I'm so excited because Tuesday I will be headed off to ACTF!
What is ACTF you ask?
Well, for each production the theatre department puts on, we have an adjudicator which is just another theatre professor from colleges all over the southeast who come and gives us feedback on our production, as well as choosing one student that stood out to them in some way. The director of the show picks another, and those two students compete at ACTF (or, the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.)
We compete in our region- against many other students from other universities, and we have to perform 2 scenes and a monologue with a partner. This year the festival is in Daytona Beach, Florida so that is super exciting!
I feel really good about my material, I am doing a scene from Jason Miller's "Lou Gehrig Did Not Die of Cancer" and a scene from "In The Heights" (it's a musical scene- the end of the song "When You're Home!) As well as my good old tried and true "snowflake" monologue those that have seen my audition packages over and over have come to know well.
Today we are performing our ACTF competition packages in front of the entire theatre department as a sort of showcase type thing- it's a little nervewracking, but I feel really confident in my material and it is exciting to get to show off the hard work we have done.
A student from CSU has actually WON ACTF the past 2 years so needless to say we all feel a little pressure to continue the pattern. (If you win, you go on to Washington, D.C. to perform at the Kennedy Center at a national level.) Winning ACTF entails prize scholarship money, as well as other awards including professional acting jobs! So it's pretty exciting.
But whatever happens- I'm just glad to be able to get out of Columbus for a week and to be in wonderful moderate weather (the temps are in the 60s/70s!) and to just enjoy the experience. I'll keep you posted as to what happens. :)
Friday, January 28, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Taco Bell?
So, there is a Yahoo article out about the validity of Taco Bell's taco meat and if it in fact, counts as "meat" what with all the fillers and additives they add. (What's more- did you know the USDA standard for a meat product to even be called meat is a mere 40%? Scary, huh?) I know you are probably thinking why I even bothered reading an article based on meat as a vegetarian- but sometimes I like to just observe the general landscape of the populace by reading the lovely reader comments on the bottom. Some of them are downright scary. This one for example:
"who really cares?? i mean it taste good, as far as i am concerned it could be people, just very tasty people lol"
Um....I mean I realize that this guy isn't saying he is going to revert to cannibalism- but I think it reflects a consensus of people that they don't care about what goes into their food, as long as it tastes good... you DO realize that these mega food corporations capitalize on that mentality, right? At the expense of your health? This video proves this point quite nicely:
"i don't care what they are made of. they taste good. ever thought that all those extenders that are in fast food are extending your life.?? you should be thanking them."
"I don't care whats in it. I would eat Taco Bell from a skunks A$$."
"who really cares?? i mean it taste good, as far as i am concerned it could be people, just very tasty people lol"
Um....I mean I realize that this guy isn't saying he is going to revert to cannibalism- but I think it reflects a consensus of people that they don't care about what goes into their food, as long as it tastes good... you DO realize that these mega food corporations capitalize on that mentality, right? At the expense of your health? This video proves this point quite nicely:
It's pretty sad.
Here's another comment- which shows the transformation of the food industry (And gives a hint as to how the obesity rate has skyrocketed along with the cancer rates:)
"I worked for Taco Bell for 13 yrs. When I started there, in '89, they did cook their own meat. Which was cooked in a large pan & then a mixture, which we prepared ourselves, was added. Back in, about '95 (or before) it started coming prepackaged so all we had to do was put it in 200 degree water for 30 minutes. So it's coming from the plant partially cooked. Back in '89, also, we use to shred our own lettuce & cheese; use to core, slice & dice our tomatoes & onions & green onions! Now everything is prepackaged."
Oh and here's a lovely sophisticated response:
"Who cares. IF IT IS GOOD, EAT IT."
Hey! You know that in other parts of the worldyour little doggy is treated as a delicacy? Well, to them it's good! If you visited Korea and were served a plate of dog and you objected- you know what they would say? "Who cares. IF IT IS GOOD, EAT IT."
What if we used this mentality in our day to day lives: "You know it feels so good to be on heroin! It's a wonderful high! But WHO CARES?!" "Hey! I'm pregnant! WHO CARES?! At least I felt good!"
Now obviously I'm not against things that taste/feel good by any means...but you get my point. Oh and it IS possible to eat food that is good for you AND that tastes good. I do it everyday! I LOVE to eat. I mean, I look forward to my meals. You think I would enjoy life if all I ate was celery sticks all day? No!
Some More Truly Asinine Comments:
"i don't care what they are made of. they taste good. ever thought that all those extenders that are in fast food are extending your life.?? you should be thanking them."
"I don't care whats in it. I would eat Taco Bell from a skunks A$$."
Bottom Line:
"If people knew what was in all fast foods and processed foods we would all be vegetarians."Sunday, January 23, 2011
Mean Girls 2- a recap.
Out of morbid curiosity and in the midst of doing other things, I'm watching Mean Girls 2 on abc family. Here's my running commentary/thoughts as it plays.
- Why is the girl who is playing the lead so mousy looking? I mean, They plain jane-d LiLo up for the original in the beginning, but I mean she is(was) still a pretty girl. But this girl?! Awkward.
- Why is the head "mean girl" dressed like a Limited Too mannequin circa early 2000s?
- Tim Meadows must be struggling for work.
- "Food Area"?!?!
- I'm pretty sure last time I checked, chihuahua's weren't allowed to roam around school lunchrooms.
- Since when is "Don't ever look at me again...better yet, don't breathe the same air" an acceptable insult!?
- I don't like the timbre of this lead LiLo character's voice.
- This scene with the faux LiLo character and her dad is AWKWARD CITY..
- FRENCH REVOLUTION THEMED HALLOWEEN PARTY. WHAT?!
- Why does this Mandy girl dress like she's perpetually 12?!
- I feel like people are unnecessarily mean to this grungy awkward Abby girl.
- um..... is this girl being paid to be sad Abby's friend? Awkward plot point. THIS MAN IS WILLING TO PAY FOR THIS GIRL'S COLLEGE EDUCATION so his daughter has a friend. Bizarre.
- Kitti-let.
- Their social networking platform is strange.
- Of course, Mandy is dressed like a 10 year old on Easter Sunday.
- "I'm a benevolent dictator."
- So...many...ugly..blue..plaid..shirts...
- This "lead" girl (I forgot her name because her character is really boring) looks like she hasn't washed her hair in about a week.
- Oh wait. I think her name is "Jo"?
- The way this girl is hobbling around is awkward.
- Um.... this crazy white bearded man named Mr. Winkle?!?! WHAT.
- Mandy...is wearing...2 colors of polka dots
- Um...why is there a huge plasma video screen replaying this "Jo" character falling down on her bike? Is this necessary? Plausible? No.
- Again with the plaid! Ay!
- I gotta admit this guy's pretty cute.
- This chick's hair is really ugly. I can't get over it!
- Why is this 90s esque pop song playing during this awkward kissing scene between perpetually 10 year old Mandy and her boy toy? In her pepto bismo room!?
- A photo montage....really? You couldn't have just shown their date like normal?!
- Everytime I see the principal I feel sorry for him.
- Again with the schoolwide video screen showing all of Jo's life?! This is not normal! Public school systems don't care about your personal lives!
- Okay. I'm all for obnoxious flower headbands. But this girl is NOT pulling off this horrible blue flower headband. Can somebody PLEASE fire the wardrobe head for this movie!?
- Who sends "Hottest Couple" text messages to everyone in the school?!
- ......these camo outfits....too. much.
- Literally the only thing this girl's dad does is hang out in the garage.
- Thanks, cute boy for pointing out the painfully obvious!!
(Okay. So if you haven't guessed by now...this movie..is...awful.) - These colored hair extensions are absolutely horrid. Somebody please fire the hairstylist.
- Who just carries ipecac on themselves?!
- What is this kid doing with the houseplant?
- Okay. So. Since when do horrible blended synthetic neon hair extensions make you instantly invincible?!
- This blonde girl is unnaturally slutty.
- Why does the 'Jo" girl think that all of a sudden she can pull off denim hot topic dresses like she's fashionable or something?!
- Um...THE BLONDE GIRL LOOKS LIKE A CHIQUITA BANANA.
- I wish I got paid $50,000 to be a girls friend! And then some spare cash for books! (Unreasonable circumstancessss)
- I see leggings as pants...unnacceptable
- Mandy's boyfriend's hair looks like plastic Ken-doll hair.
- um.....a powderpuff football challenge?!
- General note: the writing for this movie leaves much to be desired.
- When did Jo have time to come up with creating Abby's portfolio FOR her?!
- Again with the photoshoot montage!
- The word awkward continually pops up in my brain.
- "Football is a religion, and you are now in church." WHAT.
- I'm still trying to grasp how this powderpuff football game is the crux of the story.
- Look at them GA pine trees! Obviously this was not filmed in L.A.!
- I enjoy how EVERY single audience member at the football crowd received this HD video on their smartphone.
- this slow-mo scene. so. ridiculous.
- this homecoming crowning ceremony is very anti-climactic.
- flower accessories are grossly over-used in this movie. Coming from me....that's saying alot.
- ....swine flu is not valid anymore
- Jo is an incognito inventor and raised her money for college by selling birdhouse/spycams? Deus ex machina!!
LISTS
My day is dominated by lists. I literally make a detailed list every single night of what's to come for the next day- and often times I do several days at a time to make myself feel better (yet I always revise it nightly.) There's something satisfying about just getting everything down on paper that I need to get accomplished- and living my life by a set schedule is the only way I get anything done it seems. But today I feel like making lists of just random things for fun. Enjoy!
I like people who...
I like people who...
- Inspire me.
- Emanate positive energy.
- Are not afraid to be themselves.
- Are not afraid to be a little weird.
- Aren't lazy.
- Are open-minded and non-judgmental.
- Make an effort to brighten someone's day instead of bring them down.
- Are grateful.
- Are creative.
- Are a little bit nerdy/dorky.
- Know how to dress and groom themselves
- Are a little bizarre.
- Are proactive with their lives.
- Are artistic in some way.
- Are adventurous and willing to try new foods/places/things.
- Care about their health and well-being.
- Wear glasses.
- Are goal-oriented.
- Don't try to act "macho."
- Know there's more to life than football and steak.
- Who realize that revving their car engines next to me makes them look retarded.
- Guacamole
- Pita Bread sandwiches with cucumber/tomato/onion and hummus
- homemade hummus
- Lara Bars
- Clementines
- Frozen fruit.
- Veggie spring rolls
- Cucumbers in general
- Almond Butter
- Steel-cut oats with agave nectar, crushed almonds, and banana
- Spinach
- Chill frozen yogurt
- Jell-O pudding snacks
- Wasting hours on Youtube
- Techno dance music
- Britney Spears
- Zumba class
- Hello Kitty paraphernalia
- "I want Chill!"
- "What am I going to eat for lunch/dinner?"
- "I hope my jury goes well on Friday!"
- "I'm so stressed out!"
- "I wonder what it would be like to have a normal social life."
- "Graduation is going to be glorious!"
- "Only (insert number) days until the weekend! Oh wait. I have rehearsals/homework to do all weekend. Oh well. [Refer back to 5th bullet point]."
- "I wish my (face,stomach,thighs,butt) were smaller."
- "I wish I was on a relaxing beach right now."
- Nina in "In The Heights"
- Eliza in "My Fair Lady"
- Cathy in "The Last Five Years"
- Belle in "Beauty and the Beast"
- Marcy in "I Love You Because- a Modern Day Musical Love Story"
- Glinda in "Wicked"
- Anita or Maria in West Side Story
- Travel all over the world.
- Perform on a cruise ship
- Host lavish dinner parties frequently
- Be a jazz lounge singer in a 40s tribute style
- Walk on a red carpet at a movie premiere
- Laziness
- incessant coughing
- babies and toddlers
- Applebees
- driving
- unpreparedness
- being attacked for no reason
- the FDA
- the medical industry
- the food industry
- being hit on stupidly
- pumping gas
- redneck southern culture
- closed-mindedness
- judgmental people
- when people are contrary just to be contrary
- meeting someone in a public place that you kind of know but not well enough to have a meaningful conversation with
- being asked for my number
- babies/small children
- exes
- talking on the phone
- maintenance men coming in my apartment randomly
Thursday, January 13, 2011
New beginnings
So the New Year and new school semester is underway! Today is our third day of classes, and honestly, I am very pleased as my classes definitely do not seem like they will be hard at all. The hardest/most time intensive class will probably be Theatre History, which is alot of work- but nothing I haven't done before. Then I have sound design, which is based on design projects involving sound, which will be kind of fun I think, especially as I don't have to do a One-Act! That definitely was stressing me out. But since there aren't actually enough One-Acts to go around, some of us were spared! Haha. My only other real class is Intro to Poetry Writing, which I think will definitely be...interesting. There are no tests/quizzes/exams- it's solely a workshop based class, but I have to say it is a little bit intimidating, as I'm a little out of my element. I mean I'm a hugely artistic/creative person and have dabbled in everything from singing, dancing, acting, painting, drawing, writing, etc., yet poetry is one thing I don't have any experience in, really. I'm also not a huge poetry reader. That's not to say I don't like it, I always enjoy sections on poetry in my English classes and the like- but I've never gone out and just read a book of poetry in my leisure time necessarily.
Needless to say, I'm going to be reading alot of poetry this semester just so I don't seem stupid- and produce trite, old fashioned work, as everyone will be critiquing all of our poetry. Which stresses me out because I'm such a novice...but I'm sure it will be alright! Poetry is such a subjective thing, anyways. I mean there are some poems out there by accomplished poets that are like, "Huh?" haha. So I shouldn't really think too hard about it I guess. I just don't want to be like that one main campus major in an Acting 1 class who is like " OH I KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT THEATRE WICKED IS THE BEST OMG!!" haha
It will all work out though, I'm sure. I mean the type of person I am, I feel like I have to "conquer" everything I attempt- so I will conquer you, O world of poetry! :P
Maybe I'll share some on my blog!
But anyways, on top of classes I'm rehearsing for my ACTF scene as well as Robin's dance show so my time is pretty occupied. Thankfully I started this new thing where I wake up at around 6:30 every morning and just take my time to leisurely make breakfast, pack, finish up homework, do a workout, etc. so I am finding that I actually get things accomplished. It's a habit I'm planning on keeping up too as I really feel good about my day once I've gotten everything done in the morning!
Well, I hope everyone has a great start of the semester :)
Needless to say, I'm going to be reading alot of poetry this semester just so I don't seem stupid- and produce trite, old fashioned work, as everyone will be critiquing all of our poetry. Which stresses me out because I'm such a novice...but I'm sure it will be alright! Poetry is such a subjective thing, anyways. I mean there are some poems out there by accomplished poets that are like, "Huh?" haha. So I shouldn't really think too hard about it I guess. I just don't want to be like that one main campus major in an Acting 1 class who is like " OH I KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT THEATRE WICKED IS THE BEST OMG!!" haha
It will all work out though, I'm sure. I mean the type of person I am, I feel like I have to "conquer" everything I attempt- so I will conquer you, O world of poetry! :P
Maybe I'll share some on my blog!
But anyways, on top of classes I'm rehearsing for my ACTF scene as well as Robin's dance show so my time is pretty occupied. Thankfully I started this new thing where I wake up at around 6:30 every morning and just take my time to leisurely make breakfast, pack, finish up homework, do a workout, etc. so I am finding that I actually get things accomplished. It's a habit I'm planning on keeping up too as I really feel good about my day once I've gotten everything done in the morning!
Well, I hope everyone has a great start of the semester :)
Friday, January 7, 2011
My Master Cleanse Experience.
Around Christmas Eve-ish I started to just feel really, really bloated and heavy. An endless supply of Christmas cookies and unabashed holiday eating are to blame, surely- yet I just couldn't shake that I just needed to do SOMETHING about it. Somehow I came upon the Master Cleanse and was intrigued so I kept researching. What is the Master Cleanse? Well, it's a sort of fast/diet that involves abstaining from any solid food for a minimum of 10 days while drinking only a concoction of purified water, fresh squeezed lemons, Pure maple syrup, and cayenne pepper along with laxative teas and a daily salt-water flush. It is supposed to totally detox and cleanse your body of toxins that have been built up, totally reset your system, and leave you with a renewed state of health. It also can cure caffeine, sugar, alcohol, and cigarette addictions as well. I did it to knock out that horrible sweet tooth I have and to end my bad relationship with food. I tend to overeat and eat when I'm not hungry and I hoped that doing this will teach me some self control! So in case you are curious how it works, here is a daily journal I took while on the cleanse:
Day 1: I started today! Yippee! I felt really excited and good until about 7 PM when I felt myself getting grumpy because I hadn't really eaten anything. I found the drink to be mildly unpleasant, but nobody else around me did really. I may have put too much cayenne pepper? Not sure. But at either rate, I could easily get it down. Later on I found that reducing the amount of maple syrup in half was a better solution for me because it was too sweet. I did find that whenever I was hungry and I drank some of the juice I actually was satisfied, weirdly! I don't think I ended up drinking the required minimum however, (6 glasses) as I went to a movie then hung out at a friend's house for a long time after with no access to my drink (note to self: Carry it with me.) and by that point it was like 3 AM when I got home so I just crashed. So I'll probably counter-act that by drinking more than 6 glasses tomorrow. But 1 day down! 9 more to go!
Day 2: ....the salt water flush. Is. not. pleasant. But so necessary! I actually don't feel like I'm starving or anything today upon waking. I was busy all day, walking around and went out and stayed out late with friends and I really never felt bad. The only time I got a little annoyed is when the friend I was with wanted to go eat Moes...and I sat and drank my water. I LOVE Moes so it was a little bit hard- but not nearly as hard as one might think it was. I had alot of energy all day too and really didn't feel any different than usual. I feel very "light"..which is a nice feeling actually. Like opposite of how you feel after eating Thanksgiving dinner haha!
Day 3: Again...salt water flush is probably the hardest part of this process. Only because it's SO hard to get down a liter of salt water. A LITER. But this is a very necessary step in the cleansing process so you can't just skip the things that are hard. I've found that if I drink a 1/4 liter every 5 minutes or so it helps me. I cannot just down the whole thing in one sitting. But other than that, I feel great! I've got energy and everything. This is becoming quite easy. And everytime I do feel hungry I just drink my drink and I'm satisfied. Really! I know it sounds impossible. But it's true.
Later on in the day, I started to really feel the hunger. And I started craving things alot. However the things I was craving were not necessarily ice-cream and chocolate- but I just really wanted a salad and some fruit. These specific oranges that are on our kitchen table. Stuff like that. I found myself fantasizing about the things I'm going to make once I am off this cleanse. It will be a great day! I also realize that there has been another side effect of all this- I am really, really cold. Like even more than I usually am. My hands and feet specifically just feel icy all the time. But a GOOD side effect has been my skin! It's so clear and nice! I like that. I also have this white coating on my tongue that I hear is the elimination of toxins- and you're technically not supposed to stop the cleanse until it turns pink. We'll see!
Day 4: Tried a new way to take the salt water flush by making the salt like a shot and then following it with the rest of the liter of water- didn't work. I immediately threw it up. I'm feeling especially queasy now so I just decided to skip the salt water flush altogether and drink some laxative tea instead. I feel a little hungry/weak but I think I just need to drink my juice! Gotta drink the tea first though...
Like I thought, as soon as I drank my juice I felt immediately better. The desire for food was not as bad today, although I find myself searching raw vegan recipes that I can't wait to make once I'm off the cleanse! I really just miss the texture and experience of eating more than anything. I don't feel like I'm being starved, I just really want to eat!
Day 5: I woke up feeling really really good!! I have alot of energy and taking down the salt water flush is alot easier. (I went back to the old way. NEVER AGAIN will I try the "shot" version!!) But yeah. Like I don't feel hungry at all. I feel energetic. It's great! However I just realized that I am PMSing so I won't truly be able to tell the weight I've lost because I bloat up like a balloon at this point- however I can still tell I've lost a little weight. Hopefully all this water I'm drinking will help with that anyways.
Day 6: I'M OVER HALFWAY THROUGH! WOOO!! Exciting! I'm so proud of myself for actually going through with this. Wee. So, I survived an alcohol/food free New Years celebration and you know what?! I had a great time. I had to endure going out to eat at one of my favorite restaurants as well as post-party Waffle House with some friends and I had my water and I was perfectly fine. Going through this experience is helping me SO MUCH with self-control and I think it's really going to help me with my problems of eating when I'm not hungry. I used to just eat no matter what, if we were going to Waffle House and even if I wasn't that hungry I would still order food anyways. It's like I felt obligated to eat. And that of course has definitely added to my weight gain recently. But through doing this cleanse I've had to do that literally every time food has been nearby- which is ALOT. For example, before I went out with friends my mom had made some of my favorite things- spinach dip, salsa, cheese dip, a Mexican chip casserole with black beans, veggies, chocolate cake, etc. and it was annoying to not be able to eat it just because I missed the flavors of everything. That's really what I miss the most...the FLAVORS of food. Not the food itself if that makes sense. I know that definitely once this cleanse is over I'm going to eat a lot slower and truly enjoy my food instead of just inhaling it like I used to do. But besides that, I feel pretty good today! I'm full of energy and I feel just great. Very clear-headed and light. I'm way past the point of "hunger" if that makes sense haha!
Day 7: And so it goes. Things are routine now. I actually just feel normal. Everything is pretty routine by now, and I'm getting sick of drinking the drink. You want to know what's really bizarre though? Like...even though I can't eat...I love watching cooking shows recently, more than I ever have! Haha. It doesn't even bother me! I think I just have been taking food for granted before this and I just am antsy to get in the kitchen and whip up something yummy! I also got a food processor today which is awesome. I'm really going to incorporate more raw vegan dishes into my repertoire so a processor will be very helpful. Homemade salsas, hummus, nut pates, and a myriad of sauces and chopped salads will all be mine soon! hehee...
Day 8: Ugh. Things I won't miss: The salt water flush. SO DISGUSTING. EVERY SINGLE TIME. It's so hard to get down! But you do it because it's so necessary to the cleanse. But I swear. It's difficult. =/ Not to discourage anyone wanting to possibly do the cleanse...but...I am just bemoaning it at this moment.
Later on in the day...I'm feeling good, just growing weary of the same old same old. Everything is soo routine and I just want something different to ingest besides disgusting salt water, or mediocre lemonade juice. On the bright side- I've lost around 7-8 lbs.! I didn't weigh myself right before I started, but I'm basing it off of the last time I weighed myself, which was before Christmas break. I know I definitely lost 5 lbs. since a few days ago when I weighed myself here. So that is pretty encouraging. Also my pants fit bitter, my face looks slimmer and I'm just really enjoying that! :) My nails and skin look great! I just have to stick this out 2 more days! TWO MORE DAYS! I know some people feel like they can continue on the cleanse for weeks after...but I think I'm definitely ready to get off of it. It's not that I feel awful or hungry or anything. Like I said- I just want a change. I can't wait to experience eating again for the sheer joy of it!
Day 9: Ho hum. It's the day before I'm done! YAY! I can't believe I've gotten this far. Wow. I went on a celebratory grocery shopping spree at Earthfare which is kind of like a Whole Foods store and reveled in all the wonderful things I'm going to make. I may or may not have splurged on a vegan brownie at the bakery and vegan asian dumplings from the deli counter as well :) hehe. As much as I am excited about eating super healthy again and am craving fresh fruits and salads and the like, my sweet tooth has definitely not disappeared- although I can't say 100% yet how it will taste. Things that I used to love may be a bit too rich for me now (which I'm hoping actually happens!) But we'll see. Also can I say I'm pretty sick of the lemonade? While I've warmed up to the taste significantly- it's still pretty tiresome. I'm just ready to eat solid food again. 2 days..2 days... (the first day off the cleanse I am supposed to only drink orange juice and then the next day I can only have soup and then I can finally have all my goodies! yay!) OH and I can fit comfortable into a pair of jeans I could barely button up before the cleanse! Score!
Day 10. I'm on the last day! The last day! I've got a pitcher of Simply Orange in the fridge and a box of clementines that are ready to be devoured! NOM! It's pretty exciting. This whole thing has gotten pretty monotonous. But I just weighed myself and I've lost a total of around 10 lbs. Crazy, right?! I also still haven't bitten my nails or cuticles so they actually are starting to look like normal people nails which is super cool :) So what did I learn by doing this?
Day 12: Today I can incorporate soup along with my orange and clementines that I've been eating! (Although I must admit I've snuck a few bites of other things here and there...shhh!) But it's nice to be able to eat again. Now that I've been intaking more calories, I did a short workout as well and it feels so nice to get my body and muscles movin' again too! I've already planned out my workouts and I'm excited about getting in the best shape of my life this semester. :)
So overall, this cleanse has been a positive experience I would say. Would I recommend it for everyone? Probably not. It's something you really have to be in the right mindset for, and if you lead an unhealthy lifestyle it will be alot harder for you than it was for me, probably as you will be dealing with caffeine withdrawals on top of it and the like. Also, if you are somebody who likes to bend the rules, this is not for you as you really need to do it pretty much to the letter to do it safely and to get the maximum benefit of the cleanse. Also, it's not something you can just up and decide to do one day- I carefully researched and then set a date and focused on that starting date. However, I don't want to discourage anyone, and if you are relatively healthy and really want something to jump-start an even healthier lifestyle, I would definitely recommend it. However make sure you are not under requirement to do strenuous movement/exercise as you would probably be too weak. (However I did shake my booty on the town with no problems on several occasions! haha) But if you are considering it, just make sure you do some research and go for it! :) http://themastercleanse.org/ is a wonderful resource and helped me alot. Youtubing others' experiences on the cleanse was very inspirational for me as well! There is alot of information on it on the web, and I also read a book on it in Barnes & Noble (Look under the Alternative Medicine section to find it!)
Day 1: I started today! Yippee! I felt really excited and good until about 7 PM when I felt myself getting grumpy because I hadn't really eaten anything. I found the drink to be mildly unpleasant, but nobody else around me did really. I may have put too much cayenne pepper? Not sure. But at either rate, I could easily get it down. Later on I found that reducing the amount of maple syrup in half was a better solution for me because it was too sweet. I did find that whenever I was hungry and I drank some of the juice I actually was satisfied, weirdly! I don't think I ended up drinking the required minimum however, (6 glasses) as I went to a movie then hung out at a friend's house for a long time after with no access to my drink (note to self: Carry it with me.) and by that point it was like 3 AM when I got home so I just crashed. So I'll probably counter-act that by drinking more than 6 glasses tomorrow. But 1 day down! 9 more to go!
Day 2: ....the salt water flush. Is. not. pleasant. But so necessary! I actually don't feel like I'm starving or anything today upon waking. I was busy all day, walking around and went out and stayed out late with friends and I really never felt bad. The only time I got a little annoyed is when the friend I was with wanted to go eat Moes...and I sat and drank my water. I LOVE Moes so it was a little bit hard- but not nearly as hard as one might think it was. I had alot of energy all day too and really didn't feel any different than usual. I feel very "light"..which is a nice feeling actually. Like opposite of how you feel after eating Thanksgiving dinner haha!
Day 3: Again...salt water flush is probably the hardest part of this process. Only because it's SO hard to get down a liter of salt water. A LITER. But this is a very necessary step in the cleansing process so you can't just skip the things that are hard. I've found that if I drink a 1/4 liter every 5 minutes or so it helps me. I cannot just down the whole thing in one sitting. But other than that, I feel great! I've got energy and everything. This is becoming quite easy. And everytime I do feel hungry I just drink my drink and I'm satisfied. Really! I know it sounds impossible. But it's true.
Later on in the day, I started to really feel the hunger. And I started craving things alot. However the things I was craving were not necessarily ice-cream and chocolate- but I just really wanted a salad and some fruit. These specific oranges that are on our kitchen table. Stuff like that. I found myself fantasizing about the things I'm going to make once I am off this cleanse. It will be a great day! I also realize that there has been another side effect of all this- I am really, really cold. Like even more than I usually am. My hands and feet specifically just feel icy all the time. But a GOOD side effect has been my skin! It's so clear and nice! I like that. I also have this white coating on my tongue that I hear is the elimination of toxins- and you're technically not supposed to stop the cleanse until it turns pink. We'll see!
Day 4: Tried a new way to take the salt water flush by making the salt like a shot and then following it with the rest of the liter of water- didn't work. I immediately threw it up. I'm feeling especially queasy now so I just decided to skip the salt water flush altogether and drink some laxative tea instead. I feel a little hungry/weak but I think I just need to drink my juice! Gotta drink the tea first though...
Like I thought, as soon as I drank my juice I felt immediately better. The desire for food was not as bad today, although I find myself searching raw vegan recipes that I can't wait to make once I'm off the cleanse! I really just miss the texture and experience of eating more than anything. I don't feel like I'm being starved, I just really want to eat!
Day 5: I woke up feeling really really good!! I have alot of energy and taking down the salt water flush is alot easier. (I went back to the old way. NEVER AGAIN will I try the "shot" version!!) But yeah. Like I don't feel hungry at all. I feel energetic. It's great! However I just realized that I am PMSing so I won't truly be able to tell the weight I've lost because I bloat up like a balloon at this point- however I can still tell I've lost a little weight. Hopefully all this water I'm drinking will help with that anyways.
Day 6: I'M OVER HALFWAY THROUGH! WOOO!! Exciting! I'm so proud of myself for actually going through with this. Wee. So, I survived an alcohol/food free New Years celebration and you know what?! I had a great time. I had to endure going out to eat at one of my favorite restaurants as well as post-party Waffle House with some friends and I had my water and I was perfectly fine. Going through this experience is helping me SO MUCH with self-control and I think it's really going to help me with my problems of eating when I'm not hungry. I used to just eat no matter what, if we were going to Waffle House and even if I wasn't that hungry I would still order food anyways. It's like I felt obligated to eat. And that of course has definitely added to my weight gain recently. But through doing this cleanse I've had to do that literally every time food has been nearby- which is ALOT. For example, before I went out with friends my mom had made some of my favorite things- spinach dip, salsa, cheese dip, a Mexican chip casserole with black beans, veggies, chocolate cake, etc. and it was annoying to not be able to eat it just because I missed the flavors of everything. That's really what I miss the most...the FLAVORS of food. Not the food itself if that makes sense. I know that definitely once this cleanse is over I'm going to eat a lot slower and truly enjoy my food instead of just inhaling it like I used to do. But besides that, I feel pretty good today! I'm full of energy and I feel just great. Very clear-headed and light. I'm way past the point of "hunger" if that makes sense haha!
Day 7: And so it goes. Things are routine now. I actually just feel normal. Everything is pretty routine by now, and I'm getting sick of drinking the drink. You want to know what's really bizarre though? Like...even though I can't eat...I love watching cooking shows recently, more than I ever have! Haha. It doesn't even bother me! I think I just have been taking food for granted before this and I just am antsy to get in the kitchen and whip up something yummy! I also got a food processor today which is awesome. I'm really going to incorporate more raw vegan dishes into my repertoire so a processor will be very helpful. Homemade salsas, hummus, nut pates, and a myriad of sauces and chopped salads will all be mine soon! hehee...
Day 8: Ugh. Things I won't miss: The salt water flush. SO DISGUSTING. EVERY SINGLE TIME. It's so hard to get down! But you do it because it's so necessary to the cleanse. But I swear. It's difficult. =/ Not to discourage anyone wanting to possibly do the cleanse...but...I am just bemoaning it at this moment.
Later on in the day...I'm feeling good, just growing weary of the same old same old. Everything is soo routine and I just want something different to ingest besides disgusting salt water, or mediocre lemonade juice. On the bright side- I've lost around 7-8 lbs.! I didn't weigh myself right before I started, but I'm basing it off of the last time I weighed myself, which was before Christmas break. I know I definitely lost 5 lbs. since a few days ago when I weighed myself here. So that is pretty encouraging. Also my pants fit bitter, my face looks slimmer and I'm just really enjoying that! :) My nails and skin look great! I just have to stick this out 2 more days! TWO MORE DAYS! I know some people feel like they can continue on the cleanse for weeks after...but I think I'm definitely ready to get off of it. It's not that I feel awful or hungry or anything. Like I said- I just want a change. I can't wait to experience eating again for the sheer joy of it!
Day 9: Ho hum. It's the day before I'm done! YAY! I can't believe I've gotten this far. Wow. I went on a celebratory grocery shopping spree at Earthfare which is kind of like a Whole Foods store and reveled in all the wonderful things I'm going to make. I may or may not have splurged on a vegan brownie at the bakery and vegan asian dumplings from the deli counter as well :) hehe. As much as I am excited about eating super healthy again and am craving fresh fruits and salads and the like, my sweet tooth has definitely not disappeared- although I can't say 100% yet how it will taste. Things that I used to love may be a bit too rich for me now (which I'm hoping actually happens!) But we'll see. Also can I say I'm pretty sick of the lemonade? While I've warmed up to the taste significantly- it's still pretty tiresome. I'm just ready to eat solid food again. 2 days..2 days... (the first day off the cleanse I am supposed to only drink orange juice and then the next day I can only have soup and then I can finally have all my goodies! yay!) OH and I can fit comfortable into a pair of jeans I could barely button up before the cleanse! Score!
Day 10. I'm on the last day! The last day! I've got a pitcher of Simply Orange in the fridge and a box of clementines that are ready to be devoured! NOM! It's pretty exciting. This whole thing has gotten pretty monotonous. But I just weighed myself and I've lost a total of around 10 lbs. Crazy, right?! I also still haven't bitten my nails or cuticles so they actually are starting to look like normal people nails which is super cool :) So what did I learn by doing this?
- That not eating solid food for 10 days is surprisingly easier than I thought.
- That we take eating for granted and just shovel it in instead of utilizing all the senses. I tended to want to smell, touch, and just look at food since I couldn't eat it and it was (almost!) like eating it! Seriously! So from now on I'm really going to treasure each meal and eat slower, taking my time to relish in the flavors and textures.
- That you can really do anything you set your mind to- even if it is not partaking in any New Years Eve festivities.
- That people are surprisingly supportive of things that may seem weird. I didn't want to make a huge fuss about it because I'm sure people that have not really researched the Master Cleanse would be quick to make judgments, saying this is a "starvation diet" or something like that, but the few people that did know about it were very supportive and I've even influenced some to go on it themselves!
- That the human body is very able to sustain itself readily without food. We think sometimes that if we go 5 hours without food we're going to keel over and die!
- That food does not have control over me anymore. (best part!) That was the whole point of doing this for me, personally. Along with kick-starting my super-healthy eating and cutting out of other things. But I just always succumbed to food instead of using it to nourish me solely. I ate when I wasn't hungry and in social situations alot- and I learned that it is easy to just drink water at the table even if others are eating. It's not a big deal!
Day 12: Today I can incorporate soup along with my orange and clementines that I've been eating! (Although I must admit I've snuck a few bites of other things here and there...shhh!) But it's nice to be able to eat again. Now that I've been intaking more calories, I did a short workout as well and it feels so nice to get my body and muscles movin' again too! I've already planned out my workouts and I'm excited about getting in the best shape of my life this semester. :)
So overall, this cleanse has been a positive experience I would say. Would I recommend it for everyone? Probably not. It's something you really have to be in the right mindset for, and if you lead an unhealthy lifestyle it will be alot harder for you than it was for me, probably as you will be dealing with caffeine withdrawals on top of it and the like. Also, if you are somebody who likes to bend the rules, this is not for you as you really need to do it pretty much to the letter to do it safely and to get the maximum benefit of the cleanse. Also, it's not something you can just up and decide to do one day- I carefully researched and then set a date and focused on that starting date. However, I don't want to discourage anyone, and if you are relatively healthy and really want something to jump-start an even healthier lifestyle, I would definitely recommend it. However make sure you are not under requirement to do strenuous movement/exercise as you would probably be too weak. (However I did shake my booty on the town with no problems on several occasions! haha) But if you are considering it, just make sure you do some research and go for it! :) http://themastercleanse.org/ is a wonderful resource and helped me alot. Youtubing others' experiences on the cleanse was very inspirational for me as well! There is alot of information on it on the web, and I also read a book on it in Barnes & Noble (Look under the Alternative Medicine section to find it!)
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