After The Master Cleanse - Keeping The Momentum
Apr 15th, 2007 by Raylen
Well, you’ve finished the Master Cleanse, now where do you go from here. You’ve already cleansed your body, and probably feel terrific for having done so… but some of those old (bad) habits might still be lurking and you don’t want to fall back into a regular cycle of eating junk food.
The good news is that the moment you finish the Master Cleanse is the perfect time to implement a new diet. I say that for a couple reasons:
- After you’ve finished the cleanse you’ll have little or no desire to eat fatty or sugar filled foods. For some people just the smell of fast food will make their stomach queasy.
- You’ll feel how light and energized your body feels when it’s not burdened with junk food and you’ll have a strong desire to keep that feeling.
- After you’ve finished the Master Cleanse you’ll find that you have a new found ability to control your eating. The Master Cleanse is not easy. It takes discipline and internal strength. If you can make it through the cleanse you’ll find that making other improvements in your life will come easier. Not many people talk about this one, but it’s actually one of the biggest benefits of doing the Master Cleanse.
Okay, lets go over some of the different ways you can “keep a good thing going” and maintain, or in many cases improve your health after you finish the Master Cleanse.
When I’m not doing the Master Cleanse my daily diet is a combination of three different diets:
1. Raw foods diet
2. Alkaline diet
3. Liquid Diet *mostly liquids*
Before we get into these 3 I want to share with you a few things I’ve learned about leading a healthy lifestyle.
First of all whatever type of diet you choose to follow make sure it’s not too complex. I’ve tried a lot of diets, and the ones that require complex meal preparation, scheduled eating, and spending hours a day in the kitchen preparing the food are the ones that never worked out.
Lets see, I’m hungry, should I spend the next 2 hours chopping, slicing, dicing, boiling, and baking or just toss a frozen pizza into the oven.
Also stay away from diets that don’t allow any flexibility in your eating. Atkins is a good example of a diet that doesn’t allow any wiggle room in your choice of foods. Atkins does work, but even a small amount of carbs will throw you off the diet.
The 3 different diets I’m going to recommend are easy, flexible, and require almost no preparation for the foods you’ll eat.
You might be thinking this is some horrible diet that wont let you eat any of my favorite foods. Don’t worry. I know that feeling well because being locked into bland, boring diet is another reason most people don’t want to follow a healthy eating plan.
My advice is simple. Take the worst of your current diet (pre Master Cleanse) and replace it with some of the things I going to tell you about. I’m taking about the potato chips, fast food, candy, and soda. That’s the stuff that’s really sabotaging your health to begin with.
One final thing. You don’t have to choose just one of the diets I’m about to tell you about, In fact my daily eating is a combination of all 3. Take the things that will work best for you from each of these, and apply it to your diet.
Alright lets get started with the easiest one - The Raw Food Diet….
The Raw Food Diet
The Raw Food Diet is relatively simple to follow, and it’s very good for you. Basically you eat raw fruits and vegetables.
The average person who’s currently leading a life of junk food consumption will have a hard time with the Raw Food Diet, but after you finish the Master Cleanse you’ll naturally crave this type of healthy food so you’ll have a much easier time following the Raw Food Diet.
Any fruits and vegetables are fine, but try to use organic, and always be sure to thoroughly wash the produce before you eat it. Even if it’s organic you never know who or what has touched it so always wash the food before you eat it.
The foods should be fresh if you want to get the maximum benefit. Frozen fruits and vegetables are okay, and you can use canned as long as it’s packed in water not syrup. But whenever possible use fresh fruits and vegetables.
Remember when I told you about how I felt easy preparation was important to a successful diet? Well, this ones about as easy as it gets. Grab it - wash it - eat it!
How I use the Raw Food Diet:
I use raw foods for snaking and side dishes.
- Instead of a candy bar have some water melon.
- Instead of macaroni and cheese have green beans.
There’s not much to cover with the Raw Food Diet. Your local grocery store is stocked with a variety of raw foods to choose from so you shouldn’t get bored with this way of eating.
The next diet is a little more complicated, but it’s recommended by nutritional experts from around the world as a way to energize your body, lose fat, and help cure disease. It’s called the Alkaline Diet…
The Alkaline Diet
Most people probably haven’t put a great deal of thought into what I’m about to tell you, but it’s something that effects almost every bodily process. It’s your body’s ph level.
If you can picture a scale. Starting at zero you have acid. Moving up the scale to 14 you have alkaline, or base as it’s sometimes referred too. A healthy ph level for your body is between 7.36-7.4 which is slightly alkaline.
What does this have to do with you? Well if you’re like most people you’re likely consuming many acidic foods, and keeping your body in a slightly acidic state. I say slightly because your ph levels will not vary much because your body will buffer the excess acid, but this leads to other problems which I’ll cover in a bit.
Why Is Acid Bad For You?
Many of the things that can compromise your health thrive in a acidic environment. Things like bacteria, fungus, and other microforms flourish in acid.
Having too much acid will also prevent your body from absorbing vitamins, protein and other vital nutrients which can lead to fatigue
Your Body’s Natural Defense Against Acid
I get worried anytime I hear someone say that what you put in your body doesn’t make a difference, and that your body will naturally balance itself out no matter what you eat. This is what opponents of the Alkaline Diet claim. While they’re right about your body having mechanisms to neutralize acid in your body, they’re wrong about that process not having any effect on your health.
To deal with excess acid your body tries to buffer the acid (neutralize it). It does this by stealing important minerals from your bones and other places. When it adds these minerals to the acid, the acid becomes neutral. That takes care of the acid, but causes other problems…
Your body takes the calcium out of your bones and moves it into your blood to get your pH more alkaline. But then your bones don’t have enough calcium. So they get brittle which can lead to osteoporosis.
This calcium builds up in different places in your body. For instance, some of it can build up in your joints, giving your painful arthritis. Too much calcium can end up in the liver and gall bladder, too. That causes liver stones and gall stones.
Another buffer your body uses to neutralize acid is cholesterol. Your body DELIBERATELY makes extra cholesterol to bind with the acids and protect your tissues from them. So this extra cholesterol is actually protecting you. But it causes strokes and heart attacks.
A third type of buffer your body can use is hemoglobin. Unfortunately, it has to steal the hemoglobin from the red blood cells, and this can cause anemia.
Your body will also use magnesium as a buffer. It pulls the magnesium out of your muscles, making them small and weak.
So you can see that just because your body has a system in place to deal with acid you should still try to prevent your body’s ph level from getting to the point that it has to use them. Here’s how you can do just that:
- Reduce that amount of acid forming foods in your diet
- Increase the amount of alkaline foods in your diet
Sounds easy enough right? But before we get in to that lets look at the benefits of the Alkaline Diet.
- Most people notice an immediate increase in energy when they follow the Alkaline Diet
- Skin conditions like acne go away. The bacteria that cause acne thrive in an acidic environment, by following the Alkaline Diet acne can be significantly reduced or even cured
- Weight Loss. The Alkaline Diet can also be used for reducing
- Less sickness and quicker healing. As I mentioned above a lot of the bacteria and viruses that cause you to be sick flourish in an acidic environment. By following the Alkaline Diet your body will be better able to defend itself from all types of sickness and disease
Acid Forming Foods
To start with, acid forming foods are not the same as foods with an acidic pH.
Some foods that contain lots of acid–such as lemons–are alkalizing! How can this be?
When your body burns food for energy, “ash” is left over. The left over ash is either acid or alkaline. Alkaline ash is easy for your body to use and it alkalizes your blood. Acidic ash isn’t easy for your body to use, and it makes your blood more acidic.
Here Are Some Foods That Leave Acidic Ash:
- Meats
- Milk, cheese, and most other dairy products
- Soft drinks
- Sugar
- Most breads and other things made from flour
- Other white starchy foods like potatoes and rice
- Fried food
Foods That Are Alkalizing:
- Green foods (spinach, lettuce, bean sprouts)
- Most vegetables, except starchy ones (corn and potatoes)
- Lemons, oranges, and grapefruit
- Watermelon
- Cucumber
- Almonds
- Spirulina, chlorella, and other blue-green algae
- Grasses (wheat grass, barley grass), alfalfa
Looking at these two lists you’re probably thinking that almost everything a normal person eats is acid forming, and there’s no way you could eliminate all those foods from your diet! I agree, it would be a very difficult for the average person to go without all acidic foods, but just by cutting back on some acidic foods and eating a few more alkaline foods you can make a big difference in the way you feel.
For more about the Alkaline Diet there’s a book called “The pH Miracle” by Robert O. Young and Shelley Redford Young. This was the book that got me interested in the Alkaline Diet, and I recommended it to anyone who wants to really understand the science behind this diet.
One more thing about the Alkaline Diet. Emotions and stress levels also affect your body’s ph level.
Negative emotions and high stress cause your body to be acidic. It shouldn’t surprise you that these things have a very real physical impact on your health. On the other have positive emotions such as happiness keep your body more alkaline.
Liquid Diet
This brings us to my final recommendation for your post-Master Cleanse diet, the liquid diet. And we might as well get the most obvious liquid out of the way first which is water. Preferably filtered water. Water is so important that it should be the corner stone of any healthy diet.
I mentioned in the beginning of this guide that the liquid diet was my favorite. I like it because after doing the Master Cleanse staying on a partial liquid diet is really not that hard, and most of you who finish the Master Cleanse will find the transition fairly simple.
Like the other diets I talked about you shouldn’t stay on a 100% liquid diet, but replacing just 1 meal a day with liquids can shave 1000’s of calories a week off your diet. Not to mention give you more energy.
The staple of this liquid diet is meal replacement shakes, or protein shakes. If you’ve never tried some of the different shakes available they’re actually very tasty, not at all chalky tasting like when they first came out.
Most brands are filled with vitamins, minerals, and of course protein. Speaking of protein I’m willing to bet many of you are not getting enough. Some people think that drinking protein shakes is only for body builders, but that’s not the case. Anyone can benefit by replacing a carb filled meal with a protein shake.
Here’s another tip: If you’re trying to lose weight, but you’re always hungry. Have a protein shake first thing in the morning. It will fill you up, and give you more energy throughout the day.
You have a lot of options for protein shakes, but I suggest going to a vitamin store and talking with the sales person. Some brands are geared towards hardcore body builders, and unless you’re lifting a lot of weights you should steer clear of these. Ask for something that could be used as a meal replacement. They come in a lot of different flavors, but when in doubt go with vanilla because you can always add some fruit and blend it up to make your own custom shake.
I drink at least one protein shake a day, usually in the morning.
Other liquids:
Tea: Another favorite of mine is tea. I prefer green and white tea. There’s been a lot of talk about the benefits of drinking tea. It’s been linked to everything from a cure for cancer to helping with weight loss.
I also find it gives me a boost in energy, and unlike coffee it doesn’t make me jittery.
If you find the typical green/black/white tea too bland for your taste you can try some of the herbal teas which come in a variety of flavors, or you can always mix some fresh fruit juice in with the tea to spice it up.
Fresh Vegetable Juice: I have to come clean here. I bought one of those expensive juice machines and only used it about 6 times. I loved the fresh juice, but the machine had so many pieces which had to be washed after every use that I could never fall into the habit making the juice
If you don’t mind the clean up, fresh vegetable juice is one of the healthiest things you can put in your body. One piece of advice. If you go shopping for a juicer find a machine that’s easy to clean up.
Fresh Fruit Juice: Fresh fruit juice, like fresh vegetable juice is very good for you. Fruit juice do tend to be higher in calories then vegetable juice so you don’t want to drink too much. A glass a day is good, and stay away from concentrated fruit juice because it’s loaded with sugar.
Coffee: Yes, coffee is high in caffeine, but it has almost no calories, and many people love how it tastes. It’s okay to drink coffee, just don’t add any sugar, whip cream, or any other calorie filled condiments. A little cream is fine, and so are flavored coffee’s. I like hazelnut myself.
To recap here’s my top choices:
- Water
- Meal Replacement Shake / Protein Shake
- Tea
- Vegetable Juice
- Fruit Juice
- Coffee
Putting It All Together
Here’s how I use these 3 diets. This is just my preference, and you should do whatever works best for you. I start every day with a glass of water, 1 protein shake (or meal replacement shake), and a cup of green tea. I can’t think of a more perfect way to start my day.
- It’s light on your stomach
- It’s satisfying
- There’s a perfect balance of carbs, protein, vitamins, and minerals
- It’s only about 300 calories
- It tastes good and it’s quick, even faster then the drive through window at a fast food restaurant
Throughout the day I drink plenty of water, and if I want a snack I’ll usually have a piece of fruit. I eat a normal lunch, and a normal dinner. I try to keep my lunch and dinner healthy, but I’m not overly strict. I’ll even have a slice of pie every now and again. Ala mode of course.
I’ve always been a late night eater. I don’t know why but I just seem to lose all my will power after 8pm. But I’ve managed to tame this tiger by drinking wheat grass juice when I get my late night cravings.
The funny thing is I don’t really like how the powdered wheat grass tastes, but after drinking it for a few days I actually started to crave it. Just like when you’re thirsty your body tells you to drink water, well now my body tells me to drink the alkaline green drink.
It really does help get rid of my late night snacking. If you would rather not drink the powdered wheat grass mixed with water you can use capsules, but they will take a little longer to work.
That’s all there is to it. When I follow this diet I’m never hungry, and I don’t feel in any way deprived. The biggest change is switching to a liquid breakfast, but once you see how satisfying it really is I don’t think you’ll miss the 1,500 calorie bacon, eggs, toast, pancakes, cola breakfast.
9:49p - Night prior to cleanse.
Hi. I am starting the Master Clease tomorrow, April 16. If there is anyone else about to start as well? I really feel I am mentally prepared to complete the cleanse, as my current diet is pretty clean. I will try to keep a log through this forum of my progress and struggles and success.
I really want to thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge about the master cleanse. Thanks to this site and your free master cleanse guide I’ve been able to finally get my weight under control after having 2 kids. Thank You So Much!
These tips for what to do after the cleanse are right on target. I made some major improvements in my health on the 10 days I spent on the master cleanse, but the real changes came after the cleanse. I followed the fatloss4idoits diet, and the fat just seemed to melt away.
For programming your body for good health I don’t know of anything better then the master cleanse, but you’re right about needing to follow a healthy diet after the cleanse if you want to continue with a healthy life.
I started mine 4/15. 1st time doing the cleanse.
THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR SHARING ALL OF THIS INFORMATION WITH US. I HAVE KEPT MY 20LBS OFF AND IT FEELS GREAT!
very interesting way to come off the diet and well timed for me. I just finished nine days on the cleanse and lost nearly 10 pounds.
Thank you for the advice
For all of you that are thinking about doing the master cleanser, it’s all mind over matter. If you use the right ingredients you will not fill hunger. I lost 18 pounds in ten days. I do suggest that you use a 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt with 25oz of water in the morning as well at night. It will cause you to flow naturally without any problems….good luck
Here is a wonderful program for following the Raw food diet directly after the cleanse. It is wonderful for continuing the detoxing and weight loss post MC. The raw, energy giving foods can be delived directly to your door! Their affiliate program is wonderful as well!
http://www.wholenaturalfood.com/dontfollow
This is my 9th day on the master cleanse and I feel great! I feel like I can go another 10 days! Tomorrow is my last day folled by 2 day sof drinking orange juice. I’ve lost 12lbs and I’m sure I’ll gain some of it back, but I’m not gaining all of it.
Your right once you finish the 10 day cleanse you feel like you can do anything. Your will power goes through the roof.
I am on the 10day lemonade diet, this is my fifth day on it, sometime get a little headace, so just wonder would it be ok to eat a little bit.
Thank you for sharing all this information and for the support you are offering people who decide to go on the Master Cleanser.
I have have been able to stay on the cleanser for 6 days this time and I am looking forward to try again for the full 10 days. I really appreciate the combination diet you describe above. I mainly do the cleanse for health and well being as I do not have a weight problem, but it is still hard to maintain a healthy diet with the so many demands of daily life and lack of time to prepare healthy meals. Thank you again for all the valuable information you are providing.
Alessandra Ferrari
I find doing the cleanse helped me with my gas, but one thing I find they don’t say is that your intestanal track has to have your lactobillicus replaced ,,here is what happened to me, I had so much strong stomach nervousness I could not sleep,So I said now maybe my system is lacking lactobillicus,sure enough as soon as I started to take it 3times a day it went away.I took it for at least 8or 9days ,,I find some info is lacking that is why I would like to say my piece..thank you for the info hope this helps someone Diane
It’s April 23, I am having surgery on the 25th,I was thinking about starting the master cleanse during my recovery period. If some has some advice on this please reply.
Thanks
Hi: I am on my 8th day on the Mater Cleanser. If I can do it anyone can. Since I started the diet, I am being cooking for my sick mother and boyfriend; and the amazing thing I never felt hungry. It was a surpise for everyone around me, because I am a big eater. i, myself thought, I was not going to last so long. If you are thing on staring go for it!! It works wonders!!
Did the cleanse for 5 days. It was hard for me becuase my husband likes to eat out and he was eating around me all the time. I will try it again maybe after the summer after all of the outdoor activities are done.
I just want you to know the information I just read was just what I needed. Its been about 2 months since I completed the miracle cleanse and I was starting to feel like my old eating habits were creeping upon me again. I had been eating better and doing some form of exercise every week since the cleanse and I was also losing a little weight every week, except the last 2 weeks. I noticed I wasn’t drinking my tea or water regularly and I wasn’t eating as many fruits and raw vegetables as in the beginning. But after reading your article today I truly feel rejuvenated and I learned some things about acid and alkaline. Thanks so much for the info.
Trincia it is not recommended to do the master cleanse right after surgery your body needs protein in order to heal properly after surgery. Try it later sometime after you have healed some. I had major surgery and did a 10 day cleanse 3 months later and it worked fine.
Each person is different so listen to your body. Hope everything goes well for you:)
Trinicia it is not recommened to do the master cleanse right after surgery. Your body needs protein in order to heal properly. I had major surgery and I did the cleanse about 3 months later. It worked out fine. Everyone is different so listen to your own body. I hope everything works out for you.:)
I lost 9 pds. in 9 days and another 2 in 2 weeks after the cleanse. I get full so quick now and dont I want to eat because I dont want that full un-button my pants effect afterwards. I do want to go on it again on the May 2 and lose 10 more. I still love the diet. So Rayna, Whats up are you starting it again because i love the support you give. Leave me a message. OK bye all hope we all succeed in the future!
I want to start the master cleanse and some of my friends are considering it as well. However, I do have a concern. I don’t want to lose weight, especially since I just completed a 40-day fast about a month ago. At the end of the fast, I was 99 pounds. Currently, I’m approximately 105 and I’m trying to get to about 115. My main reason for trying the master cleanse is that someone recommended it to me so I can get rid of my acne. In addition, I have not detoxed in over 10 years, so I really do want to try it. Please give me your suggestions. Thank you!
Hi I just found this web-site and I am excited I havw spent the last 6 hours reading everyones comments about the big cleanse. Great job everyone. I have my 20 year class reunion in august and need to lose some weight but can’t seem to get motivated. I lose iterest fast if I don’t see results right away. I think this is just the thing to give me the jump start I need. Thanks so much for this site.
Thank you for these helpful tips. I will say that I have been slightly tempted to eat some unhealthy foods, so this is very helpful alternative. By the way, I successfully completed the 10- day master cleanse! I feel more energetic and motivated to eat healthier and lose a few more pounds.
Be for I started the master cleanse, I was having pain in my back and my left leg. My daughter told me about this master cleanse. I never fast befor. My first three days was something eles. I did it for 7 days only because I had to take a MRI for my back.I was told my bones in my lower back was thining. and my blood was low. I started back on the the cleanse now I fast with the cleanse during the day and eat a lite dinner be for 7:00 and nother eles until bedtime then I drink my tea. is that good.
for Soph
Instead of another fast - esp. after having just so recently completing another major one -
let me recommend ProActiv for your acne.
I started using it about 3 years ago and it really helps keep mine under control.
You need to use it exactly as directed - try to wash your face with the cleanser for 2 minutes, and use the toner and healing cream after - you’ll see an improvement.
As for myself - I’m starting the Cleanse tomorrow.
Just had my tea, have all the ingredients, so I’m all set.
Actually tried it back in March - made it to 7pm the first day. Tortuous, so hungry. But I have a full free week to give it another go. Wish me luck!
IF YOU WANT TO GO BACK ON THE MASTER CLEANSE DO YOU HAVE TO USE A LAXATIVE AGAIN
i know what you mean about the juicers being hard to clean. get a vita mix!! i got one on ebay for around $100. and i juice every mornning. banana, berries,wheat grass, fruit, kale, cabbage, whatever i feel like throwing in. it’s all delicious!! like lemons? take out the seeds and throw the rest in….. mmmmm good! (of course it counts as a raw meal too.) and it gets you ready for the cleanse….
Is anyone out there getting ready to start the 10 days?? I have had the info for about 2 weeks but am scared to start. I hate the idea of failing. I get so hungry during the day I can’t imagine just drinking water. I have a high stress job and don’t want to blow it. Help!!! Maybe if I did it day to day with someone it would help. Any volunteers??
Thanks,
Pat
PATRICIA, I JUST CHECK THIS WEBSITE THIS MORNING WHEN I SAW YOUR MESSAGE. I STARTED THIS CLEANSE ON THE 23RD. I’M SURPRISED THAT I DON’T GET THAT HUNGRY. I BOUGHT THE HOODIA AND IT WORKS GREAT! I TAKE IT IN THE MORNING WHEN MY STOMACH GROWLS. YOU ARE TAKING IN SO MUCH LIQUID THAT YOU FORGET ABOUT FOOD! JUST PHYSIC YOURSELF UP AND GO FOR IT!! GOOD LUCK COLLEEN
I am about to start my cleanse tomorrow 5/26. It will be my first time and I am kinda of worried! I wanted to know if anone else is going to start and maybe we can stay in touch and share how we are doing to give one another supportand advice! Let me know!!
Adriana
I started the cleanse 6 days ago. I have never fasted before and I thought this would be hard for me since I like to eat so much. But I just left a social function with my family with a buffet meal and I was totally unaffected. It is something you have to set your mind to. I wanted to do this so I could detox and lose weight as well. I have lost 11 pounds thus far and I hope to lose several more. People are thoroughly surprised at the fact that I am so upbeat and energetic. But it really has been a good experience for me and has shown me how much will power I truly have. The motivation for me has been the difference in my body and the weight loss. I think the master cleanse will be a great jump start to getting back in shape and back to a healthy weight. I will keep everyone posted.
I want to start the master cleanse diet but I don’t know how my body will react to it. I getting married in August and want to lose about 20 lbs. I have about two months to do it. Maybe if I had someone to start with me and help me. I can make it. What happens after the cleanse? Will I gain the weight back as soon as I put a piece of cake from my wedding in my mouth?
Just an update on my fast. I started on May 23rd and was scared to death. I have been on every diet ever invented and this one is the EASIEST one to stay on. The first day I was hungry but after that food seemed unimportant. I have lost 7 pounds so far and hope to reach 10 by the end of my 10 days. For everyone else out there wondering if they can do it….if I can, anyone can….do it!!!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
thank you i am doing my best to stay on the cleanse it is very hrd i must cook for 5 people and my money is funny oh no not for myself how ever i do buy the foods they like also it is hard to NOT EAT THE FRIED CHICKEN PORK CHOPS CAJON FOOD I MISS SO MUCH HOWEVER I AM DOING MY BEST I AM SHORT FAT AND NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT 5/3 200 lbs so I HANG IN START OVER FALL OFF THE WAGON BUT GET BACK UP ON THE DAMN THING START OVER THANKS FOR THE HELP BONNIE.
this is my 6th day. not easy living in new orleans when food is a tourist attraction and definately in our culture. but after the 5th day, food is easy to pass up. not sure why, but the master cleanser WORKS. Not only as a weight loss, but I have no cravings for coffee, salt, sugar or the wine at night. Now the pepper was a bit of an issue. Have decided to lighten it up a bit. In the meantime I have lost an average of 1.5 lbs a day.
Hey thanks for the tips on keeping the weight off after the cleanse. I have been doing the cleanse now for over 10 years. In the past i’ve managed to keep the weight off because i was always active and exercized a lot. I am going to get back to doing that.
I am going to start another master cleanse on Tuesday and i can’t wait.
Thanks again.
Gisela
Third day, 12 to go and I must say no hunger pains, although I did meditate for two weeks and I started eating mostly miso soup, onion soup and lemongrass soup a week before I started. And I am so very, very pleased that your site is always here for anyone who wants to read it.
A friend of mine was telling me how a lady she knows was on teh MC but she modified it, right away I told her if we or I knew what to do I would not be on the MC and I am sticking by the orginal, not making it up as I go along. And that’s what is working for me……..
Me and my wife have just completed the 10 day cleanse. We experienced a lot of the things you discussed, but overall it has been a very positive and worthwhile challenge for both of us. I lost 20 pounds and she lost 11 and now we are looking forward to better eating habits and a new lifestyle when it comes to eating.We downloaded the secrets to the cleanse and followed them to the letter. We are now following the steps for exiting the cleanse.Thank you for all of your valuable information.
Hello
Great book. I just want to say what a fantastic thing you are doing! Good luck!
G’night
I’m finishing my 4th day of the master cleanse and I’m surprise that I’m ok with not eating anything else but my great lemonade.
I made the decision that I needed to cleanse my body and also loose weight and I’m very happy that I have enough discipline to follow your guide and even that I’m only at half of the diet I already was thinking in doing a kind of raw vegetables and fruits mixing some of the days of the week when I start reading your suggestions I said to my self I’m in the right track.
Thank you for all the information that was very helpful.
Maria Carstairs
Hello to all: I did the MC for 9 days, sort of sorry I didn’t go the full 10. But I have to admit not once did I feel any hunger. I followed the ingredients just the way they were written. I did my exercises as usual and I drank a lot of water. This was a great cleanser as well as a diet reducer. I lost 15 pounds. Now that I’m done with it I have been able to change the way and the things that I eat. I never liked to eat vegtables at all, I was more in for the meat and sweets. Now I love the vegtable soup and fruits. I take my time eating and for the 1st time in a long time actually can taste what the food tastes like. I encourage everybody to try the MC, it just might change your life.
Thank you so much for sharing all your wisdom. this particular piece couldn’t have come at a more auspicious time.
So much Love,
Tabitha
Thank you for your informative info I have Learned quite a lot now putting things in motion is going to be the chanlege. can you give me a listing of the better raw foods and fruits because some fruits upset my stomach and some vegetable are gassy i have G.E.R.D.so I have to watch what I eat because some fruits and veggies irritate it.
Thank you very much for your advice! I just finished the master cleanser losing 15 pounds. I will go in to this liquid protein and vegetables and see how I will feel…
I’m on day 5 of the Master Cleanse!! woo hoo! hump day!
i’m proud of myself that I have made it this far, and am sure i will make it all the way now…maybe even longer! Thanks so much for the advice post cleanse, i was trying to decide how to change my eating habits once i’m done! like you said, i can’t give up all my favorites, but moderation is the key! Thanks again, i love reading your blogs!
Thanks for the great information. This last email was just what I was looking for. I know the body needs to be alkaline, so this gives me some insight.
Betty Wiebe
i’m a type 2 diabetic[under control] can i go on the cleansing program ? safely ???
I’d like to know if the master cleanse is safe for diabetics?
i started my MC monday nov 4th today is thurs day nov 8th ..i have done very well lost at least 7 lbs so far,at my last weighing, my energy is great and im sleeping better than i guess i ever have before, i started the MC for health reasons wanting to clear a skin condition , im excited to see how it turns out i’ll stay on it for the full ten days to make sure ive done all i can…iwill up date…sunnie
I started the Master Cleanse today. So far, I’m not starving or craving anything. I did the sea salt flush this morning and plan to do the laxative tea tonight. I’ve been mentally preparing myself for 2 weeks before starting. Reading your newsletter is a great help.
Master Cleanse was something discussed around a bonfire one night with a friend of mine, someone who has done this many times, extremely knowledgeable about nutrition and health, looks great and has an amazing disposition, and I thought, “yeah sure, why not give it a shot”. Aside from losing weight, I just wanted to feel better, get back my energy levels and color … just do something good to my body after years of abuse, so now, I’m into my 6th day.
Now I’m someone who loves to cook and my favorites are steaks, breads, & pastas. I can bake and eat an entire baguette dipped in seasoned extra virgin olive oil while preparing a meal. The first two days I spent looking at recipes while my stomach craved all those wonderfully delicious foods … but I’m pretty determined when I put my mind to it. During this time, I never realized how many food commercials were on TV … Long Horn and Red Lobster … man that stuff looked good! So I started reading more, listened to music and turned off the TV. The 3rd day I amazingly lost the cravings. To be honest, I ignored the earlier emails received from you, but now I read them all along with all the comments. The information from you and those who share their experiences are invaluable. I haven’t really seen a weight loss, but I can feel the change and my pants aren’t as tight. Last night someone made a comment about how good I looked, and this was shortly after I was thinking “maybe 5 days is enough, time for some roti & curry” … so as I said, now I’m into my 6th day.
Thanks so much for making all this information available in words that are easily understood. It just all makes so much sense. My advice to people like me who have never done this before is to just do it and give it at least 3 days before you even think about throwing in the towel. Don’t give up. Believe me, if I can do it, you can do it.
Did the Cleanse for a trial of 3 days and I lost 7 LBS, feeling good and energetic.
I fixed the plan for the next cleanse for 10 days in early Dec. I think I can make it.
I lost 7 lbs from the last Cleanse & just get 1 to 2 lbs back… I have regular yoga practise and dancing … stop from over-eating.
As scheduled, I start my second Cleanse and this is Day 2. everything goes well…& I would go for 10 days.
can you order your books you offer in hard cover….it is to much to print out…way to much i dont reccomend ordering it to down load..
My daughter started the Master Cleanse today, December 24, 2007. She woke up about 1:30 pm (teenager), had her laxative tea, and has since had two lemonade drinks. It is 6:30 pm and she is now complaining she has pains in her stomach. She just moved her bowels for the first time since she started and is still complaining about the pains.
It can’t be the toxins, can it, because she just started the diet about 5 hours ago. Any suggestions?
thanks for the great ideas! However, I must say I follow alot of what you said and I’m still not comfortable with my weight. I eat tons of greens, protein shake for breakfast, lean meats, lots of veggies, whole grain everything. I guess my only guilty pleasure is popcorn, hummus and peta chips. For a few months, I’ve felt sluggish and unhappy so I decided to start the Master Cleanse. I’m on day 2 and very excited. I’m not doing this to loose weight but I hope it will be a needed lift to my long-term battle. However, I’m scared about gaining the weight back. Anything you suggest? Should I incorporate foods much slower if my eating habits where good to begin with?
I have been on the Master Cleanse for 5 day’s now and i feel just fine, i have also lost 8 lbs, i am shooting for another 5 days.
Everyone let’s get healthy!
I am drinking my first glass as I sit here (at work), reading all of your comments. Very encouraging! Like most, I am not only trying to step up my health but need to lose weight. I am looking at this as a health regime, not a diet and I have never been so motivated before! I started Belly dancing a year ago and feel I am not progressing as quickly as I could because I am embarrassed of my figure and therefore and not bringing all of myself into the movements. Hopefully this will give me the boost I need to get healthy!
Much luck and good wishes to all!
Michelle
First of all, I would just like to give Raylen much props for having a website that is very informative and helpful. Two weeks ago I did the Master Cleanse for 10 ten days. The first three days was hard! But, because I stayed prayerful and did it with another co-worker and had the support of my close relatives I was able to finish it. And it is true-my thinking started to change where all I was craving was to have healthy foods at the end. Thank you so much Raylen for your liquid diet and food guideline that you personally use. I can now stay on track and do the protein shake twice a day and a sensible dinner and snack with fruits if I feel hungry in between. And it is perfect for my busy lifestyle. I lost 18 pounds doing the Cleanse and I now am motivated to keep the weight off by excersing 5-6 times a week and taking care of my body inside and out. May God bless all those who try this Master Cleanse to be successful in their endeavors as well. A big thank you once again,
Missy T.
Just came off 8 days of the master cleanse two weeks ago, feel good (got bored after 8 days, next time 10), lost some weight, gained some back. Like your article on eating after the cleanse. Read somewhere that you can drink the cleanse for breakfast. I drink it in the am, but then have some oatmeal, as it doesn’t seem enough.
Wanted to comment on your coffee in the morning idea. I do love a cappuccino, so i won’t argue there. However, since coffee is a diuretic, doesn’t it kind of defeat the idea of a liquid diet? I believe in moderation, but I’m just wondering.
Thanks for a great newsletter.
I recomend the cleanse to anyone. If you stick with it, you will see why you started it in the first place. Today is my 3rd day off the Master Cleanse and I feel fantastic. Tomorrow I can eat normally, but I do want to change my eating habits. I really appreciate the diet suggestions. Anyone reading this who is in the middle of the cleanse…Keep It Up!!! You’re doing yourself a favor, trust me.
I totally agree with the guidelines you have stated cause it has worked for me. My snacks are cucumbers broccily calliflower carrots snackpeas and other raw veggies and fruits instead of chocolate bars and chips.
Totally changed my eating habits. thanks for all the encouragement anto master cleanse program. I have lassted for 14 days and could have went longer. I haven’t found wheatgrass yet. Still looking for it. Have any tips on beans that would replace meat. Ilike chicken that’s about it. Thanks again
I can’t thank you enough for all of the info that you put into your newsletters. I have been an overeater for all of my 49 years before I started your Master Cleanse. I feel better than ever and I am praying that I can put into practice a whole new thought process into how I think about eating. Thanks again
yes, you hit the nail–what you eat after is the biggie!! I’m about 3 wks. out from a 10 day cleanse and am maintaining the 8# wt. loss (am on the low end for wt. at my ht.). I basically took the advice to do at least 50% raw fr. and veg., nuts and seeds, no meat, etc. or dairy, with a rare cheat taste of sugar stuff. I feel great! Have to work at the protein, veg. burger, rice prot. pwd, soy milk, nuts and seeds, pea. butter, tofu. any suggestions out there along these lines?? May start adding eggs back in the diet. Do like your ph diet talk, and the veg. juice, etc. Yeah, cleaning those juicing mach. is one royal pain! How about just blending a bunch of spinach, lett. and sprouts in juice and water and some fruit? sounds like the wheat grass is prob. the most concentrated prot. etc., min. and vit…..? is soy a no-no, esp. the soy prot. pwd.? I hear some bad rap about that stuff. I also agree that portable and easy is the only long term way to go-i need to grab stuff to chow down on in the car, running around. what are your tho’ts. on % of prot. needed, if not a big trainer, aver. exercise? obviously, you must be against whey prot. pwd., being dairy. well, appreciate some feedback, if anybody has some time:)! one more thing, anybody hear of kidney infection being caused by the cleanse?? also, my son is a trainer and he did an 8 day cleanse and lost 9 lbs.-he started at low body fat…i tho’t one shouldn’t lose much if already thin?? should he have done more lem. drinks? or do we assume he had some loaded plumbing??:)
Thanks Raylen for everything, for your emails and your book,You helped me a lot and still helping me. I did the diet and I’m feeling great, its the best thing that I did in years. I lost all the weight that I wanted to and now I’m trying to keep up with the food that you sugest. My only problem is that I love to eat late and I love meet, I cant drink the green drink cause it taste nasty. By the way I want to do the master clenser agein aftter 3 months is it ok? (I love the taste of the lemonade).
God bles you and keep you strong in your helth. You ben very helpful
Hi,
After doing my cleanse, I thought “what do I do now” to keep off the weight and keep losing?” I agree full heartedly with Mandy who suggested the fat4lossidiot.com. My husband and I started the same time, so of course, being a man, he has lost more weight than I have and you are able to eat 4x a day manipulating calories between protein and carbs. Try it…it works and I have been dieting since the age of 12.
hi jeff,i can’t use caffeine because i suffered with uric acid also poor circulation and arthritis. so that is a problem for me using tomatoes, oranges,eggplants, peppers of any kind. i also suffered with gas. i’ll be starting my lemonade cleanse after my nephew wedding on the 19th april. i just need to get your cookbook first, then i’ll also see if i get my husband to join me. i forget ican’tuse brocolli, calliflower, brusselsprout, or cabbage my stomach does swell up. i enjoys your blog very much lots of information thanks. madeleine
Ihave been on the master cleanse diet for 5 days, on the 4th night I was soo hungrey and weak so I MESSED UP AND ATE SOMETHING, I felt so horrible afterwards but my stomach felt better and I was able to go to sleep,my question is…have i messed up and do I have to start all over again? I have been okay today so far,, I drank my lemonade and lots of water and my herbal tea smooth move.Do I have to start over again?THanks, Debbie
I just finished 14 days of solid stick-to-it cleansing and I feel great.
Thanks to my family and your emails/blog it was a great experience.
At 46 years old I did not think my body could perform like this again.
I just finish the master cleanse. I feel much better & love seeing the results, but I know now my job is to maintain what I just worked so hard for. After the 3rd day, I was able to sit around other people who were eating & was really surprised that it didn’t affect me. I love to eat so I’m now going to keep the momentum up. 12lbs gone & hopefully it will stay off.
hello,
i have just finished my 10day mc tonight and am extremely proud of myself for completing the detox without cheating. i am very greedy and sometimes i just pigout although i buy and eat healthy, it is my son’s snacks that i sometimes go crazy with and his cereal and milk. but i have done well on the mc and look forward to eating much healthier and lighter but i am wondering will i be able to drink alcohol beverages again and how soon????????? i have a function to attend on my third day post mc and would like to have a drink at the function.would i be able to do that???
I just finished the 10 day cleanse and it is actually day ten for me. It was great, but I am happy to be done and completely ready to start eating again. I did this only for the cleanse benefits, but did loose ten pounds during this. People say you will not crave fatty foods, etc., but if I had my way I would order a pizza right now and lock my doors and close my blinds.
Seriously, I am super excited to eat food again and plan on eating that pizza within a week. I have eaten healthy for years now and a long time vegetarian, but still enjoy things in moderation and will always be that way I believe. I am wondering if anyone just went right back to eating a meal after the tenth day and what happened? This was a great practice of discipline and self control and knew I could do this, but I am ready to live and eat again. I could see this being an amazing way to start a new lifestyle if you were not used to eating healthy, but I personally feel I already eat better than 90% of most out there and am not overly concerned. Thanks.
Hi,
I did the master cleanse for 7 days, but I stop because I was feeling too weak and my heart was hurting so I got scare. Two days ago I found out that I am pregnant. I am concern if the baby could got damage from the cleaning. Any one has an advice?
Thanks for sharing your mastercleans secrets, it has started to affect my health in such a positive way, let alone that i have lost weight one size done.
This is more a question than a comment. I have WELL WATER and it has a LOTS of RUST in it. I have to use “IRON OUT” to keep my toilets from turning brown and my bath water is yellow. Looks like weak tea. Is this water safe to bathe in and drink? And what can I do?
Is there a difference in you MC DIET and the one by STANLEY BURROUGHS? They are both LEMONADE DIETS.
Hi Paola
As long as you stopped the diet I think your baby should be fine I mean your only taking lemon maple s and Cay,,pepper,,But to make you feel better you should go to the doctor Good luck And god bless your baby
My husband and I have decided to start the Master Cleanse diet. Day 2 (ease in) and I have already lost 3 lbs. We chose to do the 3 day ease in and then the ease out. For us it just seemed the gentler more logical approach. I downloaded the book and printed it out. I love that its just a big pile of knowlege that I can leaf through when I need encouragement. I feel like you have given me a life-line with this plan. I am 5′3 and weigh about 164 lbs. My weight fluctuates about 15 pounds constantly. After two children I feel so defeated about my looks and my weight. I am depressed and beat down. In the weeks before I heard about this diet I began gorging myself with food. Something was going terribly wrong and I was feeling very out of control. My whole day revolved around eating and I was hiding it and feeling very ashamed. After one of these binges I am sorry to admit that I began purging to get rid of the food. I knew I needed help and that my life had to change. It was a huge wake-up call for me. While googling online for diets I came across your website. The tone of your writing and the words that you used reached out to me. I immediately purchased the book to print out. My husband seemed very open to the idea (he knows how horrible I feel about myself right now) and together we are starting this journey of a healthier us. I cannot express to you how thankful I am that I came across this information when I did. My only concern is that on day 2 I am feeling very constipated and have not had a BM since starting this diet. I am taking the Psilium Husk and did the sea salt laxative and have drank the smooth move tea. Why do you think this is?
Still feeling good
I downloaded the info and it is great, I especially like that you talk about mentally preparing prior to going on the cleanse. Day one was really tough because I had to prepare meals for my son, but I was able to get through it by looking at my list of reasoning for doing the cleanse and how it would affect me if I fail. I am on the original cleanse thus far and have not had to use any of the secondary ingredients. I have also continued to do light exercise walking and using the sauna and I am proud to say I lost are you ready I have lost 7 pounds 51 hours into the cleanse I know a lot of it may be water weight but I am happy none the less my goal is to make it at least 7 days and depending on how I am feeling continuing the full 10 days. I also use a lot of positive motivational encouragement and self praise to stay focus. Thanks so much for the guidance and support. I will continue to share my progress.
After the cleanse, on the third day of finishing it.. I was wondering if I would be able to drink alcohol for one night. Not beer because it contains yeast and probably wouldn’t be a good idea. But since you said orange juice was good to drink I would be drinking that with vodka.
There’s a vodka brand called 3 and it doesn’t have any carbs and it made from soy. Please let me know if drinking this for one night would be a good idea or not.
Thanks!
HELLO ..IM ON MY 3RD ..GOING INTO MY 4TH DAY ..WHAT SHOULD I EXSPECT
I am on day 9. Tomorrow is the last day and then on to the juice and soup. I won’t weigh myself till tomorrow.
I only crave fruite and vegatables. Can anyone tell me the ingredients and preparation for the vegetable soup?
Thanks
To God Be the Glory
Well…I have been on the Master Cleanse for 14 days and have lost 15 lbs. I am exiting the cleanse as my stomach is starting to take a toll on me and wants to eat. I think the cleanse was a great way to kick start a healthier eating habit. Be strong and remember to maintain the weight that is lost!
Take care,
Nichole
I plan on doing the Master Cleanse - actually looking foward to it. I’m a vegan and wonder if a vegan diet would be sufficient after completing the Master Cleanse?
The Master Cleanse diet(lemonade diet)was invented by Stanley Burroughs…It does not include any kind of fiber. You should take a double strength “Smooth Move Tea” to make you go if regular strength doesn’t work. If you don’t go to the bathroom #2
you will get toxic overload. I used to be a dummy and try to fast without laxative teas and would end up throwing up then get scared and stop the cleanse. I successfully recently finished a 10 day master cleanse and used Dr. Natura’s laxative tea which is ridiculously expensive but works well. The cayenne pepper started to burn my mouth after my tongue turned white(around the 5th day) so i took cayenne caps and emptied some old meds i wasn’t using and filled them with half the powder in the cayenne caps and used those instead. (The full strength caps were too strong for my stomach) I am 5′2″ and i lost 16 pounds. Yay! I did it for my achy gallbladder though. Didn’t work but being skinnier puts a smile on my face! I had to order a kit from gallbladderattack.com. This is my last hope. Or my creepy surgeon will have his way. 
I had completed 11 days of the MC about a week ago. I now am crazy for Veggie Soup. I didn’t know what to eat or drink after the cleanse. Lo and behold, this article was in my email. I haven’t lost weight and I feel wonderful. The craving for sweets and potato chips were strong this weekend. To occupy this feeling I made pots full of veggie soup and canned it for future use. I will be doing the cleanse again just after Labor Day. I know I only scratched the surface with the first cleanse. I just bought a water filtering system, Aquasana. It arrives today. I know this will aid in the second cleansing I plan. The first was so easy for me and I know it just broke down all the tar and fat I had accumulated. Yes, this diet is the same as Stanley Burrough’s book because that’s what started me off. I am thankful for this additional information to help me keep up the great work.
I have tried to begin the Cleansing and have falen on Day 2. There are many reasons for it but the fact is that I had not planned to be invited to a wedding Reception and so, was not ready to say no to the menu. Enough said, I am now starting again. I want to be successful on this program, but I think it is for the wrong reason. I need to kick start my metabolism and get rid of between 15 and 20 pounds. I have a history of yo yoing. Although I have maintained a weightloss of over 60 pounds now for two years. I had originally lost 80. The cleanse is right for me I know, however, as an active Baptist Minister, staying away from food is difficult. I am trying now to focus on this being ten days of a Spiritual Fast, not simply a cleansing. Thanks for reading. God bless. Pastor Dale
Hi I am on My 9 Day and I Feel Good But I Want to know If I can Have Oak when I am Finish My cleanse
I plan to start Monday. I need to lose a few pounds before a reunion. The reunion is in 3 weeks so I figure I can stay on for ten days and then begin a very light diet. I am worried that once I eat(healthy foods) that I will gain the weight back. Any suggestions to keep the weight off?