The Master Cleanser: With Special Needs and Problems by Stanley Burroughs
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Book Reviews of The Master Cleanser: With Special Needs and Problems
Book Review: I am dreaming of maple syrup
Summary: 5 Stars
I just finished a 30 plus day cleanse. All I had was a brew of maple syrup, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and water. The hardest part of the cleanse was not hunger. What I found hardest was the monotony of the above mentioned beverage. For the first 10 days it tasted fine. For the next 10 days it tasted less fine. For the 10 days after that it tasted horrible.
Why did I do the cleanse in the first place? I have bladder cancer. And as anybody knows who has cancer, there is no shortage of suggestions about how to cure cancer. Suggestions come from friends, family members, casual acquaintances, and even total strangers who overhear conversations. The suggestions range from the helpfully obvious, such as, "You should probably not make Doritos the mainstay of your diet," to the near cruel, "If you loved yourself more, you would be cured."
Now, before I continue, I want anyone who has read this far to know that I posted this review in my blog also. One of the reasons I am writing reviews is because it was suggested as a good way to market my book, "Letters to My Friends: A No Guarantees Guide to Awakening." I want to make every keystroke, so to speak, count. One thing I have learned from cancer is to make each move count. There may be no tomorrow. Also, I believe in full disclosure.
Anyway, like many people with cancer, I tend not to talk about it because I get tired of the suggestions. But two friends of mine repeatedly suggested this cleanse. They are both advocates of alternative healing. And, even though I find myself excusing myself to run urgent errands whenever they talk about my eating habits, I love and respect them both.
What sold me on the cleanse was what one of my friends said. We were driving in the car in the mountains near her home, chatting about this and that. Suddenly the tone of her voice changed, and I knew I would hear something about a healthy lifestyle. "That cleanse we were talking about the other day, your body will begin to digest itself, and the theory is that the cancer cells will be digested, literally."
She had me. I am not a scientist. But that made sense. I had pretty much decided that Bill must die, Bill being the cancer. So, off I went on the cleanse, pretty much feeling like an old-west, quasi-Buddhist gunslinger. My body wasn't big enough for me and the cancer. One of us had to go. Either I would starve or the cancer would starve. By day 20, people were really beginning to be impressed. By day 30, I was being deified. But, honestly, it wasn't that hard. I'm sure that those fellows who climbed that little mountain felt the same way. Mt Everest, I think it was.
I had been aiming for 40 days, but I quit on day 33. And the reason I quit was because I found my 40-day goal becoming a little bit of an obsession. To quit, believe it or not, took much more will than to continue. As I said, I am a quasi-Buddhist, if there is such a thing, and I practice relinquishing strong attachments. I am, as a rule, much happier when I am not ruled by my attachments. And the cleanse was quickly becoming my master. I was no longer doing the cleanse; it was doing me.
You can find many variations of The Master Cleanse, usually for sale, on the internet. My own advice is to listen to your body. Do not get stubborn. On the other hand, the first three days really is the hardest; although, day 29 was hard too. The key is to drink plenty of lemonade, as it is called, because it will keep you from getting hungry. If you're worried about doing something so drastic, then see your doctor. But do not be surprised if your doctor looks at you as though you are a new age, hippie, weirdo when you mention The Master Cleanse. When I investigated this cleanse on the internet, I found only negative comments about it from the medical establishment.
But, as my mother used to say, "The proof is in the pudding." Is the cancer gone? I do not know. Nor, will I until my next exam. But I know I lost weight, a lot of weight. And I know I have more energy than I have had in a long, long time. I feel great. I'm planning on doing it again soon. But first I need to implement a healthy diet of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and Doritos. And for some reason I want some pudding. Maybe chocolate pudding. Or maybe custard. How about rice pudding?
Blessings,
John C. Conley
Author of "Letters to My Friends: A No Guarantees Guide to Awakening"
Book Review: 10 days of fasting - not a daily diet
Summary: 5 Stars
In my review, I also reference Peter Glickman's "Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days, Second Edition" which is a definite aide in doing Mr. Stanley Burrough's "Master Cleanser" program. REMEMBER that this is not a DIET but a CLEANSE. This means you only do this periodically, like yearly, for 10 days or more in a single cleanse.
THESE ARE THE MAIN THINGS TO REMEMBER:
- This is not a DIET that one can adopt. This is a TEMPORARY CLEANSE. Just as undergoing surgery is not a new way of life but a short-term treatment where you actually leave the operating table. Think of cleansing for a colonoscopy - you don't continually cleanse for the rest of your life - so don't use the excuse that this is a dangerous diet.
- This is very DIFFICULT IF YOU DO NOT FOLLOW the instructions to the letter.
- The Salt Water Flush is horrible tasting but is ABSOLUTELY necessary in order to remove toxins quickly. Do it even if it is unpleasant for you.
- Buy organic. Use the products as directed. Why would you cleanse to remove toxins and simultaneously add toxins during the cleansing program!
- FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS.
I first tried the "Master Cleanser" diet in 2005 and then again in 2006. Both times, I only made it 3 days because I chose to do this diet on my vacation. That did not sit well with my family who wanted to go out and have nice dinners. So, I tried it this time while still working AND with the use of this book by Peter Glickman.
I highly recommend starting this on the night before starting a 3-day weekend or 3 full days off of work. This is only due to the requirement to be near a bathroom during the flushing phase after coming off of solid foods. I truly mean it when I say that you MUST be near (like 2 feet away) a bathroom the first 3 days. I started it at work and had to leave to go home since I was 50 feet away from the bathroom.
I am starting my fourth cleanse in August. During my cleanse in 2007, I made it the entire 10 days. I lost 16 pounds in these 10 days and could truly feel the detoxification. This book and Peter Glickman's book truly helped me with the symptoms that I would experience as the fast went on day to day. Peter includes a great section of questions and answers that address the majority of the issues that people have in conducting the Master Cleanser fast.
The goal is to detoxify the body to the point that one's tongue returns to a natural bright pink color, as most of us have polluted our bodies to the point that we have a whitish coating on our tongues. I did not make it until my tongue was bright pink, but I did gain the benefit of the 10 day fast. My skin became smooth and soft. My energy felt higher. My concentration was clearer in the second half of the fast.
By days 5, 6, 7, and 8, I must warn that you will definitely feel the effects of detoxification. I described it as having a "headache" over my entire body. As long as one has the Lemonade, one can satisfy any hunger. One will experience yearnings for food whenever one smells others eating.
I loan my multiple copies of the two publications "The Master Cleanser" by Stanley Burroughs and "Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days, Second Edition" by Peter Glickman to everyone I care about. These two books combined are truly the greatest self-healing guide that I have ever used. I highly recommend this if you are experiencing the effects of poor nutrition, such as obesity, HBP, type II diabetes, gout, etc.
Book Review: wonderful way to cleanse
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been doing the Master Cleanser regularly for about 10 years now and I have to say that despite the nay-sayers, I find it to be a lovely way to give my body a break and allow some deep healing and cleansing to happen.
Is it easy? No. But now I actually sense when my body wants this little vacation from digestion and it feels really good. I've done this for 3 days (after an initial longer fast) for a weekend tune-up, I used to do this every Monday as a one day per week body rest, and I've done it as long as 21 days. Ultimately, I'd love to do a 40 day version sometime.
I always find that when doing the MC I have loads of energy, sleep deeply and need less sleep and feel terrific in general. The detoxing does result in some not so pleasant symptoms, but knowing it's a sign that you're cleaning house makes it a positive thing.
I don't, however, see this as a weight loss technique, because obviously once you resume eating, even if it were to be obscenely healthy, you will certainly put some weight back on. Most likely all of the weight you lost, but I've observed a lot of these fasts and it seems that people with lots of excess weight to begin with are so loaded with toxins that when they do this some of that weight loss is permanent. A healthier person or someone for whom excess weight is more of an emotional shield might not see the same result. Still, I've seen many people do this purely for weight loss and they are almost always really disappointed at the end. This is, first and foremost, a cleanse.
I must also advise that like others, I can't even stomach the idea of the salt water flush so I turn to the use of Triphala, a gentle but very effective (and not habit forming) nutritional supplement you can take as capsules or tea to move the bowels during the fast. Most of the teas designed for that purpose are habit forming and downright uncomfortable. Triphala solves that dilemma for me because you don't feel any cramping but it does keep things moving.
I also highly recommend going out of your way if need be to find the Grade B maple syrup because I felt a huge difference between doing it with that and with the standard Grade A, which is lighter and has fewer minerals. I just felt less energetic and stable with the lighter syrup.
I've seen a lot of controversy about this cleanse but the bottom line is that there are many paths to wellness and not every path is for every person. if this doesn't appeal to you, chances are that's your body telling you something. Or you might not be ready. Believe it or not, major food cravings seem to diminish or outright disappear by day 3 or so and I've always been able to maintain full work energy and even continue to do yoga and run on this fast.
It's also worth doing this before making any major dietary changes to prepare for the shift. For example, if reducing your intake of meat, sugar, dairy, etc. The sugar part might seem counterintuitive, but on this fast you consume less sugar still than the average diet consists of, believe it or not.
All in all, this is a really great booklet to read and keep on hand. Trust your body's wisdom and when this calls to you, answer. ;)
Book Review: Headaches, blood pressure and fibromyalgia
Summary: 5 Stars
3rd Fast:
I recently finished my 3rd Master Cleanse fast. You don't do this cleanse to lose weight, because you'll gain all or most of it back once you end the fast. This cleanse is to 1) remove mucous from the digestive track, 2) reduce blood pressure, 3) reduce triglycerides and cholesterol, and perhaps 4) remove other toxins from the body.
I know because it had done all of these things for me. My triglyceride count went from 427 to 235 (still high, but much better). I had a cardiac episode where my blood pressure was (I'm not kidding) 253/122 in the emergency room (I'm a 46 year old female). They stabilized me at 193/98 and sent me home. But I declined medicine and immediately when on this 10 day fast. On day 10, my blood pressure had dropped from chronic stroke range to 115/70.
It also functions like an elimination diet. Anyone who has food allergies will feel better on this fast. I have fibromyalgia and felt great - lots of energy and clear headed; I stopped getting migraine headaches for the 10 days I was on the fast. Now that I'm back to eating, I feel much worse!
You have to re-enter the eating world slowly. A piece of toast with butter on it will make you sick after fasting for 10 days. Homemade vegetable soups, and nuts are a good way to re-enter on day 11 and 12.
Something as severe as Leukemia can't be cured with a fast, but for the rest of us, it can be an amazing leg up on our poor eating habits and this toxic world.
(Update) 4th Fast: Fibromyalgia/migraines/food intolerances
I've done my 4th Master Cleanse fast and getting ready to fast again this year. This fast revealed food intolerances to:
wheat (gluten),
yeast,
mushrooms,
MSG,
soy and
store-bought meats (antibiotics and preservatives)
These allergens caused my muscles to seize up almost immediately after eating them, but before the 4th fast I could not detect the reaction.
**It took 4 fasts before the sensitive level rose in my body enough to detect the toxic reactions.**
The fibromyalgia is still there, but there's less pain because fewer muscles are seizing up and pulling my spine and jaw out of place. My migraines also went away entirely after I stopped eating wheat!!
If I had not known and used the Master Cleanse fasting system, I would still be almost incapacitated with pain, because the doctors really know so little about these mystery diseases.
Final note on PENICILLIN ALLERGY --I also discovered through the fasting process and research that people with a PENICILLIN ALLERGY should NOT eat mushrooms, soy sauce, yeast (in breads, pizza), aged cheeses or other yeast fermented foods/drinks. These items cause chronic inflammation in the gut (causing Leaky Gut) and other lifelong systemic health problems.
Book Review: Absolutely Brilliant
Summary: 5 Stars
My first Master Cleanse lasted 60 days. At some point, it was as if my body went into hibernation. I didn't need food (I wanted it, but only psychologically), and I felt great. In fact, due to running injuries I had sustained years before, I hadn't been able to run consistently in nearly eight years. After Day 12, I ran 12 days in-a-row, working my way up to over 10-mile runs back-to-back. For other reasons, I stopped running until Day 49, at which point, I resumed 7 and 10 mile runs all through Day 60. I have done three additional Master Cleanses since: 20 days, 23 days, and I'm currently on Day 42 of a cleanse of unknown duration.
While other people report breakthroughs after just a few days -- and certainly within the 10-day prescribed period -- I haven't really started to feel clearer and lighter until after Day 35. Thus, for two of my cleanses, I never reached that sweet-spot.
Each cleanse is essentially easy if you stick to the instructions. Do the Salt Water Flush. Drink the Senna Tea at night. Prepare the lemonade according to Burroughs' directions, and don't skimp or splurge on the Grade B Maple Syrup. While the recipe calls for a 1:1 ratio between lemon juice and maple syrup, Burroughs allows a 2:1 ratio for weight loss (or what he calls a "reducing diet"). I prefer the taste of the 2:1 ratio, as it's not as sweet, though it doesn't accelerate weight loss for me. Anything less than a 2:1 ratio makes me feel weak. Ergo, Burroughs knows. Listen to his wisdom.
I don't care what anyone says. My father is a well-known doctor and initially poo-pooed the Master Cleanse when I told him I was doing it. After he observed the results, he went on it himself and advised his patients to do the same! The Master Cleanse is easy to follow, easy on the body, has tremendous results, and makes me feel great. I absolutely love the Master Cleanse, and imagine I will continue to do it for the rest of my life.
The book is short and an easy read. I'd recommend getting it prior to starting any cleanse. Even though the recipe and chat rooms are readily available, there is nothing quite like the calming effect of its creator when one seeks guidance during the cleanse itself. I mean, if one were having surgery, would one rather be reassured by the doctor or by some internet site? There are a couple other Master Cleanse books -- one by Peter Glickman and one by Tom Woloshyn -- which I've also purchased. They do not replace Burroughs' book, but rather supplement it. Of the two, I've found Woloshyn's book more interesting, as Glickman's book is mostly a reprint of posts to his website. Still, during these prolonged cleanses, I often look to each of the books for comfort, as I know there are other people who have endured and benefitted from the curative and restorative properties of this truly masterful cleanse.