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Mastering the Master Cleanse by Brook Jay, All Terrain co-President/CMO —

Like all New Year’s resolution band wagoners, I decided to take a healthy approach to commence 2012. Several other close friends (and Beyoncé) have been advocates for “the Master Cleanse” a.k.a “the Lemonade Diet.” Perhaps you’ve heard of it? If you’re anything like me, you’ve always kinda thought people who cleansed or fasted were full of it! I NEVER considered myself the type of person to embark on such a thing. I certainly didn’t think there was any merit to it. And I was convinced that I wouldn’t even last two days. Then again, I had a VERY decadent decade and after reading so many things about built-up sludge in your system and all the benefits of cleansing, I thought ‘why not give it a try?’

So, on January 2^nd, I started “the Master Cleanse,” which is a 10-day journey during which I was to consume ONLY a drink made of fresh squeezed lemons, limes, grade B maple syrup (which, by the way, costs $20 for a small container!?) and cayenne pepper. Every morning begins with a salt water flush; 32 oz. of warm water + 2 teaspoons of plain or sea salt. At night, it’s a tea called Smooth Move (no explanation required here). I know it sounds horrible… but aside from the salt water flush, which is very helpful for rapid cleansing, everything else is actually quite tasty.

I’ve heard that having a partner throughout the process is a great help, so I embarked on the journey with my boyfriend. Not to mention, he made all the juice :)

 Days 1-3 were not easy. On day one, I was still thinking of the cleanse as a diet and, therefore, allowed myself two pickles. I thought, “Eh, I’ll just burn ‘em off on the treadmill.” After eating the pickles, I jumped on some blogs where the militant Master Cleanse masters were saying that any food in the system defeats the cleanse and requires a complete do-over. A suggestion which I respectfully dismissed. On day three, in a bit of a cleanse stupor, I unconsciously put my hand in a barrel of popcorn here in the kitchen at All Terrain, and I shoved a handful of cheese corn in my mouth. By the time I realized what I was doing… it was too late. Truly goes to show you how we often eat without thinking. My two early setbacks only made me more determined.

After day four, I was cruising! Aside from a piece of sugar free gum (which I guess is also a no-no), I had no other missteps. By day five, I felt great. My allergies are virtually gone. I’m sleeping 8 hours a night, without any sleep aids. This was particularly miraculous, as I’m usually a 4-5 hour per night sleeper with Ambien or Benadryl. My skin is looking clean and clear. I have loads of energy and my attitude is really positive!

Yesterday was day ten and, while I wasn’t the perfect Master Cleanser, I did pretty well for a first timer. I’d be lying if I didn’t say this was about resetting my digestive system AND appearance. So, the big finish for me is this: I lost 10 inches and 8 pounds in 10 days!

I also have a renewed and strong desire to maintain a very healthy and clean diet. While I’m not entirely vegetarian (yet), I’m very close; I’d miss sushi too much!

I am a LOVER of good food, fine wine and coffee. I never thought that I could go two days without any of them… let alone ten!? So, most of all, this cleanse helped me prove something to myself.

When I woke up this morning and realized that I’m about to wean myself off of the Master Cleanse, I was honestly a bit sad. By the end, it was easy knowing what to eat (well, drink) every day. And I really do feel great. I’m rightfully worried about ruining that with bad food and alcohol. It’ll be interesting, over the next few weeks, to see what sticks.

Final thought: if you think there’s something you can’t or could never do… you’re wrong!

If you’re interested in doing the Master Cleanse for yourself, or at least learning more about it, here’s a FAQ video from cleanse guru and creator, Peter Glickman:

PS - I really want to thank my workmates at All Terrain for all of their support! You guys rock!