Day 10 - The Master Cleanse!

Yes, I did it. 10 days of the Master Cleanse, nothing but Salt Water Flush (SWF), Herbal Senna Tea and of course...the spicy lemonade mixture. I didn't make it widely known, because there are a lot of judgers out there. So I decided that on my last day, I would write a post to expose my entire experience. It will be a long one folks, but you can read this to know what YOU can expect during the Master Cleanse, the ups and downs, tricks of the trade, mind over matter, all that junk!

First, why?

Well, it was something I tried to start a long time ago, but thought my fiance would think I was crazy, and to be honest, I didn't think I could do it. The challenge didn't become real for me until my fiance told me he wanted to try do this cleanse (from a referral by a friend). My competitive nature kicked in and I started it immediately the next day (many do a 3 day ease-in, I say JUMP!), he is planning his for September.

Obviously, the first attraction was that I wanted to lose weight and it says that you can lose 1-2 pounds a day. If you complete the 10 days, that's 20 pounds. I need to lose 30, so there you have it. The primary goal of this cleanse, however, is not weight loss, it is detoxifying and flushing out your system. *MC Golden rule* If you think of this as a cleanse and NOT a diet, it makes sense and keeps your motivation, trust me. You have to realize that will indefinitely gain some weight back when you begin eating solid food but if you don't eat healthy afterwards, you'll gain it ALL back. It's up to you.* During the process, your mind changes into healthy mode though, you realize what is and what isn't easy to digest and how you want your body to feel.

What you need:

• Grade B Maple Syrup (grade A is okay if you can't find the other, organic is best) - Trader Joe's is the best place to get this, comes in a big bottle $13.99.
• Fresh lemons (*MC Golden Rule* they MUST be fresh, no lemon juice, etc. The enzymes in fresh lemons are most potent for the cleanse)
• Cayenne Pepper
• Herbal Senna Tea
• Herbal Peppermint Tea (as a substitute or something different in your day is okay)
• Sea Salt (I've seen people use the celtic sea salt, I just used the one I had, you SHOULD NOT use Iodized table salt, must be sea salt)

The process

Basically it's 10 days (not 5, not 7, not 9) of fasting with this juice blend. In the morning before you do anything (you'll probably have to wake up earlier than normal) take the salt water flush.

SWF - 24 oz. of distilled/filtered water with 2 teaspoons of sea salt.

Very salty and gross. Just close your eyes and drink it fast. Plan to be around the bathroom for at least 2 hours.

Every time you get hungry, make and drink your lemonade. *MC Golden Rule* - do not pre-mix, if the lemonade sits the enzymes in the lemonade are less effective. I messed this up day 1 and tried to make it for the whole day. It's a no-no.

2 tblsp lemon juice (about half a medium lemon)

2 tblsp maple syrup

Add 8-10 oz. of distilled/filtered water

1/10 tsp cayenne pepper/to taste

Enjoy!

At night before you go to bed, drink the Herbal Senna Tea, which is actually pretty tasty in my opinion. *note* After day 2 I started to get cramps early in the morning from this. If you drink your SWF immediately in the morning the cramps will go away and you can get to 'cleansing' :).

*MC Golden Rule* You should drink plenty of water during the flush, but not more water than lemonade mixture. Not sure why, maybe it dilutes it.*

My Journey on the cleanse train

Day 1 - Day 1 starts off okay and ends with tears (okay, not really). It's hard, by the end of the day you're hungry, okay maybe by lunchtime. Nothing you can really do about this than keep yourself busy. I decided to go workout, I wasn't too weak, since it was only the first day. Only mentally hungry really, oh and heavy white film on my tongue. It's a HARD day.

Day 2 - Whiny. I threatened to quit about 20 times this day, all while persevering. Those SWF really do the trick though, I can definitely feel waste eliminating from my body. I wasn't sure I was going to get past the day, but I just whined a lot and did nothing about it. My tongue is definitely white and dry and gross. I think this was the first day that my fiance ate a big juicy burrito right in front of me. :(

Day 3 - Things are getting easier. With the hunger pains gone, now it was really just all mental. This was the first day that I noticed my sense of smell was heightened. Empty stomach at this point and only liquids coming through. Have been waking up late and going to bed early. Craving EVERYTHING I see.

Day 4 - Much easier today and feeling light, don't feel like I'm losing any weight though. Not exactly energized like some say. Just going through the motions and keeping myself busy with all the tons of work I need to do. Decide to go for yoga and feel like it will be good for my 'hungry' spirit to relax my body for a bit. Feel good but really thirsty afterwards, need to drink more water. This is the first day that I didn't run to get lemonade every couple of hours, actually I don't even think I took all the glasses I was supposed to (at least 6/day).

Day 5 - This was interesting. We went to Santa Monica to workout. I did a light stair workout, was pretty hungry, but kept drinking water. Then rushed home to change for a flower appt. (wedding planning) really hungry. I took some mixture with me because we were going to a birthday party. My senses were on high alert at the Mexican restaurant, but I sat there and had water with lemon, like a good little cleanser should. Got a lot of questions and finally told people about the cleanse, many skeptical and called it the Beyonce diet, which was not my purpose for this. I need more lemonade, but don't have access to ingredients, so I continue with water. Cupcakes, I want birthday cupcakes! :( We went to a club afterwards for a friend's event. I could smell every little last bit of alcohol on B's (my fiance's) body, no good for me that night. Those scents are SO strong, I wonder why we don't sense them normally.

Day 6 - I had a dream about buying two hamburgers, taking a bit and then feeling guilty about it. I woke up confused and realized it was a dream. Feeling pretty light and chipper. We go to yoga on the bluff, I'm pretty hungry, especially since on Day 5, I was NOT able to get to lemonade when I wanted it. I drank water but water is not great after 5 glasses. Today I feel good, getting things done, energized, finally. I was a little disappointed when I weighed myself, only 6 lbs, which means probably closer to 3 lbs. when I'm finished. We'll see how things go. Contemplated quitting this day too.

Day 7 - What a productive day for me. This cleanse is really just normal now. Apart from the occasional desire to chew yummy foods, because I do love food, I'm definitely not hungry. I'm okay for the most part, but keep looking up yummy recipes online, can't wait for Saturday. I feel really light and lifted in my body. I was very focused on my work and was thinking pretty clearly. I could get used to this. I'm now contemplating stretching the cleanse out over the weekend to save me from eating poorly at my brother's place, we'll see. I had a facial appt., my person smelled of garlic, normally I don't think I would notice, it was light, but my smelling has become like a superpower. Great day!

Day 8 - I have been feeling really good today. Got a lot of work and creative thinking done today. Finally feel the energy everyone talks about, got a GREAT workout in today! *MC Golden Rule* Listen to your body when it comes to working out on the cleanse. Some say don't do it. If your body allows it, go with the flow, just don't push yourself or be surprised when you can't really go all out. Be active but not crazy.* I am ready for the cleanse to be over, but I'm fine at the same time. Smelling all kinds of odors on the bodies of others. B reeked of garlic and spices from his carne asada tacos last night. They looked so good, but the aftermath kills me. Every time I see meat now, I think man, that is really hard to break down in the body (guessing that's where the smell comes from). Looks yummy though. I think my tongue is turning pink again, a sign that you body is nearly finished detoxifying.

Day 9 - This morning B looks at me and say's "I think I want French Toast", I was about ready to jump over the couch and punch him. I don't care if I feel good about this cleanse or not, teasing or even discussing french toast (you know the one with Hawaiian bread, coconut milk and vanilla) with me at this point is not a good idea. Today was really bad, yoga was really hard, I just started my womanly time. Cleanse + womanhood = BAD! Just when I thought I was okay. I usually comfort myself with Indian food, but nada and I'm exceptionally hungry, I think its the hormones. I am DEFINITELY quitting on Friday.

Day 10 - So this WOULD be my last day if I wasn't crazy. I have decided that I am stretching it out to Monday which would be 14 days on the cleanse. I have headaches today, but I think its the menses. I feel like weight loss ultimately plateaued very short for me but I feel good, I'm hoping a few more days may bump it up a few pounds. Mostly, I don't want to go visit my family and ruin all the work I've done, so I'll just stay on it for now.*MC Golden Rule* The ease out is a critical part of the cleanse, because it gets you back to normal. After not eating solid food you can't just jump right into it (you'll gail a lot of weight, back). You start with 1 day of OJ and water, 2nd day soups and juices (fresh), 3rd vegetables and then go from there. Afterwards continue a healthy eating and exercise plan. Or in my words, don't ruin the torture you just went through, be good!*

Overall Thoughts: When you see good food when you're on the cleanse, you want it. I wanted it but thought, damn, the work my body goes through digesting that may not be worth it. This cleanse has definitely changed my diet. I will be eating soups more often, less meat/fish, less bread products, less cheese, less everything. All organic vegetables and eliminating foods with preservatives, although it may seem like a dollar more, I think your body with thank you later. Your body works really hard to digest your food, which affects other important body functions and it makes your body feel super heavy. I definitely love the light feeling I have right now and don't want to lose it. I also noticed the shittier you eat, the more your body smells, we just don't notice because we all smell. All you people smelled really bad when I was on this thing.

However, I don't know that I would do this again, or would be able to. They say its safe to do every 4 months or so, maybe I'll do it twice a year. The first few days are pretty rough, but if you can get through Day 3, the rest is a breeze. I am certain that all the other cleanses are NOT worth it, juice cleanse BOGUS, wayyy too much sugar. This is THE ONE! Otherwise, just cut out the grease, artificial sweeteners and dairy and eat healthy.

Total Weight Loss (10 days): ~8 lbs

Total inches lost: ~6" in my waist 4" Hips

Have any questions? Want to share your experience? Go ahead and comment, I dare you. Cheers!

Did Wet N' Wild make a comeback?

It's an interesting question right?

When you first think go Wet N' Wild you think, the cheapest nail polish in town or your favorite nail polish if you're under the age of 12, need a quick color, or you're looking for something glittery. You may know by now that painting my nails is something I am pretty religious about. I am not sure when this obsession really started but, it's a nice to have freshly painted nails at the beginning of a new week. Many times, I use it as time to relieve stress and do something completely mindless. Some weeks I may even paint them like 2 or 3 times. Also, painted nails are the most economical accessory to an outfit.

Anyway, I was in Target and looking at the multitudes of nail paint colors they have and took a glance at Wet N' Wild. They have a series called Wild Shine that looks like a Tween nail polish and kind of cheap from the packaging, but since it was so cheap (something like $1.99), I got two colors Blazed (a sort of beautiful cantaloupe color) and Dreamy Poppy (a more of a hot pink/Coral) and thought it was worth it to try it out. With two generous coats and a good top coat, these colors are fantastic. This is how Blaze came out:

(It looks more dewy and light in person)

Okay, so maybe Wet N' Wild is making its comeback, but some of their line is worth taking a second look at, so don't rule them out completely and give in to your teeny bopper urges sometimes.

Warning: The polish is quite thin (almost like a tint), so you must put on generous coats. The top coat I used was Sally Hansen Insta -Dry Top Coat, which really evened out some of the streaking of the polish and keeps cheap nail polish (or any nail polish) from chipping too soon.

A Dog's life - A Day in the life of Chaka

Hey, I'm Chaka.

I'm sure many of you have heard about me. That mom of mine, boy, she's a talker (I hope she didn't say anything embarrassing). I thought you may be curious about what I do here at 4213 Rose Ave., so I put together this schedule to give you a look inside my life. Enjoy it.

My Weekday Schedule - by Chaka

6:30 am - wake up w/mommy to go outside for the bathroom

6:35 am - go back to bed and rest w/pops

8:00 am - wake up and go see what mommy's doing in the office

8:15 am - go to the bathroom again (maybe #2), hang out outside for a few

9:00 am - have some breakfast and a drink

9:30- 10:30 am - hang out with mommy, make sure the office is secure, chew my toy, lick my feet, maybe take a nap

10:30 am - Sunbathe in the backyard, try to lure mommy to play frisbee

around 11:30 am (depending on how hot it is outside) - come back inside, play with my squeaky toy and roam around the house, maybe take a nap in the guest room or under the bed.

12:30 pm - encourage mommy or daddy to take me for a walk

1:00 pm - chill at the house in 'the office' with mommy, brainstorm about work ideas (this takes a lot out of me), grab a drink

1:30 pm - Afternoon nap, sometimes I gaze out the front door, thinking about the neighborhood

3:00 pm - snack time (sometimes), go outside, practice football, rest, chew on sticks, jumping practice (high jump).

3:45 pm - come inside take a nap under the futon or bark at the front door

4:30 pm - Work (I work security at the front door), watch some television

6:45 pm - get ready to take a walk (mommy tells me about 5 times that we're leaving before we actually do), visit Zoey (my lady down the street, she's a black lab, don't hate!)

around 7:30 pm - have some dinner, try to steal mommy and daddy's dinner

8:30 pm - play in the house, lay down

9:30 pm - cuddle with daddy, he rubs my feet and nose

11:30 pm - go check on mommy in the bed, go to sleep under the bed

2:30 am - hop on the bed to make sure everything is secure

I can't complain, my parents love me, what more could a pup want? I work hard but play harder. I have the best job on the planet and sometimes my dad shares his food, ma...she's another story. Hope you all visit real soon.

FWB vs. NSA - Movie Review(s)

No, of course don't really mean "real" Friends with Benefits and No Strings Attached, I mean the extremely similarly themed movies this summer that came out about finding love in supposed 'non-committal' relationships. When I first heard these were BOTH coming out, I was really interested to see what would turn out better. The situation mildly reminds me of that movie, The Muse (with Sharon Stone), where Albert Brooks ends up writing the same exact movie as another writer in the end of it all. I digress.

Yes, I saw both these movies. Let me start by saying that Friends with Benefits (starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake) was FARRRRRR better than No Strings Attached (starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher). How can that be, you ask? Despite the fact that I find it VERY peculiar that both the stars from Black Swan ended up making very similar romantic comedies (can we say challenge?), the NSA duo just doesn't deliver the romantic comedy performance that FWB does.

Mila vs. Natalie

While there is no doubt that Natalie Portman is a great actress (proven by her roles in The Professional, V for Vendetta, Star Wars, and Black Swan), she is lacking in believability and comes off a little bratty in the movie , as Emma, the Doctor. While Mila seemed to have a better grasp and identity with her character and a more believable career as a headhunter. It is clear that years on That 70's Show, has given a Mila a bigger edge on Sarcastic comedy and she is much funnier than Natalie, although I don't know that Natalie was really trying to be. Mila wins!

Justin vs. Ashton

I want to naturally believe that Ashton is naturally more comedic than JT (who rose to fame as a member of N'Sync), but sometimes he just goes a bit over the top in NSA. This is where JT shines in this movie, he doesn't overact. This is the first movie

that I have seen JT in, where he fills the roll quite nicely (IMHO). In addition, I think that Ashton was poorly matched with Natalie, so that could have something to do with it. While there were a couple of parts in the movie that I thought he was supposed to be funny and didn't quite pull it off, Justin did a great job as a co-star and had a lot more chemistry with Mila than Ashton with Natalie. Justin Wins!

Overall, the supporting case in FWB was pretty awesome and included Emma Stone (whom I LOVE), Patricia Clarkson, Jenna Elfman, Woody, Richard Jenkins, Brian Greenberg (Made In America), Andy Samberg (I love you, man) and others. NSA's cast wasn't without highlights, it included Kevin Kline, Cary Elwes, Ludracris and Minda Kaling (The Office), among a couple others. Beyond that, the story line of FWB was MUCH better and intertwined (as much as it can be for this kind of movie). FWB wins!

Let's face it, Will Gluck kicked Ivan Reitman's but on this one. These movies aren't winning any performance awards any time soon, but I will tell you FWB was not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Watch both of them, I'm sure you'll be on my side.

Things that make me right round baby, right round...

I have acquired some things that I can't live without most new, some old, but I wanted to share with everyone because they are awesome and may be interesting for you too. It would be crazy for you all to like the same things I do, wouldn't it?

Here we go. First and foremost....

(Philip Stein Large Gold Chronograph Watch, I've been dying for this thing and

finally decided to make the purchase. Woohoo!)

(Zebra Piggy Bank from Target, on sale for $5. You can find other great designs here.)

(Palmograph and Elephant posters from Urban Outfitters, for the guest room.)

(Marc Jacobs, discontinued Gardenia and Cucumber body mist. I had to find them on eBay. Perfect fresh mist when you want to smell and feel fresh.)

(Precious gold-plated floral measuring spoons set (no longer available, Urban Outfitters). UO has some really cute housewares right now that are worth taking a look at.

What are some of the things that you can't live without this month? Beauty secrets? Housewares? Gadgets?