Master Cleanse anyone?

Hello everybody,

I'm new to the forum and I'm on day 6 of the Master Cleanse. Has anyone else on here did it before and how were your results?

Search under the forums there are a few posts. Watch out though there are a few very opinionated people on here who will shot you down for detoxing. I did it, felt great and looked great. Good luck, to have got through the first few days is the hardest your on the home run now.

While I feel that you detox in other ways...like simply returning to a more traditional diet.  I know a couple who did master cleanse. They were having trouble getting pregnant so they both did the diet instead of going in for fertility treatments. After they were finished with the diet they had a baby on the way.  Plus the woman was able to get rid of an "environmental" allergy that caused her to get hives.

I don't know if its coincidence or not..but that's what happened to them.

Alot of people I work with did it, they lost between 8-30lbs per person. I tried it but wasn't drinking enough of the lemon drink that I was so sick by the end of the third day I went back to eating. I lost 5lbs in 2 1/2 days though. Just watch out because alot of the weight you drop will be water weight and you end up gaing between 3-8lbs back within a few days of ending it.

The Master Cleanse is idiotic. Plain and simple. You know why you feel great when you do the Master Cleanse? Because you're basically starving yourself of nutrients. You know what happens when you starve yourself? There's a euphoric feeling.

And yeah, you do get slammed for a detox because there is no such concept. If your body couldn't get rid of toxins you'd be dead. You do what weddingmama said which is not eat garbage in the first place which makes you feel good. You're not "detoxing" anything, you are just feeding your body properly

You don't even know what I was eating in the first place, so please, don't do TOO much.

Original Post by snooks86:

You don't even know what I was eating in the first place, so please, don't do TOO much.

If you're talking to me, I'm sorry but I don't know what you mean exactly.

Spirochete -

What is your problem? Every post that goes on CC about a detox you have to knock the person down and treat them like they are stupid. Please allow people to make their own choices and gain a variety of opinions.

If detoxing was so wrong why are so many people happy to repeatedly do it and enjoy the results. Yes you are right that the body does look after itself, but our bodies were not designed to eat the manufacted processed fake crap that we do. If our bodies were happy with this abuse then why are disease such as cancer on the rise? You always use the line 'if our bodies coulnt cleanse themselves we'd be dead' well your right, but our poor bodies are over worked with this junk. If you feed your dog the junk that the average person in the US eats the dog would be dead!

Prehaps eating clean healthy fresh food for a week or two or taking it to an extreme with a cleanse is a good option. No one is suggesting a detox as a permanent diet so theres no fear of starvation or lacking nutrients, in fact people are probably getting more nutrients than they would eating their normal diet of junk food.

Whether its a miracle cure or not its a good way for people to reflect on what they are putting into their bodies. So please just let people share their experiences on here without being ripped apart. 

Thanks for helpin me backing me up. I had really great results with the cleanse last time around, so that's why I decided to try it again. In my opinion, I think its great for routine body maintenance every 3-4 months.

I can't wait for regular food. I want a grilled chicken caesar salad sooooo bad.

 

Think ill be joining you tomorrow. Its a great way to drop a few extra pounds and you feel good doing it, certainly kick starts a diet. i only want to lose 10lbs but i find it very difficult dieting, strangley enough resricting myslef to no food is almost easier than denying certain foods. The first 2-3 days are the hardest as eating is just such a basic habit, but after the 3rd day the scales certainly motivate me.

Original Post by chelseagirl:

Spirochete -

What is your problem? Every post that goes on CC about a detox you have to knock the person down and treat them like they are stupid. Please allow people to make their own choices and gain a variety of opinions.

If detoxing was so wrong why are so many people happy to repeatedly do it and enjoy the results. Yes you are right that the body does look after itself, but our bodies were not designed to eat the manufacted processed fake crap that we do. If our bodies were happy with this abuse then why are disease such as cancer on the rise? You always use the line 'if our bodies coulnt cleanse themselves we'd be dead' well your right, but our poor bodies are over worked with this junk. If you feed your dog the junk that the average person in the US eats the dog would be dead!

Prehaps eating clean healthy fresh food for a week or two or taking it to an extreme with a cleanse is a good option. No one is suggesting a detox as a permanent diet so theres no fear of starvation or lacking nutrients, in fact people are probably getting more nutrients than they would eating their normal diet of junk food.

Whether its a miracle cure or not its a good way for people to reflect on what they are putting into their bodies. So please just let people share their experiences on here without being ripped apart. 

 (Not Spirochete, but responding anyway)

You're right when you say that we give our body a lot of processed crap, but a 7-day fast isn't a magical reset button. It isn't going to prevent cancer/disease/etc. If you're talking long-term damage, no 'master cleanse' is going to fix it. All it's doing is supposedly 'cleansing' what our body can take care of on its own.

To each their own, of course, but I'm not really in favor of 'cleanses'--I don't understand why people can't just start eating healthier. Wouldn't fruits and vegetables and whole grains have the same 'cleansing' factor?

Original Post by chelseagirl:

Spirochete -

What is your problem? Every post that goes on CC about a detox you have to knock the person down and treat them like they are stupid. Please allow people to make their own choices and gain a variety of opinions.

If detoxing was so wrong why are so many people happy to repeatedly do it and enjoy the results. Yes you are right that the body does look after itself, but our bodies were not designed to eat the manufacted processed fake crap that we do. If our bodies were happy with this abuse then why are disease such as cancer on the rise? You always use the line 'if our bodies coulnt cleanse themselves we'd be dead' well your right, but our poor bodies are over worked with this junk. If you feed your dog the junk that the average person in the US eats the dog would be dead!

Prehaps eating clean healthy fresh food for a week or two or taking it to an extreme with a cleanse is a good option. No one is suggesting a detox as a permanent diet so theres no fear of starvation or lacking nutrients, in fact people are probably getting more nutrients than they would eating their normal diet of junk food.

Whether its a miracle cure or not its a good way for people to reflect on what they are putting into their bodies. So please just let people share their experiences on here without being ripped apart.

My problem is doing the Master Cleanse is akin to wanting to catch mono to lose weight. I mean it's your body, do what you want. There is no such thing as "detoxing". Period.

I just can't get over this quote:

If detoxing was so wrong why are so many people happy to repeatedly do it and enjoy the results.

People are also happy to starve themselves, throw up meals and take handfuls of laxatives and repeatedly do it. Does that make it right?

A pox on the house of whoever came up with the Master Cleanse.

I feel I must add my two cents to this discussion (and apologize for the length).

I must start out by saying I agree with spirochete in his arguments.  I have not heard of master cleanse before so I looked it up on wiki.  It mentions it is a detox. diet which helps to remove "toxins" from the body.  My first problem arises from this use of "toxin".  It screams pseudoscience and I assume came into existence from the alternative health side of things.  Toxin is defined as :

A poison produced by certain animals, plants, or bacteria

(I typed define: toxin, into google).

Now I would assume if you have any sort of animal, plant, or bacteria toxin in your body you would be terribly sick, or at least in great discomfort, and probably head to a hospital for proper treatment (i.e. antibiotics for bacterial infection, some anti-venom for a snake bite, or some cream for poison ivy).  I would however be certain you wouldn't treat yourself by using a "detox diet".  Therefore I assume you are not using the diet for the "detox" effect, but probably are using it to loose a few pounds?

This leads me to the second problem I have with this diet.  When you are on a "detox" diet your body goes into starvation mode (defined as a malnutrition state that results due to insufficient caloric intake).  I pulled this following information for a science article (Judge et al., Emerg Med Clin N Am 23 (2005) 789–813)

  The human body’s response to starvation is complex, and there are several physiologic adaptations that occur to prevent the breakdown of lean body mass and augment fat metabolism [13]. This includes the production of ‘‘stress’’ hormones (glucagon, epinephrine, and cortisol) that stimulate lipolysis and ketogenesis to maintain adequate plasma glucose concentrations through gluconeogenesis.  During Phase I, which encompasses the first few days of inadequate nutrient intake, hepatic glycogen stores are depleted to sustain glucose levels, while amassed lipids are liberated to undergo oxidation and help curb the breakdown of muscle.  Subsequently, Phase II commences, whereby fat oxidation is increased, production of ketone bodies occur, and lean tissues are partially spared (cardiac and skeletal muscles are catabolized to provide the substrates (amino acids) necessary for glucose production via gluconeogenesis).  Finally, after prolonged starvation,Phase III (terminal starvation) occurs. By this time, up to 50% of body protein levels have been depleted.

 Therefore is it really worth losing a few pounds (probably muscle) in the short term when your health could potentially be at stake?  I personally believe your body can handle all these “toxins” and that the best way to loose weight is through proper diet and exercise.

But, to each his own.

People have been fasting for thousands of years.  Master Cleanse and similar programs aren't anything new.  Some people claim to experience different benefits from fasting, whatever the merits of the "detoxification" claims.  I've never tried it, but I can see why someone else might.

I have a couple of pennies to add to this conversation: there is such a thing as detoxing, but it can't be done by drinking a spicy lemon drink for a week. A good detox program involves lots of fiber (clean up that colon!) and supplements that draw heavy metals out of your body. Yes, your body is able to detoxify itself, but we really do overload our bodies....and lots of things just build up in our bodies when we are repeatedly exposed to them. Heavy metals, particularly. I have done a full fledged detox and after a few days I felt like crap, like I had the flu. I also stank to high heaven. After a couple of days of this sad state, I started to feel better and, at the end, I felt like a million bucks. You are supposed to maintain your freshly cleansed self by shunning processed foods...I only managed that for a few weeks. But, if I could afford it, I would detox at least once a year because I felt vibrant and healthy, not because I lost a couple of pounds. The problem, I think, is that people have begun to equate the terms "detox" and "crash diet" when they really are not the same thing.

By the way, in response to the definition of "toxins": the term "disease" was only used (once upon a time) for illness caused by viruses or bacteria . Now the word is used to describe mental disorders as well. As much as I hate the fact that alcoholism and depression are referred to as "diseases", I have to accept the fact that language constantly evolves. The use of the word "toxin" that you object to probably stemmed from the fact that things can be toxic without being a toxin per your definition. Arsenic, for example, is a highly toxic substance that will make you sick and/or kill you just like, say, snake venom. Couldn't you then refer to arsenic as a "toxin"?

This thread is way too toxic for me. 

O.K. although I can't say that I have ever done the master cleanse (I don't like spicy lemon water), I have and still do my own version of cleansing. I go on a veggies and fruit with a couple of days with fat free dairy, for 5 days and then I eat whatever I want for 2 days. I lost 5 puonds this week doing this, and of course I walk 5 miles a day(which I just got up to this week) and not only did I lose the weight, clean my colon, and saved a huge amount in food, but my skin looks better and I am motivated to do it every week. Is it bad for you? No! I get an A every time on CC analysis, and I find that on a day like today, I had a hard time eating processed foods, because as it started to go dow my throat, I thought that I really don't want to go down that road anymore, so I put the bag of doritos away! It's like the old saying goes"whatever gets you through the night!". So to all who like to be the negatives out there.....every experience is different.....let them have theirs and keep your negative thoughts to yourself where they do the most good!

Lordy, why did I create this thread. We got some drama queens up in here. First of all, my eating habits weren't terrible. I eat only natural and organic food, not a lot of food, but I was eating too many sweets, so last time I remember the cleanse breaking the habit. I like how it makes me feel and many people have testified to how the Master Cleanse have relieved ailments they were suffering from.

I have never done a master cleanse because I don't think I have the will power for it.  But I do think that fasting is good for you.  When I go through a phase of eating a lot of junk I like to do a water fast for 24-48 hours.  I feel like it resets my body.  I stop craving junk.

I have always been told that fasting is good for you because it allows your body to focus on cleansing itself of toxins, which it can do while you are eating but sense it isn't working on digesting and all that it can dedicate all its time to that. 

But a lot of people do get really mad about fasting (as can be seen in the above posts).  I have had people yell at me for doing a 24 hour fast. 

Good luck with your cleanse!

don't worry snooks86  i am also doing detoxification & mine is the sixth day today.i've already lost 6 lbs ....its good go ahead.......