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Amii
01-27-2011, 01:20 AM
Right, vent time it is. I've been up all night following an OCD cleaning spree and I thought I'd calm myself down by ranting about the following:

Master cleanse scaremongering.

So. I live in the UK. We get these documentaries every few months about "crash diets" in which some woman (or women), often a journalist, is asked to have cameras follow her for a period of time (2 months or so) and watch her attempt to skinny down to "size zero". They always, without fail, put them on the master cleanse first.

They go on and on about how the master cleanse is a starvation diet employed by desperate, skeletal models who are about to go on the catwalk. Then they say that you ONLY lose water weight and no fat, and anyway it will all come back. They say there are NO health benefits to the cleanse.

Now.. I just... ugh. Okay, they don't even get the steps right. They only let the woman drink 3 lemonades per day, when the limit is 6. They talk about how the metabolism will grind to a halt (which is what the cayenne PREVENTS from happening) and they get the woman to complain about how hungry she feels.. although if she is doing it right, she shouldn't feel hungry.

Then, they usually move them onto a REAL "crash diet" that involves eating nothing but crackers and cottage cheese. They whine more of the same except this time it's obviously genuine.

Then they go onto a raw food diet. This is the worst one because the OBVIOUSNESS of how it's being manipulated is just gross. There is a scene in Super Skinny Me in which the woman on the raw foods diet, sits with her friends who are all eating cooked food, and she sits there with this pathetic plate of carrots and sprouts, and then she points to the cooked food and goes "Life" and then she points to the RAW food and goes "NO life".. "there's only half a life without food". How biased and ridiculous is that?
No points for guessing that the producers will have insisted she does that.

I just had to get some thoughts on how master cleanse is shown in the media, and put that bit about raw foods in there for more context.

If you search "super skinny me" on youtube. And if you can access 4oD, the latest one "Will my crash diet kill me?" came out just a week ago.

Enjoy the fakeness :D

PS. This is me trying to generate an actual discussion. No comments of "just ignore them" please.. we already know that :P

PPS. Probably the worst part of this whole issue is the vain, transparent attempts by the journalists to justify their "overweightness" as "healthy" or normal. There was one docu ("Super Slim-Me") in which the journalist went to a holistic doctor and had her body fat measured, expecting to be told it was normal. It was actually obese. After he left, she turns to the camera and goes "I can't believe he said that. That man is dangerous. He could give people an eating disorder", yeah sure. And I suppose all that fat clogging your arteries and heart ISN'T dangerous?

There's nothing more annoying than people implying that ANYTHING can cause an eating disorder. It's a psychological issue! I only have 2 years of psychology A-level behind me but even I can tell you that.

PPPS. I know I'm harsh! I'm very sorry but if you don't like it... then I can't do anything about it ;)

Aleesha Sattva
01-27-2011, 01:49 AM
Please keep profanity out of your posts. I've edited it to remove them... ;)

As for the post itself... I have to be honest. I don't agree with the M/C at all. I personally consider it the McD of fasting. So you won't find me defending it.

That said... it sounds like everything they are doing is very unhealthy. Having someone eat such nutrient deficient choices (rather than a variety of foods - not saying carrots and sprouts are deficient on their own but cottage cheese certainly is in my opinion) for two months would not be a healthy thing to do. I can't imagine why anyone would even waste their time watching a show like this (or giving it the hits on the internet by looking it up on youtube and watching it).

It's like tabloids... the more people buy the more magazines and article are made. Don't buy them, don't read them and guess what... they disappear!

So next time... change the channel!

Amii
01-27-2011, 01:59 AM
Hi Aleesha,

So what is it exactly that you don't like about MC? I said I was trying to generate a discussion :D

(Also you basically said what I didn't want to hear :O "don't watch" lol!)

ReneeH
01-27-2011, 02:13 AM
I did the MC for 18 days and for ME, I found it easier to do than juice fasting and I felt better doing it. But, I followed the book and drank a gallon a day.

Some people feel it's too harsh for them, but it was great for me. The only thing I would adjust when I do it next time is to leave the Cayenne out of the Gallon jug that I made up, and just add it to every glass. I got heartburn from adding it to the jug because it concentrated it and made it too strong.

Other than that, I absolutely loved doing it and will do it again. :). Oh, I lost 16 pounds and kept off 12 since going back to eating Raw food again off of the fast... :)

Aleesha, I'm quite surprised to read your post because on the fasting thread I thought it said that any way you choose to fast was supported... I knew you had never done it before, but I didn't know that you didn't agree with it, especially because you have done water fasting, which seems like it would be harder to do than the MC...

Aleesha Sattva
01-27-2011, 10:28 AM
Renee, I've shared in the fasting thread how I feel about the M/C... you just missed the posts is all. :)

ReneeH
01-27-2011, 01:07 PM
OOOHHHH.... Guess I did...:backsout: excuse me, please....

Aleesha Sattva
01-27-2011, 01:46 PM
I'm not going to bash it though... cause what people want to do is up to them. Research and make a choice what works with YOUR life... and make your own opinion.

Bashing doesn't do anyone any good IMO. :no:

MyRedPanda
01-28-2011, 09:57 PM
I did it a year and a half ago for a little over two weeks. My advice to you if you are thinking of it is to skip the saltwater flush. I really feel this is unhealthy for your body. I also feel that if you drink enough (I did 2 huge jugs a day and drank more if I got hungry) you will be fine, but perhaps just try it for three days before going into a more balanced juice fast/feast. I think the lemon is bad for your teeth too so best to use a straw! It's also important to use grade b maple and organic lemon and cayenne. I went into the mc with the knowledge that the creator was a quack. I guess for me it was more of a willpower thing and although I am proud of myself for succeeding after a few days I started to believe that I was doing something good when I was probably actually doing something very very bad. No one should drink salt water for a cleanse, and it was really silly of me to do it!

lovenlife
01-28-2011, 10:08 PM
I want to comment about profanity. I am happy it was removed.

Yesterday I wrote a personal message to a "high profile" friend of mine and gave a heads up about how profanity (I feel) really takes away from the big stuff a person is up to in life.

Someone once told me a reason why I might not be taken seriously and how it might hinder the big stuff I am up to. I was ever so grateful.

Words, language is so beautiful and to go n booger it all up with offensive stuff just aint cool to me.

My thoughts on profanity.

Oh I have no words about MC..heehee