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Over 4th of July weekend, a buddy of mine told me about something called "The Master Cleanse". I acquired the book and read it, originally instated by Stanley Burroughs.

I'm actively on Day 2 as I write this message, and I must say it's quite the mental challenge. I'm mainly doing it for the detox benefits but there are quite a bit of other benefits to it as well. One, being the expulsion of lifelong toxins that we ALL have in our bodies as a result of environment, diet/intake, and just daily exposures. It doesn't work the bodily muscles but it sure works the mind, the most important muscle if you ask me.

Anyways. Just wondering if there's anyone else that has done it successfully for the 10+ days. And if you have, what did you gain personally from it?



P.S. I recommend you read the book before you judge.
You can get the free PDF here: http://hookedinamsterdam.wordpress.com/2008/01/14/the-master-cleanse-book-free-via-pdf/
... or buy for cheap at amazon.

All that'll happen is you'll lose ten pounds worth of shit and essentially starve in the process. Detox is about the most ridiculous thing out there.

Master cleanse is beyond bullshit and will only mess up your metabolism and make you feel a bit lighter from emptying your bowels. (Use an enema, and save the starvation response.)

Showtime's Penn and Teller did a whole program on what bullshit it is. Take time to watch it.

Anything like this is bullshit. Pure pseudoscience.

I am waiting, still, for medical doctors with any credibility to endorse this.
I don't believe that will happen.

RPMSoccer saidI am waiting, still, for medical doctors with any credibility to endorse this.

Gwyneth Paltrow recommends it, and she's probably played a doctor at some point
http://goop.com/newsletter/15/en/

UofTLatinBoy - I am now inspired....hehe

Thanks for posting!

Someone told me about her blog the other day...
something about "how to live a better life," and stuff.

I wonder if it's a little condescending.

Oops, you wasted your money

Stupid girl I went to highschool with tried to do that for a month

She collapsed in class one day and the entire year had to attend a seminar on Anorexia

She also messed up here teeth to the tune of costing her parents $5000+ to have re-enameled

Just eat your daily dose of fiber would do the same thing.

Just flushing your money down the toilet

MsclDrew saidStupid girl I went to highschool with tried to do that for a month

She collapsed in class one day and the entire year had to attend a seminar on Anorexia

She also messed up here teeth to the tune of costing her parents $5000+ to have re-enameled

not eatting would not cause the enamel on your teeth to errode that fastly. she must have been throwing up

Odd.
Since I came off the cleanse, my gym performance is up, and noticably.
Funny thing is, I didn't even last the full 10 days, since I have a minor skin condition that requires medication, and obviously food with the med.

Anyways. Both cardio and muscle performance have increased at the gym. And to be honest I just feel better in general.

Maybe it's a mental thing. But, if there's anything to be gained from it, if anything, you gain mental discipline at the very least.

Oh and for the girl that collapsed. Um, it's likely she was doing it wrong. I've felt completely fine the entire time I was on this cleanse and have a clean bill of health.

I would imagine that most of the comments in here are based more on "word of mouth" and not actually reading/research, but that's just my guess. I would never have done this if I didn't at least do some good reading about it first. But, that's just me.

Honestly, so far it's completely beat out any of the supplements I've tried that are generally recommended by the workout community. But maybe I just haven't heard from the right people, lol.


-Thanks for all the comments, Guys! :-D

Eat lots of fiber or take an enema, it is the same effect. Anything else people claim is pure placebo.

A commonly recurring thread.

See http://www.realjock.com/gayforums/388070/

"Cleansing" = fasting. Same symptoms. Same results. Same biomechanisms. Same everything, except for the cheesy pseudo science and the money they convinced you to fork over to them.

This is ridiculous. One, your body doesn't simply store toxins. You're pretty good at getting rid of most things. When you do store them, it's a form of bioaccumulation, and frankly, nothing you ingest is going to cause your body to naturally release it. When you do a cleanse, all you're doing is taking a bunch of stimulants with a liquid diet high in fiber... try drinking apple juice spike with metamucil and caffeine an you'll have the same effect. It's bogus. You want to "detox?" Try a week of eating just fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and nothing that has been processed. I am sure your body will great after.

As long as you have a functioning liver, your body is "detoxing" on it's own just fine. Otherwise, eat your fiber, and drink enough water that your urine is clear, and you'll be just fine.

I'm a generally healthy eater as it is, I just thought it might be interesting to try this. I have a pretty open mind to different ideas and thoughts. I suppose there could be some sort of "placebo" effect on my mental, I've totally considered that.

In any case, my diet is already high in fiber, lean meats, and raw fruit/vegetables, and I go to the gym at least 4 times a week. I'm generally healthy as far as any physical I've ever had is concerned. So this cleanse was definitely more of an expansion mentally. Mental discipline is, after all, apart of one's overall health.

Again, thanks for the criticisms and the comments, guys!
Don't think I'll be "cleansing" any further, lol.

With regard to science, there's LOTS of evidence to support the notion that not eating invokes the famine response. There's also lots of evidence that prove beyond any reasonable doubt that the whole toxins thing is BULLSHIT.

AlbNY83 saidOdd.
Since I came off the cleanse, my gym performance is up, and noticably.
Funny thing is, I didn't even last the full 10 days, since I have a minor skin condition that requires medication, and obviously food with the med.

Your workout performance is up because you're eating again, dummy

flex just came in and reminded me on this.

For sports performance you need CALORIES. Nothing "odd" about that. That's just plain common sense.

No insult here, but, at some point you need to think clearly: starving yourself is almost always STUPID.

I havent tryed the Master Cleanse,
i usually load up on fiber and apples for about 2 weeks to get the gunk out, but i'll get the book and check it out..Thanks........

AlbNY83 saidSo this cleanse was definitely more of an expansion mentally.

Again, please look up fasting.

You did not "cleanse." You fasted.

"Cleansing" is a made-up marketing term that seems to have seriously worked on you.

* strokes chin *

Actually, I take back everything I've said. You're exactly right. Cleansing is the best thing ever. All this "scientific" stuff is just so much sour grapes. And you know what is even better? Iguana's special "Fast Muscle Growth" formula. It's not just a specially formulated supplement, it's a book, and a DVD, and for those who really want to get the most benefit, a "lifestyle", complete with a line of clothing, and a special time-share condo complex in Clearwater FL. And it's all "natural!" Thousands have tried it and achieved great success! Read all their unbiased quotes on Iguana's "Fast Muscle Growth Now" web site.

And if you order before midnite tonite, you'll receive a complimentary copy of Iguana's "How To Become A Millionaire with No Money, No Plan, and No Work At All!" Yes, it's hard to believe, but you can be rich, once you learn Iguana's secret method -- all from the comfort of your Barcalounger.

Only $59.95. Operators are standing by! What are you waiting for?

calibro saidThis is ridiculous. One, your body doesn't simply store toxins. You're pretty good at getting rid of most things. When you do store them, it's a form of bioaccumulation, and frankly, nothing you ingest is going to cause your body to naturally release it. When you do a cleanse, all you're doing is taking a bunch of stimulants with a liquid diet high in fiber... try drinking apple juice spike with metamucil and caffeine an you'll have the same effect. It's bogus. You want to "detox?" Try a week of eating just fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and nothing that has been processed. I am sure your body will great after.

This. The human body is NOT as simplistic as this Master Cleanse thingie makes it sound. Bioaccumulation in most cases are more or less very difficult to impossible to treat (Lead and Mercury for instance) and can not be treated by simply going on a diet. We do accumulate toxins, but they're more or less insignificant in the long run since we'll age and die before they accumulate enough to be actually harmful anyway.

And hey Kurt, can I invest in your fad... er... scientifically miraculous fitness program?

flex89Your workout performance is up because you're eating again, dummy

Yea. Get a clear picture on what's being conveyed before you respond to it. I was actually saying that my performance is up as compared to what it was PRIOR to the cleanse.

I definitely appreciate the responses that contribute to the discussion. The sarcastic and insulting comments can be saved for someone who cares. It's amazing, of any place I've had this discussion, weather online or during active conversation, this is the only place I can say I've gotten any responses of faggotry. It's my fault though, I should have realized that before I posted it on a gay site. LOL.

Thanks guys

chungo44 said

MsclDrew saidStupid girl I went to highschool with tried to do that for a month

She collapsed in class one day and the entire year had to attend a seminar on Anorexia

She also messed up here teeth to the tune of costing her parents $5000+ to have re-enameled

not eatting would not cause the enamel on your teeth to errode that fastly. she must have been throwing up

The "diet" what i gather is basically eating about 2 gallons lemonade made from lemons, maple syrup and cyanne pepper

So if eat nothing but lemons and maple syrup you'll ruin you teeth pretty fast

Well, yeah, of course you get the bitchyness on a gay site (that's my translation of "faggotry" -- don't know if I got that correctly).

But you also get this: a picture of a guy who just recently finished cleansing!



Take THAT straight fitness forum web site thingy!

* dramatically flips pink boa over shoulder *

Oh, and Sed, we need someone to be in charge of the Clearwater condo complex. If you can solve the gator infestation problem, you got the job.

Diarrhea, intentional or not, isn't good.

I've done fasting before. At the end of my week I had a better sense of all the foods I put in my body, how I don't spend time eating, and how much I follow habitual eating patterns (5-6 small meals a day about 2 hours apart) rather than what by body is needing. I've gotten into mental spaces where I am just thinking "Eat more. Get that protein. Keep eating." and I felt disconnected from the food that I was eating, the process of it being prepared, and my own sense of nourishment. I recommend fasting at least once to explore your relationship to your body and your relationship to food; it puts things in perspective. This is a little different than a master cleanse, but I just wanted to add a different perspective.

BradySF saidI've done fasting before. At the end of my week I had a better sense of all the foods I put in my body, how I don't spend time eating, and how much I follow habitual eating patterns (5-6 small meals a day about 2 hours apart) rather than what by body is needing. I've gotten into mental spaces where I am just thinking "Eat more. Get that protein. Keep eating." and I felt disconnected from the food that I was eating, the process of it being prepared, and my own sense of nourishment. I recommend fasting at least once to explore your relationship to your body and your relationship to food; it puts things in perspective. This is a little different than a master cleanse, but I just wanted to add a different perspective.

Agree completely.

why not just eat some fiber would do the same thing.

Anorexia with a name carrying less stigma.

Wow... so many rude responses in this thread.

There's nothing wrong with fasting or cleansing - it's a personal choice. Some people fast for religious/spiritual reasons, other people do it to give the body a break and to focus on the mental aspects of life.

To the OP - I admire your calm response to the bashing in this thread. Something to be proud of for sure!

BradySF saidI've done fasting before. At the end of my week I had a better sense of all the foods I put in my body, how I don't spend time eating, and how much I follow habitual eating patterns (5-6 small meals a day about 2 hours apart) rather than what by body is needing. I've gotten into mental spaces where I am just thinking "Eat more. Get that protein. Keep eating." and I felt disconnected from the food that I was eating, the process of it being prepared, and my own sense of nourishment. I recommend fasting at least once to explore your relationship to your body and your relationship to food; it puts things in perspective. This is a little different than a master cleanse, but I just wanted to add a different perspective.

Very well said. It's about being open-minded and willing to explore different options. Getting a clearer idea of how your body reacts to certain foods is another benefit.