*After The Cleanse*

[freewitheft]

*sigh* I am missing the MC. Last day was Sat. July 25th, so it's been well over a week now and this solid food stuff just isn't going well. I'm ok with the veggie soup but that gets boring day after day. So do smoothies. I'm ok with bananas and was even ok with raw cauliflower, but a bit of stir-fry totally kicked my butt. Abdominal cramping is not the correct description - it was one continuous cramp for about 10 hours. It was as though my stomach froze in the middle of a contraction. I seem to be in this cycle where I play it safe with liquids and semi-solids, then dare to try something more solid, then back off again. I miss the MC because it was so much easier. lol No deciding what would be good for my tummy and what to avoid. The simplicity is so nice. Plus, I feel so bloated and heavy already from any kind of food.

So how soon can I do another? I just did 20 days, so I'm sure I need to wait a bit. My intent was to come off this cleanse and stay raw all day, then have a cooked dinner. If I could get into that pattern, maybe I'll start feeling less "BLAH" about all this.

Crystal

[Bridge]

*sigh* I am missing the MC. Last day was Sat. July 25th, so it's been well over a week now and this solid food stuff just isn't going well. I'm ok with the veggie soup but that gets boring day after day. So do smoothies. I'm ok with bananas and was even ok with raw cauliflower, but a bit of stir-fry totally kicked my butt. Abdominal cramping is not the correct description - it was one continuous cramp for about 10 hours. It was as though my stomach froze in the middle of a contraction. I seem to be in this cycle where I play it safe with liquids and semi-solids, then dare to try something more solid, then back off again. I miss the MC because it was so much easier. lol No deciding what would be good for my tummy and what to avoid. The simplicity is so nice. Plus, I feel so bloated and heavy already from any kind of food.

So how soon can I do another? I just did 20 days, so I'm sure I need to wait a bit. My intent was to come off this cleanse and stay raw all day, then have a cooked dinner. If I could get into that pattern, maybe I'll start feeling less "BLAH" about all this.

Crystal

Hey there!
I know exactly what you mean when you say the MC was much easier. It's really a lot of work to plan what you are going to eat. Well last Friday I finally had that broiled fish I had been dreaming about while on the MC. It was my first real protein and only meal for the day. I had it stuffed with okroes, it was soooo good. But I woke up with stomach cramps, not as bad as yours though. It sent me to the bathroom. I was okay in a few hours and I had some soup around lunch time. I am trying to have only 1 meal per day. I am drinking lemonade with blackstrap molasses. Way way much cheaper than the MS. I hope its not bad for me as I am not a diabetic. I ate twice yesterday and felt somewhat sad last night and I had some icecream 'yuck'. Wasn't worth it, so today I am drinking lemonade all day. I need to keep the scale at a point.
I really would do the MC again, but as I am on 1 month probiotics I don't see that being possible. But when you are ready let me know. In the meantime, take it easy.

[freewitheft]

Thanks Bridge. I think I will give it one week, and if things aren't better I might go on a 10-day. Forgot to mention before that I also have lots of gas. It started shortly before the MC...getting bloated and gassy...felt like maybe I was having issues with fermenting food and hoped that the MC would take care of it. Apparently it didn't. I'm not sure that I could handle an anti-candida diet, my diet is already so restricted because of Multiple Sclerosis (spelled out since MS is another acronym here, lol). Maybe I should try a green juice fast, just not sure I could make it as palatable as the MC.

Bridge, I'm so jealous of your fish! I bought two salmon steaks on sale during the MC and put them in the freezer. Can't wait to have one! I think the blackstrap molasses is just fine. I think the reason it's recommended for diabetics is that it's metabolized slower, so your blood sugar stays more even rather than spiking. So that's a good thing!

Crystal

[Bridge]

Thanks Bridge. I think I will give it one week, and if things aren't better I might go on a 10-day. Forgot to mention before that I also have lots of gas. It started shortly before the MC...getting bloated and gassy...felt like maybe I was having issues with fermenting food and hoped that the MC would take care of it. Apparently it didn't. I'm not sure that I could handle an anti-candida diet, my diet is already so restricted because of Multiple Sclerosis (spelled out since MS is another acronym here, lol). Maybe I should try a green juice fast, just not sure I could make it as palatable as the MC.

Bridge, I'm so jealous of your fish! I bought two salmon steaks on sale during the MC and put them in the freezer. Can't wait to have one! I think the blackstrap molasses is just fine. I think the reason it's recommended for diabetics is that it's metabolized slower, so your blood sugar stays more even rather than spiking. So that's a good thing!

Crystal

Have you tried some good ginger tea? That's what we here in the Caribbean take for that Try it and its all natural too

Not familiar with the Candida diet but just Googled it. It's funny that it talks about yeast because I am having a serious attack of it since coming off the MC. How about you? I will not be taking any antibiotics, will the probiotics help?

...Few minutes later....I am editing my post to include that I just read that Live yogurt cultures (or probiotics) are good for Candida and its a class of supplement that help your gut to repopulate itself with good bacteria.

I am glad we can talk.

[freewitheft]

Have you tried some good ginger tea? That's what we here in the Caribbean take for that Try it and its all natural too

Not familiar with the Candida diet but just Googled it. It's funny that it talks about yeast because I am having a serious attack of it since coming off the MC. How about you? I will not be taking any antibiotics, will the probiotics help?

...Few minutes later....I am editing my post to include that I just read that Live yogurt cultures (or probiotics) are good for Candida and its a class of supplement that help your gut to repopulate itself with good bacteria.

I am glad we can talk.

Yeah, I have the ginger tea and it didn't help at all. Which means it must be pretty bad, because it usually helps! I wonder if the all-natural ginger soda, with EXTRA ginger, would help. Today I had a smoothie for breakfast (banana, pineapple, hemp, agave, and coconut milk) and the last of my veggie soup for lunch. I'm going to try a little bit of rice and veggies for dinner again tonight. Tomorrow I am determined to try a salad for lunch. Have to go get some greens since what I have left from last week is old and going to waste now. The kids like salad but they can't eat that much of it! lol

I think the probiotics will help you. I've been drinking kombucha everyday for my probiotics, or a bit of yogurt made from coconut milk. That really is the only downside of the MC I believe. Taking in any kind of sugar, even natural ones like MS or molasses, just feeds the yeast. So if that is a major underlying issue, the MC probably won't resolve it. That's why I'm leaning towards finding a way to do a green juice fast, I just don't know if I can make it taste decent without some agave. I'm not sure if candida/yeast is my problem, but that's a common reason for fermenting food and causing the bloating/gas.

Ahhh, you're in the Caribbean. I'm jealous! I'm in landlocked summer heat, and I wish there was some water around!

Crystal

[Bridge]

Yeah, I have the ginger tea and it didn't help at all. Which means it must be pretty bad, because it usually helps! I wonder if the all-natural ginger soda, with EXTRA ginger, would help. Today I had a smoothie for breakfast (banana, pineapple, hemp, agave, and coconut milk) and the last of my veggie soup for lunch. I'm going to try a little bit of rice and veggies for dinner again tonight. Tomorrow I am determined to try a salad for lunch. Have to go get some greens since what I have left from last week is old and going to waste now. The kids like salad but they can't eat that much of it! lol

I think the probiotics will help you. I've been drinking kombucha everyday for my probiotics, or a bit of yogurt made from coconut milk. That really is the only downside of the MC I believe. Taking in any kind of sugar, even natural ones like MS or molasses, just feeds the yeast. So if that is a major underlying issue, the MC probably won't resolve it. That's why I'm leaning towards finding a way to do a green juice fast, I just don't know if I can make it taste decent without some agave. I'm not sure if candida/yeast is my problem, but that's a common reason for fermenting food and causing the bloating/gas.

Ahhh, you're in the Caribbean. I'm jealous! I'm in landlocked summer heat, and I wish there was some water around!

Crystal

Tell me, you haven't eaten anything substantial yet? Or, are you on a raw diet? Of course you know I am not. I have been eating since last Friday. Trying to have 1 meal per day with OJ or lemonade. I tried a green smoothie last week Thursday (callaloo [something like ur spinach], mango and banana). It was bad at all. Would like to do it again. Someone gave me some cherries yesterday but since I can't have any sweet and our cherries are sour, I don't know what I am going to do. Any ideas?

Don't think we have the yogurt with the coconut milk here. I haven't eaten anything all day. Dying to get to home. I had cooked some chicken soup on Saturday with vegetables and okroes. I think I will have that.

Believe it or not I don't go the beach often even though one is 15-20 mins away. I'm an in door person
Keep me posted.

[freewitheft]

Tell me, you haven't eaten anything substantial yet? Or, are you on a raw diet? Of course you know I am not. I have been eating since last Friday. Trying to have 1 meal per day with OJ or lemonade. I tried a green smoothie last week Thursday (callaloo [something like ur spinach], mango and banana). It was bad at all. Would like to do it again. Someone gave me some cherries yesterday but since I can't have any sweet and our cherries are sour, I don't know what I am going to do. Any ideas?

Don't think we have the yogurt with the coconut milk here. I haven't eaten anything all day. Dying to get to home. I had cooked some chicken soup on Saturday with vegetables and okroes. I think I will have that.

Believe it or not I don't go the beach often even though one is 15-20 mins away. I'm an in door person
Keep me posted.

The soup is probably the most substantial thing I've had on a regular basis. I make it with carrots, zucchini or potatoes depending on my mood, garlic, shallots, sometimes some mushrooms. On Saturday, I did have a few bites of rice and veggies, but I was careful to really limit myself and was not satisfied at all. At least I didn't have bad stomach pain, it was uncomfortable but not painful. I would like to stay raw during the day then have a cooked dinner. I would be open to doing all raw, but I can't get enough protein. Since starting the special diet 1.5 years ago, I started losing lean body mass and now that I've managed to build some muscle back I don't want to go there again. In addition to being gluten-free and casein-free, all beans/peas/legumes are also out. That was my major source of protein since I was vegetarian then. I started adding in some chicken and fish a couple times a week but that still wasn't enough for me I guess. I do use the hemp powder in my smoothies for some extra protein and I like the taste of it too. The yogurt from coconut milk is sooooooo good but it's sooooooo expensive. I only treated myself to some this time because it's taking so long to go back to solids and I was getting bored.

I would try the cherries in a smoothie. If you mix it with other sweeter fruit it should balance out. A pain in the butt to do it because of the pits but at least they won't go to waste! I bet your green smoothie was good, I really like spinach in mine so it's probably similar. I go back and forth. Sometimes I'll have green smoothies every day for a couple weeks, then I burn out and don't have any for a while. Oh, and we were talking about ginger too! I love putting one or two slices of ginger root in my smoothies. Gives it a nice kick.

Crystal

[Duckiedee]

Hi there - just finished my first 15 day MC. It went pretty good all together my tongue was about 60 - 70% pink yesterday and today it WAS PINK! Woo hoo! I am so happy about that.

I am easing off on Grape Juice vs OJ - as I am going from the MC to a mono detox diet with Grapes and Grape Juice to continue cleansing. I was originally planning for 14 days although yesterday I was feeling more like 7 to 10, but today I am feeling more committed again - so I may go the 14. I feel less "bad" about going shorter now that my tongue is PINK!

I still haven't had solids yet - that comes tomorrow or the next day. I may start with some solid grapes by supper - if I'm not hungry, I'll wait until the following day.

This has been a great journey so far - I am so proud to have gone to my goal.

I think my next one will be in about 4 months - I only plan on doing 10 day ones from here on out. I may alternate them with a 14 day grape mono detox so I'm doing one or the other every four months.

Can't wait to see more of how everyone's ease back onto food goes.

[Duckiedee]

Quick question - I haven't started the probiotics yet - considering I am going from the MC to the mono detox - should I start now or wait until I finish this other 'phase' of detox OR somewhere in a few days? Anyone know?

[freewitheft]

Quick question - I haven't started the probiotics yet - considering I am going from the MC to the mono detox - should I start now or wait until I finish this other 'phase' of detox OR somewhere in a few days? Anyone know?

Hi Duckiedee and congrats! I guess it would depend on what the grape diet does to the intestinal tract. If it's gonna keep cleaning everything out of there, you might as well wait to replace the good flora afterwards.

I had a smoothie for breakfast, then a blueberry/apple fruit leather (was out running errands with the kids, lol) for a snack. For lunch I just finished a marvelous salad with tomato, cucumber, green onions, and kalamata olives. Crossing fingers it all sits well!

Crystal