Cleanse Like a Jedi Master

...with the MASTER CLEANSE. Ok. Maybe not like a Jedi Master, but I bet, like many spiritual practices, Yoda routinely cleansed his body to maintain his connection with the force. One of the oldies but goodies uses water, lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and salt. It's gentler on the system and customizable depending on your schedule.

Who? You can't escape it, even the Death Star gets polluted. Give your body a break and get a little tune-up. Check with your doctor, but this method comes from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... Seriously, this is a popular, natural and generally safe cleanse. Especially with a few modern adjustments.

What? The Lemon Juice Cleanse and/or the Master Cleanse. The easiest is a cup of water with the juice of 1-2 lemons (I warm it up and add honey) as part of your daily routine. The most complicated is a 10 day Master Cleanse which nutritionists don't recommend, (I supplement with veggie broth and healthy protein) as a meal replacement. Naturally, choose local and organic as much as is reasonable.

When? As part of your everyday morning routine (your body detoxes on it's own in the morning) or all day for 1-10 days. Keep a very light schedule when doing a 1-10 day cleanse. You may get tired, your body may ache, you may feel crabby (Woo-hoo! Let's cleanse!) Check out my earlier post, "Spring Cleaning Without The Flu-Like Symptoms" on ways to minimize the side effects.

Where?  Someplace comfortable, with a bathroom (visits increase), void of annoying Ewoks.

Why?  It's smart to push a reset button once in awhile and depending on your level of commitment, you may strengthen your immune system, increase your circulation, lower your pain, improve your digestion, have more energy, lose weight (although nutritionists debate whether or not you lose fat) and telepathically communicate with Luke Skywalker. Lemon for the detox, good water for the hydration, cayenne for the increased circulation, maple syrup for the calories and salt for the laxative. I prefer honey because of all the good stuff it has but avoid high fructose corn syrup, agave nectar, cane sugar or artificial sweeteners like the plague.

How? Make up a pitcher of the Master Cleanse in the morning. When you get hungry, have a glass. If you get really, really hungry, drink some organic almond or hemp milk- the fat triggers the satiated switch (or just use the force). If you're doing this for more than a few days, I highly suggest intermingling this with purified water, good quality veggie broth and a vegan source of protein or it becomes an unhealthy starvation diet. Don't forget your vitamins.

Opinions vary on duration. If you go more than a day or two, you want to mentally, physically and nutritionally prepare. For a week up to and a week afterwards take your vitamins and avoid hard to digest foods like fats, dairy, processed sugars, wheat and red meat. You can expect to feel a little lousy as your body/mind adjusts and the cells dump the equivalent of 1980's legwarmers into your bloodstream. I suggest working up to 10 days over time. This way, you educate yourself about how your body and family/friends react and can make smart choices regarding your health. This isn't the traditional Master Cleanse, however it's a nice blend which integrates current health and nutrition information.

The Jedi Cleanse Recipe (aka The Master Cleanse)

6 to 12 glasses a day of:

Juice of 1/2 a lemon (from real lemons)

2 tbsp maple syrup or honey

1/10 tsp cayenne pepper (or less, to the taste)

8 oz purified water

(Go organic when reasonable)

For an extra cleansing effect add:

1 teaspoon of unrefined non-iodized sea salt or epsom salt mixed with 25-35 ounces of water, 2x a day. Drinking this flushes your system and has a laxative effect, so stay near a bathroom.

Resources

http://mastercleansesecrets.com/step3.php

http://www.webmd.com/balance/natural-liver-detox-diets-liver-cleansing