This has become a VERY interesting and highly educational topic for many of us.
I can ignore the doubters - there are alwaya a few about who never seem to put facts to their generalised claims.
So Mr Plum keep up the diary.
10-Day Detox Diary
Doubters are fine by me since they offer opportunities to provide further information, they keep you on your toes and they later make the best evangelists. 
Day 3
One of the biggest challenges when conducting a detox is keeping entertained. There are a few hours during the day when it gets a little boring. For much of us, our lives revolve around food. Either shopping, preparing, eating or digesting. Eating is a very social activity. How do you fill in all those hours when you stop? Reading is helpful but nothing too racy or bloodthirsty. The idea is to relax, not have the mind churning or over stimulated.
This is the challenge today that the team are experiencing. They have had the morning breathing exercises, the salt water flush and the frequent trips to 'evacuate', which have filled a couple of hours.
'Ok, Mr organizer, entertain us!'
Turning DOING into BEING
'Hmm... Ok. Here's how it works. Yes, I can lead the various classes and provide the drinks but I can't be in attendance every minute of the day. You are now challenged to be with yourself. Can you cope with that?! If you have the energy, go for a walk, a swim, go to the beach. If not, snuggle up in bed, listen to something inspirational. Use the opportunity to get in touch with the inner you, you keep forgetting about. Not the constantly distracted individual you were before you started.
I don't know about you but I like silence and I'm okay with my own company. So much conversation is just idle chit-chat to fill in those pregnant pauses. Why fill your mind full of wasteful, empty thoughts? Why not instead learn to appreciate quiet contemplation? Switch off the hard rock and just be. Stop DOING and learn about BEING.
Silence is Golden
I recall once being on a long train journey in India, with a clearly enthusiastic spiritual practitioner. He spoke at length about philosophy, spirituality, the various disciplines. His knowledge was truly astounding. I kept quiet for about 3 hours as talked. Finally his batteries gave out and he looked at me a bit embarrassed and said, 'I'm sorry, I've been talking so much. You are very calm. What have you found the most important spiritual practice to be?'
I looked him steadily in the eye and replied...
'Silence'.
If I only had a camera to capture the look on his face. He knew it was true but in all his learning, all his immersion in knowledge, all he had done was fill up his mental bucket until it was overflowing. There was no room for what he really needed. Peace. The kind of peace that can only come through silence and solitude.
After all these years
It's nice having a couple on the program. This morning they dry skin brushed each other. Then went through an exercise where you basically beat yourself up, using your clenched knuckles to tap all over your body and get things moving. We get to laugh a bit and play Tarzan, beating our breasts. After many years of marriage it was nice to see them so attentive with each other.
Another funny moment was with a breathing exercise, designed to remove toxins, called Panting Dog - Breath of Fire.
You pant like a dog for a minute or two (don't overdo it)... if you can keep from giggling. The male's first reaction was 'I can taste the salt!' Some say they can taste heavy metals.
Panting Dog - Breath of Fire Benefits:
* Detoxifies and cleanses your system of garbage, toxins and heavy metals.
* Strengthens and tones your abdominal muscles.
* Builds your respiratory capacity.
* Promotes good health and longevity.
Yoga is primarily exercises based on the movements of animals. Dogs, cats, birds, lions and so on. A classic pose is the 'Cat Stretch'. Here's an expert demonstrating it...
'I'm Tired'
The Thai lady is tired today, while the others have energy. This is to be expected with a slim Vata type. They tend to have few fat reserves so conserving energy is important. This type is excused certain breathing exercises and a gentle program is necessary.
The elimination phase is kicking in, where the body sheds it's toxic load from the lymphatic system into the various elimination channels. The 'Kapha' lady had a bit of a headache last night but is fine today. This is common and due to the levels of toxins circulating in the blood. (No, I haven't done a double-blind, peer-reviewed study costing millions and can't prove it!)
Another pleasant surprise is the lack of hunger pangs. Everyone is doing fantastically well with the flushes and the drinks. They know every time a feeling of hunger develops they just drink the juice. It then goes. Today their digestive systems have basically shut down and any 'pangs' will be psychological rather than physical. Staying with the drinks is now... ahem... a piece of cake.
This is the stage where the emotional and psychological troughs can kick in. Emotions can come to the surface and moods can swing. Energy levels will dip and then pick up again. Time will tell.
God knows what the neighbours think with four sets of lungs pumping away like bellows. Dogs start howling and heads can be seen peeking through the curtains!
Tonight I will introduce the 'Laughing meditation' into our Yoga session. It's always a riot.
Day 3
One of the biggest challenges when conducting a detox is keeping entertained. There are a few hours during the day when it gets a little boring. For much of us, our lives revolve around food. Either shopping, preparing, eating or digesting. Eating is a very social activity. How do you fill in all those hours when you stop? Reading is helpful but nothing too racy or bloodthirsty. The idea is to relax, not have the mind churning or over stimulated.
This is the challenge today that the team are experiencing. They have had the morning breathing exercises, the salt water flush and the frequent trips to 'evacuate', which have filled a couple of hours.
'Ok, Mr organizer, entertain us!'
Turning DOING into BEING
'Hmm... Ok. Here's how it works. Yes, I can lead the various classes and provide the drinks but I can't be in attendance every minute of the day. You are now challenged to be with yourself. Can you cope with that?! If you have the energy, go for a walk, a swim, go to the beach. If not, snuggle up in bed, listen to something inspirational. Use the opportunity to get in touch with the inner you, you keep forgetting about. Not the constantly distracted individual you were before you started.
I don't know about you but I like silence and I'm okay with my own company. So much conversation is just idle chit-chat to fill in those pregnant pauses. Why fill your mind full of wasteful, empty thoughts? Why not instead learn to appreciate quiet contemplation? Switch off the hard rock and just be. Stop DOING and learn about BEING.
Silence is Golden
I recall once being on a long train journey in India, with a clearly enthusiastic spiritual practitioner. He spoke at length about philosophy, spirituality, the various disciplines. His knowledge was truly astounding. I kept quiet for about 3 hours as talked. Finally his batteries gave out and he looked at me a bit embarrassed and said, 'I'm sorry, I've been talking so much. You are very calm. What have you found the most important spiritual practice to be?'
I looked him steadily in the eye and replied...
'Silence'.
If I only had a camera to capture the look on his face. He knew it was true but in all his learning, all his immersion in knowledge, all he had done was fill up his mental bucket until it was overflowing. There was no room for what he really needed. Peace. The kind of peace that can only come through silence and solitude.
After all these years
It's nice having a couple on the program. This morning they dry skin brushed each other. Then went through an exercise where you basically beat yourself up, using your clenched knuckles to tap all over your body and get things moving. We get to laugh a bit and play Tarzan, beating our breasts. After many years of marriage it was nice to see them so attentive with each other.
Another funny moment was with a breathing exercise, designed to remove toxins, called Panting Dog - Breath of Fire.
You pant like a dog for a minute or two (don't overdo it)... if you can keep from giggling. The male's first reaction was 'I can taste the salt!' Some say they can taste heavy metals.
Panting Dog - Breath of Fire Benefits:
* Detoxifies and cleanses your system of garbage, toxins and heavy metals.
* Strengthens and tones your abdominal muscles.
* Builds your respiratory capacity.
* Promotes good health and longevity.
Yoga is primarily exercises based on the movements of animals. Dogs, cats, birds, lions and so on. A classic pose is the 'Cat Stretch'. Here's an expert demonstrating it...
'I'm Tired'
The Thai lady is tired today, while the others have energy. This is to be expected with a slim Vata type. They tend to have few fat reserves so conserving energy is important. This type is excused certain breathing exercises and a gentle program is necessary.
The elimination phase is kicking in, where the body sheds it's toxic load from the lymphatic system into the various elimination channels. The 'Kapha' lady had a bit of a headache last night but is fine today. This is common and due to the levels of toxins circulating in the blood. (No, I haven't done a double-blind, peer-reviewed study costing millions and can't prove it!)
Another pleasant surprise is the lack of hunger pangs. Everyone is doing fantastically well with the flushes and the drinks. They know every time a feeling of hunger develops they just drink the juice. It then goes. Today their digestive systems have basically shut down and any 'pangs' will be psychological rather than physical. Staying with the drinks is now... ahem... a piece of cake.
This is the stage where the emotional and psychological troughs can kick in. Emotions can come to the surface and moods can swing. Energy levels will dip and then pick up again. Time will tell.
God knows what the neighbours think with four sets of lungs pumping away like bellows. Dogs start howling and heads can be seen peeking through the curtains!
Tonight I will introduce the 'Laughing meditation' into our Yoga session. It's always a riot.
Last edited by MrPlum on Sat Dec 13, 2008 9:19 am, edited 4 times in total.
I love massage. Can't get enough of it in fact. Thailand has given us a great gift. The gift of touch. After receiving many massages, I have found some ladies that I can call on at short notice. I always recommend a 2 hour therapeutic massage on the 3rd day of a detox, even for those who wish to cut costs.
Our Thai lady has a sore throat, a typical symptom of detoxification. Her temperature is normal, so no fever. She is still tired. I'm not surprised after 10 trips to the loo this morning.
I wanted to know why so many and realized she was trying to force out the water, which was actually preventing release. All that is necessary is to relax and let it happen.
Her energy has picked up since this evening's massage. She has low blood pressure but not dangerously so. High BP is of greater concern. The other two are normal.
Usually we have a sauna in the evening but with the hot herbal compresses it was skipped tonight. Once the massage is finished they will receive a coffee, salt and baking soda enema. It's called the 'Mae West enema' which Mae West claimed to take every morning and it kept her young, vivacious and for those who recall, world famous. There is no point re-absorbing toxins back into the body, once released from the lymph system. So today is a double flush. The morning salt water flush will clean out the whole channel, while an enema reaches the lower part of the bowel. The coffee is a quick hit into the bloodstream and may wake them up a bit but they usually drop off to sleep okay. Use a quality organic brand.
One thing to look for when doing this yourself is the quality of water you use. It's very hard to get un-fluoridated water and even the supposed best brand includes it. I use an alternative source. If you buy a detox kit, be aware that 50% of the herbs from the U.S. are gassed with a chemical, making the product virtually useless. This is not well known. What else is not known is that American sourced herbs are generally very weak. Why? Because people can experience what is called a healing reaction. In the land of lawsuits, this is very much to be avoided, so supplements are diluted to the point where they don't really do anything and are accordingly a huge waste of money. (Please do your own research).
Whenever you are dealing with OTC products, it pays to check the source and quality.
Time for bed.
Day 4
Everyone is getting into the morning routine. Cleansing drink, Dry skin brushing, Yoga breathing and exercises, then the salt water flush. Add a meditation session and the morning is pretty full.
Energy levels are better today. Quick check reveals the Thai lady's tongue lovely and pink, the 'farang' lady with a light coating and her husband more heavily coated. The Thai lady normally only eats once a day, which gives her vital energy enough space to do the internal housekeeping, so a change of diet is better than a full blown detox. I will give it one more day, to assess her, then break the fast.
Why don't we detox automatically? Well. we do. The theory is that our energy can be directed in one of two ways; towards digestion or healing/cleansing. Not both. Most of us are constantly eating and snacking, so our vitality is always directed towards digestion and is never given enough time to 'clean house'. People tend to feel a little uncomfortable when they skip a meal since the body starts to cleanse and puts toxins into the bloodstream. Most will relieve that discomfort by eating, which immediately stops the cleansing. By resting the digestion, the bodies vital power can be set free to cleanse and rejuvenate.
I test the PH levels and they are fine. The idea behind testing the PH is to check that the body is maintained in a slightly alkaline state to counter what many suffer from... acidosis. This is due to eating too many acid-forming foods and drinks, along with stressful or angry thoughts (also acid forming). You may have heard someone being described as having a wicked or 'acid' tongue? The body normally buffers this acidity http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec12/ch159/ch159b.html but there are circumstances where it's not happening efficiently. Gout is an example, where uric acid crystals are forming in the blood due to high acidity. The Naturopathic approach is to restore the acid/alkali balance. The lemons used in the Master Cleanse might appear to be acidic but they actually form an alkaline ash in the body.
Back to the intrepid detoxers. The male is relaxing on the verandah, the Thai lady is out on an errand and the other lady is having a swim with my 7yr old daughter. Not bad after 3 and a half days without solid food.
Our Thai lady has a sore throat, a typical symptom of detoxification. Her temperature is normal, so no fever. She is still tired. I'm not surprised after 10 trips to the loo this morning.
I wanted to know why so many and realized she was trying to force out the water, which was actually preventing release. All that is necessary is to relax and let it happen.Her energy has picked up since this evening's massage. She has low blood pressure but not dangerously so. High BP is of greater concern. The other two are normal.
Usually we have a sauna in the evening but with the hot herbal compresses it was skipped tonight. Once the massage is finished they will receive a coffee, salt and baking soda enema. It's called the 'Mae West enema' which Mae West claimed to take every morning and it kept her young, vivacious and for those who recall, world famous. There is no point re-absorbing toxins back into the body, once released from the lymph system. So today is a double flush. The morning salt water flush will clean out the whole channel, while an enema reaches the lower part of the bowel. The coffee is a quick hit into the bloodstream and may wake them up a bit but they usually drop off to sleep okay. Use a quality organic brand.
One thing to look for when doing this yourself is the quality of water you use. It's very hard to get un-fluoridated water and even the supposed best brand includes it. I use an alternative source. If you buy a detox kit, be aware that 50% of the herbs from the U.S. are gassed with a chemical, making the product virtually useless. This is not well known. What else is not known is that American sourced herbs are generally very weak. Why? Because people can experience what is called a healing reaction. In the land of lawsuits, this is very much to be avoided, so supplements are diluted to the point where they don't really do anything and are accordingly a huge waste of money. (Please do your own research).
Whenever you are dealing with OTC products, it pays to check the source and quality.
Time for bed.
Day 4
Everyone is getting into the morning routine. Cleansing drink, Dry skin brushing, Yoga breathing and exercises, then the salt water flush. Add a meditation session and the morning is pretty full.
Energy levels are better today. Quick check reveals the Thai lady's tongue lovely and pink, the 'farang' lady with a light coating and her husband more heavily coated. The Thai lady normally only eats once a day, which gives her vital energy enough space to do the internal housekeeping, so a change of diet is better than a full blown detox. I will give it one more day, to assess her, then break the fast.
Why don't we detox automatically? Well. we do. The theory is that our energy can be directed in one of two ways; towards digestion or healing/cleansing. Not both. Most of us are constantly eating and snacking, so our vitality is always directed towards digestion and is never given enough time to 'clean house'. People tend to feel a little uncomfortable when they skip a meal since the body starts to cleanse and puts toxins into the bloodstream. Most will relieve that discomfort by eating, which immediately stops the cleansing. By resting the digestion, the bodies vital power can be set free to cleanse and rejuvenate.
I test the PH levels and they are fine. The idea behind testing the PH is to check that the body is maintained in a slightly alkaline state to counter what many suffer from... acidosis. This is due to eating too many acid-forming foods and drinks, along with stressful or angry thoughts (also acid forming). You may have heard someone being described as having a wicked or 'acid' tongue? The body normally buffers this acidity http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec12/ch159/ch159b.html but there are circumstances where it's not happening efficiently. Gout is an example, where uric acid crystals are forming in the blood due to high acidity. The Naturopathic approach is to restore the acid/alkali balance. The lemons used in the Master Cleanse might appear to be acidic but they actually form an alkaline ash in the body.
Back to the intrepid detoxers. The male is relaxing on the verandah, the Thai lady is out on an errand and the other lady is having a swim with my 7yr old daughter. Not bad after 3 and a half days without solid food.
Tonight's detox fare was the laughing meditation (previously mentioned),
Laughing is very therapeutic and should be in every program. The benefits of laughter are well understood and there are actually laughter clubs and 'laughter yoga' in some countries where you can go and unwind.
One of the detoxers has made a video of the session and replaying it is a hoot. Boy, did we let rip. (Can you upload videos to HHAD?) I think my 'chicken dance' stole the show. Totally bemusing my 7 year old who now thinks I'm completely 'ting-tong'. Who remembers the 'Laughing Policeman' at English seaside resorts? You know how infectious that laughter can be.
After the laughter it was 'Yoga Nidra'. What's that you may wonder? 'Yoga Nidra brings an incredible calmness, quietness and clarity. Yoga Nidra is one of the deepest of all meditations, leading awareness through many levels of mental process to a state of supreme stillness and insight.'
Hard for the Thai lady to follow this, since it involved complicated visualizations and her English is not so strong. It was enough for her just to enjoy the deep relaxation.
A great end to the day.
Laughing is very therapeutic and should be in every program. The benefits of laughter are well understood and there are actually laughter clubs and 'laughter yoga' in some countries where you can go and unwind.
One of the detoxers has made a video of the session and replaying it is a hoot. Boy, did we let rip. (Can you upload videos to HHAD?) I think my 'chicken dance' stole the show. Totally bemusing my 7 year old who now thinks I'm completely 'ting-tong'. Who remembers the 'Laughing Policeman' at English seaside resorts? You know how infectious that laughter can be.
After the laughter it was 'Yoga Nidra'. What's that you may wonder? 'Yoga Nidra brings an incredible calmness, quietness and clarity. Yoga Nidra is one of the deepest of all meditations, leading awareness through many levels of mental process to a state of supreme stillness and insight.'
Hard for the Thai lady to follow this, since it involved complicated visualizations and her English is not so strong. It was enough for her just to enjoy the deep relaxation.
A great end to the day.
"Let no one who has the slightest desire to live in peace and quietness be tempted, under any circumstances, to enter upon the chivalrous task of trying to correct a popular error."---William Thoms
Wow! Both my dogs do yoga and I didn't even know it! Every time they see me for the first time in a few hours they go into that stretch before they come over for a scratch. I thought they were just posing and saying "look at how beautiful and lovable I am", but now it makes more sense. They've been lying around for a couple of hours so when the see me, before they run over they take a nice stretch to loosen up first!Yoga is primarily exercises based on the movements of animals. Dogs, cats, birds, lions and so on. A classic pose is the 'Cat Stretch'. Here's an expert demonstrating it...
Never knew I could learn from my dogs!
Last edited by hhfarang on Sun Dec 14, 2008 11:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Randy Cornhole
- Rock Star
- Posts: 3701
- Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 5:01 pm
- Location: London
- Contact:
Day 5
This morning's urine PH tests for high acidity/alkalinity produced very different readings. The Thai lady's body appears to be as clean as a whistle. Her tongue has no coating at all and her urine PH is perfect. The other two have white coatings on their tongues and their PH tests high for acidity, which I compensate for.
One needs to watch for symptoms of electrolyte imbalance. Many detox programs don't work as well as they could do, since they don't take into account the body's acid/alkaline balance when detoxing. I put this down to the generic nature of what they offer and perhaps a lack of knowledge.
It's Coming Off!
The weight loss is going well for the male. He's lost 3kgs in 4 days, while his wife has lost only 1kg. They are pretty healthy individuals to start with and walk on the beach every day. The Thai lady, already very slim, has lost half a kilo, which is exactly what I want to see. Her calorie intake is higher than the others to prevent loss of muscle. When the body has no fat stores to feed off, some muscle starts to go, which is usually recovered in the following weeks. What we are really looking for is the body to eat all the dis-ease. One shouldn't get too focussed on the bathroom scales. It becomes another source of stress that we don't need. Different people have different rates of weight loss and it's not the only measure of good health. It's all good!
Energy levels are also good today. I cruelly torment their taste buds when I prepare and eat my own food but they are a very well behaved group. Day 2 saw one sore throat & tiredness and one headache. Both were gone within 24 hours. One lady was heard laughing in front of her bathroom mirror this morning. Laughter meditation!
I am adjusting the Maple Syrup substitute to influence caloric intake and am increasing the energising exercises for those who's stomach muscles aren't still sore from chuckling so much last night.
We've decided that all of us will conduct a food intolerance test tomorrow morning. This is using the 'Coco Pulse Test'. Once they have mastered it, the couple can apply it to their 3yr old daughter, who is often uncontrollable. She's a November baby, a Scorpio, and this sign can be tricky. Scorpios are known for being powerful, determined and forceful. So it may not just be too much sugar in her juice!
We'll check anyway.
A Skin Problem
This morning, the male revealed that he has had a skin condition for many years and has never figured out what could be the cause. He breaks out in hives, which he thinks is an allergic reaction to nuts and something else but he's not sure. He has a breakout today which could be a healing reaction or something else has triggered it. The intolerance test, hopefully, will give us a clue.
Identifying allergens is tricky. Hospitals have a food allergy test but is very limited. It does not test for food sensitivities/intolerances, only full blown allergic responses. Since they can't help, one has to look to alternatives. You can use Applied Kinesiology or test yourself at home using the Pulse Test. This is where you take your pulse before placing a food or food group in your hand. Take your pulse again and see if there is a significant increase. If not, then place it on your tongue. Again, test your pulse. If there's a reaction, you may need to avoid that food. After each test, ensure your pulse rate returns to normal, before trying the next food item.
Beyonce's diet for the movie Dreamgirls was the Master Cleanse
If you are into celebrities, you may be familiar with a lady called 'Beyonce'. She has made The Master Cleanse famous by using it to lose 20 lbs prior to the movie 'Dreamgirls'.
These are Before and After pictures of her... please do your own research into any claims.
Please consult an authorized qualified doctor before undertaking any fasting-type cleanse. He may not approve. It's for you to judge whether he has your interests at heart or really knows anything about the subject. At the least, ask what experience he has. I apply my own 'quackery' test. Try it and see.
This morning's urine PH tests for high acidity/alkalinity produced very different readings. The Thai lady's body appears to be as clean as a whistle. Her tongue has no coating at all and her urine PH is perfect. The other two have white coatings on their tongues and their PH tests high for acidity, which I compensate for.
One needs to watch for symptoms of electrolyte imbalance. Many detox programs don't work as well as they could do, since they don't take into account the body's acid/alkaline balance when detoxing. I put this down to the generic nature of what they offer and perhaps a lack of knowledge.
It's Coming Off!
The weight loss is going well for the male. He's lost 3kgs in 4 days, while his wife has lost only 1kg. They are pretty healthy individuals to start with and walk on the beach every day. The Thai lady, already very slim, has lost half a kilo, which is exactly what I want to see. Her calorie intake is higher than the others to prevent loss of muscle. When the body has no fat stores to feed off, some muscle starts to go, which is usually recovered in the following weeks. What we are really looking for is the body to eat all the dis-ease. One shouldn't get too focussed on the bathroom scales. It becomes another source of stress that we don't need. Different people have different rates of weight loss and it's not the only measure of good health. It's all good!
Energy levels are also good today. I cruelly torment their taste buds when I prepare and eat my own food but they are a very well behaved group.
Day 2 saw one sore throat & tiredness and one headache. Both were gone within 24 hours. One lady was heard laughing in front of her bathroom mirror this morning. Laughter meditation! I am adjusting the Maple Syrup substitute to influence caloric intake and am increasing the energising exercises for those who's stomach muscles aren't still sore from chuckling so much last night.
We've decided that all of us will conduct a food intolerance test tomorrow morning. This is using the 'Coco Pulse Test'. Once they have mastered it, the couple can apply it to their 3yr old daughter, who is often uncontrollable. She's a November baby, a Scorpio, and this sign can be tricky. Scorpios are known for being powerful, determined and forceful. So it may not just be too much sugar in her juice!
We'll check anyway.A Skin Problem
This morning, the male revealed that he has had a skin condition for many years and has never figured out what could be the cause. He breaks out in hives, which he thinks is an allergic reaction to nuts and something else but he's not sure. He has a breakout today which could be a healing reaction or something else has triggered it. The intolerance test, hopefully, will give us a clue.
Identifying allergens is tricky. Hospitals have a food allergy test but is very limited. It does not test for food sensitivities/intolerances, only full blown allergic responses. Since they can't help, one has to look to alternatives. You can use Applied Kinesiology or test yourself at home using the Pulse Test. This is where you take your pulse before placing a food or food group in your hand. Take your pulse again and see if there is a significant increase. If not, then place it on your tongue. Again, test your pulse. If there's a reaction, you may need to avoid that food. After each test, ensure your pulse rate returns to normal, before trying the next food item.
Beyonce's diet for the movie Dreamgirls was the Master Cleanse
If you are into celebrities, you may be familiar with a lady called 'Beyonce'. She has made The Master Cleanse famous by using it to lose 20 lbs prior to the movie 'Dreamgirls'.
These are Before and After pictures of her... please do your own research into any claims.
Please consult an authorized qualified doctor before undertaking any fasting-type cleanse. He may not approve. It's for you to judge whether he has your interests at heart or really knows anything about the subject. At the least, ask what experience he has. I apply my own 'quackery' test. Try it and see.
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dtaai-maai
- Hero
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The Beyonce test
The Beyonce test was interesting, Mr P, even though I don't know exactly who she is or what she does. I do however plan to find out! I wasn't sure which photo I preferred (Porsche or Ferrari?), so I asked my Little Font of Wisdom. She prefers 'after'. She also tells me the name is pronounced 'Beyonsay' but I don't know if that's just how it's pronounced in Thailand...
She's asked me if she could still have Norwegian brown cheese (:shock: ) with toast for breakfast and som tam 3 times a day if she went on your detox course...
Seriously, I'm following this thread with great interest. I'm probably either your worst nightmare or your greatest challenge. Unfortunately I still have to work for a living, so couldn't submit myself to your tender mercies, but I'm waiting with interest to see if you could devise a non-residential/going-to-work-without-having-to-visit-the-loo-every-15-minutes regime.
And yes, I know that in the meantime I could stop smoking and drinking and eat more sensibly...
She's asked me if she could still have Norwegian brown cheese (:shock: ) with toast for breakfast and som tam 3 times a day if she went on your detox course...
Seriously, I'm following this thread with great interest. I'm probably either your worst nightmare or your greatest challenge. Unfortunately I still have to work for a living, so couldn't submit myself to your tender mercies, but I'm waiting with interest to see if you could devise a non-residential/going-to-work-without-having-to-visit-the-loo-every-15-minutes regime.
And yes, I know that in the meantime I could stop smoking and drinking and eat more sensibly...
This is the way
Interesting stuff
I have read over the posts so far and learned a great deal . .I have googled a number of things as I read. I still dont know if it is something I would try. To be honest, I really need to know more. Thanks for sharing all this though . . .I appreciate it.
Mr Plum, I have a couple of questions here. I have only ever had an enema in hospital. .administered by hospital staff . .. It is a rather "personal" thing to undergo obviously. Who gives the enemas you speak of? (I must confess, I dont know if this is something you can do to yourself.) Also what is "dry skin brushing"?
OK. Am I to understand that ALL these folks are getting for nourishment for ten days is that drink with maple syrup, lemons and pepper? And is the exact mixture of this drink something with a historical yogic basis? Or is it something more scientific and recent.
I dont fit any of the three body type categories very well so that is also something I would have to have dealt with in a personal discussion.
It reminds me very much of a spiritual retreat . . .only without the religion. I have been on a number of retreats in the past. Another concern is the "group" you do this with. It seems that you have pulled together three people who get along reasonably well with each other. Ten days is a long time and even with private time and a chance to be alone for a while. (I can think of several people who would drive me up the wall after ONE day let alone ten!) How do you deal with this? And are you all living in the same house for the duration? IMHO. . . A real measure of mutual trust must exist among the participants. .not to mention trusting you of course. . .for this to work. ( It seems like you have a lot of experience!!)
Mr Plum, I have a couple of questions here. I have only ever had an enema in hospital. .administered by hospital staff . .. It is a rather "personal" thing to undergo obviously. Who gives the enemas you speak of? (I must confess, I dont know if this is something you can do to yourself.) Also what is "dry skin brushing"?
OK. Am I to understand that ALL these folks are getting for nourishment for ten days is that drink with maple syrup, lemons and pepper? And is the exact mixture of this drink something with a historical yogic basis? Or is it something more scientific and recent.
I dont fit any of the three body type categories very well so that is also something I would have to have dealt with in a personal discussion.
It reminds me very much of a spiritual retreat . . .only without the religion. I have been on a number of retreats in the past. Another concern is the "group" you do this with. It seems that you have pulled together three people who get along reasonably well with each other. Ten days is a long time and even with private time and a chance to be alone for a while. (I can think of several people who would drive me up the wall after ONE day let alone ten!) How do you deal with this? And are you all living in the same house for the duration? IMHO. . . A real measure of mutual trust must exist among the participants. .not to mention trusting you of course. . .for this to work. ( It seems like you have a lot of experience!!)
Hi Chas
Glad you are finding the information helpful. It's nice to be able to raise awareness and have positive feedback.
I have to keep my reply brief since I'm pretty busy right now. In short you can administer the enema yourself or be assisted. Or if you are okay with the salt water flushes, enemas aren't required at all. If you can't take the salt water flush, then enemas are daily. You have a choice of a Greek wrestler in attendance who is very gentle or Nurse Lovelightly here...
Humour aside, It's not as bad as you think. Your feelings are taken into account and nothing is forced on you. It's not the same as when you have a colonoscopy. I needed 5 enemas because I couldn't drink the foul brew they gave me the night before. Whoever created that particular potion was a sadist.
'dry skin brushing' is brushing your skin while dry. i.e. before a shower and not after. It gets the circulation moving and opens up the pores and is part of a yogi's daily cleansing routine. As far as detoxers are concerned it accelerates the shifting of toxins from the lymph to the eliminative channels.
Yes. The drink is all they receive, unless they opt for a slower program where I teach how to prepare a mono-diet, which they stay on for a period of time. The mono-diet is designed to detoxify as well as nourish. This program would be a 3 day juice fast, then on to solids. Or totally solids but a slower cleanse.
The Maple Syrup provides calories and nutrition, as does the lemon juice which cleanses and alkalizes. The Lemon is a true marvel of nature. The Cayenne pepper keeps the body temperature up while helping deliver the lemon juice to the far reaches of the body. You still need to take into account other factors like candida, which thrives on sugar and high 'pitta' which will be aggravated by the Cayenne. A little care needs to be taken.
There are 7 body types which I mentioned previously. We all have some of each quality. It's just that one will dominate more than the others.
You are right. 'A real measure of mutual trust must exist among the participants'. It's not really a problem if all parties show tolerance. I am only willing to help a limited number of people, perhaps 20-30 per year and all have approached me via word of mouth. This allows me to choose whether I take someone on or not. If I feel you are not really committed to helping yourself, then I may suggest you look elsewhere. This is not to say, that there won't be moments when 'stuff' comes up.
Some people are on a short fuse and may experience 'flooding'. i.e. the anger comes up and overwhelms their judgement. Provided they recognize the problem and seriously wish to do something about it, I'm more than willing to help. The Emotional Freedom Technique can be helpful. But if they just wish to play pass the parcel and unload on anyone and everyone, including me, then they won't get past my front door.
Hope that helps.
Glad you are finding the information helpful. It's nice to be able to raise awareness and have positive feedback.
I have to keep my reply brief since I'm pretty busy right now. In short you can administer the enema yourself or be assisted. Or if you are okay with the salt water flushes, enemas aren't required at all. If you can't take the salt water flush, then enemas are daily. You have a choice of a Greek wrestler in attendance who is very gentle
or Nurse Lovelightly here... Humour aside, It's not as bad as you think. Your feelings are taken into account and nothing is forced on you. It's not the same as when you have a colonoscopy. I needed 5 enemas because I couldn't drink the foul brew they gave me the night before. Whoever created that particular potion was a sadist.
'dry skin brushing' is brushing your skin while dry. i.e. before a shower and not after. It gets the circulation moving and opens up the pores and is part of a yogi's daily cleansing routine. As far as detoxers are concerned it accelerates the shifting of toxins from the lymph to the eliminative channels.
Yes. The drink is all they receive, unless they opt for a slower program where I teach how to prepare a mono-diet, which they stay on for a period of time. The mono-diet is designed to detoxify as well as nourish. This program would be a 3 day juice fast, then on to solids. Or totally solids but a slower cleanse.
The Maple Syrup provides calories and nutrition, as does the lemon juice which cleanses and alkalizes. The Lemon is a true marvel of nature. The Cayenne pepper keeps the body temperature up while helping deliver the lemon juice to the far reaches of the body. You still need to take into account other factors like candida, which thrives on sugar and high 'pitta' which will be aggravated by the Cayenne. A little care needs to be taken.
There are 7 body types which I mentioned previously. We all have some of each quality. It's just that one will dominate more than the others.
You are right. 'A real measure of mutual trust must exist among the participants'. It's not really a problem if all parties show tolerance. I am only willing to help a limited number of people, perhaps 20-30 per year and all have approached me via word of mouth. This allows me to choose whether I take someone on or not. If I feel you are not really committed to helping yourself, then I may suggest you look elsewhere. This is not to say, that there won't be moments when 'stuff' comes up.
Some people are on a short fuse and may experience 'flooding'. i.e. the anger comes up and overwhelms their judgement. Provided they recognize the problem and seriously wish to do something about it, I'm more than willing to help. The Emotional Freedom Technique can be helpful. But if they just wish to play pass the parcel and unload on anyone and everyone, including me, then they won't get past my front door.
Hope that helps.
Re: The Beyonce test
Time and time again, we know the answer to whatever it is that is making us unwell. It's a simple choice. Stop doing it. Or keep doing it and accept the consequences... lung cancer, heart bypass, obesity, diabetes. Everyone knows all this by now. Having said that, there is another option if you don't wish to give up the giggle-juice totally. It's not an either/or decision. You can have your binge, then go and find a spa and clean your body up ready for the next Christmas pudding and New Year entertainment. You may very well add another 5 years to your life.dtaai-maai wrote:Seriously, I'm following this thread with great interest. I'm probably either your worst nightmare or your greatest challenge. Unfortunately I still have to work for a living, so couldn't submit myself to your tender mercies, but I'm waiting with interest to see if you could devise a non-residential/going-to-work-without-having-to-visit-the-loo-every-15-minutes regime.
And yes, I know that in the meantime I could stop smoking and drinking and eat more sensibly...
Devise a healthy regime? Sure. You do a 3-day detox over the weekend, then go back onto solids for work.
Day 7
Sorry for delayed posting. Pretty busy right now. Anyway. Here it is. The usual barely concealed lecture plus what you really want to hear about, the detoxer's progress.
Are You Afraid of Your Food?
Because of the media hype and woefully inadequate information, too many people nowadays are deathly afraid of their food, and what does fear of food do to the digestive system? I am sure that an unhappy or suspicious stomach, constricted and uneasy with worry, cannot digest properly. And if digestion is poor, the whole body politic suffers.
-Julia Child (1912-2004)
Stomach: A slave that must accept everything that is given to it, but which avenges wrongs as slyly as does the slave.
-Emile Souvestre (1806-1854)
Digestion is one of the most delicately balanced of all human and perhaps angelic functions.
-Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826)
My soul is dark with stormy riot,
Directly traceable to diet.
Samuel Hoffenstein (1890-1947)
'stormy riot'. I like that.
Our merry band is doing well. The food intolerance test yesterday showed no discernible reactions for anyone and the 3yr old toddler will be tested by the parents in due course. We pretty much emptied the fridge and pantry to test everything. The male is feeling hungry today and energy is low. His wife is always fine. They are both continuing with the daily SWF and they really are a couple of heroes.
The sessions are humming along nicely and the routine is well established.
Morning Routine
Wake up; collect urine for acidity test, laughter meditation in front of the bathroom mirror, quick check of the tongue, teeth clean and tongue scrape with hydrogen peroxide; dry skin brushing; shower; weigh yourself; alkalyzing drink; morning breathing exercises; salt water flush, a couple of postures to ensure the salt water reaches all parts of the colon; Master Cleanse drinks; then rest and relaxation.
Afternoon Routine
Detoxers drink 6-8 8oz glasses of lemonade per day with fresh water in between and two alkalyzing drinks morning and evening. You aren't totally restricted in movement. Take a supply of lemonade and go to the beach or relax by the pool. If you cheat, you only cheat yourself. The evenings vary slightly, with a longer Yoga session and some Qigong exercises to get the circulation going and deep relaxation to finish. It's then massage and sauna. Now all this sounds like hard work. Actually I hope it's more a pleasure. Some of these activities are optional.
Not set in stone
The beauty of having a small group to look after is that any programme can be adjusted to suit the wishes or needs of the group. You may not wish to tax the body too much with yoga and saunas, if your body is telling you it needs rest. You don't have to have daily or every other day massages. So, listen to your body (except when it says feed me!)
One Shouldn't Torment One's Guests
How wicked I am. Lots of nice smells emanating from the kitchen as I make warm broths, ghee & 'Kitchari'. The family still needs to eat. We try not to sigh with pleasure or waft the aromas under hungry noses but damn it, the temptation is too great! I like warm spices such as Cinnamon, Cardamom & Nutmeg, then there's Coriander, Cumin, Anise, Turmeric, Ginger and... and...
What Are You Scared Of?
There are other options which should be part of a total protocol. A method to address emotional issues such as EFT. As mentioned previously, there is a belief amongst EFT practitioners that all emotional problems are due to blocked energy. No matter how we intellectualize a problem and tell ourselves that we are really happy, not sad, or beautiful not plain, or slim and not fat, we still respond in the same negative, fearful or angry ways. Positive self-talk often doesn't do a thing for us. EFT (acupuncture without the needles), has resolved lifetime addictions, phobias or traumas, often within minutes. Another method I'm a fan of is 'Cutting Generational Bonds' which I think is a very powerful therapy.
Other nice aspects are the 'fireside chats' on lifestyle and healthy living. My present guests are very interested in complementary therapies having 'woken up' a few years ago in their home country. Their heads are in all my books and CDs.
I am having an EFT session with one of the party tomorrow to deal with a cockroach phobia. In the land of cockroaches, it's not a lot of fun to be fearful of them. So the challenge for me, is to remove the energy block.
This is the current phobic response...
And this is where we want to get to...
I will just mention the health issues two of the detoxers are hoping to resolve with the cleanse. Hives and acne. In the TV series 'Spa of Embarrassing illnesses' a couple of the detoxers had serious skin conditions which were cured within the 14 Day cleanse, while one made a big improvement. As a general rule, health issues typically need a minimum of 10 days before significant progress is seen. There are some conditions which will improve within 48 hours and some that may take a longer cleanse but with the Master Cleanse, 10 days is recommended as a minimum. Does this mean that a shorter time isn't beneficial? Absolutely not. Any cleansing can be transformational.
There's A War Going On
I should just mention the difference between natural and orthodox approaches. You could describe it as the 'Vitalists' vs the 'Mechanists'. Vitalists believe in supporting the bodies own vital power and energy flow, while mechanists tend to treat symptoms only.
Naturopathy
One of the reasons I like naturopathy is that it's not so reliant on diagnosis. The process is the same for everyone. Cleanse the body, feed the cells proper nutrients, oxygenate the blood, balance the ph, address emotional root causes. It's an holistic approach which is not simply addressing symptoms. If you do all these things peoples' problems can vanish. This is different to the pharma approach which takes a body already weakened by sickness, then burdens it further with toxic chemicals. So now, not only does the body have to shed the sickness, it has to deal with the toxic assault on it as well. I don't call this healing. I've said this before. Go into any pharmacy and see how many bottles and potions say 'CURE'. You won't find any. Just 'RELIEF'. The trick with the drug companies is to relieve and manage the symptoms without actually curing you. If they can also hit you with a few side effects, then give you more drugs to treat them, it's the perfect profit model. Or so it appears to me.
We've Got It Back To Front!
Here's where I believe we are getting it wrong. The body is constantly trying to heal and clean itself. When you get a runny nose, too much mucus, diarrhoea, a fever, a skin 'disorder'. These are not signs of sickness. They are signs of health. They are all efforts by the body to eject toxins and burn up bacterial or viral invaders. So what do we do? Instead of supporting the bodies efforts, we suppress it. We take a drug to dry up our nose, a drug to reduce our temperature, a drug to clear away the eczema, a potion to dry up the diarrhoea, antibiotics and so on. Pain is a warning to us to ease up, so we switch it off with anti-inflammatories or painkillers. It is believed by Naturopaths that this approach still leaves the sickness in the body, which may manifest later as the same condition or a different one. What started as an acute condition goes on to become chronic and then degenerative.
When you undergo a cleanse, the body begins to recover its healing power and a 'healing crisis' can develop. All those previous conditions that were previously suppressed, manifest once more. We may panic and reach for the drugs but Naturopaths take a different approach. They allow the illness to run its course and we are naturally, rather than artificially stronger (through vaccinations) as a result.
You Want Pills Wiv Yer Chips?
The psychological tricks we play on ourselves are a bit daft. Picture an overweight middle-aged man sitting down to a plate of burgers, fries, pizza, whatever... alongside his plate he has half a dozen pills to reduce his cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure. He tells me, with enthusiasm, how he's following doctors orders and how it's not a problem eating all this food. He orders a bottle of beer and while I watch, hypnotized, washes all his pills down, with a cold one. It's as if he is blind to what he's doing. I don't say anything. There is no point. Just write him off as probably dead by his mid-fifties. Then again, so might I.
So how's our happy band? As mentioned I have ended the fast for the Thai lady since her skin problems are due, I believe, to a high Pitta (fire) in the body caused by somtam and fermented fish sauce et al, not really internal toxicity. She needs a Pitta pacifying diet and I've been working on this today. In the meantime she is breaking her fast slowly. Young coconut water, fresh fruit and steamed veggies. She has bags of energy today and her spirits are definitely uplifted.
Sorry for delayed posting. Pretty busy right now. Anyway. Here it is. The usual barely concealed lecture plus what you really want to hear about, the detoxer's progress.
Are You Afraid of Your Food?
Because of the media hype and woefully inadequate information, too many people nowadays are deathly afraid of their food, and what does fear of food do to the digestive system? I am sure that an unhappy or suspicious stomach, constricted and uneasy with worry, cannot digest properly. And if digestion is poor, the whole body politic suffers.
-Julia Child (1912-2004)
Stomach: A slave that must accept everything that is given to it, but which avenges wrongs as slyly as does the slave.
-Emile Souvestre (1806-1854)
Digestion is one of the most delicately balanced of all human and perhaps angelic functions.
-Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826)
My soul is dark with stormy riot,
Directly traceable to diet.
Samuel Hoffenstein (1890-1947)
'stormy riot'. I like that.
Our merry band is doing well. The food intolerance test yesterday showed no discernible reactions for anyone and the 3yr old toddler will be tested by the parents in due course. We pretty much emptied the fridge and pantry to test everything. The male is feeling hungry today and energy is low. His wife is always fine. They are both continuing with the daily SWF and they really are a couple of heroes.
The sessions are humming along nicely and the routine is well established.
Morning Routine
Wake up; collect urine for acidity test, laughter meditation in front of the bathroom mirror, quick check of the tongue, teeth clean and tongue scrape with hydrogen peroxide; dry skin brushing; shower; weigh yourself; alkalyzing drink; morning breathing exercises; salt water flush, a couple of postures to ensure the salt water reaches all parts of the colon; Master Cleanse drinks; then rest and relaxation.
Afternoon Routine
Detoxers drink 6-8 8oz glasses of lemonade per day with fresh water in between and two alkalyzing drinks morning and evening. You aren't totally restricted in movement. Take a supply of lemonade and go to the beach or relax by the pool. If you cheat, you only cheat yourself. The evenings vary slightly, with a longer Yoga session and some Qigong exercises to get the circulation going and deep relaxation to finish. It's then massage and sauna. Now all this sounds like hard work. Actually I hope it's more a pleasure. Some of these activities are optional.
Not set in stone
The beauty of having a small group to look after is that any programme can be adjusted to suit the wishes or needs of the group. You may not wish to tax the body too much with yoga and saunas, if your body is telling you it needs rest. You don't have to have daily or every other day massages. So, listen to your body (except when it says feed me!)
One Shouldn't Torment One's Guests
How wicked I am. Lots of nice smells emanating from the kitchen as I make warm broths, ghee & 'Kitchari'. The family still needs to eat. We try not to sigh with pleasure or waft the aromas under hungry noses but damn it, the temptation is too great! I like warm spices such as Cinnamon, Cardamom & Nutmeg, then there's Coriander, Cumin, Anise, Turmeric, Ginger and... and...
What Are You Scared Of?
There are other options which should be part of a total protocol. A method to address emotional issues such as EFT. As mentioned previously, there is a belief amongst EFT practitioners that all emotional problems are due to blocked energy. No matter how we intellectualize a problem and tell ourselves that we are really happy, not sad, or beautiful not plain, or slim and not fat, we still respond in the same negative, fearful or angry ways. Positive self-talk often doesn't do a thing for us. EFT (acupuncture without the needles), has resolved lifetime addictions, phobias or traumas, often within minutes. Another method I'm a fan of is 'Cutting Generational Bonds' which I think is a very powerful therapy.
Other nice aspects are the 'fireside chats' on lifestyle and healthy living. My present guests are very interested in complementary therapies having 'woken up' a few years ago in their home country. Their heads are in all my books and CDs.
I am having an EFT session with one of the party tomorrow to deal with a cockroach phobia. In the land of cockroaches, it's not a lot of fun to be fearful of them. So the challenge for me, is to remove the energy block.
This is the current phobic response...
And this is where we want to get to...
I will just mention the health issues two of the detoxers are hoping to resolve with the cleanse. Hives and acne. In the TV series 'Spa of Embarrassing illnesses' a couple of the detoxers had serious skin conditions which were cured within the 14 Day cleanse, while one made a big improvement. As a general rule, health issues typically need a minimum of 10 days before significant progress is seen. There are some conditions which will improve within 48 hours and some that may take a longer cleanse but with the Master Cleanse, 10 days is recommended as a minimum. Does this mean that a shorter time isn't beneficial? Absolutely not. Any cleansing can be transformational.
There's A War Going On
I should just mention the difference between natural and orthodox approaches. You could describe it as the 'Vitalists' vs the 'Mechanists'. Vitalists believe in supporting the bodies own vital power and energy flow, while mechanists tend to treat symptoms only.
Naturopathy
One of the reasons I like naturopathy is that it's not so reliant on diagnosis. The process is the same for everyone. Cleanse the body, feed the cells proper nutrients, oxygenate the blood, balance the ph, address emotional root causes. It's an holistic approach which is not simply addressing symptoms. If you do all these things peoples' problems can vanish. This is different to the pharma approach which takes a body already weakened by sickness, then burdens it further with toxic chemicals. So now, not only does the body have to shed the sickness, it has to deal with the toxic assault on it as well. I don't call this healing. I've said this before. Go into any pharmacy and see how many bottles and potions say 'CURE'. You won't find any. Just 'RELIEF'. The trick with the drug companies is to relieve and manage the symptoms without actually curing you. If they can also hit you with a few side effects, then give you more drugs to treat them, it's the perfect profit model. Or so it appears to me.
We've Got It Back To Front!
Here's where I believe we are getting it wrong. The body is constantly trying to heal and clean itself. When you get a runny nose, too much mucus, diarrhoea, a fever, a skin 'disorder'. These are not signs of sickness. They are signs of health. They are all efforts by the body to eject toxins and burn up bacterial or viral invaders. So what do we do? Instead of supporting the bodies efforts, we suppress it. We take a drug to dry up our nose, a drug to reduce our temperature, a drug to clear away the eczema, a potion to dry up the diarrhoea, antibiotics and so on. Pain is a warning to us to ease up, so we switch it off with anti-inflammatories or painkillers. It is believed by Naturopaths that this approach still leaves the sickness in the body, which may manifest later as the same condition or a different one. What started as an acute condition goes on to become chronic and then degenerative.
When you undergo a cleanse, the body begins to recover its healing power and a 'healing crisis' can develop. All those previous conditions that were previously suppressed, manifest once more. We may panic and reach for the drugs but Naturopaths take a different approach. They allow the illness to run its course and we are naturally, rather than artificially stronger (through vaccinations) as a result.
You Want Pills Wiv Yer Chips?
The psychological tricks we play on ourselves are a bit daft. Picture an overweight middle-aged man sitting down to a plate of burgers, fries, pizza, whatever... alongside his plate he has half a dozen pills to reduce his cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure. He tells me, with enthusiasm, how he's following doctors orders and how it's not a problem eating all this food. He orders a bottle of beer and while I watch, hypnotized, washes all his pills down, with a cold one. It's as if he is blind to what he's doing. I don't say anything. There is no point. Just write him off as probably dead by his mid-fifties. Then again, so might I.
So how's our happy band? As mentioned I have ended the fast for the Thai lady since her skin problems are due, I believe, to a high Pitta (fire) in the body caused by somtam and fermented fish sauce et al, not really internal toxicity. She needs a Pitta pacifying diet and I've been working on this today. In the meantime she is breaking her fast slowly. Young coconut water, fresh fruit and steamed veggies. She has bags of energy today and her spirits are definitely uplifted.
It's getting very quiet on this thread. I must be sending you all to sleep. 
Feel like a laugh?
I have a short video of the end of the last 'laughing meditation' session, which is the group rather than individual laughter. Our daughter lapped it up as you can see and I don't know what to say about that skinny tall guy. Looks like he's in need of a good steak..
If your internet connection is up for it, you can watch it here...
http://www.livevideo.com/video/0167A83A ... tion-.aspx
Day 8
Wow. The Thai lady is flying this morning. She's in a terrific mood. Bags of energy and full of smiles. Her acne isn't improving though, so It's time to address this specifically. Thailand is blessed with some fantastic herbs but while people are on the Master Cleanse I don't use them. So what Thai 'herbs' are good for skin conditions? Ginger and Coconut used topically; Cuttlefish ('Pla Muek'); Neem ('Sadao') and my favourite, Turmeric ('Kha-min') with Coconut Oil.
Since I'm trying to put out some of her fire (Pitta) she needs food that is astringent and cooling. Another slower option is to use the magic of diluted food grade Hydrogen Peroxide dabbed on her face which takes up to 30 days to clear the condition.
In Ayurveda, the law of opposites applies. So if you have a mainly sweet and savoury diet, then a bitter and astringent one can bring you back into balance. The menus that my guests will take away with them, will incorporate this principle. Keep in mind that natural methods do work, they may just take a bit longer than the more aggressive 'instant fixes' of modern medicine.
Last night I made a batch of fresh yoghurt and bean sprouts. Antibiotics can destroy all the beneficial bacteria in our gut and colon so we need acidophilus, which yoghurt can help provide. Commercial yoghurts have been shown to have some impact on gut bacteria but in my opinion, home-made raw natural is best. It's very easy to make and is taken as a drink ('lassi'), after eating. I also use it elsewhere but I won't say right now.
Nearly all of the food we eat is dead. Cooked or eaten, it's lifeless, long after it has been picked from a tree or dug from the ground. So, our digestion and health can improve by eating living foods. Sprouting is a cheap and easy way to give ourselves some live enzymes and fermented foods like Sauerkraut are excellent. Commercial versions, much like everyhting else these days, is not the same as the real thing. Live enzymes also assist digestion. I sprinkle bean sprouts on most of my meals. My detoxers are being shown how to grow them.
One female de-toxer is noticing that her skin is much improved. Previously it was always very dry. Now 'it's soft'. This is down to the dry skin brushing and proper hydration. Both are feeling lighter in body and mind. They are now having their own yoga session, practicing the asanas I have shown them. Only a couple of small corrections required.
Most people are not in touch with their bodies. Bodywork practices such as Yoga (which means 'union') introduce them to their own muscles, sinews, sore spots!, capacities and very importantly their breath. As they get more in touch with their bodies needs, they can design their own program. Either dynamic, aerobic or to maintain flexibility. I went to many yoga classes before designing my own routine. We start to listen to our bodies requests and can choose to respond or not.
'The Lifegiver'
The sun has been presented to us as something to fear. We spread our lotions on our bodies with all the accompanying chemicals in an attempt to block the 'harmful' rays of the sun. This is great for the suntan lotion companies but not so good for us. The sun is our life giver. With no sun we would be dead and all life would cease to exist. It is claimed that 77% of all cancers could be prevented by having sufficient Vitamin D. Where do we get Vitamin D from? The sun. Those folks who come from the colder northern countries know how much they miss the sun during the winter months. They can't wait to expose their flesh when they get to the tropics!
When attempting to bring health back to the body, the sun plays a vital role. History tells us the human race evolved and thrived under the light and energy of the sun. To recover health, natural practitioners may recommend sunbathing twice a day for an hour each session, before the sun gets high in the sky and in the late afternoon. Now I realise for Thais, this is a challenge. 'Skin black' is to be avoided. As long as some part of your body is in the sun, it can make Vitamin D. So cover the visible parts but still try to get some of those life giving rays! The use of certain organic oils while sunbathing is also highly beneficial for skin diseases, leg ulcers, circulation and arthritis.
Detox Spas
I do like the Spa experience. Lots of pampering, beautiful surroundings. Daily massage on the beach. The sound of the ocean sighing through the leafy palms as the sun goes down. Who amongst us would not benefit from this? It's terrific. On my last visits to Phuket and Samui I noticed Detox clinics everywhere. In fact I was training in one. No decent resort is without a detox program these days. There's a definite bandwagon developing around 'detoxing' and it would be nice to think that most of it is good. Just be aware that not all programs are effective. Just as in orthodox medicine, there are the good, the bad and the indifferent.
Back to my own protocol. Detoxing involves not just allowing the juices to work their magic on the colon but also a cleanse of the liver, kidneys and gall bladder. The liver is hugely important and needs to be functioning optimally, so I clean this first before the others.
This next 2 days are interesting. The originator of the lemonade diet, claimed that parasites start to die off on the 7th day of a detox and are all dead by day 10. If you don't have 10 days, no problem but you will need to out for a parasite cleanse. So we are going all the way. If I was doing a reality TV show, I would have them collect what's coming out of their bowel, in a colander and check for dead beasties. One of the detoxers on that show had some horrible stuff come out of their bowel after about 9 days.
A typical 10-day detox will be 1 day pre-fast +7 days juice (or raw food) fast + 2 days post-fast. Any good detox center will ask you to do a little work before and after. The actual detox the married couple are doing is 15 days. 2 days pre-fast, before they come to me, 10 days fast + 3 days post-fast at home. If they wish they can carry on with the detoxifying mono-diet I give them.
It's critical that you break a juice or raw food fast correctly otherwise you can undermine all your good work.
Just had a fun game of ping-pong on the dining table. The husband and I are quite evenly matched. He's getting a good sweat going and has energy, even after 8 days without food. Neither of us has played much since our youth and it's nice to shake off the cobwebs. The skill and intensity pick up with ping pong balls being shot into heads, ribs, behind the TV. Anywhere except on the table! Great aerobic session. I'm sure he's just shed another half kilo.
More later.
Feel like a laugh?
I have a short video of the end of the last 'laughing meditation' session, which is the group rather than individual laughter. Our daughter lapped it up as you can see and I don't know what to say about that skinny tall guy. Looks like he's in need of a good steak..
If your internet connection is up for it, you can watch it here...
http://www.livevideo.com/video/0167A83A ... tion-.aspx
Day 8
Wow. The Thai lady is flying this morning. She's in a terrific mood. Bags of energy and full of smiles. Her acne isn't improving though, so It's time to address this specifically. Thailand is blessed with some fantastic herbs but while people are on the Master Cleanse I don't use them. So what Thai 'herbs' are good for skin conditions? Ginger and Coconut used topically; Cuttlefish ('Pla Muek'); Neem ('Sadao') and my favourite, Turmeric ('Kha-min') with Coconut Oil.
Since I'm trying to put out some of her fire (Pitta) she needs food that is astringent and cooling. Another slower option is to use the magic of diluted food grade Hydrogen Peroxide dabbed on her face which takes up to 30 days to clear the condition.
In Ayurveda, the law of opposites applies. So if you have a mainly sweet and savoury diet, then a bitter and astringent one can bring you back into balance. The menus that my guests will take away with them, will incorporate this principle. Keep in mind that natural methods do work, they may just take a bit longer than the more aggressive 'instant fixes' of modern medicine.
Last night I made a batch of fresh yoghurt and bean sprouts. Antibiotics can destroy all the beneficial bacteria in our gut and colon so we need acidophilus, which yoghurt can help provide. Commercial yoghurts have been shown to have some impact on gut bacteria but in my opinion, home-made raw natural is best. It's very easy to make and is taken as a drink ('lassi'), after eating. I also use it elsewhere but I won't say right now.
Nearly all of the food we eat is dead. Cooked or eaten, it's lifeless, long after it has been picked from a tree or dug from the ground. So, our digestion and health can improve by eating living foods. Sprouting is a cheap and easy way to give ourselves some live enzymes and fermented foods like Sauerkraut are excellent. Commercial versions, much like everyhting else these days, is not the same as the real thing. Live enzymes also assist digestion. I sprinkle bean sprouts on most of my meals. My detoxers are being shown how to grow them.
One female de-toxer is noticing that her skin is much improved. Previously it was always very dry. Now 'it's soft'. This is down to the dry skin brushing and proper hydration. Both are feeling lighter in body and mind. They are now having their own yoga session, practicing the asanas I have shown them. Only a couple of small corrections required.
Most people are not in touch with their bodies. Bodywork practices such as Yoga (which means 'union') introduce them to their own muscles, sinews, sore spots!, capacities and very importantly their breath. As they get more in touch with their bodies needs, they can design their own program. Either dynamic, aerobic or to maintain flexibility. I went to many yoga classes before designing my own routine. We start to listen to our bodies requests and can choose to respond or not.
'The Lifegiver'
The sun has been presented to us as something to fear. We spread our lotions on our bodies with all the accompanying chemicals in an attempt to block the 'harmful' rays of the sun. This is great for the suntan lotion companies but not so good for us. The sun is our life giver. With no sun we would be dead and all life would cease to exist. It is claimed that 77% of all cancers could be prevented by having sufficient Vitamin D. Where do we get Vitamin D from? The sun. Those folks who come from the colder northern countries know how much they miss the sun during the winter months. They can't wait to expose their flesh when they get to the tropics!
When attempting to bring health back to the body, the sun plays a vital role. History tells us the human race evolved and thrived under the light and energy of the sun. To recover health, natural practitioners may recommend sunbathing twice a day for an hour each session, before the sun gets high in the sky and in the late afternoon. Now I realise for Thais, this is a challenge. 'Skin black' is to be avoided. As long as some part of your body is in the sun, it can make Vitamin D. So cover the visible parts but still try to get some of those life giving rays! The use of certain organic oils while sunbathing is also highly beneficial for skin diseases, leg ulcers, circulation and arthritis.
Detox Spas
I do like the Spa experience. Lots of pampering, beautiful surroundings. Daily massage on the beach. The sound of the ocean sighing through the leafy palms as the sun goes down. Who amongst us would not benefit from this? It's terrific. On my last visits to Phuket and Samui I noticed Detox clinics everywhere. In fact I was training in one. No decent resort is without a detox program these days. There's a definite bandwagon developing around 'detoxing' and it would be nice to think that most of it is good. Just be aware that not all programs are effective. Just as in orthodox medicine, there are the good, the bad and the indifferent.
Back to my own protocol. Detoxing involves not just allowing the juices to work their magic on the colon but also a cleanse of the liver, kidneys and gall bladder. The liver is hugely important and needs to be functioning optimally, so I clean this first before the others.
This next 2 days are interesting. The originator of the lemonade diet, claimed that parasites start to die off on the 7th day of a detox and are all dead by day 10. If you don't have 10 days, no problem but you will need to out for a parasite cleanse. So we are going all the way. If I was doing a reality TV show, I would have them collect what's coming out of their bowel, in a colander and check for dead beasties. One of the detoxers on that show had some horrible stuff come out of their bowel after about 9 days.
A typical 10-day detox will be 1 day pre-fast +7 days juice (or raw food) fast + 2 days post-fast. Any good detox center will ask you to do a little work before and after. The actual detox the married couple are doing is 15 days. 2 days pre-fast, before they come to me, 10 days fast + 3 days post-fast at home. If they wish they can carry on with the detoxifying mono-diet I give them.
It's critical that you break a juice or raw food fast correctly otherwise you can undermine all your good work.
Just had a fun game of ping-pong on the dining table. The husband and I are quite evenly matched. He's getting a good sweat going and has energy, even after 8 days without food. Neither of us has played much since our youth and it's nice to shake off the cobwebs. The skill and intensity pick up with ping pong balls being shot into heads, ribs, behind the TV. Anywhere except on the table! Great aerobic session. I'm sure he's just shed another half kilo.
More later.
Last edited by MrPlum on Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.