Lots of people have been posting what's going on DURING the MC, but I thought, since Pepe and others talk about how important it is to change one's life, that I would post what's been going on with me since my first MC.

Some background: last February, having it a personal high weight and having experienced some scary symptoms that were either a buildup of food allergy or the result of toxins breaking loose after a really amazing massage, I decided it was time to do my first MC. What followed was a 26 day fast - I stopped 4 days short of 30 because I just wasn't taking enough lemonade (my body just didn't want it) and I was concerned about prolonged lack of calories.

After the fast, I was pretty careful about coming off slowly - actually did 3 days of orange juice only followed by 3 days of OJ and veggie broth before adding in veggies and fruit.

Here are some of the changes that I have kept up since then:

1) I have not had chocolate or other kinds of candy - not at all! I haven't even wanted it. I do eat sweets in the form of baked goods - try to stay organic, and not eat it every day. What I find amazing is that I just don't need it at all. I have never smoked and I don't really like alcohol so never drank much, ever drank coffee, my addiction has been to sugar, and although I do eat some sweet things I don't eat or want nearly as much.

2) I eat a lot more nuts & seeds now. I discovered that adding them to veggie dishes is a good way to avoid feeling starving after eating veggies without protein, which was a major complaint I was having. I add sunflower seeds to my salads and pine nuts to soups and salads, just however much I want, to taste. I stick with sweet-tasting seeds right now, haven't got the taste for bitter ones (walnut/almond) yet. I prefer them raw. I have been taking flax oil for a few years now, and look forward to adding flax seeds in as well. I also add olives to a lot of dishes now. I find that the flavor makes it a good substitute for cheese or fish in salads.

3) I eat far LESS meat. In fact, for weeks after I broke my fast my body didn't want any at all. Then I started eating some fish because it felt ok (which is funny because I don't particularly like fish!), then lamb. Still to this moment I don't particularly want to eat beef, pork, or poultry. But when I have a choice of a vegetarian dish I often choose it (unless it's pasta).

4) I have incorporated food cures more into my diet. Cayenne, lemon juice (I take these together without the maple syrup) and cinnamon (on strawberries!) are now much more important parts of my diet.


I feel like these are all very positive changes in my habits, and all can be directly attributed to "resetting" my palate and giving my body a chance to get through the addictions (particularly to chocolate) and listening to what it wanted afterwards instead of just going off on my old habits. But there are plenty of other habits I want to change and I hope that as my body further detoxes with my next Master-Cleanse (scheduled for mid August, after my extended vacation), I can change these as well. Particularly:

1) I still eat a LOT of dairy, mostly cheese, mostly on pizza. I know it causes mucus and is not truly nutritious, but I fell back into that afterwards. I hope that a further reset through another Master-Cleanse will help it feel less like it needs that crutch. It's also my fault because sometimes instead of preparing something filling like a grains & bean dish, I will just reach for cheese instead. Also I have a weakness for artisanal cheese - since I don't eat fine wines, beers, coffee or chocolate. But I am addicted - I can never eat just a little.

2) I did not excercise enough when I finished the previous MC. I had lost 20 lbs and didn't gain it all back fast, but at this point I have gained most of it back except for 5 lbs, and aside from eating the dairy & sweets, I'm sure that not exercising enough had much to do with it. This is not something that can be cured by the MC, I know, but I am trying to establish a good healthy habits - namely establishing a schedule (hard with my job) that will allow me to do more yoga and strength and endurance work.

3) I didn't follow all the way through on my post-MC plans. I did the parasite and Colon Cleanses as planned but not the Liver Flushes - but there is still time for this. I think I might try one tomorrow in fact. It would be something like my fifth time - I just have to work myself up to drinking that grapefruit juice.

So these are my goals for the future. I have added the Master-Cleanse as a valuable tool for healing but have so much futher to go. I hope that other people who are trying their first MCs also are taking the time to note how it changed their bodies and how they can perpetuate the positive changes that take place.

Thanks guys for being here!

chancesports