Cleansing Me

  “I’m Gonna Make A Change,
For Once In My Life
It’s Gonna Feel Real Good,
Gonna Make A Difference
Gonna Make It Right . . .”

                                                                               Michael Jackson

I’m Ready!! I know for certain that I’m finally ready to embark on this 30 Day Cleansing  Journey. My herbal laxative tea is brewing as I write this post. Since last year it’s been a start/stop situation  and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why I couldn’t complete the cleanse like I did once before. Then I realized that the emotional issues I’ve been dealing with were the reasons why I couldn’t stay focused, not just on the cleanse but in every  aspect of my life. My mind was cluttered with too much baggage and I had a hard time preparing my lessons for my students/classes, practicing and preparing for my performances. I’ve been seeing a therapist to help me deal with my emotional issues and so far so good. I’ve decided not to participate in any performances this summer so that I could finally work on “ME”; the mental ME, Emotional ME & the Physical ME!!

At the heart of ALL of my current problems is how F*d Up my Mental ME is! I know I shouldn’t be cursing, but the reality is that the Mental ME is pretty F*d Up and if I want to truly and fully enjoy my life then I need to deal witht the issues that have been plaguing me since my childhood. When I started this blog in 2007 I said the hardest part of this cleansing process would be the mental aspect and I was right. Ideally one would think I’d focus on fixing the Mental ME first then work on the Physical ME, but I don’t know how long it’s going to take for  the Mental ME to get with the program so I’m doing everything simultaneously. Hopefully that will expedite the process of me FINALLY being FREE! Free from the shadow beliefs and the negativity that put me in the position to hide my true self under layers and layers of  fat. This cleanse is so much more than losing weight for me. Yes, I will be monitoring the changes in my body and how the Master Cleanser will help me cure my current ailments; dermatitis, obesity, hypertension, edema, discoid lupus, glaucoma, but having to work on my emotional issues and the traumatic experiences I’ve suppressed for years without the ability to turn to food as a source of comfort is where my struggle lies.

Now I’m drinking my herbal tea… so raise whatever glass you have in your hand for a toast, if you don’t have anything go get some water !

Here’s to starting with that Man/Woman in the mirror!!

And asking Him/Her to Make That Change!

If You Wanna Make YOUR World a Better Place… Take a Look at YOURSELF and MAKE THAT CHANGE!! Cheers!! :) 

Master Cleanse Me 2009, My thoughts, Relationships Cleansing, Emotional, Master Cleanser, MasterCleanseMe, Mental, Physical, Therapy, Twitter, Wellness

It’s been a long time since I’ve blogged and too much to get into now, but I’m getting myself together and I’m back on track. I’ve attempted to do the cleanse several times since  March of last year with not much success. I’m currently on Day #7 and feeling pretty good. I’m documenting my entire experience in a self-made documentary and will start uploading the videos on June 1st… the anniversary of the day I started this blog 2 years ago. 

If you’ve ever done the cleanse CORRECTLY, you know how amazing you feel! I have read so many articles and have seen so many videos of people saying, “How Dangerous is it to do something like the Master Cleanser.”  Well I’m doing this to prove them wrong, and to hopefully show how the cleanse can cure some of the common ailments most people, especially Americans, face today. I think I’m the perfect candidate to do so since I’ve been raised on the Standard  American Diet (S.A.D.) and YES the results of being on it is pretty SAD.  This cleansing journey is going to help me reverse the damage that has been caused by years of eating processed food, taking different medications and so on. 

On April 16th I had two appointments to assess my current physical condition. My first appointment was a physical w/ the Nurse Practitioner from the Columbia Medical Practice in Columbia, MD. The nurse’s assistant tried to weigh me and couldn’t get a reading because the scale went only up to 350 lbs. I had to tel her how much I weighed, which I guessed at 357 from the last time I weighed myself at home. When I got home that evening I weighed myself and I was actually 365 lbs.  They took my Blood Pressure and it was pretty high at 210/112 and my pulse was 71. She immediately put me on a  BP meds. (which I knew I wasn’t going to  take). She also ordered some blood work to check my cholesterol and my glucose levels. The results from the glucose test will let us know if I had diabetes. I was suppose to have a follow up with her on April 30th to get a BP check, but I rescheduled that appt. mainly because I currently don’t have health insurance and I’m not paying $110 just to get my BP check, so my follow up is on May 28th, Day 30 of my cleanse.

My next appointment was later that evening with the Naturopathic Doctor  who owns the Dande-Lion Herb Shop in Glen Burnie, MD. She did a COMPASS test on me. I saw her in 2006 and had an iridology test done. She also uses Applied Kinesiology (AK) to diagnose me, to find out more on this method read this, Diagnosis of Disease . She tested my BP using  (AK) and determined that I was severely dehydrated which is one of the causes of my high BP. I told her that I would be doing the Master Cleanser and using (AK) said that 24 days of the cleanse would good for me right now, but I decided extending it for 6 more days couldn’t hurt. She said that the cleanse would pretty much cure me of all my current ailments, especially the edema and the high BP. I’m going to schedule a follow up appt. with her on  my birthday May 29th, my first day off the cleanse.

I thought it would be great to see just how toxic my body is before I start the cleanse. After doing some research, I discovered that hair tissue  mineral analysis (HTMA) would give me accurate results. HTMA wouldn’t work for everyone, but I’m a good candidate for this type of testing because my hair is natural and I don’t have any chemicals, relaxers, coloring in it. So on April 28th I cut a lock of my hair for testing. Also I discovered that the Wellness Center at my workplace, Howard Community College,  offered BP screening. So I went to see the nurse there after I got my blood work done at the lab. Tanya, the RN was very helpful. She took my BP which was higher than when iI saw nurse Practitioner Nettina 12 days prior.  BP was 210/133, pulse was 101 and my weight was 272 lbs. I explained to her that I was going to start the Master Cleanser then transition to being a Vegetarian/Vegan. I told her that I was documenting everything and she even offered to help me since she offers advice as a dietitian as well. She advised my not to really do any exercise while until I get my BP down, because I could possibly have a heart attack since I’m not taking the BP meds. I’m scheduled to see her today and very anxious to see if my BP dropped a bit after 6 days on the Master Cleanser. I already expect to see a drop in my weight because #1 I was on my menstrual cycle and was bloated and the edema in my legs have significantly decreased since then. As for the exercising? I started the cleanse on April 29th and didn’t exercise for the first 4 days. I swam 21 laps (over 1/2 mile) in 59 mins. on Sunday and yesterday 38 laps (over 1 mile) in 1 hr. 58 mins. and no heart attack so far.  So that’s what’s been going on with me . You can follow my on Twitter. Click on MasterCleanseMe to get mini messages of how my cleanse is going and get updates of my blog posts. I’ll be back to recap my 1st week on the cleanse after i go swimming tonight since I didn’t go swimming this morning. Until then have a great day!!

Master Cleanse Me 2009, My thoughts

OMG!!! I can’t believe I’m actually at the 1/2 way point!! This has been an interesting experience. Well, I don’t feel any headaches right before eliminations. I just get this stomach churning feeling, you know like a little cramp right before. Still drinking between 4-6 glasses of the lemonade. My skin looks and feels absolutely great!! It’s soooooo soft all over. I’m drinking water as well, trying this “Smart Water” out. So far it tastes good. I still add a Tbsp of lemon juice and maple syrup to my herbal laxative tea and it just enhances the drinking experience.

I started swimming again on Monday and just trying to get a routine down that I can honestly stick to. I also notice that I’m swimming a bit faster than I did before. It’s probably because i’m not carrying as much as I did before. Classes began on Monday as well and so I started teaching Tuesday.  I’ll be working on that soon so that I can have it in place by Monday. Currently I am at 314.8 lbs. my weight has been fluctuating and coming off slower than before, but at least it’s coming off. That’s why I need to workout on a daily basis to assist in me losing more and building more muscle. I certainly hope that I’ll be under 300lbs. by the time I finish this cleanse. I took my measurements last Friday, so I’ll take them again tomorrow. That should give me a better idea of my progress.

One thing I’m trying to get use to is this heighten sense of smell. On Day 16 I went to Trader Joe’s to get my supply of Maple Syrup. OMG!! The scent of food just smacked me in the face like a little *itch. The produce smelled so good I could taste the strawberries and mangoes. Then they had the nerve to be giving out free samples of some yummy smelling chicken dish. I literally was going to stop the cleanse so that I could eat something. Never go to a grocery store on an empty stomach!! Like a fool I didn’t drink any of the lemonade before I left my home. I was there for an hour putting food in my cart and then turning around and putting them back. I was basically talking myself into getting off the cleanse for a day or two and then talking myself into staying on it like I promised. Well thank the Lord Almighty, I walked out of Trader Joe’s with three bottles of maple syrup and a case of Smart Water. The mind is a very powerful organ and at the end of the day you have to make the choice of what path you want to take, and that goes for anything in life. I know if I would have given in to my own persuasion I would be totally disappointed in myself for breaking this promise I made. Trader Joe’s ain’t going anywhere, so I can definitely wait. It’s funny how in the actual moment you feel like if you don’t have this right now it’s going to be extinct tomorrow. Anyways, I’ll continue to keep you posted and good luck on your journey.

Fitness, Food, MC Daily Log, My thoughts

Yes, yes, yes!!! I have completed 2 full weeks and 1 day of the Master Cleanser! I have 3 more weeks and 6 days left to go. Thus far, this is the longest I’ve ever lasted on the cleanse. I’m looking forward to when it’s over. Do not think for one second I plan on living on this! The lemonade taste good but it’s not that damn good. After the come off stage I will be starting “The Fat Burning Diet”by Jay Robb, Clinical Nutritionist and Certified Fitness Trainer with over 20 years experience. The program is very good and balanced and I can’t wait to start it. I haven’t been hungry but I have an urge just to chew something. A friend said that I had an oral fixation which could be very true. This has been extremely hard to do and all I can say is I just have to take it has the days go by. Some days are smooth and others are really hard to get through, like today and I can’t turn to what I normall turn too for comfort because I can’t. So trying to deal with days like this have been difficult, but so far so good and I’m still on track. just 1 short month and I will have completed the detox portion of my journey successfully. I start swimming again on Monday when the pool re-opens and I’m excited about that. My weight has been going back and forth  the same pound so that’s been annoying me the past few days. I need to increase my water intake because I feel a bit dry if that makes any sense. My tongue looks a hot mess and my sense of smell is too much to handle right now. I will say this, my skin feels and looks so good. Completely soft and smooth and no more dry scalp issues. So, I’m 1/3 through the process and all is good. Take care and happy cleansing.

Fitness, Food, MC Daily Log, My thoughts

So on Friday, August 10th I finally started the Master Cleanser. I will be doing it for the last 6 weeks of summer to pretty much salvage my commitment to myself. My start weight on Friday was 344.0 lbs. Yeah I gained weight and I did tell myself that I wasn’t going to weigh myself until the end of the 6 weeks, but I couldn’t help myself  and have weighed in every morning like I did before. My present weight is 327.8 lbs. Seeing that significant drop in just four days made me realize that my lymphedema returned.

Last year, in a weeks time, my legs became swollen, they were hurting and had discoloration in the inner part of my calves. I went to the doctor to see what was wrong thinking it may have been caused by a spider bite or something. She diagnosed me with Lymphedema. (<– click for more information) Here’s a little bit from the site below.

What is lymphedema?

Lymphedema occurs when lymphatic fluid builds up in the soft tissues of your body, usually in an arm or leg. The lymphatic system consists of lymph vessels and lymph nodes that run through your body. Lymph vessels collect a fluid that is made up of protein, water, fats, and wastes from the cells of the body. Lymph vessels carry this fluid to your lymph nodes. Lymph nodes filter waste materials and foreign products, and then return the fluid to your blood. If your vessels or nodes become damaged or are missing, the lymph fluid cannot move freely through the system. The fluids can then build up and cause swelling in the affected arms or legs.

There are two types of lymphedema:

She basically gave me a water pill to get rid of it and in the first 3 days I dropped 20 lbs. and all the swelling and pain was gone. Then in came back about 3 weeks later.  I couldn’t go back to the doctor  because my school insurance expired and I didn’t renew it since I close to finishing my degree. So I went online looking for natural remedies to cure this problem and that’s when I found information about the Master Cleanser.  This woman had gout and edema and a friend of hers gave her the book and told her that would help her. She said both ailments were gone once she did the cleanse. So I got the book and needed ingredients hoping this would help my edema. After being on the cleanse for 7 days my edema was completely gone and the chronic sinus issues I was having dissolved as well. That was my very first experience with the Master Cleanser. Anyways, i gotta run. I have some work i need to finish, but i wanted to update you guys. I did a video on Friday when I started the MC again so check it out here MC Day 1 of 42 . I’ll catch you guys up later. Take care

MC Daily Log, My thoughts, Women's Health, You Tube Weekly Updates

Well I’m in NY!!! These past two weeks have been crazy but fun. Well, you all know I started the cleanse again on 7/22. That was the final week before my performance which was on 7/27 and 7/28. ( I’ll upload the video on You Tube when I get a copy of my performance). That week was crazy! Our rehearsal schedule every day was 2-10pm Sun- Wed. ,then we had a final dress rehearsal on Thurs. at 7pm, and then our performances was at 7:30 Fri. and Sat. nights.  Of course that’s the way it is in the business and everyone did an awesome job.

I had a huge Master Cleanser reality check that week. Most of you who are on it or have done it can relate. So, I start the cleanse that Sunday and had to get off that Monday due to frequent eliminations. Everyone is different and must always do what’s best for them. I’m so glad I did that because jetting the the restroom in the middle of rehearsing at any given moment would have been completely embarrassing and disruptive to the rehearsal schedule for everyone involved, especially when they are not aware of what you are doing. I was able to work around it on Mon. but I knew  I wouldn’t be able to the rest of the week.

I told you about a friend of mine who started the cleanse on the 7/21. We talked often of course because she was asking a lot of questions and sharing her experience. She completely agreed it was the right move to stop it when I did. Well, she did it for the 10 days and as come off the cleanse successfully. Her start weight was 164 lbs. and I think on Day 9 she was down to 157 lbs.  When I get back home I’ll find out what her total weight lose is, but 7 lbs. is not bad at all. She had some very interesting observations, which most of you will find helpful (especially mothers).

• First of all, she said she didn’t feel any discomfort such as headaches or backaches.
• She was worried at one point because she was eliminating only once a day, which was usually the big one in the morning after the SW flush.
• A huge MC awareness for her as a first time mother of a 2 yr. old was she noticed that she was eating a lot when she wasn’t hungry. Meaning nibbling here or there when preparing food for her husband and son. Of course being on the cleanse she couldn’t do that. Also the other  habit that I think most mother’s develop: “The Mommie’s Diet“- eating everything that your child didn’t finish because you don’t want to waste the food.
• She was never hungry on the cleanse and she could only drink about 4 glasses of the lemonade because she was full. Day three of the come off she was eating fruits and veggies but noticed that she was feeling hungry often. I told her to add fiber  and some protein powder into her smoothies.
• She also said she had lots of energy. She continued to work out every morning and was still able to keep up with her son.

As I stated at the beginning, I am currently in N.Y. My cousin got married yesterday in a garden at Central Park.  I haven’t seen him in years and the wedding was absolutely beautiful. I leave to go back home early tomorrow morning. “The Master Cleanser Reloaded” will officially begin tomorrow morning as well as my Boot Camp. Tomorrow when I return I’ll post my Boot Camp plan, can’t do it now because I’m not on my computer. Enjoy the rest of the day.

MC Daily Log, My thoughts

Ok, soon I’ll be running out of names for these Master Cleanser posts. So here’s the deal I have started the cleanse again since I don’t think it was wise for me to get off of it so fast the second time. This time I will be on it for at least 3 weeks, and that will be the end of that for this season. I’ll start eating more whole foods and cooking more, not sure if I’m going to be a total vegan though. We will see when that time comes. One of my best friends is doing the cleans as well, for 10 days.  She’s been on for 2 days and she’s doing well too. I’ll keep you posted on her progress and observations.

I did post a You Tube video(<– click) of pictures of me on my weight-loss journey, so check it out when you get a chance. My starting weight this go around is 336 lbs. Yes, as you can see I gained some weight back, but it will be off by the end of this week. I have a busy week ahead, but I will update daily I promise. Until next time.

MC Daily Log, Pictures, You Tube Weekly Updates

Long time no write…. and I apologize!!! Hopefully I’m forgiven…. A lot has been going on and I’m really trying to focus on ME and what I need to do for ME. I know that may sound selfish, but I can only rely on myself to take care of me. I should start from the beginning because it’s been a little over two weeks!!

First of all, I did a You Tube video update two weeks ago and wasn’t able to upload it then.  I did complete the last 10 days of June successfully and decided to come off the cleanse on July 1st.  I got off of the cleanse the right way and didn’t experience any discomfort or pain. Why did I decide to not continue? Fear!! Now that I look back on my decision, I realize that I was afraid. I am afraid!!! The weight was coming off too fast, that it scared me. People were noticing the difference and commenting. Yes, it feels great to get the compliments, but a lot of thoughts ran through my mind..  like ” Geez what did they think of me before, or they probably said this about me last yr.” etc… I haven’t share with too many people (that know me) what I’m doing because I just didn’t want to deal with their words and thoughts on my plan. Unfortunately, I do a very good job sometimes of beating myself down that I don’t need any help.

So what have I been doing these past two weeks you ask?  What I normally do when I don’t want to deal with a situation! Focus my attention on other things. I have a performance on the 27th and 28th of this month and I have been focusing on that. I need to be completely memorized by rehearsal today and we’ve been working on staging. So I have about 10 days until my performance. I have also been exercising regularly, but not as often as I want. I’ve been doing about 3-4 hours a week. One thing that has been frustrating is I haven’t been able to weigh myself because my scale needs a new battery. I’ve looked everywhere and haven’t been able to find it. A friend of mine suggested that I go to Sears or a Clock store.. So, I’m going to do that today. I  know I’ve gained some weight back, I just want to know how much. 

The first several days I was good about keeping on track with what I ate but I see old habits creeping back. I’ve been getting this feeling that I should start the cleanse again and  not let fear of change alter my decision. Even though weight loss is one of my reasons for doing this cleanse, the main reason is to rid my body of all impurities. I think the reason why it’s getting easier to get back into eating the wrong foods again, is because my body still remembers them, if that makes any sense to anyone. I think I need to do it long enough so that those foods become completely foreign to my body. Also, I need to refocus my attention!! I think I’ll have a better chance at completing this task if I focus on ridding my body of impurities and not what’s on the scale. So if I redirect my energy and thoughts of living healthier and cleaner then I won’t dwell on how this physical change is affecting me. I’ve said this many times before and I’ll say it again…. the mental part of all of this, as you can see, is the most challenging for me. I’ve been able to deal with the salt water flushes, and the the lemonade, and even exercising regularly with no problem. It’s this mental battle within myself that’s getting on my last nerve, you know the kind where you have the devil version of you on one shoulder and the angel version of you on the other. It’s crazy, but that’s life. I’m working on a You Tube video I promise. It’s going to be a slide show of before pics and now pics.  Just to show you what to expect below you’ll see a picture of me at 382 lbs. during my birthday celebration last year in May and a picture of me close to 60 lbs. lighter on July 1st this year while I was taking my monthly pics during this journey.

I don’t know why the second pic has all that sparkly stuff on it but I’ll try to fix it when I get in later tonight. This just gives you an idea of the difference from me last year to me at the present moment. I have to go to rehearsal. So, I’ll write again later.  

MC Daily Log, My thoughts, Pictures

 Recap of Days 7 -9! Well, my first week on the MC redo is complete and the beginning of Week 2 is here!! I’m about 13.8 lbs. lighter than last Thursday. Feeling really good, with happiness and a little fear mixed in. I guess it’s a little scary when you go through a lifestyle change. This is only the beginning and I still have a long way to go. My birthday was a month ago yesterday and I currently weigh 30 lbs. less than I did then.

Did my You Tube video Thursday night recapping Days 5-8, but had trouble uploading it as one whole clip… so I had to split it in two parts.  Click ->Part 1 and Part 2. I seem to be getting more comfy with it all, and trying to make it entertaining. So I hope yall enjoy!!

MC Daily Log, You Tube Weekly Updates

Good day, down 1.6 lbs from yesterday. I only did the HL tea this morning, no SWF because I was going to be out most of the day. Things feels pretty good. I can see a difference in my appearance and in my clothes. I didn’t go swimming, nor did I workout today. Just a few more days til the end of the month, so it feels good to know that at least I did well the last 10 days of the month. I do think about where I could be had I not messed up for 6 days, but it doesn’t matter I’m doing well again now! Ok, my tongue is not looking too bad now. It’s just a very thin white coating over it. It was really bad and thick, but I bought this tonguepaste and it lifted the plaque build-up which was looking and feeling yucky! So now I can feel a bit better about opening my mouth.   

I’ve been looking up a lot of recipes and they all look good!! I’m just excited about cooking new things and making healthy versions of foods that I like. I’m still trying to figure out what I’m going to do about my dairy issue. I need to find a really good substitute because I just love the feel and taste of cream and cheese, etc. I’m looking up stuff now so I can store them and have a variety of meals and snacks that I could have when I start working in the Fall. Come August I need to be prepared on continuing this lifestyle with out being frustrated. I know I’m going to have to prepare 90% of everything I eat just to be absolutely sure of what I’m putting in my body. 

MC Daily Log