Breaking the fast

[apple_cinnamon]

This last time around, I didn't get my first detox symptoms until day 13! But this was my third MC... My really bad detox days were #'s 13, 14, & 15. they were the total pits! I ended up going 21 days, and now I'm doing mostly raw foods and I think I'm still getting a few detox symptoms here and there. It sounds like you are going to have to make a judgement call on this. Be very carefull if you break your cleanse tomorrow and are still having these hunger cravings... You really want to try not to eat too soon or too fast! If you break tomorrow, start out with small sips of OJ or grapefruit, maybe even water it down a bit and drink a lot of water in between. I even ended up eating some of the orange that I was juicing on the second day - but I'm pretty sure that's not recommended. They say that you don't want to break your fast on a detox day, but I have also heard someone say that extreme hunger was a sign to end the cleanse (I'm not sure if this is correct though). Hopefully, these symptoms will go away with tomorrow's eliminations and you will have a good day and be happy with your OJ. You can always do another MC again in a few months if you like! Just be careful and don't let your hunger get the better of you...

Also, out of curiosity... you have been using Grade B maple syrup right? I heard someone else on here mention that they used Grade A and got intense hunger from it! ~ Just a thought

Thank you so much, just knowing there's someone who's experienced and knows all this makes me feel better

I followed the instructions to a T so no problem there... although I did use filtered water instead of spring water (is that ok?)

Although my tongue was badly coated and I think I was having a detox day I had no choice but to just break the fast...no amount of lemonade made the hunger go away. First day I broke the fast I was sooo miserable thinking if I have done the right thing because my body felt really bad... and thick saliva in my mouth, hair all greasy even though I washed the night before etc. I fought off the hunger and just drank water and grapefruit juice (with some pulp sneaked it) That night I had the worst nausea. Couldn't sleep, was anxious and felt hot...I actually was thinking maybe this lemonade diet was not for me! But from all these symtoms it seems like my hyperthyroidism is back (it has been on and off for a while) and now I'm worried if it wasn't my body telling me to stop but it had been extreme hunger due to high metabolism rate.

Does stopping on a detox day cancel out all the benefits from the cleanse? I hope not.
I want to do it again...but I'm wondering when's the earliest and safest i can do again. I think I read somewhere in the book that if you are really sick you can do more often.

Also, I'm on my second day of breaking the fast and I'm not feeling so hungry anymore (what's up with that?! )
Have I done something wrong???

[mayablue]

Thank you so much, just knowing there's someone who's experienced and knows all this makes me feel better

I followed the instructions to a T so no problem there... although I did use filtered water instead of spring water (is that ok?)

Although my tongue was badly coated and I think I was having a detox day I had no choice but to just break the fast...no amount of lemonade made the hunger go away. First day I broke the fast I was sooo miserable thinking if I have done the right thing because my body felt really bad... and thick saliva in my mouth, hair all greasy even though I washed the night before etc. I fought off the hunger and just drank water and grapefruit juice (with some pulp sneaked it) That night I had the worst nausea. Couldn't sleep, was anxious and felt hot...I actually was thinking maybe this lemonade diet was not for me! But from all these symtoms it seems like my hyperthyroidism is back (it has been on and off for a while) and now I'm worried if it wasn't my body telling me to stop but it had been extreme hunger due to high metabolism rate.

Does stopping on a detox day cancel out all the benefits from the cleanse? I hope not.
I want to do it again...but I'm wondering when's the earliest and safest i can do again. I think I read somewhere in the book that if you are really sick you can do more often.

Also, I'm on my second day of breaking the fast and I'm not feeling so hungry anymore (what's up with that?! )
Have I done something wrong???

Hi Again ~ It does sound like you are doing everything correctly. I wouldn't be too worried about it just yet. I'm pretty sure that filtered water is ok. It has to either be purified or spring - Definitely no flouride. I have a super good filter at my house that removes everything!

Here are some of my experiences... I just ended my 21 day cleanse on 1/27. I actually wasn't hungry (to my surprise) all of that first day of orange juice. The next day I did have a little bit of hunger, so I kept on with grapefruit juice and actually ate a bunch of orange slices. I was a little worried about this because I have heard that you need to do extra OJ days after coming off of a long cleanse... but I did make a pot of veggie soup later that second day for dinner that night. My tongue was also still slightly coated white when I ended my cleanse, but after much debate, I felt that I was ready (next time I do it I am planning on four weeks - in May).

Stopping on a detox day does not negate the effects of the cleanse, it's just that all of the toxins may not have had proper time to come out yet. It really does sound like you truly were detoxing - very hard. Hunger can also be a detox symptom. Since it seems that you were having such a hard time there near the end, you could have just been detoxing - it would make sense with the tongue coating, etc. The fact that you don't have hunger on the second day of OJ could mean that your body is out of "detox" mode and is trying to regain balance. It's possible that you may be one of those people that would really benefit greatly from a longer cleanse. Especially with all of the stuff coming out the way it was (i.e. tongue coating, oily hair). Maybe give yourself a month or two to let your body readjust, but really watch your nutrition in the meantime, that way you will maybe be able to ease into another cleanse, if you choose to. If it were me, I would try some hot baths to try to draw more stuff out of my pores. A friend of mine that has done the cleanses with me actually had to increase the amount of lemonade that she was drinking towards the end of her cleanses (up to 10 servings) because she was also very hungry - she works out and has two kids to chase around. If you were using up a lot of energy, then that could also be a reason for your hunger near the end there...

Another thing that I am learning about the master cleanse is that it is also a very mental/spiritual cleanse as well as a physical cleanse. If you have a lot of stress going on around you, this may be a reason for some of your anxiety about your symptoms.

I have found this bulletin board to help tremedously for just about every type of support with the master cleanse and afterwards as we all try to figure out what we should actually be eating when we come off. Aside from the veggie soup that I had on Monday night and Tuesday for lunch, I have only eaten raw foods and my digestion has literally never been better. I have been averaging about 3 eliminations per day (since Tuesday - took me 3 days to start having bms again) - large ones at that, which is surprising to me, but very welcome because at least I know that what is going in is coming back out again

[rain]

Hi apple_cinnamon: I admire your spirit and persistence, that you've put in your 10 days of fasting and followed the instructions to a T (even in breaking the fast) and had to end it feeling miserable and are still looking to fast again!

I have one thought to add to what mayablue has said. Have you read Victoria Boutenko's books? In her first book ("Raw Family"), she describes how she and her family started on a 100% raw diet and how strongly it impacted them. Both she and her husband had life threatening illnesses that were cured by eating 100% raw. Her son's juvenile diabetes and her daughter's asthma were also cured. Her husband had hyperthyroidism (and, from what I can remember, other conditions) to a degree that was life threatening. She advises people to do their own research and make their own decisions, that what worked for her family isn't necessarily what will work for everyone. And, at the same time, I found her books so inspiring that they've launched me into an experiment to see for myself what eating 100% raw can do for me. That might be a way you could continue to cleanse when not doing the MC (and I imagine it would reduce the detox symptoms you experience next time you MC).

[apple_cinnamon]

Thanks mayablue and rain, this BB is what keeps me going

mayablue - I never looked at extreme hunger as detox symptom before..maybe it really was just detox but I gave it one more day (aaah during which I suffered so much) and I don't think I could have beared another day. You're right about the stress thing, I can't study on detox days because I can barely pick up the book ( some of the textbooks are really heavy! lol) let alone concentrate. I behind my work and doubt about this MC both give me stress. I think the next time I do this I can be more confident of what I'm doing, knowing the symptoms and all and maybe it won't be this bad. Plus this board really helps!

rain - Thank you for your words, at least someone thinks I'm being perservering. It's hard around my roommates who don't believe in fasting (as healthy as they are with their toxic lifestyles, understandable) and think I'm being dumb and stubborn going on with this thing ( Here I am trying not to lose faith and I hear "You're STILL on that thing?!!" when they see me squeezing lemons the morning after a detox day, very encouraging ) That book really does sound interesting, especially since I've found out recently that my body does not respond well to certain foods, be they healthy ones or not. Maybe now that I've done the cleanse I can get clear responses from my body from diff foods. I'll definitely go and check the book out.


And here I am to whine again lol...
I came here out of desperation, I DON"T KNOW WHAT TO DO!
I had two days of orange/grapefruit juice only, although yesterday evening I drank some veggie broth...my indigestion and gas was so bad I didn't know what to do so I just slept. I woke up early and still feeling bad, I just don't think I can face myself to eat/drink anything.
I think I'm still detoxing pretty bad because of the greasy hair stuff
What should I do? Do I need to go back to drinking lemonade? If I do, I didn't drink senna tea yesterday night....
Or is this gas thing common when you break fast and I just need to weather this out?
Help, I don't want to worsen this situation

[rain]

Hi apple_cinnamon: Take it really slow and listen to your body. If the indigestion and gas started after you drank the veggie broth, then go back to just grapefruit/orange juice for awhile longer (perhaps diluted). When you feel ready for more variety, perhaps first try a different fruit juice instead of veggie broth (fruit is easier on the digestive system). Maybe fast on fruit juices for awhile. You could also drink some LAs, if it feels like you need more but aren't ready for it yet or if it seems the orange/grapefruit is giving you gas. Peppermint tea might help with the indigestion (since you're no longer on the fast, you could drink as much as you want).

Do what you can to help your body release the toxins: Drink lots of water. Take a bath with epsom salts. Maybe a sauna? Maybe some gentle exercise would help with the gas (unless you feel too bad to do it).

I hope you feel better soon!

[Res]

Apple_c: What I've found so interesting is when people break the cleanse and go back to eating food and all the issues they/we encounter.

I'm convinced it's allergic reactions. We spend the cleanse cleaning out our bodies. Now you know all commercial foods are grown with pesticides and are made with additives and preservatives. That's why it's important to break the cleanse with Organic Ingredients and it took me numerous cleanses to come to this conclusion for myself.

Now I can't prove this and I'm not an expert but each story I've read brings me back to the same thing. It's the food you're eating. Even if it's oranges/grapefruits etc.

There's a veggie/fruit wash that you can pick up at your local health food store. It was either Brantley, Mercola or Trudeau or even one of my raw recipe books that says if you eat commercially grown produce WASH IT. This means scrubbing the veggies before you make them into soup - otherwise the junk on the outside will end up in your broth.

Back to my rant. So we cleanse ourselves and go through all the pains of detox and return to eating innocently even, and end up with the pain you're talking about. If you eat a particular food and encounter gas and bloating - it's allergies. Not just sneezing, but something is causing an allergic reaction and you need to find out what it is and omit it.

As a test and if you're not using Organic Citrus, go buy a few oranges/grapefruits. Juice them and see how you feel.

In the meantime, probiotics REALLY helps gas and bloating. Also make a strong cup of mint tea. It's very soothing. *hug*

Keep us posted.

Love,
~Res

[Swentop]

I just finished a 10-day fast last Friday. I wanted to continue (my tongue wasn't clear yet) but I have several work-related events this week that involve entertaining clients with meals...so I stopped. I'd like to start again this coming Monday for another 7 or 8 days. Is there any problem with me going ten days, taking 7 days off and then continuing another 7 days?

[Lizsaroki]

I am on the fast now, day 2, and feeling great, but i don't see how my body will benefit much from doing more than 5 days.

I'm physically feeling like I can do the entire 10 days, but if I chose to, can I end it at 5 and still have it be effective?

Thank you!
Liz

[Sim]

Hi Swentop~
It is not recommended to do a ten day cleanse and then doing another cleanse a week later. When you stop your digestion for ten days enabling your body to de-toxify, you are supposed to wait three days, slowly breaking your cleanse, before you resume eating again. This is so that your body can readjust without harming your digestive system. To do this, wait a few more days and then put your body through the process again is to wreak havoc on your system. It is recommended that you cleanse three or four times per year, with sufficient time in between to give your body time to recover.

Hi Liz~ you body will definitely benefit from doing more than 5 days...at 5, your body is just starting to de-tox. If you have no trouble going ten, then by all means do so. You'll most certainly feel the difference.

[margeaux]

Heya Juice heads--I finished my 15 day fast 2 days ago--broke it with some gorgeous ruby grapefruits. I went through 5 of them yesterday. I'm going to still take my lemonade every morning, but with some Agave nectar that was suggested on the cleanse thread.(Hasn't arrived yet, darn)

I am making my beloved Sambar today(staff is happy too) that my friends from Kerala( the incredible tropical part of south India) taught me. We don't have access to alot of the spices that they would use, so we special order on-line...lord I do all my shopping there, while I am here. Anyway, it's kind become *my* soup now....when we can get urad dal and rice flour, they will make dosas to accompany. When in India, it is sooooo easy to be a vegetarian--they have the tastiest, most satisfying cuisine.

I had to re-scal, 'cause I am used to making this in a 5 gallon & 3 gallon soup pots... This will make 4- 6 cups soup.

**Cook about 1/2 cup split red lentils to which 1 tsp. of turmeric & salt has been added to 4 cups water. Set aside.
** In saucepan on med-high roast 3 TB coriander seeds, 1/2 cup unsweetened(dried, natural) coconut, 1 dried red chili( or you could use *our* cayenne later) 1 tsp methi(fennugreek seeds),1 tsp cumin seeds,2 whole cloves,1 " cinnamon stick. When a "good smell is coming", cool and grind.
**Heat some ghee, coconut oil, or olive oil in a soup pot.
**Add 1 tsp black mustard seeds, and 6-7 curry leaves(fresh--if you can't find, use 3-4 small bay(laurel) leaves). When seeds start to pop--add the 4 cloves or so minced garlic and 1-2 cups chopped onions, and 1-2 green chilies. Stir awhile until onions softening.
**Add 3 cups of mixed chunky fresh veggies: I have to use tomatoes, potatoes,-- we got some fresh green beans!!!woohoo--carrots. When I visited India, they would use okra, eggplant,sweet potatoes--so whatever ya got.
**Add your cooked lentils and however much water you want for your consistancy. the ground masala, and 1 tsp of tamarind paste(if you can't find--sqqquuueeezzee 1 fresh lemon, and add).

**Cook until veggies are done to your liking.
This is also served with idlis--little steamed rice dumplings...yummmmmby.
Cyas in the late summer 'heads--thanks for all your help,ears, and sharing.

Primavera!!!!