired to try it? Learn all the details here. Looking for more inspiration? Read about my personal experience, 5 Days on the Spicy Lemonade, here. Finally, if you’d like support or further information, please feel free to contact me, here. Finally, feel free to write in with your experience!

Posted by themindfuleater at 01:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Lately I’ve been trying to practice a couple mindfulness concepts I’ve recently learned. I find these two concepts to be extremely effective at combating stress, and yet they are so simple. The first: no matter what you’re doing – and no matter how much time you actually have to do it, pretend that you have all the time in the world. Regardless of how much time you have (or don't have), you always behold the ability to choose your response to the matter: you can choose to be anxious and stressed, or you can choose to relax and accept - even enjoy - a reality you cannot change. Even in the most stressful situations, taking this stance not only helps lifts the stress away but gives you poise and centeredness.

The other technique is similar but different: treat whatever you’re doing as if it’s the most important thing in the world. This is the antithesis to boredom – in Buddhist philosophy, there is no such thing as boredom, for there is always something to take interest in. You’ll find that the most mundane activities, such as doing the dishes, can become interesting if you do it as if it’s the most important thing in the world. Beneath this concept is a wealth of joyfulness to discover in simply being present and nothing more.

These concepts in mind, I’ve been pondering what it means to be a mindful eater.

So often we are mindless eaters. We stuff food into our faces while working on the computer, watching TV, or on our way out the door. Yet, the true pleasure of eating lies in slowing down and fully experiencing all elements of food. I’d like to invite you on an exploration of the above two concepts for one meal. Do it by yourself, or with another person; you may feel silly but I encourage you to stick with it - it has the power to change the way you eat permanently.

The Mindful Eating Exercise
1. Find a comfortable seat for you and your meal. Whatever your meal is, study it as if you are a scientist from a distant galaxy who just landed on earth and have never before seen this food. Study it carefully without naming it. Ponder, for a moment, the water, the rain, and the sunlight that went into its creation. The storms, sunny days, and dark nights this food endured. Appreciate the hard work on behalf of all the people involved to get this food before you. Maybe you feel some gratitude. Some appreciation. Some hunger? Ok, ok – just feel.

2. Bring the food up to your nose. Experience the scent, without trying to name it – just describe it to yourself. Now bring your focus into your mouth – realize the physiological reaction that is starting to happen as your body responds to the visual and olfactory (that’s scent) triggers you’ve given it. Begin to notice if saliva is being produced, even though you haven’t put anything to your mouth. Who says that mind and body are not related? Your senses are responding to the anticipation that something will be eaten. Enjoy exploring your body’s reaction before you actually chomp on anything.

3. Touch your food, experience its texture. Again, without naming the feeling, just experience it. When you are ready, bring the food to your mouth. How is it that your hand knows how to get the food to your lips, without going past the face altogether? Experience how simple but miraculously intuitive the act of eating is. Zen mind, beginner’s mind… be playful with this. Be wonderous.

4. Bring the food to your lips, and notice how the mouth receives the food –nothing goes into the mouth without being received. What is doing the receiving? The tongue! How does it get the food between the teeth? Start to bite the food slowly, and begin to chew. Appreciate the activity that unfolds to get this food chewed in the mouth. What’s happening? Invariably, there’s an explosion of taste – what is it? Is it sweet, sour, juicy? There are hundreds of words to use for taste, but try not to use any – just experience the taste sensation, and where on your tongue it’s happening as you slowly chew and enjoy your food.

But don’t swallow that bite yet! Continue to chew. At this point, we generally begin to focus on the next bite, hurriedly swallowing the first. Instead, continue to chew your food until the texture becomes adversive and your body decides it’s time to swallow and move on. This could include 50 or so chews!

5. Finally, before moving on, stop and take a breath. Remember, you have all the time in the world. Take a nice long breath through your nose, breathing into the depths of your belly. Then, drop into silence. By this point, you understand something of what meditation is – you’ve been doing a sort of food meditation if you’ve followed this exploration: meditation is doing what we do all the time, except with directed, moment-to-moment, non-judgmental attention. Reflect for a moment on that bite, and when you’re ready, move on. Remember, we’re programmed to move quickly through things. Really try to keep your attention on the moment, and on keeping slow.

This may have tried your patience, but if you’ve given it a good effort, I’m sure you learned something, if you didn’t have one of the more satisfying meals ever. I’d love to know what you think, please leave us a note. Even if you can’t do it all, just experiencing some degree of mindfulness is good practice.

Posted by themindfuleater at 01:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)