Master Cleanse and Backpacking?

[Transient Being]

Ok, I'm sure some of you are gonna think this is completely insane, and I can appreciate that, but I would really like to know from anybody who has actually TRIED this, not just uneducated opinions. For those of you who don't know what the master cleanse is, it's lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper, and water. That's all you consume. I'm currently on day 16 and feel great really. I can tell it's really getting the crap out of my body. I feel 10 years younger! Anyway, each glass of the lemonade is 100 calories, and I'm normally drinking 6 a day, so 600 calories. I can have as many as 12 a day (1200 calories) Has anybody done this and backpacked? I'm sure I will not be as fast as I would be with food, but if I can make 8 miles or so a day, I will be happy.

[mattmc89]

I would think you might have issues with weight loss as you couldn't easily replace that fat that you will burn. I was eating protein bars, strait jars of Nutella, ect... and still dropped 10-15 pounds in the first 500 miles. I was 160~5'11~20 years old

[Odd Man Out]

I think all "cleanse" treatments are full of crap. Exactly what crap are you getting out of your body (and please don't say "toxins") and how exactly does maple syrup, cayenne, and lemon juice do that? Biochemically, physiologically, and nutritionally this makes no sense whatsoever.

[Transient Being]

Keep on thinkin' and I'll keep on knowin'. You need to do some research on fasting pops.

[scope]

First of all, keep us posted because I for one am very interested in trying it. I can't say I really buy the whole "toxins" thing, but I also think I'd be a fool to say its total crap.

Secondly, as far as backpacking and doing the master cleanse, this method has more in common with fasting than it does with dieting. All I've ever seen on fasting says to limit you other activities during the fast. Besides the practical aspects of carrying fresh lemons to squeeze on the trail, it doesn't sound to me like doing both is a good idea.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Keep on thinkin' and I'll keep on knowin'. You need to do some research on fasting pops.

And you might want to research Stanley Burroughs and the health issues associated with following fad diets. Fair is fair.

[The Cleaner]

I think all "cleanse" treatments are full of crap. Exactly what crap are you getting out of your body (and please don't say "toxins") and how exactly does maple syrup, cayenne, and lemon juice do that? Biochemically, physiologically, and nutritionally this makes no sense whatsoever.

I think your first statement is bass ackwards.These"treatments" are supposed to get crap out of you....just sayin'....

[Shutterbug]

Ok, I'm sure some of you are gonna think this is completely insane, and I can appreciate that, but I would really like to know from anybody who has actually TRIED this, not just uneducated opinions. For those of you who don't know what the master cleanse is, it's lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper, and water. That's all you consume. I'm currently on day 16 and feel great really. I can tell it's really getting the crap out of my body. I feel 10 years younger! Anyway, each glass of the lemonade is 100 calories, and I'm normally drinking 6 a day, so 600 calories. I can have as many as 12 a day (1200 calories) Has anybody done this and backpacked? I'm sure I will not be as fast as I would be with food, but if I can make 8 miles or so a day, I will be happy.

I have never done a cleanse while hiking, but I often do a 9 day cleanse before I start. I do two 9 day Isogenix Cleanses each year. Since starting that practice, my LDL count has dropped to below 50 and total cholesterol is below 100. I keep up my normal 3 miles a day during the clease, but schedule the cleanse to be over before I undertake a multi-day hike.

[Transient Being]

Did your weight stabilize after that? (Did you do the whole trail or something? 500 miles, cool!)

[Transient Being]

I have never done a cleanse while hiking, but I often do a 9 day cleanse before I start. I do two 9 day Isogenix Cleanses each year. Since starting that practice, my LDL count has dropped to below 50 and total cholesterol is below 100. I keep up my normal 3 miles a day during the clease, but schedule the cleanse to be over before I undertake a multi-day hike.

Yes...the cleanses/fast really seem to help me out. That's great that you're cholesterol improved like that! I can feel my body getting healthier right now! My eyes are clearer, my senses are sharpened, my skin and hair even looks and feels healthier. I didn't even need to loose weight, I just like doing it because I know my body likes it, even if my tongue and stomach don't!

[sarbar]

Do what feels good for you. But if you are planning on this for a thru hike I have a strong feeling you will be very let down. It is human nature to eat real food, not drink their food - one reason "diets" of shakes and liquids fail. The need to chew takes over. The high that a new diet provides to the brain can only last so long before the craving for pure crap food comes out on long hikes.

As for dealing with cholesterol? Cut back animal based saturated fats for one, eat more binders like oats, chia and flaxseed meal and it will go down promptly as well. And you get to chew. Just saying. (I know, I cut mine and my husband's in half in under 3 months by going on a near vegan diet high in fiber, veggies and whole grains with a lot less meat and no eggs).

But again, if it works for you great. Doesn't mean it will work for everyone.

[Transient Being]

Oh no, I wouldn't do a thru hike. I'm thinking for 7 to 12 days, covering about 80 miles or so.

[Pedaling Fool]

Yes...the cleanses/fast really seem to help me out. That's great that you're cholesterol improved like that! I can feel my body getting healthier right now! My eyes are clearer, my senses are sharpened, my skin and hair even looks and feels healthier. I didn't even need to loose weight, I just like doing it because I know my body likes it, even if my tongue and stomach don't!

Be careful it's very easy to fool yourself; I know the feeling. Personally, I'm very regular, not because I've ever used a cleansing product, but because I eat a lot of veggies and oat meal, loaded with fiber, which keeps you very clean -- actually if you're not careful you can get too much fiber, but that's a little off topic. I really can't see how lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper will do any better, or even as good as my diet.

[Spokes]

Toxins in the body? Really?

Master Cleanse Diet = Master Scam

[hikerboy57]

toxins in the body? thats why we sweat and urinate.I would expect after hiking 2000 miles, you wont worry about your cholestoral either.drink water. its one of the best body cleansers on the market. pretty cheap too.

[Transient Being]

When did I ever say toxins? Everybody else has been saying that. But if you want to know, yes I believe it removes toxins too.

http://www.denverpost.com/recommended/ci_11808927
http://www.allaboutfasting.com/benefits-of-fasting.html
http://www.gaianstudies.org/articles4.htm

Go ahead and give me some links to negative reviews. For every one, I can give you ten positive ones. For all of you naysayers, how many of you have actually tried to fast or do the master cleanse? Fasting has been a proven health remedy for thousands of years. Oh, wait a minute, modern doctors don't recommend fasting. My bad. I AM wrong, aren't I! They will be happy to prescribe some magical pill that you will have to take for the rest of your life. How amazing they are! Did you know medical schools and the books they use to teach are all well funded by the drug companies? Guess what they teach the doctors these days? Drugs and Surgery. Nothing else. Not even nutrition which we should all know by now plays a major role in health. Don't you get it? They don't want you to be healthy. They want you to be sick and dependent on some of their pills for the rest of your life. So go ahead and believe the small number of negative reviews surrounding the vast ammount of positive reactions and never try it for yourself and let quacks like me reap all the benefits for ourselves.

Another thing I would like to mention is that if you eat a healthy diet with alot of health food and plenty of outdoor activity and exercise you probably are pretty clean and healthy inside. I on the other hand eat basically whatever I think taste good. I try to eat healthy, but I eat chili dogs and potato chips with pepsi sometimes, frozen pizzas sometimes, fast food too many times. Look around, 2/3 of america is overweight. I'm not even overweight at all, I'm 6' 170 pound male. I still get benefits from fasting and Master Cleansing. Not just physical, but spiritual, emotional, mental benefits. I can think more clearly, and feel overall happy and relaxed. Sorry to have upset some of you that think it criminal to miss a meal or too. lol.

[Transient Being]

http://www.greekmedicine.net/hygiene/Fasting_and_Purification.html

Here's something else to consider. Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine believed in fasting.

Basically, there are two kinds of purposes or objectives for fasting. Men fast for either spiritual or physical reasons, and both are equally valid.

Spiritually, fasting helps us transcend our addiction and attachment to food, and to realize that man doesn't live by bread alone. The mind gets clearer, and spiritual awareness deepens. Freed from having to satisfy physical hunger, one can then turn one's attention to feeding the mind and spirit. Spiritual masters like Pythagoras wouldn't admit any disciple into their higher teachings unless they had first purified themselves through fasting.
Physically, fasting enables the organism to detoxify and clean house. Because the vast majority of diseases are caused by

autointoxication,

fasting has wide-ranging therapeutic benefits. It also gives the digestive organs a much needed rest.
For all fevers and diseases in the acute crisis stage, Hippocrates prescribed either a strict fast with nothing but water or medicinal teas, or a very slender liquid diet. Fasting is also recommended for colds and flu, arthritis and rheumatism, digestive complaints, and all humoral and metabolic disorders.
Scientific experiments conducted on laboratory mice have shown that severe restriction of caloric intake greatly extends their lifespan. Since this is basically what fasting is, fasting holds great promise for life extension.

[hikerboy57]

I fully believe the key to long life is a combination of genetics, attitude, and luck.Im 54 yrs old, still smoke, have McDs regularly, and eat chinese food almost everyday(usually chicken w/ broccoli).I havent been sick for more than a day, not so much as a cold, in over 25 years.I run 5 miles 3-4 times a week,without getting winded, and I truly beieve my immune system is strong enough to fight off any infection. Ive worked wirth people with the flu around me all day, and still dont become affected.I think the most important factor in living a long life is attitude, not diet or anything else. I agree with you about doctors prescribing ineffective drugs for no reason but profit. (I also have this nagging doubt that if I finally give up smoking, start fasting, Ill end up getting hit by a bus or something)
but if f asting is what does it for you, well then go for it!FYOF

[The Cleaner]

toxins in the body? thats why we sweat and urinate.I would expect after hiking 2000 miles, you wont worry about your cholestoral either.drink water. its one of the best body cleansers on the market. pretty cheap too.

Fresh mountian air is a pretty good deal too......

[hikerboy57]

i should also mention hiking is one of the best stress reducers going, and stress is a primary factor in over 90% of all disease.