Like steph@datingish, I’ve had a few friends who’ve tried the Cleanse and I’ve even considered trying it myself. I’ve see tons of commercials for detox diets that claim to reduce bloating and purify the digestive system. They are often endorsed by well-known trainers and celebrities like Beyonce. I’ve also seen a lot of experts interviewed who say that if you have a normally functioning digestive system, it cleans itself without a problem. The information is really confusing.
The final decision came for me after watching
this video on Double X. One of their staffers, Samantha Henig tried the Master Cleanse for ten days, while recording and writing about her experiences. The video is frightening because, by Day 7, she has no energy and can barely move. What worried me even more though was that after three days of the Cleanse, she was on a sort of high from not eating. She felt herself superior to other people who had to eat and had a weird sense of control.
When I was in high school, I struggled with disordered eating and it was exactly these feelings of control and purity that got me addicted to the behavior. It’s a disorder called Orthorexia and it often accompanies anorexic behavior. Samantha Henig quit the Cleanse after 8 days, concluding that it was more like “a training program in anorexia” than a healthy detoxification. After watching this video, I can say that I will never try the Master Cleanse, even though a part of me still wants to. I know where my brain is capable of going and I don’t want to ever put myself in a position where I’m tempted to return to my unhealthy attitudes towards food.
I guess everyone is different and the Cleanse wouldn’t affect all people this way, but I’d be wary about trying it. There are plenty of detox diets out there that allow you to eat real food while still eliminating caffeine, alcohol, sugars, and sodium. Besides, can any diet that requires you to drink maple syrup for ten days really be all that good for you?
Have you ever tried the Cleanse? Do people know of other, healthier alternatives for detox dieting?
Comments (23)
i thought about it, but i'm just sticking to acidic fruits, antioxidants etc.
I recently tried a cleanse that did make me feel good. The only restriction in it was to avoid any refined foods and meats. I was allowed to eat all the whole grain, fruits, and vegetables I wanted. My sister tried the one you mentioned, but she didn't finish it either. I'm glad you're all right now.
I thought about it. Almost tried, but the whole liter of salt water.....i cant do that! I tried....it's impossible. And I've also had a past with eating disorders, it's pretty impossible to pull something like this off when loved ones still keep an eye out for my old disordered behaviors.
a co-worker of mine tried it out as an experiment and she said it was pretty good. no weird happenings and she did lose weight but she also said it was not good to lose as much weight as she did so fast. i would try myself (maybe one day i will) but that salt water part makes me wanna gag!
That's exactly where my brain would go, too.
Good for you, looking out for your mental and physical health like that. It takes guts to keep away from those destructive behaviors.
My cousin went on a cleansing diet a few years ago. He had been a strong lacrosse player with lots of muscle.
By the end of his "diet", he looked unhappy, emaciated, and lost all of his muscle tone.He's gotten back to a healthier weight now, but he looks nothing like he used to. The change was so dramatic, it didn't look healthy at all.Its an excuse to be anorexic as far as im concerned.
even if your digestive system is messed up and your body is in sore shape, probably the WORST thing to do is one of these crazy cleanses. You need real food. Good food. The right foods, minerals, vitamins, whatever it takes, but you cant just deprive your body of things like that to give it a fresh start.
Ive got a SHIT digestive system. Im lactose intolerant, and have IBS after taking a crazy acne medication that dried out every mucus membrane on my body and has affected me internally very greatly. The cure? There isnt one really. Eat well. Be smart. Get the RIGHT nutrition. Not cleanse your fucked up system like a psychopath.
i love food =]
All these people that feel they need to "cleanse", maybe they should just watch what they eat.
I'll never try that. Beyonce herself said that she felt weak while doing it. And good for you for not doing it because you know that it might bring back what you went through in the past.
It's a fasting cleanse.
It is not for everyone.
There are some doctors that really advocate fasting, like just straight water fasts.
The theory is, after day three, your body will start using its stores of vitamins to keep itself going, as well as breaking down and metabolizing the bad stuff, from things like cellulite, to even scar tissue and tumors.
I wish I could find my source, but there is one doctor the I read of in particular that ideally recommends complete bed rest throughout the process.
There are lots of totally healthy people that do fasting cleanses for health purposes... it's just that when it got out that it could help you "lose weight and feel good" everyone wanted to see what it was about. Peter Glickman, the author of Lose Weight, Have More Energy and Be Happier in 10 Days, promoted this method in his book, and I bet he is laughing his way to the bank. Pretty much everyone wants to either lose weight, have more energy or be happy.
Just eat better, and exercise more. Problem solved.
10 years ago, before the times of cleanses people got along just fine, now cleanse kits are being so well marketed suddenly everyone thinks they will either become obese or collapse dead if they don't do a colon cleanse twice a year.
As far as the master cleanse is concerned, it seems like far more misery than is worth. You can go on "detox diets" which consist of all healthy and good foods which will do the same thing to your body over a longer amount of time. It's just that people want an easy solution and want something low-commitment.
Don't waste your time.
Would never do it. A healthy, balanced lifestyle is far more than enough detox for your body and any quick fix that starves your body of what it's known just isn't good, especially over long periods of time - I figured that part was at least common sense.
i'm going to be doing it for the first time with one of my friends. i think the fact that we're doing it together makes it easier to follow through and follow out. moral support is always good. i'm excited. i dont think its an excuse for anorexia. its good to clean out your system. the most i would do it though would be twice a year. i think it ties much more with spirituality than what the media portrays it as.
I've done it twice, both for a total of 14 days. I love it! I always feel awesome afterwards.
one of my moms' friends tried it. she looks great, but it's not good for you. she would sometimes pass out because all the sodium got her dehydrated. she'd sometimes vomit too. i think the only thing out there that can give you a good clean is water. water's the best thing for that :)
My friend completed the full 10 days of the Master Cleanse. He still had the same amount of energy he normally had and lost a few pounds. The only thing is that there was a noticeable personality change that continued for a few weeks after he completed it. He's fine now though. "Focus - Get better."
I'm doing a detox diet called The Maker's Diet, but it isn't extreme. I can eat as much as I want, I mostly just have to avoid processed and refined foods. I'm trying to incorporate a lot of raw foods recipes into it as well. It's also a lifestyle element, I'm supposed to go to bed early, get short intervals of exercise, and do prayer or positive thinking.
I'm trying to rebuild my immune system. I had mono last February and seem to get every cold or tummy bug possible since. I do feel much more energized and my mood is perky. I did it in 2004 and also noticed a difference. I'm losing some weight slowly, but it's not the primary goal.
I will never try any kind of "cleanse" because frankly... I can't imagine it healthy at all!
@KJLavender@xanga - That sounds like a much healthier way to cleanse. I would try that too. I think what is so ridiculous about the MC is that you aren't even putting healthy things into your body. Your basically subsisting on maple syrup and salt, both of which are terrible for you.
I tried it once a few years ago. I did it for seven days because by day 6 I was crying and so weak. I definitely felt weird. I lost 10 pounds but gained it back within a week.
I wouldn't promote it. I think people need to stick with eating healthy long term than try all of these stupid "quick fixes".
Tried a modified form of it for a week after having some food sensitivity issues and it did wonders.
I did the cleanse for about a day. I could not STAND the taste. I think the cayenne pepper did it for me. It was pretty gross. I didn't have the willpower to stick it out as much as I wanted to do this cleanse, I just couldn't do it. So I was left with a ton of lemons I didn't know what to do with, and a huge container of organic maple syrup.
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