Healing Events

As my body detoxified throughout the cleanse, I had some symptoms that I felt I should share... I have learned these are called Healing Events. Essentially the symptoms are a sign of a change within your body. I figure you'd mostly have to GUESS at what the detox is doing that could be causing the symptom, but for most people it wouldn't be that hard to narrow down to a few choices.

1) I was midly headachey the first two days. I've heard that's the caffeine detox. I typically only have one cup every morning, with the exception on days when I work. On those days I MIGHT have a second cup either right before my shift, or in the afternoon. And never because "I need it". I'm a pretty high-energy person naturally...ask anyone who knows me. I don't have a caffeine addiction, I drink it because it's a nice ritual in the morning. It goes hand in hand with washing my face and brushing my teeth... Which is probably why my headache was so mild. I've heard some people say they had pretty strong headaches in the first two days - and it's probably because of all the caffeine they consume!

2) On the third (or was it fourth?) day, I had two canker sores in my mouth. I have had maybe 3 or 4 canker sores my entire life, so this was pretty shocking. I use a natural toothpaste that's SLS free (Sodium Laureth Sulfate - a chemical detergent that's on the EPA's list of "probable carcinogens, the same crap that's in cheap [and expensive] shampoos, and has been linked to canker sores). IDK what could have caused the canker sores. But I had 'em.

3) Bruise-like pain and very mild swelling in my right underarm. This was on my lymph nodes, I could feel the little bumps of them swollen up. My friend told me this was likely my blood cleansing, and that I should increase my water intake. I increased my water dramatically and massaged and dry-brushed the area. The swelling disappeared within a day, and the pain was gone in two.

4) Very mild swelling on my throat... the type of pain you feel before you catch a cold, on Day 7. It only lasted a couple of hours. I drank loads of liquids, and slowly started weaning myself off the lemonade - this was when I was feeling very weak. So I don't know if my body was on the verge of purging something big (which made my tired, weak, and cranky) when I quit the cleanse... but it is worth noting that I felt like I was developing a cold on my 7th day.

5) Extreme Brain Fog. This started around Day 4. It got to the point where I couldn't immediately recall yesterday's events. I'd actually have to really think, and really focus to remember what I wore yesterday, what time certain things happened, what Emery ate, if I ran certain errands, etc. It finally started to clear up yesterday a little, on my first day out. Today is my 2nd day out and I hope that it's gone. Luke's brain fog was so bad yesterday that he went to the mall to run some errands, and then he forgot where he parked the car. Yikes.

6) I broke out on my cheeks... worse on the left side than the right. To the point that I'm wearing foundation today to go to work. Yes, I'm a make-up artist...but I'm not the biggest fan of wearing foundation. Anyway, with all the water I'm drinking, my skin should be sparkling. Now that I'm slowly eating solids again, I'm loading up on probiotic rich foods and fruits, organic home-made broth... and yet my skin isn't glowing! My back and chest were spared, but probably because I took almost daily 20-minute soaks in epsom salts and baking soda. I shoulda splashed it on my face in the tub too.

All in all, the cleanse was very much worth the trouble. I am going to try for a proper TEN day cleanse in the fall. And we'll plan it to ensure there are no special days near the cleanse, so that nothing can interrupt it. Yesterday I said that I was craving meat, but I realized I'm not. I'm not really having cravings for any particular food at all. This morning I thought about having a coffee, only because I miss the taste, but I'm not really DRIVEN to go get one. I'd rather have a peppermint tea.

Another great aspect about this cleanse has been that I get to control the reintroduction of good bacteria to my gut. I have been very proactive about this, introducing three different types. I am using Bio-K+, unsweetened Kombucha tea (with the green stuff [chlorophyl?!?] added), and unpasteurized sauerkraut. I am spreading them out throughout the day to ensure my tummy is getting the probiotics all day long. I figure I am going to stick to the probiotics for 14 days

My weight has been steady at 110 lbs for the past two days. The lowest it ever went throughout the cleanse was 109(point)something. My friend Helena said that the Salt Water Flush causes you to retain a good 2 or 3 lbs of water, but this is weight you'll likely gain back. So I guess I'm due for another pound or two, which means that I lost a good pound of crap out of my colon. On one hand I'm disappointed I didn't lose more crap out of my gut, but on the other hand I know I eat a pretty healthy diet so I'm kind of not suprised that there wasn't more to lose. I've also heard that it usually takes a few Master Cleanses, and a really long one, to get the really deeply buried waste out.

Anyway, I'm rambling. So there you have it. A list of my healing events and my plans for the next little bit!

ALL DONE!!! First day out...

Okay technically, I kinda threw in the towel late yesterday afternoon, making it a 6.5 day cleanse. It just got to the point where my body couldn't do it anymore... even drinking the lemonade was making me gag. I don't know what caused it, if it was just because I was moody and grumpy, but I just couldn't do it anymore.

I only drank a cup or so of the lemonade, a peppermint tea, and loads of water. By noon or so, I felt so weak I couldn't even get me and Emery dressed. The thought of walking to The Big Carrot (about a km each way) and then back was enough to make me want to faint. I was feeling very weak...

So Luke stopped by the Carrot to grab my grocery list. As soon as he came home I started making vegetable broth...and when it was done I just had to have some. It was the yummiest thing I have ever eaten, I kid you not. It felt SO good to feel the nutrition going into me. I pretty much immediately had a bowel movement...and there was nothing solid in the soup. I had strained it all out, it was just broth. Weird, huh?

That strange bruised-feeling in my underarm has subsided, but it's very faintly still there. It's down to about 20% of the pain that I felt yesterday. I did massage it yesterday and made sure to drybrush it before my shower too.

I also drank some fresh squeezed organic juice, 16 oz of it. It was Orange/Carrot/Apple/Beet and it tasted so good! I drank it with lots of water maybe 1.5 parts water to every 1 of the juice.

I felt so much better going into the evening last night after a couple of cups of the broth, the juice, and all that water. Oh yeah, I also had a container of Bio-K+ the non-dairy one. There's 50Billion live bacterial cultures in it...

This morning I had another container of the Bio-K+ and I blended a drink of Orange Juice, 1/3 banana, 1/3 apple, and a frozen pouch of organic acai berry, which I then strained to get the extra fiber out. I'll also have an Epsom Salt & Baking Soda bath to help further detoxify my skin and head out to pick up some Kombucha (another awesome source of probiotics).

All-in-all this has been a pretty good experience. I can't believe I didn't eat anything for 7 days! You REALLY have to want it... I think the mental block is what prevents people from either doing the cleanse, or from succeeding at it. The first 4 days were so easy. Day 5 was a little tough because I felt some cravings, but day 6 & 7 were definitely the hardest. Maybe if I wasn't in such a foul mood yesterday I might have been able to muscle my way through the day, but I was just too weak to fight it.

I still can't believe all the junk that was continuing to come out of my body all the way through the cleanse. If the medical community wants you to believe that things CAN'T get stuck inside your body, how do they explain that I was still having bowel movements SEVEN DAYS after I stopped eating?

People have reported that they have no cravings for meats after the cleanse. Although I am not craving it RIGHT NOW, I have craved it, and I probably will eat it again in the fairly near future. I just can't imagine my life without it. I figure I'll just do another cleanse in the fall to detox my body. I go for Organic groceries as often as possible (about 80% of the time), but with the exception of eating out, it will be 100% after this.

Luke's on Day 4 today and he's already dropped almost 10 lbs! You can see a visible difference along his waistline and he's very happy about it. Today will be his last day; he's far too busy with work right now and he just doesn't have the energy to get through the day on the Master Cleanse. His work is very exertive, and on top of that he gets a powerful brain fog that interferes with his paperwork. Crazy, isn't it?

So back to me.. :o) Today will be loads of water, broth, fruit and juices. I'll probably make vegetable soup...if my tummy feels up to it, I will probably have it for dinner (lots of broth, very little veggies). When I grab the Kombucha, I'll pick up some melons to nosh on too... Mmmmm if only I could wrap my melons in prosciutto.... mmmmmm......

:o)

Day 7

Ugh...this is getting SO redundant. I can't believe I'm on the seventh day of not eating. I've been reading other people's blogs about how they don't even crave meat anymore, but I'm craving it just as much as ever.

My eyeballs had an orgasm last night watching that new Wendy's Bacon Blue commercial. OhMyLawsie... Yeah...I'm ready for food. But the worst part is knowing that it'll still be a few more days AFTER my cleanse before I can eat.

Anyway, I fully woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I am grumpy, I am irritable, I feel short-tempered. Plus I have pain in my right underarm and it feels the tiniest bit swollen... but it actually feels like it's BRUISED.

So I'm massaging it lightly and increasing my H2O intake...

Also, I'm not doing the SWF this morning. I just don't feel like it. I just feel so... "meh". I'll just have a cup of extra strong Senna Tea... Besides (TMI WARNING) I had a BM all by myself this morning. lol. There's hardly anything there - but shockingly - there's still something there! CRAZY! I haven't eaten in over 6 days...WHERE is this junk coming from?

Oh, and my weight went back up to 110.0. Weird, right? I drank extra water yesterday and I'm STILL retaining it...

So... I'm outta here... hopefully I can shake this crappy mood and get on with my day.

DAY 6 updates...

At one point around 2pm I got a WICKED headache. Sharp shooting pains behind my eyes... it only lasted a few minutes. It went away by itself, but I made sure to drink some more water to help eliminate watever toxin was causing that.

I've got a few good sized pimples on my face. Only on my cheeks and jaw line. I'm thinking they're cleanse related too...

I got quite a bit of excercise today as Emery and I walked about the underground PATH downtown to the Eaton Centre, but I haven't really felt hungry! I've only drank about 5 cups of my lemonade. I've had 1 cup of peppermint tea, and 3 or 4 cups of water. I'm thinking I'm not as hungry because I am taking in more water. I figured the water in my lemonade was enough, but my friend Helena told me that I need more water - the purpose of it being to actually help remove the waste from my body. Well DUH, this applies every day, why wouldn't it apply now? Obviously I'm not thinking.

I still have a little bit of lemonade left (out of my 5 cup bottle) and I feel like it's probably going to be enough to get me through the rest of the day. I'll drink another cup or two of water, and later tonight as I'm watching The Bachelor (final episode - woohoo! who will he pick?!?) I'll have my senna tea.

I can't believe I made it through today. I was sooooo ready to throw in the towel last night, but I feel myself going pretty strong.

I even cooked up dinner for Emery - I made him some Vanilla Coconut Rice pudding. A perfect vegan rice pudding! I omitted regular milk for Coconut Milk. Yes, it's higher in fat, but it's sooooo tasty. There's extra for his breakfast tomorrow too so it's one less thing I have to cook! :o) I also made him Baked French Fries. They're still in the oven, and the house smells heavenly... Another beautiful vegan option. I covered them in SnP, Garlic Powder, Chili Powder, and other spices, doused them in olive oil, then coated them in flour before putting them in the oven. There's enough in the oven to feed a small army....I might have to give some to my neighbours! LOL... I feel I can withhold the temptation, but I worry about Luke! ;o)

Anyway, I guess I will post tomorrow! Today was a pretty good day all-in-all, except that headache.

Azadeh OUT :o)

Day 5 recap - Day 6 HERE I COME!

Yesterday was really hard. I really really wanted to quit. Preparing my son's lunch was no walk in the park...but his dinner is what killed me. It smelled like... HEAVEN.

Plus Luke started his Master Cleanse yesterday and pretty much immediately got a wicked good headache. And he was going on for most of the day about food. And about cheating a little (I replied with a firm "NO!"). Which of course got ME thinking about food. And about how much I missed it. And how amazing my son's dinner smelled.

Maybe it would have been easier if Luke wasn't egging the food conversation on, but nevertheless... it was hard. It took an army of friends to convince me to not quit. My rationale was "But I've already cleansed for FIVE days, plus it'll be another 3 days of coming out". But no... they weren't having ANY of that. lol.

My SWF came out clear yesterday. There were no floaties, nothing solid in it. So I thought... WOW, is this it? Am I clean? (which of course fueled my rationale that I can quit - after all, my colon was clean).

How wrong I was. After last night's Senna Tea, my insides were doing their mandatory night-long gurgling sounds and this morning before I drank my SWF I had a little Bowel Movement. I was shocked!!! How can I be having a BM when I haven't eaten anything in FIVE DAYS?!?!?!?

I just finished my SWF about 30 minutes ago, so I'm still waiting for it to make its way through... and I'm assuming that it will NOT be clear. I also weighed myself this morning... I'm at 109.2. I only dropped half a pound from yesterday.

I gotta head down to work for a quick 30 minute meeting this morning. I'm going to take Emmy with me, and hopefully he'll be a good little boy. After yesterday's tough go at it, I think I'll swing by the mall with him later too - I deserve a little bit of shopping! :o)