liver cleanse before and after
Health

My Liver Cleanse Journey – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!

liver cleanse before and after
Liver/Gallbladder/Parasite Cleanse Supplements

Three years ago, I did my first liver/gallbladder/parasite cleanse which was 3 weeks long.

After completing the cleanse I’d lost 12 lbs, had a flat tummy, and my skin was GLOWING and my eyes were bright! 

I had a ton of energy and never felt healthier and lighter on my feet in my entire life. I felt years younger inside and out!

My body was renewed, refreshed and my palette had changed. Sugar cravings were gone, and juicing became a habit. Since then, I’ve developed better eating habits and have wanted to be kinder to my body.

April 5th was my birthday, so as a gift to myself I started the same cleanse and I’m going to tell you about it in detail this time around!

Why Did I Want to do a Liver Cleanse?

I wanted to feel that way again! I wanted to lose the tummy fat I’ve been carrying around (the bloat just never seemed to go away), I wanted my skin to glow, and I wanted to detox my body!

During 2015 I went through 3 rounds of IVF and other fertility treatments with max doses….and I know those hormones took a toll on my body, and my liver, and I gained weight I wasn’t happy about.

Toxins & Parasites

Make no mistake about it, we live in a toxic world, and your liver is the filter that metabolizes toxins. There are more toxins in our environment than ever before. They can be found in the foods we eat (pesticides, fertilizers), beauty products, and plastics to name a few.

There are also plenty of bacteria and parasites found on contaminated fruits, veggies and meats, and from your pets. Parasites can transfer to your body in ways we don’t always think about and it can cause a whole host of problems.

Viruses also live inside parasites and as they move around your body, they spread around those viruses – yuck!

If you’re wondering if you should do a liver cleanse, ask yourself these questions:

  • Do you always wash your fruits and veggies thoroughly?
  • Do you eat raw sushi?
  • Do you have animals?
  • Do you eat mostly processed, non-organic foods?
  • Do you have digestive issues? Bloating, diarrhea, constipation or other gut issues?
  • Do you have skin problems or allergies?
  • Do you feel tired all the time?
  • Are your hormones out of whack? Or have you gone through fertility treatments?
  • Is your metabolism sluggish?
  • Do you have trouble losing weight?

With that said, I’m going to list the Top 5 Reasons for a Liver/Gallbladder Cleanse

  • Detox Your Body – it just makes sense to detoxify the organ that is responsible for removing toxins from the body. It’s like cleaning your A/C filter or changing your water filter – sometimes when they have to work too hard, they need to be cleaned because they can’t keep up! Especially in the toxic world we live in today. And obviously if you have parasites, you’ll want to rid yourself of those!!
  • Weight Loss – The liver produces bile, which is used by your digestive system to breakdown fat. When you cleanse your liver, you help it promote the production of bile, which helps you metabolize fat.
  • Eliminate Gall Bladder Stones – Stones develop in the body from the build up of excess cholesterol. This cholesterol causes bile to harden into stones that can create blockages within the liver and gall bladder, impairing the liver’s ability to deliver nutrients back to the body and causing imbalances in the body’s retention of salt and water. FACT: During my first cleanse, I purged at least 100 small gall bladder stones which came as a total shock to me.
  • Increase Your Energy – The liver is responsible for providing nutrients back to the body. When the liver’s normal function becomes impeded by a build up of foreign substances, nutrients are not released back into the blood stream in the proper amounts. Liver cleansing will help maintain the proper supply of nutrients which will increase your energy for exercise and daily activities.
  • Look and Feel 5 Years Younger – By restoring your liver to its peak performance, you reduce the toxic build up in the cells of your body. Your skin will look healthier, more radiant/brighter, and the renewed breakdown of fat will aid in weight loss to help you look and feel healthier. I am living proof that this cleanse does make you look and feel younger!!

How Did I Learn About this Cleanse?

I am completing this cleanse (again) under the expert guidance of Dr. Samantha Monus. “Sam” has her PhD in Natural Medicine, is a personal trainer and a specialist in holistic medicine and whole body wellness. She’s also a personal friend of mine whom I met through volleyball.

You can contact Sam by email directly if you wish to inquire about whether this liver cleanse is right for you or to purchase the herbs I’m going to talk about in the next section (Black Walnut, Wormwood, Cloves and Lugol’s Iodine).

These four solutions are extremely concentrated, and not the watered down versions you’ll find in health food stores. For this reason, you would need to request these directly from Sam (I can’t link directly for purchase).

Essential Parasitic Herbs During the Cleanse

Aside from eating a clean, organic diet, there are several herbs you take throughout the cleanse, and a very specific schedule of when to take them which Sam provided me.

In a nutshell, these herbs will kill both adult parasites and their eggs and help to clean and detoxify your body and help your gut.

  1) Black Walnut Hull

Black Walnut Hull Tincture
Black Walnut Hull

This is a tincture (liquid) extracted from the the Black Walnut Hull (the outer covering of the nut). Black Walnut has a long history in herbal medicine and has anti-parasitic and anti-fungal properties.

Native Americans first used the Black Walnut as a laxative and as a treatment for eliminating parasites from the intestine i.e. pinworm, ringworm, tapeworm, and other intestinal parasites.

Black Walnut also aids in digestion, helps relieve colic, heartburn, flatulence, stimulates bile flow, balances blood sugar, wards off heart disease, fights acne, and even combats malaria and syphilis.

During the cleanse you’ll mix Black Walnut Hull drops with a bit of water and drink it down first thing in the morning. It’s slightly bitter, but easy to drink.

2) Wormwood

Wormwood and cloves
Pure Wormwood and Cloves

“As bitter as Wormwood” is an ancient proverb. Luckily you won’t have to taste it. This finely ground herb is in pill form so you just swallow it down with water.

As the name may imply, wormwood is a powerful worming agent that has been used for hundreds of years to expel parasites from both humans and pets. It also aids in digestion, prevents heartburn and gas, and boosts energy.

3) Cloves

Cloves are the dried flower of the Evergreen tree and in a pill form for this cleanse. Used in Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years, cloves are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber and contain Eugenol which gives cloves its distinct smell.

Eugenol is toxic against harmful organisms, including fungus, yeast and candida. Cloves contain a high level of anti-oxidants which defend against diseases.

Cloves also reduce gas and bloating, and aid in the proper elimination of food and toxins. Cloves are easy to go down, but they do make me burp! But I’d rather burp up that trapped gas than be bloated!

4) Lugol’s Iodine

Lugol's Iodine
Lugol’s Iodine Drops

This iodine and potassium solution has been around since 1829 and is named after the French physician, J.G.A. Lugol.

Since Iodine is a fungicide, it’s often used as an antiseptic and disinfectant, and for emergency disinfection of drinking water. It comes in many different concentrations.

Iodine is an essential element for good health and your entire body needs it.  It helps regulate the thyroid, metabolism, and hormones and helps block radiation and other toxins.

The Lugol’s you’ll use during the cleanse is in a tincture form – liquid drops you mix with a little water. This is the very last thing you swallow down before bed, and I have to hold my nose for this one….

Supplements I used During the Cleanse

Colon Max

ColonMax
ColonMax Natural Laxative

I have another name for Colon Max, and that would be “Colon Blast.” 😉  You’ll take this natural laxative solution (pills) at night during the first week of your cleanse to get things moving!

This is a blend of herbs and magnesium that helps stimulate the bowel so you’re going 2-3 times per day at the very least. Even if you’re not constipated, this jump starts your cleanse. It does not contain Senna or Cascara Sagrada.

Trust me when I say you’ll be wondering where it’s all coming from. For those who are constipated, you should take 2 at night. For me, I got by with taking 1 pill. I’ve never had a problem going but everyone is different.

Vanilla Light Protein Powder

Samantha Monus Vanilla Lite Whey Protein
Vanilla Lite Whey Protein

For smoothies (easy meals), energy, and getting adequate protein, minerals and vitamins and other detoxing ingredients. Vanilla Lite Whey Protein promotes fat burning and improved lean body mass.

It is a delicious, high quality functional food featuring 21 grams per serving of bio-active, New Zealand-sourced, pure whey protein, a variety of fibers for gastrointestinal and cardiovascular support, along with amino acids for muscle health and strength.

Greens First Pro Powder

Greens First Pro Powder
Greens First Pro Powder

For an added boost to my smoothies, I used Greens First Pro Powder which contains 15+ servings of fruits and vegetables in each scoop and made from 100% organic fruits and veggies.

It’s difficult to get all you need from whole foods, so this gave me a huge boost.

It contains 49 different super foods, probiotics for healthy digestion, reduces inflammation, increases energy (without stimulants) and it tastes great too! It contains NO wheat, dairy, MSG or preservatives.

AloePro Organic Aloe Vera Liquid

AloePro Aloe Juice
AloePro Juice

Aloe Juice has many health benefits including digestive support, increased hydration, skin and gut health, and it’s refreshing and tastes good!

Aloe contains natural nutrients and fiber, and is a natural healing agent.

I added a shot to my daily water once or twice per day and have continued this post cleanse. The Premier Research Labs AloePro contains no additives – 100% pure organic aloe straight from the plant with no water added.

I bought this directly from Sam but it’s not currently linked on her website (you can ask).

Probiotics

Ultimate FloraMax Probiotic
Ultimate FloraMax Probiotic

A probiotic is recommended when you have completed the 3 week parasite program and after the liver/gallbladder flush (not during).

This will help build and maintain a healthy balance of intestinal bacteria to support digestive and immune health. I started taking one pill nightly before bed once I completed the final flush and have continued.

Ultimate FloraMax Total Woman Care 90 Billion promotes digestive and immune health, supports vaginal and urinary health, promotes regularity, and helps replenish Bifido lost as we age.

What You Can’t Eat During the Cleanse

  • Avoid mixing fruit and veggies, aside from the apple in your fresh-pressed vegetable juice – eat them separately
  • Nothing white: no white bread or pasta
  • No dairy of any kind (no cheese, half n half, milk, etc.)
  • No soy or tofu (soy mimics estrogen in the body and is stored in your fat cells)
  • No alcohol
  • No sugar, sugary desserts, or soda (no crap food whatsoever)
  • No fake sweeteners
  • Also avoid eating flounder, shrimp, lobster or crabs (you want to avoid high mercury seafood)

What You Can Eat During the Cleanse

Fresh fruit and veggies for healthy skin
Organic fruits & veggies, limited lean meats and grains.

The foods you eat during this cleanse should consist of all organic fruits, veggies, limited meats and fish, and limited grains. It’s imperative to eat organic since you’re trying to detox.

Conventional farming (non-organic) uses a TON of pesticides which are absorbed by the food and then ingested by you and stored in your liver.

I’m not going to make a list of everything you can and can’t eat; that would be too long.

What I’m going to list here is what I ate in a typical day during this cleanse, and generally what you should follow.

When you wake up

Lemon detox tea
Lemon-ginger tea
  • Drink lemon tea before drinking or eating anything else (cleanses and detoxes the digestive tract and eliminates toxins). Just boil water, squeeze in the juice of one fresh lemon wedge and throw it in. I also like to add about 4-5 fresh ginger slices which aids in digestion. You may sweeten with honey or stevia, but I liked it plain.
  • Red Clover tea is actually the recommended morning tea for this cleanse, which helps detox the liver, the lemon tea is an accepted alternative. I did drink Red Clover tea during my first cleanse, but drank the lemon-ginger tea this time. I found it more enjoyable.

Breakfast Choices

  • Large bowl of fruit (strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, mango, papaya, apples or pears (anything with skin must be peeled), cantaloupe, kiwi, grapefruit, oranges). Any combination you’d like – just a large bowl of it! This fruit bowl should be your breakfast five days out of the week.
  • Two days out of the week you may eat up to 3 organic (non-hormonal, non-steroidal) eggs. Make a veggie omelette, hard boil, or fry them in a dab of coconut oil.
  • Or; you may have a bowl of millet with real, all natural butter (organic). This is a grain that tastes like grits and very delicious! You’ll find it in the grain section of your supermarket. I also got creative for dinner one night and made a Millet-Veggie Stir Fry – there is a ton of protein and fiber in millet.
  • Some mornings (or for lunch) I’d make a green smoothie with Vanilla protein powder, Greens First, tsp of ground Flax Seed or Flax Seed Oil (I like Barlean’s brand), tsp of Chia Seeds, spinach or kale, and fruit such as strawberries, raspberries or blackberries, topping off with water and ice. This is one of the best recipes you’ll ever try and so healthy! It’s also a great weight loss shake even if you’re not cleansing.

Snack Choices

  • Handful of Mung bean sprouts (aids in liver detox)
  • Handful of almonds but no skin allowed, you must soak/sprout them overnight and peel them, or cheat and buy them blanched like I did. The skins have enzymes which are hard to digest by the liver.
  • Handful of raw, unsalted (unbaked) pumpkin seeds
  • Two giant handfuls of blueberries

Lunch Choices

  • Fresh pressed vegetable juice. Try to include beets, celery, carrots, broccoli, kale, bok choy, lemon, ginger, and some green apple for flavor. If you don’t have a juicer, or don’t feel like doing all the work (which it is a lot of work to buy, wash, prep, clean the juicer etc.), you can order  fresh-pressed juice from your local juice bar or from an online vendor such as Jus by Julie where it will be delivered to your door. Throughout the cleanse I would also supplement my diet with fresh juices, you can always drink as much of these as you’d like! Great for a snack or an energy boost.
  • On the days I didn’t juice, I made a large salad with all the organic veggies I have: cucumber, carrot, tomato, turnip, red pepper, broccoli, avocado. Dressing may only be olive oil and balsamic and a little Spike seasoning. I eat this every night even when I’m not cleansing – delicious!
  • The green smoothie recipe I mentioned under breakfast is also a good lunch choice.

Dinner

  • Cleansing soups such as sweet potato soup, lentil soup, fresh vegetable broth/roasted veggie soups. These should be homemade so that they’re organic. It’s easy to make a large batch and freeze the extra, and souping is a great way to cleanse. I like to puree all my soups, as they are more easily digested and I like the creamy texture. One of my favorite recipes is Creamy Carrot-Ginger Soup.
  • Some nights I’ll just have soup, other nights I’ll have a bountiful salad with a small piece of wild caught salmon or local, wild caught yellow tail snapper. You could also have organic chicken breast, turkey or lamb.
  • Steak is only allowed once every 3 weeks (so you could only enjoy it once during this cleanse).  I happened to go vegetarian during my cleanse, eating only fish as my meat. It’s actually been a really nice break from the usual chicken I eat just about every night!
  • You can also eat sweet potato as a side, baked or boiled. I like to have it a couple nights a week along with some fish and steamed veggies, but according to this cleanse, you can have sweet potato up to six nights per week. Tons of fiber….you’ll be pooping great! 😉 You can also have wild rice but I would eat in moderation.

Dessert

  • Pineapple, papaya, grapefruit, apples (peeled), or applesauce you make in a food processor (not store bought)

Cleaning your Fruits and Veggies

Juicing for Liver Cleanse
Cleaning and prepping fruits and veggies for juicing

You must always wash your fruits and veggies thoroughly to remove any residual pesticides, parasites and bacteria.

Bacteria such as Listeria can be found on uncooked vegetables, and parasites are within the soil those veggies are plucked from, so if you’re not washing, it’s likely you’re introducing parasites to your system.

  • Rinse them first to get all the dirt off, then soak them in a sink full of water with 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide for 15 minutes. Drain, then fill it up again and add 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar for a final rinse.

You will not believe how fresh, crisp and delicious your fruits and veggies will taste after cleaning them in this fashion.

Yes it’s a pain in the butt, but you are detoxing. After your cleanse, I bet you’ll continue this practice, at least most of them time!

My Experience During the 3 Week Prep and What I Gave Up

Since I’ve done this cleanse before, and eat “fairly” clean most of the time, doing this second cleanse was not too hard for me.  I have felt absolutely fabulous!

The main things I personally had to cut out of my diet were alcohol, pizza night, bread/toast, CHEESE (oh I’m a cheese addict) and my nightly Hershey’s kisses or animal cracker binge, which I was beginning to enjoy too much!

Once you get into a routine of eating in this organic, healthy way, your cravings pretty much go away and you find alternative foods to eat instead of junk.

Instead of chocolate or cookies, I’ll eat a handful of raw cashews at night when I’m watching TV when the munchies kick in. I will admit I caved one night and had a small square of dark chocolate – hey, no one’s perfect!

Eating so many fruits, vegetables and fish, and herbs that aid with digestion has made me realize that many of the foods I’d been eating were highly inflammatory and were the source of my bloated belly.

Flooding your body with so many nutrients, vitamins and anti-oxidants is what makes your skin glow and your eyes shine bright! It’s so important to anti-age from the inside out!

Liver/Gallbladder Flush Day – The Fun Part! (Not)

Eating clean and taking herbal supplements for three weeks was the easy part. The flush day is the hardest part of this cleanse since it’s not too pleasant drinking Epsom salt or visiting the bathroom 15x in a 24 hour period (but so worth it when you’re done).

After the parasite part of the cleanse is over (3 weeks of taking the herbs and detoxifying and nourishing your entire body), you must flush the liver and the gallbladder to release any stones.

This flush is not recommended until you’ve completed the parasite program and have been slowly detoxing for 3 weeks. I can’t even imagine trying this flush without preparing for it – just don’t!

You’ll need to set aside a day where you don’t need to do anything but rest and lie around, and be close to your bathroom. If you work regular hours M-F, I would recommend doing this on a Friday night so you have the weekend to relax.

One of the main actions of the Epsom salts is to dilate (widen) the bile ducts, making it easy for the stones to pass. Also, the salt clears out waste and toxins. The grapefruit/olive oil mixture is also essential to allowing your body to release the gallstones.

You’ll be making many trips to the bathroom during the flush and your stool will be watery. You may notice the gallstones floating in the toilet near the end of the flush, and you may see them coming out for the next few hours and into the next afternoon.

During my first liver cleanse, I did my flush during the day and experienced miserable detox symptoms (headache, nausea, body aches). This time, I did it at night and I found it much easier because I was able to sleep from 1:00 am – 6:30 am and didn’t notice the side effects as much.

I did experience achy legs and just kind of yucky feeling but it wasn’t too bad this second cleanse. I also felt extremely tired, and even a bit depressed the following day. I basically sat around, rested and watched TV and slowly got my energy back by eating small, light meals and re-hydrated with tons of water and warm lemon-ginger tea.

The hardest part for me was actually drinking the solutions. I’m not going to sugarcoat it – it all tastes pretty nasty! As far as going to the bathroom a million times, my advice is to have some baby wipes on hand, because your rear end does get a bit sore.

Tip: During my flush, I decided to sleep in the spare room, away from my husband. I lit a candle, had my phone, my Ipad, watched Netflix and used our spare bathroom. I didn’t want to disturb him and I enjoyed having this be a private experience.

Procedure and Ingredients for the Liver/Gallbladder Flush:

Ingredients:

  • 4 Tablespoons Epsom Salts dissolved in 3 cups of purified water, chilled
  • 1/2 cup light olive oil (I couldn’t find “light” – I used Newman’s Own Organic, Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
  • 2 large pink grapefruits
  • Black Walnut Tincture

Schedule for night time flush:

  • 6:00 pm – drink 3/4 cup of the Epsom salt solution, I used a straw and chugged it down.
  • 8:00 pm – drink your second serving of 3/4 cup Epsom salt solution
  • 9:45 pm – prepare the olive oil/grapefruit mixture. Juice two grapefruits, enough to make 3/4 cup, and combine with 1/2 cup olive oil into a jar along with 25 drops of the Black Walnut Tincture. Shake vigorously until the solution is watery.
  • 10:00 pm – Stand next to your bed and drink it, if possible, without interruption. I had a hard time getting this down. I almost threw up a few times but kept it down. Mind over matter! Lie down immediately on your LEFT side, with your head propped up on a pillow. Lie perfectly still for 20 minutes, in a dark room, and do not even speak. Focus on your liver and meditate. This is when you may feel the stones traveling along the bile ducts. There is no pain involved with this at all, the Epsom salts keeps the bile ducts relaxed and opened wide. I didn’t feel the stones traveling but I still released them. Everyone will have a different experience.
  • 6:00 am – 6:30 am – drink your third serving of 3/4 cup Epsom salt solution, if you’re sleepy you may go back to bed, I did after a few trips to the bathroom.
  • 8:00 – 8:30 am – drink your fourth and FINAL serving of 3/4 cup Epsom salt solution
  • 10:00 – 10:30 am – You may drink fresh pressed fruit juice at this time. Half an hour later, you can eat one to two pieces of fresh fruit. One hour later you may eat light food, soups or salads. You should continue to eat light meals for the next 2-3 days.

NOTE: you may drink water during the cleanse, but not until an hour after each Epsom salt dose, and not for two hours after you drink the olive oil/grapefruit mixture. I drank a 16 oz glass of water at 7pm, 9pm, midnight, 7 am, and 10 am.

Colonic Cleansing – Fun Part #2 (no pun intended!)

It was suggested that colonic cleansing be a part of this journey to further detox the colon, and flush out additional toxins, parasites, lingering gall stones and any impacted fecal matter. You will want to include this if you want optimal results from your liver flush.

I had a colonic done about a week into my three week cleanse, and then a second one the day after the liver flush.  Once that second colonic was done, I knew my journey was complete! It sounds silly to say this was the icing on the cake, but it was! It was the finish line!

I was still feeling a little icky from just having gone through the flush, but I felt much better after the colonic. I felt completely cleaned out, detoxed, and light on my feet. I normally lose about 1 pound after a colonic, but some people can lose a lot more.

Even after doing the flush, you’d be surprised what’s sticking around in your colon!

There are a ton of health benefits of colonic hydrotherapy, and if you’ve never had a colonic, it’s a an easy process that only takes about an hour. It’s really not that unpleasant at all if this is something that you’ve never done. A little weird yes, but it doesn’t “hurt.”

If you’re in the Palm Beach area, I highly recommend Debbie Stromer with Boca Raton Colonics.  She works closely with Sam’s patients going through the liver cleansing process.

Debbie made me feel completely comfortable and explained the process step by step and helped me feel relaxed and comfortable.

I met Debbie four years ago when I did my first cleanse and had three colonics at that time. I would not skip this step if you decide to go through this process. It just goes hand in hand!

The Best Part – the Results of my Liver Cleanse!

Here are the highlights of what I’ve noticed since completing this cleanse:

  • My skin has improved, it feels much more supple, hydrated and the texture improved.
  • My face is less puffy and red.
  • My under eye area is no longer puffy when I wake up.
  • The redness in my eyes has disappeared – they appear more white, clear and bright. I was recently diagnosed with blepharitis/rosacea of the eyes but they are much better now.
  • My belly is flatter and much less bloated.
  • I lost a total of 6 pounds which all seemed to melt right off of my middle, back and rear.
  • I released gallstones – not as many this time, but that’s a good thing. I got a lot more out my first cleanse!
  • I have a greater awareness and respect for what I’m putting into my body now.
  • I feel like I’ve accomplished something important, and gotten rid of any lingering hormones from IVF, toxins, and parasites!
  • My entire digestive tract feels better. I’m eating smaller meals and craving healthy foods.
  • My sugar cravings are gone.
  • I feel and look younger!

Conclusion & Recommendation

In the middle of the flush day, I remember thinking to myself “I will NEVER do this again.” However, now that it’s over – I can say with clarity that it was 100% worth it!

I do in fact look and feel younger! I’m thinner, my skin is glowing, my eyes are white again and I feel refreshed and renewed. I feel really healthy and have a ton of energy! I also know my liver and gallbladder are thanking me.

Was it easy? To be honest, for me the three weeks of eating clean and taking herbs wasn’t too difficult for me.  If you’re used to the SAD (Standard American Diet), have sugar addictions, alcohol addictions or other food addictions, it may not be as easy and you may have more intense detox side effects than I did. But don’t let that stop you, let that motivate you to take back your health!

Sometimes we must endure unpleasantries for the sake of our health and well being. I’d sure as heck rather do this now, and continue to do it once per year, than have health problems later or have my gall bladder removed.

But if you have gotten to this point and read my very lengthy blog post on liver cleansing, that means you’ve been researching it, want to know more, and may want to know if this is right for you.  I don’t know anyone who would not benefit from a liver cleanse!

I encourage you to have professional guidance going through a cleanse such as this; I would not want to do this alone. I am happy that I had Sam to encourage me, guide me, and give me tips along the way to make this a positive and life changing experience!

Questions or Comments? Please leave them below, I’d love to hear from you!

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Q: I would like to make an order -Otilia

A: Hi Otilia, contact Samantha Monus https://www.samanthamonus.com/

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Q: Is this cleanse safe to do if you don't have a gallbladder? I had a Cholecystectomy 6-7 years ago at age 24 (runs in the family). Now that I am in my 30's I'm noticing I'm more tired and it has become impossible to loose weight, even though I am eating better and working out a few times a week for over a year now. I've only gained weight! I was considering doing the "master cleanse" (basically sea salt & water flush every morning for 7 days and only drinking 3 liters of spicy lemonade concoction daily for 10-14 days) However, the idea of not actually eating food concerns me. Although, it could be a good break for my digestive system (I have been having off/on diarrhea for weeks now) I started a KETO/OS 5-day trial, which is how I got your blog, because I was doing research on what to expect. So, now I'm just confused on where to start. Do I do a liver cleanse or master cleanse then the Keto/OS? Can I take KETO/OS while doing a cleanse? I want results but I also can't afford to spend hundreds of dollars on all the supplements, tinctures, oils, pills, etc. that are required in the liver/gallbladder you outlined. Any feedback would be helpful! Thanks! -Nicole

A: Hi Nicole! Thanks for your questions, I'll try answering them all. I tried the Master Cleanse and survived on the lemonade/red pepper concoction for 4-5 days, ugh is all I have to say about that! ;) I would not recommend it nor would I do it again. I did lose weight (maybe 4 lbs), but I started losing muscle, quickly. It's a quick fix and it won't be permanent - don't waste your time and put yourself through that. I can't even imagine doing it for 14 days, and if you exercise, you will have zero energy.

I would much rather see you do a 3 day juice fast if you want to give your body a break from foods and jump start a healthy eating plan; it's more nutritious and easier on your body. Personally I don't think I'd ever fast again for longer than 3 days. I find that making life changes and just trying to eat clean and supplement your diet with green smoothies and fresh juices is much more healthy than just juicing alone, and you'll still lose weight.

Regarding the liver cleanse, I wasn't sure so I checked with Dr. Monus (Samantha) and while she did say it would be safe to do the cleanse without a gallbladder, she said you should not do it without guidance.  The liver/gallbladder flush day does flush both of those organs at once, as sometimes the liver holds stones as well. So in your case, it would just be focusing on the liver since you don't have a gallbladder.  It is a lot of money to complete this type of intense cleansing, but I will say that if you can ever afford it, do it. It's life changing and the investment in your health is priceless. I highly recommend contacting Sam if you do decide to move forward with the cleanse. She's amazing.

With what you've told me, I think you should give Keto-OS a try and commit to drinking it for a month to see what kind of results you get and then decide from there if you want to keep going. I would also work up to two packs per day if you have more than 10 lbs to lose. How did you feel after drinking it for 5 days? When I started, I just drank half a pack for the first maybe 4-5 days then went to a full pack. It wasn't until I drank a full pack in the morning that I really noticed all the benefits (mental focus, appetite suppression, weight loss). So, maybe you just didn't drink it long enough to really let your body adjust and go into ketosis? This is why I don't like recommending that people just get the 3-pack as a sample. Yes, you can see what it tastes like, but you won't feel the full effect.

They have a brand new flavor  Chocolate Swirl 3.0. It's supposed to work even better and they've added a prebiotic - so hopefully it won't upset your tummy like the old formula. I still have a bunch of the older 2.0 orange ones that I need to use up, but next time I'm getting the 3.0. It's delicious, I have tried it!

I'm happy to answer any more questions you have, and I wish you all the luck on your weight loss and journey to becoming more healthy! It's super frustrating when you work out and the scale doesn't budge. That's exactly where I was before.  If you'd like to talk more privately about anything else, you can email me at [email protected]. Or feel free to ask away here as well.

Thanks! ~Rachel

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Rachel Vrabel

Rachel is Chief Editor of Women’s Blog Talk and writes reviews across the spectrum of anti-aging, health and beauty. She has an English degree from USF and worked in finance for 15 years before establishing this website in 2011. She loves having a place she can share her inspiration for health and beauty and continue to help others! She lives in South Florida with her husband and her hobbies include beach volleyball, HIIT training and combing the beach for sea glass and shells.

2 Comments

  • Laura

    Hi There, Thanks for all the good info and detail. Can you give me a cost breakdown of all the herbs and powders you recommend in your article?

    • Rachel Vrabel
      Rachel Vrabel

      Hi Laura, sorry for the late reply, I’ve been traveling. I would contact Samantha Monus through her website, SamanthaMonus.com. I’ll be honest it was very pricey but so worth it, and they are the best quality herbs. I think I remember it being around $400 and that’s without the Vibac which she recommends most people to start with. It’s an anti-viral solution to prep your body before starting the rest. I didn’t do that part of it because I’d just been on a round of antibiotics and felt I had a clear system. But Sam will let you know the current pricing and what she recommends. She’s amazing… you may be able to browse her website for some of those things (and I do direct link for some) but as far as the cleansing herbs (Black Walnut tincture, wormwood and cloves) you’ll have to email her for those. Good luck! It’s something I’ve never regretted. ~Rachel

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