The Master Cleanse

Fasting is a method used for millennium for the purpose of body purification, detoxification, and rest for the digestive system. It has numerous benefits ranging from healing, disease prevention, longevity, and steady energy levels.

There are many types of fasts ranging from 1-day to 40-days using water, tea, juice, fruit, etc. One I have been curious about for a while is the Master Cleanse which consists of 10 days of spicy lemonade (pure water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper). In order to do it, I knew I would need moral support so finding some folks to do it was my excuse for never doing it before. When I got back from Vipassana, a couple friends were planning to do it. Here was my big chance! After 10 days is silence, I was ready to tackle 10 days of fasting.

Here we go:

Day 1-
As I have practiced 1-day fasts for a while, day one was as expected-- a bit hungry but no big whoop.
As with all fasts, herbal teas are allowed. I am supplementing the spicy lemonade with chrysanthemum and ginseng, mint (hmm, refreshing!), as well as Bojenmi tea, a herbal laxative tea. In addition to the lemonade, laxative tea is second part of the cleanse/detox process.

Day 2-
It's hard to be around food due to creation of food cravings. Grumpy and low energy. My eye balls are bloodshot.

Day 3-
I can't believe I still have solid poo in my system! I'm feeling lighter and thinking/acting with greater clarity. I'm not super hungry but whenever I do get hungry, I have lemonade or tea and am fine.

Day 4-
Food cravings are still there. It's helpful to have lots of work and planned activities in place of meal times. I have had an incredibly productive week!
I have also been going to the sauna to sweat each day which is a rejuvenating replacement for more vigorous physical activity.

Day 5-
At start of day five, I still have solid poo- amazing! Day ten seems like a long way away but I'm almost to the mid-way point.

Day 6-
Oops-- overdid it with the physical activity today. I am very hungry and tired out.
I realize, however, that this is really the first time I've been hungry (as opposed to just experiencing craving) since I began.

Day 7-
Yesterday was taxing and my muscles are a bit soar but I'm back on my regimen of light activity, a lot of desk time, and sauna. I have also been careful to go to bed early to get plenty of sleep. Meditation practice has been invaluable during this time to bring greater focus to the mind and awareness of the body-- thank you, Vipassana!

Day 8-
I am ready to be finished.

Day 9-
Almost there...I feel fine for the most part though I certainly am moody and sensitive at times. Otherwise, my energy is good-- light but strong, steady-- and I'm quite giddy at times. I have been carrying extra weight since my trip to India (too many delicious chapatis) and it feels good to be back to my normal size. I've lost about a pound a day since Day 4.


Day 10-
Looking forward to breaking with miso soup, greens, and a combination of rice, beans, and sesame seed (blended and easily digestible) as recommended by Dr. Chong, my trusty acupuncturist.
This has been a psychological, emotional, physical, and metaphysical experiment for me. Much of it was psychological in terms of being so intensely aware of food cravings, exposure to food, advertisements, etc. This process also brought great awareness the quantity, frequency, and types (impure/non-nourishing) of food I eat unnecessarily.
Though I heard that this fast gets easier after the third day, this was not my experience. In fact, the intensity increased especially for the last few days. I became particularly sensitive to both physical and emotional sensations, interactions, habits, and patterns in my life. Though this was not an easy experience, it was highly valuable and has heightened my awareness in daily living. Interestingly, I have also felt more open and expressive, getting in stronger touch with my creativity.
I could not have done this without the support of my partna in crime, who enthusiastically volunteered to do it together. His emotional and culinary support in maintaining a Master Cleanse home for ten days was invaluable. And the inspiration of my friends to do it was crucial motivation for me. Thank you, Ashish, Joy, and Lauren!

In addition to fasting, I aim to practice and recommend exercises like eating less, less often, and better food. These are simple and common sense approaches that we all know that may prove surprisingly difficult to carry out. I have learned not to underestimate the power of habit on these matters. Though I've heard it takes 90 days to form a habit, I would argue that even after ten days, the mind adapts to habitual patterns. Though the last few days were hard, only drinking lemonade began to feel normal as I got up and went to the kitchen to squeeze lemons instead of cut fruit.
However, there is also no question about the power of food bombardment, so successfully conducted by the advertising and food industry. Without awareness of our mind, body, and actions, humans are very susceptible to temptations of excess fat, sugar, and quantities.
All of this especially in the U.S. where I was just reading today, we consume 5 times more food per capita compared to India. And this amount is increasing! Though much of this goes to waste here in the U.S.-- that doesn't make it any better considering the ongoing global food crisis and that when food ends up in a dump, it can't decompose the way it does in a compost (at least 1/3 of household waste is compostable). Here are some stats to snack on:
-Each Indian gets to eat about 178 kg of grain in a year, while a US citizen consumes 1,046 kg. In per capita terms, US grain consumption is twice that of the European Union and thrice that of China. Grain consumption includes flour and by conversion to alcohol.
-Per capita grain consumption has increased in the US — so actually the Americans are eating more. In 2003, US per capita grain consumption was 946 kg per year which increased to 1046 kg last year. India’s per capita grain consumption has remained static over the same period. It’s not just grains.
-As far as meat consumption is concerned, the US leads the world in per capita consumption by a wide margin. Beef consumption, for example, is 42.6 kg per person per year, compared to a mere 1.6 kg in India and 5.9 kg in China. In case you are thinking that perhaps Indians might be going in for chicken, think again. In the US, 45.4 kg poultry meat is consumed every year by each person, compared to just 1.9 kg in India.
Read the entire article here.