How to Master Cleanse – Report #1

Fasting Facts

Our fast paced lifestyle along with modern commerce and advertising has blurred the relationship of food to our health. Yet for all our technology and modern methods, we are plagued by a long list of contemporary diseases, many of them fatal, which modern medicine cannot cure.

– Juice Fasting and Detoxification by Steve Meyerowitz

Fasting is mentioned in the Bible in the book of Exodus. Religious leaders such as Jesus spoke of it, and ancient philosophers such as Plato advocated it. Dr. Isaac Jennings was the first to revive the therapeutic practice of fasting in modern times.

There are some good reasons why fasting is still around after thousands of years.

“Fasting is an age-old cure that still works, even for modern ailments… it is ironic that something so old works on problems so new. But fasting is in fact our oldest health remedy,” says Meyerowitz, author of Juice Fasting and Detoxification.

While water fasting has a long history as both a spiritual and medicinal practice, it may be a little too old school since most people would not be able to handle going without any food for more than a day. The great thing about juice fasts is that they provide you with all the nutrients you need even while your digestive system is getting the rest it needs.

The Benefits of Juice Fasting

When we talk about juice fasting, or juice feasting as some people call it, we don’t mean that you should put yourself in “starvation mode.” Going on a juice fast means consuming all the nutrients you need in the form of freshly-squeezed juices.

A juice fast is also referred to as a “lose weight fast” method, both because it involves fasting and helping you lose weight quickly.

1. Live Enzymes Help You Lose Weight and Feel Healthy

The fresh juice you make at home (as opposed to bottled juice you buy in the store) is filled with beneficial, live enzymes. The difference between enzyme-deficient and enzyme-rich food is huge, and it also means the difference between good and bad health. The juice that comes from a bottle or a packet has been sitting in the store for several days and has most likely been pasteurized, meaning most of its vital nutrients were destroyed during this high-heat procedure.

“Enzymes act as catalysts to chemical reactions that occur in your body,” writes Kiki Michelle on Livestrong.com. “Such chemical reactions include processes that metabolize food, lessen toxin accumulation, aid in digestion, and produce cellular energy.”

Basically, enzymes are what we need to keep our body free of toxins as well as to absorb our food in the best way possible and thus be free of excess weight. Juicing provides the enzymes our body requires to function at a healthy level, so it’s no wonder we feel better on a juice fast than we do on our regular enzyme-deficient diet.

2. Nutrients Are More Easily Absorbed by Drinking

You can probably recall that revitalizing feeling that comes with drinking a glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice, for example. The reason you instantly feel a boost when you drink juice is because the nutrients are instantly absorbed into your system.

Normally, your body functions like a juicer anyway. It extracts the juice from any fruits or vegetables you eat, eliminating the fiber via the colon. So, by juicing you eliminate some of the body’s work load, and you’re able to consume many more nutrients since it’s much easier to drink the juice of a whole mound of vegetables rather than having to eat them.

3. Fasting Gives Your Digestive System A Rest

The digestive system is another aspect of your body that will benefit greatly from you participating in a fast. By completing a fast your digestive tract is given time to rest and therefore strengthen the mucosal lining. This then prevents leaking of non-digested proteins into the bloodstream and offering protection against autoimmune diseases as a result. You are also protected against metabolic toxins thanks to a healthy digestive tract.

Since fresh fruit and vegetable juices require little digestion, and are quickly assimilated into your body. Most of the 10% of bodily energy normally involved in your assimilation, digestion, and elimination is freed up. The end result? You feel a sense of renewed energy after the fast.

4. A Fast Helps To Break Down Toxic Materials

This may seem like an obvious one, but it can’t be emphasized enough. A Juice Fast breaks down excess fat reserves, and mobilizes and eliminates stored toxins. This is an incredible benefit of a juice fast and can be reason enough itself to complete one.

A fast will help your body break down fat, abnormal cells and tumors as well as release diseased tissues and their cellular products into the circulation so they can be removed from your body. This promotion if detoxification will help to benefit the function and health of your liver, kidneys and all of the other organs that are involved in the detox process.

5. New Cell Growth During Fasting is Stimulated and Accelerated

Your cells, more specifically brain cells, will benefit from fasting. Intermittent fasting increases levels of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor. intermittent fasting increases levels of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This then stimulates new brain cells in the hippocampus, the region of the brain that is responsible for memory, showcasing brain cell growth.

This process occurs as the required proteins are re-synthesized from decomposed cells (during autolysis). Your serum albumin reading, that is blood-protein level, remains constant and normal throughout your fast, as your body very smartly uses protein and other stored nutrients where needed. It recognizes that your stored nutrients are needed in your cells and thus growth is accelerated and you feel rejuvenated.

Natural Fasting And Fasting Enemas

Our bodies, amazing as they are, were not designed to handle the world of chemicals and pollutants that has been created today. Luckily, fasting is one of the quickest ways to detox your body and it can be done safely.

Your body also naturally fasts when you are sick; that’s one of the reasons why you are not hungry and dont eat much with an illness. That is the body’s way of handling whatever is going on. The question is why does this occur? When you give the digestive system a break, the body can get rid of the toxins and concentrate on immune function, cell growth and cleaning out your colon.

There is a right and a wrong way to fast. Don’t do just a water fast. There seems to be a misconception that you only drink water to fast. Not so. You should drink 8 to 10 glasses of water per day in addition to diluted pure juices except for orange or tomato juice. Squeezing fresh lemon into water is great for detoxing the liver as well. Herbal teas a couple of times per day can be very soothing and satisfying too.

Enemas

As well as doing a fast, it would be very helpful in speeding up the healing and cleansing process by doing enemas. This will get rid of old or impacted feces and will greatly aid in your health and well being.

In this case a coffee enema works great. It is also suggested to open up a capsule of slippery elm bark and aloe vera and add it to the grounds before adding the coffe grounds. Also make sure you use purified water, not tap water. Follow you enema with The Master Cleanse to get the most out of it and get to feeling great.

To summarize, here are some of the health benefits brought by juicing:

• reduced likelihood of chronic illnesses that are so prevalent today
• freedom from pain and discomfort
• greater mental clarity
• the ability to achieve a healthy weight
• healthy, blemish-free skin
• guilt-free meals that taste good and are good for the environment
• more self confidence
• reduced frequency of common colds, flus, and headaches
• no need for prescription drugs
• no more junk food cravings
• feeling energized and emotionally stable throughout the day

Heart Health Benefits

There are many people who are skeptical about fasting, thinking that it is not “scientifically proven” to be effective. However, a recent study shows that the rewards of fasting can be scientifically demonstrated.

It turns out that regular fasting benefits heart health and lowers the risk of diabetes based on research performed at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute.

The discovery expands upon a 2007 Intermountain Healthcare study that revealed an association between fasting and reduced risk of coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death among men and women in America. Fasting was also found to reduce other heart risk factors; such as triglycerides, weight, and blood sugar levels.

“These new findings demonstrate that our original discovery was not a chance event,” Dr. Benjamin D. Horne, PhD, MPH, director of cardiovascular and genetic epidemiology at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute, and the study’s principal investigator said.

There was a bit of a surprising aspect to this new research. The participants’ LDL cholesterol, the “bad” cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol, both increased and raised their total cholesterol during the fasting period.

“Fasting causes hunger or stress. In response, the body releases more cholesterol, allowing it to utilize fat as a source of fuel, instead of glucose. This decreases the number of fat cells in the body,” says Dr. Horne. “This is important because the fewer fat cells a body has, the less likely it will experience insulin resistance, or diabetes.”

This study also confirmed earlier findings about the effects of fasting on human growth hormone (HGH), a metabolic protein. The effectiveness of HGH was accelerated by fasting, which means a greater protection of lean muscle and metabolic balance for you. During the 24-hour fasting periods, HGH increased an average of 1,300 percent in women, and nearly 2,000 percent in men.

Dr. Horne believes that fasting could one day be prescribed as a treatment for preventing diabetes and coronary heart disease and who could blame him after seeing such promising results from this study.

The Master Cleanse Is One of the Most Famous Juice Fasts in the World

The Master Cleanse was created in the 1940s and is still well known today. Perhaps the reason why the Master Cleanse is so famous is that it goes beyond weight loss. Most people on the Master Cleanse report improvements in other aspects of their life as well.

We like to divide the Master Cleanse experience into several different pillars:

Weight Loss – This is one of the most obvious and direct benefits of the cleanse. You not only lose weight on the cleanse, but also maintain it in the weeks and months after. Many people wonder exactly how much weight they’re going to lose.

The truth is, every person is different. On average, people tend to lose 1-2 pounds per day on this cleanse. You might be thinking, “that’s great!” or maybe you’re thinking, “that’s not enough.” Either way, it’s important to keep in mind that the Master Cleanse is only the beginning of your weight loss journey. By losing those initial pounds and cleaning out your system, you will prepare yourself for even more weight loss to come if your body still needs to lose more weight, or just maintaining a healthy weight as you transition to a healthy post-cleanse diet.

Cleanse and Detox – The primary goal of the Master Cleanse is actually to get rid of all the accumulated waste material as well as the toxins in the body. Symptoms of toxin accumulation include fatigue or irritation, general aches and pains, skin issues such as acne, and digestive troubles. Cleansing helps eliminate these symptoms and energizes the body.

Eating Healthy – Going through a juice fast is like hitting the “reset” button on your taste buds. After a week or 10 days of consuming nothing but fresh lemon juice, your body forgets that it ever craved junk food and adjusts to healthier food. This sets the trend for healthy eating in the long run, and of course helps you maintain a healthy weight as well.

Holistic Healing – Stanley Burroughs, the originator of the Master Cleanse believed in overall mental and physical health. Instead of putting a band aid solution on people’s health issues, holistic health takes into account the person’s overall condition. The Master Cleanse is based on these principles as it improves the body’s ability to fight disease and stay in balance.

Self Care and Personal Health Management – The cleanse is a great way to jump-start a new self-care regimen that will include treating your body with all the care it deserves. Losing weight will enable you to say you’re down to a certain number of pounds, but it’s really just a number. The real measure of success will be knowing that you’re taking better care of yourself and seeing the evidence of that as you find yourself feeling and looking better.

Here are a few ways you can track the improvement in your health:

• Body Mass Index (BMI)
• Lean Body Mass (LBM)
• Weight
• Waist-to-Height Ratio – helps us sort of understanding our body composition. Here are a few intangible items which are very important too like: How you Clothes Fit; How you Feel; How you Look; Resting Heart Rate (RHR).

We will talk more about taking stock of these success factors, but for now, it’s good to just start thinking about what health benefits you would like to gain from the Master Cleanse.

Personal Development & Lifestyle Change – The lifestyle and personality changes brought about by the cleanse can be anything from working out more or spending more time outdoors to feeling less irritable and more open to the possibilities life brings. One thing’s for sure, any change you experience will be a positive one.

The Master Cleanse Is More Than Just Weight Loss

As we have outlined above, and in a rather extensive way, while weight loss is the most obvious and visual benefits of The Master Cleanse, it is certainly not the only one. From internal benefits to external benefits, looking healthy to being healthy holistically, detoxing your body to rejuvenating it’s cells, The Master Cleanse is one of the best out there to help you become healthier in almost all aspects of your health.