The Master Cleanse

I think it was sometime last year (or earlier this year) that I attempted to do the Master Cleanse, but failed miserably. It's a hard thing to commit to when you're flying everyday and the "lemonade concoction" needs to be made fresh daily and you have no set schedule. And forget about doing a salt water flush before stepping on an airplane. No way, no how. This detox takes a lot of focus and planning.

It's the holiday season, and over indulging is expected. I'm guilty. So I decided that before Christmas, I'd give the Master Cleanse another go. I also want to do it again after the new year before our trip to Tavarua (!!!!) where I'll be in a bathing suit essentially all day, everyday.

I've gained a few pounds from the pregnancy that I haven't been able to get rid of even though I've been exercising almost daily. I guess it really does come down to the basic equation of calories in versus calories out. I want to use the Master Cleanse as a way to purge the junk out of my body and jump-start a healthier lifestyle of eating. And if I can lose those few pounds in addition to detoxifying my body, it'll be a win-win situation.

To begin the Master Cleanse, I bought the original book, "The Master Cleanser" by Stanley Burroughs and the followup, "Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days" written by Peter Glickman. The follow-up book is more current and covers a lot of the questions people have had through the years of doing this cleanse. Peter Glickman has done the cleanse several times and gives his own personal account how doing the Master Cleanse has improved his health and medical problems he no longer has. Also, I personally know several who have done this cleanse and have had great results. This would be one hell of a long post if I went into the crap we put into our body and how it really can mess us up (i.e. processed foods, fake sweeteners, the chemicals/hormones in meat and dairy, etc.). Stepping down from soap box. We're all guilty, no one is perfect and I believe moderation is key.

Ok - here's the breakdown/ingredients of the Master Cleanse:
Lemons/limes preferably organic
Organic Grade B Maple Syrup
Non-iodized Sea Salt
Cayenne Pepper
Herbal laxative tea bags (oh fun)
Spring or purified water

There are NO substitutions to these ingredients. The syrup has to be Organic Grade B, it has to be FRESH SQUEEZED lemons or limes (no juice from a bottle), the salt has to be non-iodized.

The cleanse should be done for 10 days or more, but 10 days is my goal. At night, you drink the laxative tea. In the morning, you'll do the salt water flush. Two teaspoons of salt mixed with 2 quarts of water. And chug. I found this to be difficult when I was doing it before so I had to chug to cut back on the gag reflex. Because of the salt, your body can't absorb the water, so it goes right through you taking everything with it. That's all I'll say about that.

According to the original book, you should drink 6-12 glasses a day of the lemonade concoction. I won't go into all the details, but basically each glass should have 2 tbsp. of fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice, 2 tbsp. of they Organic Grade B maple syrup, 1/10th tsp. cayenne pepper, 8oz spring water - it has to be non-fluoridated water, so probably no tap water. And then there's a whole other process of breaking the cleanse. You don't want to just dive into a huge steak dinner after 10 days of cleansing, or ever really...

I'll update at least once a day while I'm on the cleanse, and I'm hoping to start on Wednesday. I'll also officially weigh myself and take measurements and (ugh) photos before I start. Today was my first day of phasing into the cleanse. Raw fruits and veggies only. It's been tough, especially since my husband is chowing down on Trader Joe's macaroni and cheese as I type.

TEAM EDWARD

I'm gonna act like a half-twit school girl for the next minute. You've been warned, so leave me be!

OOOOOOOOO MMMMMMMMM GGGAAAWWWWWW!!!!! NEW MOON!!!! I SAW IT!!!! SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

First, I went to my friend Bebe's pre-New Moon party. There were definitely several Twilight mini-shrines set up around the living room with lots of posters/magazines/pictures of Edward, Bella, and Jacob, Twilight cupcakes and other goodies. And then it was off to the midnight premiere with the rest of Los Angeles's devoted teens, tweens, 20-somethings, middle-aged suburban moms, grandmas, and the fearful boyfriends that reluctantly went with their significant other because no one, and I mean no one, stands between a devoted twi-hard and their Edward (or Jacob). Whew. Breathe.

Oh, and guess who showed up to Bebe's little soiree?



Don't be jealous.

Baxter

He came into our lives rather unexpectedly.



A few days before Halloween I was driving along and spotted a Halloween store. Knowing that we needed a few things for a party we didn't end up going to, I decided to stop in. On the way back to my car I walked by a pet store with a giant sign that said there were cat adoptions going on NOW.

Since our building is a "no pets" building, I knew we couldn't adopt a kitty, but we had talked about it. I just wanted to "awww" for a little while. But that day, I met Baxter and his foster mom, JiJi. Baxter is 2 years old and I fell in love with him. After talking to JiJi, and loving on Baxter a little, I knew he was the cat for us. And JiJi is one of the raddest ladies we've met! She's a reggae musician, performs all over the world, and knows Alpha Blondy! One of our favorite reggae artists! She also dedicates a lot of her time to trapping feral cats, getting them fixed, getting their shots, and returning them back to their colonies. Baxter showed up at her home a few months ago when he caught word that's the place to go to get love and food. She thinks he may have been abandoned by people down the street from her that left their home.

After asking our landlord twice, we finally got the ok to bring Baxter home!



The first night was rough - a lot of meowing, and that had us a little worried. But, all is well and we think Baxter is loving his new home! He loves to chase the "feather on a stick." He was going crazy over the laser pointer until he realized he couldn't actually "get it," so now he's disinterested. He loves affection and likes to plop down on you, moving numerous times until he can get as close to you (or on you) as possible. Baxter has his quiet spot under the bed he retreats to when he wants a nap. And the other day, he met Bucky (the squirrel that visits our porch from time to time). They came nose to nose and just stared at each other. Bucky finally ran away. I haven't seen him again.

Ok, I know I'm sounding slightly like a crazy cat lady, but Baxter truly is great and has such a sweet personality, we're glad to have him with us!

http://www.myspace.com/sistajiji - check out JiJi's MySpace page to hear some of her music!