DAY FOUR Mastercleanse

I drank the saltwater and 2 cups of the lemonade mixture this morning and wasn't hungry even after I came home from church at 4:30 pm. I'm supposed to be drinking 6-12 cups a day so I just drank 4 cups and my stomach feels so full. I'll drink another cup or so tonight along with the tea.

So far I've lost 9 lbs. I would seriously suggest this cleanse if you want to lose weight quickly for a big event or a trip to Hawaii or something.

After the 10 days I am still restricted on what I can eat as I'm not supposed to shock my stomach with junk. So it's supposed to take 3 days of adjustment and eating raw foods before I can go hit McDonalds again... haha! I'm kidding, but it will be great to eat normal foods again. I think after the cleanse I will be more motivated to eat right. However, I'm craving homemade cookies so badly. I want to make the Seinfeld recipe so bad.

Tomorrow is Joshy's 3rd birthday and we're taking the kids to Chuck-e-cheese. Alicia, my sister in law, is bringing one of those big cakes from Costco.

I think my biggest weakness of all the sweets the world has to offer is a great, big chunky homeade cookie.

Oh, and I think I forgot to mention earlier that I made a mistake when I made my first horrible batch of lemonade juice. I put in 1 1/2 cups of maple syrup instead of 1 1/4 cups. It was disgusting. I read in Burrough's book that you can lessen the maple syrup if you're overweight so now I'm only putting in 1/2 cup. The lemonade tastes so much better now and finishing the rest of the cleanse is totally doable now.

DAY THREE Mastercleanse

Well I'm on my third day and about ready for it to be over. I felt more hungry today than the first two days but the juice really does quench the hunger pretty quickly. I drank more juice today - probably 8 cups and am looking forward to tea-time.

My energy level is pretty normal. I don't take naps too often and don't feel the need to take a nap even now.

After the salt water drink this morning I ended up going to the bathroom 3 different times. That stuff is nasty to drink and I'm so glad once it's over.

I've had a headache since last night but I think it's cause I started my period. It's one of those hormone headaches.

I am seriously in disbelief that I've only been drinking lemonade for 3 days straight.

DAY TWO Mastercleanse

Well I'm almost done with day two of the mastercleanse and it's going okay. I'm not experiencing the hunger pains I was expecting and when I do feel hungry I just drink a glass of the lemonade mixture and the hunger quickly subsides. My energy level is not depleted either which is surprising.

I made a roast for dinner last night and even though the smell filled my house the entire day long, it wasn't too hard to just drink the lemonade for dinner. Tonight, however, the kids had pizza and cheetos for dinner and I wanted those crunchy cheetos so bad. I love a good crunchy food and know that's what I will be missing the most during this fast.

The lemonade mixture itself is quite nasty but it's growing on me. The first day my gag reflex was quite sensitive, but today I'm able to drink without feeling like I'm going to throw up. I was only able to drink 5 glasses on the first day, but today I drank about 7. The recommended serving is 6-12 cups a day. Tomorrow when I make a new batch of the drink I'm going to use half as much maple syrup (Stanley Burroughs says this is okay if you're overweight) and maybe the drink will taste better.

Last night I had the laxative tea and this morning I drank a quart of the salt water. The tea was neither good nor bad, but the salt water was really gross. One quart is a lot! I drank it through a straw and that seemed a little easier. About 20-30 min's after drinking the salt water my stomach started gurgling and I visited the lady's room...

I'm looking forward to drinking the tea in a little bit to end the night and then on to tomorrow!

B.L.Ts Beware

B.L.T three simple letters they be,
but beware for all who may not see,
the traps, the lies, they truly are.
BLTs have stopped me from coming so far.

Bite Lick and Taste is what it means
and why I don't fit my favorite jeans.
Oh BLT you must be aware
because I choose to end our affair.

No longer will I BLT my days away,
no munching, no tasting, I'm wasting away.

Grilled cheese crust,
truly not a must.
A little tiny bite,
the urge I will fight.
Leftover french fry
such a thing I shant try.
Frosting on a spoon,
the pounds will follow soon.
Just a taste is all I ask,
remembering not to, will be a task.


But today I say to you my BLTs
the choice is mine, its all about me.
Size 8 is calling me louder I plead,
No more BLTs is my new creed.

Mastercleanse or Lemonade Diet

DAY ONE

I got an email from some random person and the subject was "why you are fat"... I didn't know who this person was and couldn't imagine how she could possibly know I was "fat". Well, after I opened the email I saw that it was some advertisement for cleansing oneself. I read it and became interested in the whole idea of cleaning out ones intestines of all the impurities that breed there.

After a little more online research I discovered Mastercleanse, which is also known as the Lemonade Diet. I decided to give it a shot. It will interfere with the Body for Life I started over a week ago, but I'll just start that over once this is done. I'm very intrigued by how the mastercleanse will work and will be posting my journey and results here on this blog.

Here is the daily recipe I'll be using during the 10 day cleanse:

the juice of 5 lemons
1 1/4 cup of organic Grade B maple syrup
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
10 cups of water

Each night I will drink an Herbal Laxative Tea.

Each morning I will drink a saltwater flush:

2 level teaspoons of uniodized sea salt
1 quart of lukewarm water

WISH ME LUCK! ;)

Healthy Snacks

When I go grocery shopping I can never think of healthy snacks to buy! So, I compiled a simple list of healthy snacks. Here they are:

Banana ice — Peel several very ripe bananas, break them into 1-inch pieces, and freeze the pieces in a sealed plastic bag. Just before serving, whirl the pieces in the blender with a small amount of water or juice. Serve right away. Add berries for a different flavor or top with fruit or nuts.

Ants on a log — Spread peanut butter on celery sticks and top with raisins.

Healthy ice pops — Freeze fresh, unsweetened 100% juice in ice pop molds or ice cube trays.

Mini pizzas — Spoon pizza sauce onto half a bagel, English muffin, or mini pita. Top with low-fat mozzarella cheese and your favorite veggies and toast or bake at a low setting until the cheese is melted and the bagel is crispy.

Happy trails mix — Combine 1 cup whole-grain toasted oat cereal with 1/4 cup chopped walnuts and 1/4 cup dried cranberries for a healthy trail mix.

Whole-grain Crispbread with Cottage Cheese

Dried Fruit

Vegetables dipped in hummus – Fresh vegetables are low in calories and have many antioxidants, and many have no fat with plenty of fiber to satiate you. Fiber has also been shown to lower cholesterol. Hummus, made from chick peas, is a great alternative protein without saturated fat.

Fat-free yogurt with fruit and a sprinkle of nuts – Get another serving of dairy without saturated fat as well as antioxidants from fruit and unsaturated fat from the nuts.

Simple banana smoothie –
1 Banana
¾ C Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
3-4 Ice cubes

Yogurt
Fruit cup
Apple
Banana
Pear
Peach
Grapes
Plum
Orange
Berries
Watermelon
Raisins
Carrots
Celery
Broccoli
Mixed nuts
Tomato
Chicken noodle soup
Cauliflower
Green or red peppers
Peanut butter crackers
Nuts
Whole wheat cereal with skim milk
Trail mix
Oatmeal
Whole wheat bagel or toast
Pure bran muffins
Fruit smoothie
Spinach
Sweet potato
Broth-based vegetable soup
Skim and low-fat milk
Bean soup

Aspartame Side Effects

Aspartame Side Effects

The components of aspartame can lead to a number of health problems, as you have read. Side effects can occur gradually, can be immediate, or can be acute reactions. According to Lendon Smith, M.D. there is an enormous population suffering from side effects associated with aspartame, yet have no idea why drugs, supplements and herbs don’t relieve their symptoms. Then, there are users who don’t ‘appear’ to suffer immediate reactions at all. Even these individuals are susceptible to the long-term damage caused by excitatory amino acids, phenylalanine, methanol, and DKP.

Adverse reactions and side effects of aspartame include:

Eye
blindness in one or both eyes
decreased vision and/or other eye problems such as: blurring, bright flashes, squiggly lines, tunnel vision, decreased night vision
pain in one or both eyes
decreased tears
trouble with contact lenses
bulging eyes

Ear
tinnitus - ringing or buzzing sound
severe intolerance of noise
marked hearing impairment

Neurologic
epileptic seizures
headaches, migraines (some severe)
dizziness, unsteadiness, both
confusion, memory loss, both
severe drowsiness and sleepiness
paresthesia or numbness of the limbs
severe slurring of speech
severe hyperactivity and restless legs
atypical facial pain
severe tremors

Psychological/Psychiatric
severe depression
irritability
aggression
anxiety
personality changes
insomnia
phobias

Chest
palpitations, tachycardia
shortness of breath
recent high blood pressure

Gastrointestinal
nausea
diarrhea, sometimes with blood in stools
abdominal painpain when swallowing

Skin and Allergies
itching without a rash
lip and mouth reactions
hives
aggravated respiratory allergies such as asthma

Endocrine and Metabolic
loss of control of diabetes
menstrual changes
marked thinning or loss of hair
marked weight loss
gradual weight gain
aggravated low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
severe PMS

Other
frequency of voiding and burning during urination
excessive thirst, fluid retention, leg swelling, and bloating
increased susceptibility to infection

Additional Symptoms of Aspartame
Toxicity include the most critical symptoms of all
death
irreversible brain damage
birth defects, including mental retardation
peptic ulcers
aspartame addiction and increased craving for sweets
hyperactivity in children
severe depression
aggressive behavior
suicidal tendencies

Aspartame may trigger, mimic, or cause the following illnesses:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Epstein-Barr
Post-Polio Syndrome
Lyme Disease
Grave’s Disease
Meniere’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease
ALS
Epilepsy
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
EMS
Hypothyroidism
Mercury sensitivity from Amalgam fillings
Fibromyalgia
Lupus
non-Hodgkins
Lymphoma
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

These are not allergies or sensitivities, but diseases and disease syndromes. Aspartame poisoning is commonly misdiagnosed because aspartame symptoms mock textbook ‘disease’ symptoms, such as Grave’s Disease.

Aspartame changes the ratio of amino acids in the blood, blocking or lowering the levels of serotonin, tyrosine, dopamine, norepinephrine, and adrenaline. Therefore, it is typical that aspartame symptoms cannot be detected in lab tests and on x-rays. Textbook disorders and diseases may actually be a toxic load as a result of aspartame poisoning.

Ever gone to the doctor with real, physical symptoms, but he/she can’t find the cause? Well, it’s probably your diet, your environment, or both.

Aspartame is the common denominator for over 92 different health symptoms at the root of modern disease. The Aspartame Detoxification Program demonstrates the most effective way to reverse disease symptoms is removing the underlying cause - aspartame.

I counsel aspartame victims worldwide and have witnessed nine out of 10 clients restore their health by following the Aspartame Detoxification Program. Begin with detoxifying your body of all residual chemical toxins from aspartame's chemical make up of phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol and their toxic by-products, and see if any adverse health symptoms remain. Try the Aspartame Detoxification Program, and within 30 days your symptoms should disappear.

Steps:
Remove all sugar-free products with aspartame from your diet.
Learn to 'read' your body. Begin recording any health changes.
Get a hair analysis.
Be happy with yourself.
Detoxify.
Restore depleted nutrients.
Exercise and get plenty of rest.
Eat 75% raw foods at every meal.
Drink water, water, water.
Get control of your life.

I designed this Ten Step Program to help protect your health and the health of those you love from being seduced by the sugar-free diet craze. Wishing you good health.

What can you do about aspartame side effects?
Set an example by changing your diet.
Tell everyone you know.
Talk to the schools and day care centers. Offer to speak at parent-teachers meetings.
Contact your local, state, and Federal government representatives.
If you see someone with a diet drink, ask if they have had any of the typical aspartame side effects.
Spread the word at your work.
Distribute the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot's Hotline
Tell your doctor about the scientific research available proving the negative side effects of aspartame.
Register a complaint with the FDA, the FAA, the NutraSweet Company about aspartame poisoning.
Return all food products with aspartame, opened or unopened, to your grocer. Tell him/her the products make you sick. The grocer can return them to the manufacturer for a store refund. The manufacturer should get the message. So, will the grocer.
Spread the word on computer networks.
Publish articles in newsletters at your church, place of work, or neighborhood association.
Set a personal example for health and wellness.

Click Here To See Aspartame Symptoms Submitted to the FDA.