Final Cleanse Recap
So I mentioned a couple weeks ago that prior to my birthday I would be doing a final cleanse based on this detox cleanse from A Healthy Purpose for a period of 12 days before my birthday to give my digestive system a break, reduce bloating, and reduce psychological cravings for stimulant foods (like sugar and chocolate).
This was the basic outline of the plan:
Days 1-3: 100% Raw
Days 4-5: Green Smoothies
Days 6-7: Master Cleanse
Days 8-9: Green Smoothies
Days 10-12: 100% Raw
Of course, you’re all wondering how it went right?
Mental Reactions:
In terms of cravings, I didn’t find the cleanse to be too hard. The raw days were easiest. It being summer, I naturally want to eat raw food anyway, so not too much trouble there. Although, I might have cheated a bit on my raw days (okay, actually I cheated A LOT on day 11. I ate bread and pasta, woops!).
My liquid days were a lot easier than anticipated. I expected to be thinking about food all day long, but surprisingly I wasn’t even craving food all that much. I’m always craving something and usually that something is sugar. So it really did work in suppressing my psychological dependence on food. Unfortunately that suppression didn’t last beyond he cleanse, because as soon as I was done it I was back to eating cake and cookies and chocolate.
During days 6 and 7, the Master Cleanse days, no one wanted to be around me, and I don’t think it’s coincidental. Matt kept asking me why I was so moody. I was cranky and annoyed all the time, for no apparent reason. It wasn’t pretty.
Physical Reactions:
In terms of energy level, I still had lots of energy over those 12 days. I’d even venture to say that I had even more than when I eat normally. The cleanse didn’t effect my weightlifting at all and I was still able to run 16 miles over the course of the week. I even did more yoga classes than normal because I felt so good!
I mentioned some specifics of the Master Cleanse in this post that I wrote on Day 6. Basically, between the lemonade, the herbal laxative tea, and plain water I was so hydrated that I needed to be near the bathroom all the time. The herbal laxative tea is definitely effective, but it gave me quite an upset stomach.
One thing that I didn’t mention in the Master Cleanse post was the salt water flush that I did before bed: 2 tsp of salt dissolved into 2 c. of water. Stir and drink. Sound kinda gross? Try worst thing I’ve ever had. You’re actually supposed to drink a litre, but I could barely get 2 cups down. It tasted like I was drowning in the ocean. I tried to chug it all in one go, but I had to stop in between to chase it with some fresh water. When I finally got it down, I waited for the magic to happen. Less than 15 minutes later, that “magic” was more like a bad case of the stomach flu. Suffice to say that I’m pretty sure my colon was entirely cleansed.
Would I recommend this cleanse?
Yes. I really did feel good during those 12 days, my cravings were suppressed and I felt less bloated and more energetic.
What would I change?
If you wanted to make it a bit shorter, I would suggest cutting out the first and last raw day and maybe just steer clear of meat, dairy, and gluten on those days. I don’t think 3 raw days was totally necessary.
I wouldn’t do the master cleanse for more than 2 days, because I don’t think people could stand my crankiness!
Will I do it again?
I think so. Maybe during the winter. I could make it a biannual thing.
Do I think it worked?
I don’t think it had any lasting effects. I mean, I lost some weight, but it was obviously just water and poop. Also, my craving suppression didn’t last beyond the 12 days.