I went to bed at 5AM yesterday (today) and woke up at 9 for a 10AM meeting.  I didnt have time to drive down to “Go Raw”, the natural food store down the road so i drank some fresh grapefruit and a pasteurized green food drink that my wife purchased from Trader Joes.  I’m not sure how bad/good pasteurized juices are, but i’m going to find out.

I received all my books over the last few days and have found the most comprehensive information on the liver and gallbladder cleanse which I will blog for others to use without having to research like i did.  Unfortunately there is not much free or complete information on the web for exactly what to do for a natural liver and GallBladder cleanse.

I juiced up for two days by purchasing a ton of vegetables and scooted over to my friends down the street who owns a juicer.  I was going to buy a juicer but i just dont think i’ll use it after i’m done with all my experimenting and learning; unless of course I find out that I dont miss certain foods that much and my body tells me that I’m permanently allergic to meat and dairy.  At this point i’m not sure what my body likes and dislikes and i wont be introducing any Meat or Dairies until after all my cleanses are complete and i feel like i’ve experimented with everything possible.  This is a great learning experience for me as i’m becoming in tune with my body inside and out.

Ate some crackers, rice, fruit and a bean burrito at my sons school picnic today and it went down nicely (thought i might get a stomach ache).  Although it wasnt a lot of food it did feel a bit weird to eat solid foods and it actually made me feel kind of guilty.  I’ve read some literature on people who have done the MC and/or been on juicing diets for periods of time; some had difficulty making the transition back to solids for both the physical and mental reasoning.  I’ve only been on raw foods for a week and I dont want to fall into any traps where I’m afraid of solid foods or feel guilty for eating it. 

Balance is a very important part of what i’m trying to accomplish with my health, and although i’m trying things out that i’ve never done before, i dont want to fix one thing but start another.  I find some vegans and herbalist’s to be somewhat extreme and for those who get great results with certain diets and formulas, sometimes lose site of balance…as i may have today.  The guilt was a slight motivator though as I took Skye out for a bikeride with the pull trailer and we had a blast around the 3 mile circle.  I may even go for a walk later too as the weather is really cooling down now.

I’m going to try and not count calories as i transition out of the liquids and back into solids, but some say its worthwhile to ensure you eat less calories than you burn.  I really dont want to get into data base spread sheets for everything i eat and lose through exercise as i dont think I’ll keep doing it long term (being realistic); unless of course i can find an easy way of doing it or create a web based program that calculates it all for me….i’ll find or build somethig for sure.

Today’s workout was much better than the first 2 from an intensity level and i’m sure i’m going to be paying for it in a few days.  With 20 lbs off the  frame, i just cant help myself from wanting to push hard and make the core stronger. 

 It’s the end of the day and I’m stiff as expected…but feel good in that my body feels like its alive again.  I am mostly drinking veggie juice and eating fruits for most of the day with some brown rice, tofu soup (spicy), korean seaweed and kimchi for dinner.  I’m also taking the Chlorella every few hours as super food supplement and it seems to be working as my stool is turning green, which from what i’ve read is a good thing.  I’ve yet to determine what the “good thing” is, but after two weeks since starting the MC, I still have no allergies and i’m sleeping the best I have in years.

I mostly had veggie juices and fluids today with a peanut butter and whole wheat sandwich before my workout and some brown rice, kimchee(korean cabbage) and some tofu soup (spicy).  Since yesterday i started drinking 2 full glasses of water as soon as i woke up with some squeezed lemons (no maple syrup) to begin light cleansing of my liver at the start of each day.  This is followed by a glass of veggie mixed juice (mixed) 15 minutes later.  Total food for the day probably didnt total more than 1500 calories for the entire day which is extremely low especially when doing exercise, but i’m really being careful to not take in too much foods and i’m keeping a close eye on what foods will cause any allergic reaction in the AM when i wake up.

Today was yet another day of great energy levels and an incredible 2nd workout at the gym.  I almost passed out again due to low sugar levels and my low caloric intake but its all worth it as my body is producing “drug like” highs through my natural endorphins.  I’m slowly bringing back foods into my system and dont want to rush into anything as i’m doing many “self” tests on what foods my body is allergic to.  The best part of what i’ve done so far is the purification of my throat and nose (breathing with no conjestion) which has been problematic for the last 3 years; since the cleanse there is no sign of any past symptoms.

 I’ve just ordered some books (raw foods, juicing, liver and gallbladder cleanse) that i think will help to continue the evolution of my new direction on health and wellness and will pull out all the information i think is valuable and revelant to my new path.  In approximately a week to 10 days i plan to do a liver and gallbladder cleanse to pass some stones that have been sitting inside me for 25 years; its about time.  I’ve read from different sources that it can be painful and tedious, however i would rather be proactive now and have a little pain than wait till later in life when my liver is not as healthy and i’m forced into surgery like millions of people after the age of 50.   I’ll keep telling myself this as i’m screaming blue murder on the toilet….argh!

Today was off the charts in energy levels and last night i slept the best that i have in years.  I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night for years with a lump of “something” in my throat that i could never understand or explain to doctors.  Yet after starting fresh with the MC detox and the new raw food diet, it has dissapeared.  Not only do i not wake up like a scared rabbit in the night, i dont cough up all the garbage that usually gets produced by immune system that works overtime during the night.  I am simply in awe by my new findings and i am looking forward to finding out what’s really going on with my body from the inside out. 

I’m eating a lot of fruits, vegetable drinks and some nuts for protein.  My order of super foods, vitamins and supplements should be arriving soon and i’ll post it all up once i receive the order along with my results of what each of them is doing for me during the coming weeks and months. 

I spent most of the morning wrestling, sword fighting and boxing with my son and my energy levels were incredible.  I’m still eating very little; fresh O.J., mixed nuts and liquid veggie meals are on the menu all day with 2-3 hour intervals in between. 

I weighed myself at the gym a few days ago and was shocked to find out i’m down to 172, which means i lost 18 lbs total in two weeks.  I anticipate putting some back on in water and some intestinal weight, but not much as i wont be packing my digestive system with tons of crap any longer.

I plan to work out two to three times a week and try to one cardiovascular exercise for 20-30 minutes everyday.  The weather is getting better so when its a decent temp i will ride my bike and i just bought a trailer to pull Sky around when i go on a ride; he should love cruising around with his Dad.  If it is too hot to ride, i will head to the pool at the gym and get some laps in.

For any of my family, friends or readers wanting to try out the master cleanse in the future; click on this link for a simplified video of exactly what to buy and how to make it:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE-tLJy5Qcw 

A couple of things that worked better for me than what i’ve learned after doing it:

 1. how ever many lemons you squeeze to produce the lemon juice (single or daily serving); use an equal amount of maple syrup in your mix.

2. use two tablespoons of seasalt, not 2 teaspoons as the salt may just retain in your intestines rather than pass through.

 Just returned  from the Bellagio Saturday Tournament and took 6th place out of 50 players.  I played really well in my new skin, but just couldnt put anything together on the last leg of the tourney.  I mostly had vegetable juice every 3 hours (made from yesterday), but for dinner i decided to have an apple and walnut salad with some asparagus soup.  I didnt do any exercise today, but i do planning on going for a bike ride in the AM.

 I just ordered a ton of nutritional supplements, vitamins and something called Chlorella and Spirulina which is supposed to be an all encompassing super food that does many things for the body…I guess i’ll soon find out.  I checked around online and found a really great vitamin store with good prices and a wide variety of products plus free shipping; http://www.swansonvitamins.com/

Day 1 of the new improved and cleansed me have commensed and I’m feeling fantastic.  My day started out with an early morning meeting where i drank my first glass of (non-lemon) freshly squeezed orange juice at Panera.  It was heaven to taste something other than lemon and maple syrup water.  After the meeting I went to the gym to have my first work out in over a year with my new fitness and diet coach.  20 minutes in to the workout i felt like i hit the wall in a marathon and almost passed out.  Everything became increasingly bright and i felt like i was at an altitude of 25,000 feet, as my ears felt like they wanted to pop out.  I’m glad my trainer was with me as he guided me to a safe place to sit and brought me a banana and apple to chew on to get my glucose levels back up.  Within a few minutes i was fine and jumping back on the elliptical machine…what a rush.  It felt exactly like the old days of intense training in my triathlon days…my high and equivalent to what others call drugs…but O’ natural!  With the endorphins racing and my blood pumping we finished up the work out in about 4o minutes and i hit my next meeting for the day.  Note to self:  the banana and apple I mushed up and ate at the gym today was the best two pieces of fruit i have tasted in years, maybe ever.

I didnt eat much during the day and actually had my first liquid meal over at my friends place around 4:30, they have a juicer and all the cool tools for going raw.  This works out great as I enjoy spending time in the kitchen as much as i like going to the dentist for a root canal.  Squeezing lemons into a jug and adding maple syrup to water is about as domestic as I get and i was getting tired of that on day 7 of the cleanse. 

We liquified some cucumbers, parsley, radishes, celery, carrots and some red beets and poured it into a jar so i could have a glass every 3 hours (recommended eating intervals).  After enjoying my liquid dinner, i headed over the Go Raw Cafe to check out what else i would be eating during the next 14 days.  This place is great as it has all the things you need to eat healthly and learn about protein replacement and other tasty foods that most of us never heard of before, or at least i havent.  I picked up a carrot and tomato soup for my meal later in the evening and headed over to the new halloween store to play monster with my son.  Halloween is my son’s favorite holiday of the year by far as he can spend two hours a day in this scary theme park for the next two months and never get tired of it…i may have a stephen king on my hands.

Today is the last day and while i’m very happy with the results; keen senses, clarity, body tune, 12 pounds lost….i’m ready to get back into food.  This time around is going to be alot different though…with what i eat, how much and how often.

 Its officially the end of day 10 and I have successfully made it through the Master Cleanse.  The beginning of days 1 through 4 were extremely difficult to not think about food, while the last 6 days my body and mind adjusted.  Not to say i didnt think about food all day, but it wasnt hunger or starving thoughts; it was more like “wondering” thoughts about how things were going to taste after not eating for 10 days.  My senses have all increased with sensitivity and clarity so I am looking forward to enjoying food in a different way.

The next 14 days will be raw food in juice and soup form while i slowly introduce solids back into my system.  I’m going to be enjoying the tastes one morsel at a time.

With only a few days to go I am ready to get on my raw food diet following the Master Cleanse.  I’ve been getting hungry during the night, and havent been sleeping well at all, which i think is directly related to my body being undernourished and my internal organs and blood cells fighting and adjusting during the night (most active). 

I’m planning on drinking mostly raw juices for the next 14 days to give my body the fuel it needs without shocking it.  This should prove to be a good transition into healthy eating and restructure of my digestive system to eat more good food but less portions.

It’s almost midnight and I had cravings all day for food.  I guess its time to finish it up the master cleanse, tommorow being the last day.  I’ve been thinking about food all day today and cant wait to taste it again….for the very first time.  This sounds weird, but I’m actually more interested in smelling, looking and embracing food than ever before and will be concious of several things.  For example, i noticed the last 10 days i’ve had no sinus or throat congestion which is usually a contant for me.  It’s my guess at this point that there are some foods that my body is allergic to and i will be figuring them out one by one as i add them to my diet. 

This cleanse has given me the opportunity to really learn about my body and how great an instrument it really is.  I am going to make a juggeraut effort to not abuse it any longer.

I had a restless night of sleep and i’m not sure why.  It could of been that i strained my back yesterday putting up blinds in my office…or something going on with my body that i’m unaware of.  I slept late because of it….and felt groggy when i woke up this morning.

Many of my friends have been asking me about where to find info on the mastercleanse diet and the best two links i found are http://mastercleansesecrets.com/.  You dont need to buy the book if you sign up for the free newsletter, and it will provide you a free booklet with all the info you need to do the MC diet.  The other good reference is on YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE-tLJy5Qcw, this a simple video that describes the diet well.

 This mornings salt water flush was easier than usual this morning, as i was actually able to chug the litre of saltwater.  I know i was supposed to do this from the beginning, but i just couldnt get around to chugging it, as i kept gagging the first 4 or 5 days and was forced to sip it.  The difference in chugging vs. sipping other than the fact that its very difficult to chug the first 5 days is that your b=movements are further apart and unpredictable, as compared to this morning where they were strung together every 30 seconds.  So depending on where you are, ie., work or home(i dont suggest going anywhere else during the morning flush for at least one hour) sipping or chugging can be done depending if you want to run back and forth to a restroom or just sit there and read a good book for 30 minutes.