That is great news on the cut back on cigs. My husband seems to smoke like a pack and a half a day, but he truly wants to quit. Maybe I can keep reading on these post and help to get him to fast to help him quit? He has been on the patch and chewed the gum, and while doing both at the same time, he would have a cig hanging out his mouth. I just shake his head, because I do realize it is an addiction as drugs, very hard for him to break. Still don't understand why its legal and drugs aren't....

Keep up the good work french!

Hey French, I'm glad to see you are doing so well. I know the Master Cleanse Forum would like to hang me by the neck sometimes, but I don't agree with a lot of what they say. For example, I believe you are doing the best thing weaning yourself off the cigarettes instead of going cold turkey, same with the coffee. Stopping addictions, whether physical or emotional is very stressful. You are already dealing with a cleansing fast and that is stressful enough. I deeply respect what you are doing for yourself. I have never smoked, I took one puff and there is not enough peer pressure in the world to ever make me take another one, but I have watched others struggle to quit and it seems so hard. Just dealing with my chocolate addiction is hard enough and I know its more emotional than physical. Just keep doing what you are dong, but don't lose sight of you goals.

On the laxative tea question, my opinion is that its a good idea to use the tea for the first three days of Master Cleanse to get the remains of your last meals out. Then its more a matter of your needs to have help eliminating than a requirement to do the tea every day. Senna teas can be very irritating and the colon can become dependant on them quite easily. I never could understand the logic of shutting down the digestive system by fasting, then keeping it constantly agitated and irritated with the laxative teas and salt water flushes. A simple enema can help flush out toxins if you begin to feel ill; and even that is usually not necessary. Usually if you drink enough water and of course the lemonade you will be able to eliminate wastes naturally and prevent undue stress on your body.

Finally, I like the way you write. Your personality shines through. Don't let anyone put you down because you choose to be different. If this was a college class in writing, then you might not receive an A+. But, this is meant to be a support forum where we can be ourselves and advise, help and support each other as friends, not holier than thou, self appointed experts or the punctuation police.

French,
I am on day two also. I too love my coffee - and I still have a cup on my fast- I am not really doing this for cleansing so much as weightloss and I feel like the coffee really keeps me going. Yesterday I did not have any but this morning I had one cup - it was so good. When you are fasting the simpliest thing like coffee satisfies me so much. I wouldnt beat myself up over the coffee- I believe coffee is fine in moderation - of course moderation is the hard part.
As for the cigarettes...that is another story...quit! I know it is hard but just do it - I used to smoke - and it was he hardest thing in the world to stop doing. I believe cold turkey is the only way to go.
You can do it, sounds like you are well on your way to a healthy you .
I don't thnk I could tackle all those problems at once. I have a lot of admiration for you.

i was just wondering
wouldn't this be dieting and not real fasting? :)