I have released four recipe books so far:

The Best of the Sunny Raw Kitchen
The Best of Raw Freedom Community
Delightfully Raw and
Deliciously Raw

These feature some of the most delectable creations to have come out of my raw kitchen and will appeal to anyone interested in a healthier diet, regardless of their level of knowledge and experience. From easy one-step everyday fare to more elaborate and involved gourmet dishes and layered cakes, they offer something for everyone and every occasion. Incredibly tasty smoothies, creamy and comforting warm soups, sexy salads, delicious nut cheezes, satisfying entrees and scrumptious guilt-free desserts...

Healthy food never tasted so good!

To learn more about my recipe books, click here!

Saturday, December 22, 2012

My Experience With the Liver and Gallbladder Flush

Looks like we've made it to the other side of the infamous December 21st of 2012! Woo hoo!

Whether a shift has truly occurred and we have indeed entered a new era remains to be seen. According to the Monarchs' YouTube video about this important date, a rare planetary alignment took place on December 3rd and the following 18 days (3 x 6 or 6-6-6) were to be increasingly chaotic, ending with "3 days of darkness." Obviously not in a literal sense but rather figuratively speaking. All I can say is that this certainly seems to coincide with my own personal experience, as I've been going through one of the most challenging physical ordeals of my life!

As usual, I feel compelled to share my story in the event that it can be of assistance to anyone out there. 

A Wink From Life
Many years ago, when Don and I first got into raw, we heard about the Liver and Gallbladder Flush through a friend of ours. He had done several back then and we recently discovered that he has continued ever since. (By the way he has posted a series of videos on YouTube in which he shares what he's learned in the process under the alias of Liver Flush Man.) Anyhoo, Jordan was a little extreme in those days (I think he used to drink a whole quart of oil at once!) and we sort of discarded the cleanse altogether, feeling it wasn't right for us.

Now fast forward to this past fall... When we conducted a raw workshop at Ulla's in October, two of the participants had just done the Liver Flush the previous day. It was the first time in all of these years that we were hearing about it again. To our interest it popped up once more a few weeks later at Matt and Dawnen's. Matt, much like Jordan, has done several (he's lost track but he thinks probably around 30 flushes or so), and was getting ready to do another one at the upcoming new moon. (The idea behind that is that on the full moon our bodies retain most water while the day of the new moon is when it releases the most.)

Don brought back a book that Matt lent him on the topic: Andreas Moritz's The Liver and Gallbladder Miracle Cleanse. To my surprise (he's not usually interested in that sort of thing), Don almost immediately picked it up and read it from cover to cover. One of the reasons why he had discarded the flush before was that he suspected that stones were actually created by the large quantity of olive oil that is ingested during the Cleanse. But by reading the book many of his doubts were put to rest. Don saw that it simply could not be the case, as there are so many different types of stones that are known to be released, varying greatly in color, texture and density. Not to mention that one person can pass very different stones from one flush to another.

And so we decided to experience the Liver and Gallbladder Cleanse for ourselves, following closely Andreas Moritz' protocol as outlined in his book. (You can also read the summary of it here.)

Liver Flush #1
We began to prepare 6 days before the Cleanse by each drinking 4 cups of fresh apple juice daily. (Actually we drink apple juice every day in our morning blend so we just made an additional 2 cups.) The purpose behind this is that mallic acid contained in the juice helps to soften the stones. At first we'd drink the whole thing almost at once but it gave me cramps. While mentioning this to Matt I learned that we were actually supposed to sip the juice throughout the day so that the stones are constantly being doused with mallic acid. It did solve the issue.

On Day 5 we each took 2 tablespoons of castor oil in the morning. Castor oil has a laxative effect and therefore helped to start cleansing our digestive systems.

On Day 7 we had our usual apple-carrot-beet-lemon-ginger juice as well as an extra 2 cups apple juice in the morning, followed by a green smoothie for lunch. Andreas recommends to not ingest anything besides water past 1:30 pm, so that we can rest the body and also make it easier to see the stones being passed.

Puss likes to keep me company during enemas.
In the late afternoon, since we didn't have access to colon hydrotherapy, we took turns in giving ourselves water enemas. It was a very good thing as my colon still needed a lot of cleaning. We then continued to follow the protocol, drinking Epsom salts and water at 6pm and 8pm. The purpose of the Epsom salts is to relax the ducts so that the released stones can travel freely down to the colon. Before taking the olive oil and grapefruit mixture at 10pm we prepared castor oil packs over our liver/gallbladder area, which we secured with saran wraps and wore for 2 hours.

Surprisingly I had no trouble drinking the olive oil and grapefruit juice, but boy did the Epsom salts and water ever turn out to be a challenge! Yuck, that stuff is sooooo foul!

Don was a bit concerned that drinking so much oil would affect his kidneys, which have been weak ever since he had an internal infection some thirty five years ago. I learned that in fact the large amount of oil isn't even processed by the liver or the kidneys, but rather triggers the release of bile, which carries out the gallstones. As it turned out his kidneys were just fine.

During the night we both experienced a very mild discomfort and didn't sleep very soundly, as there was too much action going on inside.

After my first morning dose of Epsom salts there still were no signs of stones, so I began wondering if it really worked. I've read since that most people in fact don't release any stones at all for the first few flushes. But then it all started... After many trips to the bathroom and three water enemas during that morning/early afternoon, to my amazement I released what must be close to a total of 1 1/2 cups of stones! Wowsers! They were mostly small and pea green or light brown in color. I also had some fairly big agglomerations of stones that had loosely bundled up together.

I must admit that I was surprised to release so many, especially since I have been eating mostly raw foods for the last twelve years. On the other hand I believe that it is thanks to my healthy diet that I was able to have such results on my first flush. Another positive thing according to Matt is that the stones weren't smelly at all. My colon hydrotherapist friend, Ulla, had actually never seen anything like it!

One testimonial to the fact that the stones that came out were genuine is how different the experience was for the three of us. In comparison, Don passed perhaps 2 tablespoons of stones altogether and of a lighter green color than mine.  Matt, for his part, didn't release anything at all except bile. Andreas suggests that we continue to do Liver Flushes until we no longer release any stones for one or two cleanses. I guess that's where Matt is at now.

Needless to say that I found the whole process really quite interesting. Because of the combination of fasting and the laxative effect of the Espom salts, our intestines are squeaky clean and therefore only release liquid (a mixture of water and bile). As a result, whenever we pass stones the flow is momentarily interrupted. It's actually kind of fun methought. ;-) Not to mention that it also makes it easier to collect the stones. While 'younger' stones just float on the surface, older, calcified stones will sink to the bottom.

Some people report feeling a burst of energy after doing a Liver Flush, for my part I didn't notice much difference. In fact I soon began experiencing digestive troubles afterward. I learned that it's not unusual that it takes a couple of days for our digestion to get back on track, but it got to be so bad that I became hesitant to eat anything at all, not knowing how my body would respond. While my digestion finally did improve over time, I discovered that I had developed an intolerance to fat; I felt nauseous whenever I had more than, say, 1 tablespoon or so, be it in the form of nuts, avocado or oil. After doing much research online I learned that what most likely happened was that a gallstone got stuck in the ducts leading to my pancreas, resulting in my experiencing the symptoms of pancreatitis. See, when you begin to cleanse your liver and gallbladder of stones, more begin to travel down, hence the importance of continuing to do Liver Cleanses until no more stones are being passed.

Besides limiting my fat intake, as an immediate solution I began to drink liver teas as well as Chanca Piedra, which is known as the 'stonebreaker' herb. It is said to help dissolve both kidney and gallbladder stones.

Liver Flush #2
In light of the results of my first Liver Cleanse, it was clear to me that I had to pursue the process, for there could only be more stones waiting to be released. Plus I was growing increasingly uncomfortable with that 'stuck stone'. At first I wasn't sure when the next flush would be, as being on the road definitely complicates matters. Andreas Moritz suggests to wait at least four weeks to give a chance for the body to recover. As we were approaching the three week mark and knowing that I would most likely not really get a chance to do one for another two or three weeks, I decided to delay our departure for Utah by a few days in order to do a second Liver Flush.

Because I was a little squeezed for time I drank apple juice only for 5 days instead of 7. My original intention was to replace some or all of the Epsom salts with Oxy Mag (similar to Oxy Powder) which is used by a different Liver Cleanse protocol explained in Annie and David Judd's LifeFood Recipe Book: Living on Life Force. When talking it over with Ulla, because of the large stones that were released in the first Cleanse she recommended that I stick to the Epsom salts to ensure that my ducts are as wide as possible to prevent further stones from getting stuck. (Not that it seemed to help the first time, mind you.) I wasn't a happy camper but I trusted her take on the matter.

During my research I did come upon an instance where Andreas Moritz told a person of slight build to take a child dosage which is basically half of everything, including the apple juice. And so, being all of 100 pounds, I thought I'd do that. When the time came, however, I decided to stick to the protocol and to suck it up. (As you'll soon learn, this turned out to be a HUGE mistake!) This time I added a bit of lemon juice to the Epsom salts/water mixture and drank it with a straw. It did go down a little easier, but don't get me wrong, it still tasted terrible!

I had a rough night, not sleeping much as again, there was just too much going on in there. The next morning I first began to release a sort of cloudy mixture that floated on the water, then stones started coming out around 11 am. Unlike the first time I practically had no little stones at all. First came a single one that was approximately 1/2" long. Soon afterwards I could feel that something was stuck; it felt much like being constipated actually. Boy was I ever glad when it finally did come out: it was a monster of about 1 1/2" in diameter all around and undoubtedly the culprit that was blocking my ducts! I had several more fairly large stones come out after that, still hardly any small ones. Interestingly, all of them were of the same light green/brown color. I weighted them afterwards and it came to nearly the same amount as those released in my first flush, but with fewer stones.

Post Flush
In the aftermath of the Cleanse I felt drained. I could feel that it had been a major strain on my body, especially my kidneys. These grew increasingly painful. I looked and looked online and couldn't find anything suggesting a connection between the Liver Flush and kidney issues other than as a result of dehydration due to all of the liquid coming out in the process. I had made a point to drink during the cleanse though, and thought that the latter was unlikely. Plus there was also the fact that Don hadn't felt any discomfort in spite of his weak kidneys.

My first meal went down fine - soup, sauerkraut and cooked squash, something I was craving. As it turned out I was right to listen to my body, as cooked squash is very easy to digest. Over the next day or so I began to have trouble with some foods; it seemed that fermented products made my belly ache, and complex combinations were downright rejected by my body altogether. And so I decided to give my digestive system a break and mostly have liquid foods in the form of juices, fruit smoothies and soups sans miso, onion or garlic.  When I felt like consuming something more solid I ate cooked squash with coconut oil for dinner.

My kidneys continued to hurt, especially my left one, but as Don reminded me, I was putting good stuff in so I could trust my body to do its job of healing itself. I still drank Chanca Piedra twice a day and took probiotics before bed.

After almost a week of that, at last I stumbled upon a woman's post on a forum who experienced something very similar to me. She had a number of tests done at the hospital which revealed that her kidneys suffered from mild toxicity caused by the amount of Epsom salts that she took. When I read that, something immediately clicked inside me! From the very beginning I had reservations about taking the Epsom salts, and I really should have followed my initial instinct to at least cut down on the amount in light of my small size. Thankfully it looked like I'd been doing just the thing to help them recover: lots of raw fruits and veggies and drinking dandelion tea.

This discovery put to rest my concerns regarding the actual Liver Cleanse. It wasn't so much the process itself and the release of stones that were taxing, but the overuse of this one ingredient. It helped me entertain the idea of continuing on with it.

There was a point where I began to question whether I should have gotten into the whole liver cleansing thing in the first place. But then I looked back and saw how all of the pieces had fallen together and seemed to point in this direction. It was meant to be, however hard that was for me to see.

After about 10 days of liquid foods I began to carefully reintroduce solid foods, and later cultured veggies. I was doing pretty well until I splurged at a raw potluck, consuming more nuts than I had in quite some time. Interestingly enough, it was on December 15th, exactly at the end of the second cycle of 6 that Matt was talking about. I had difficulty digesting my dinner but at least I held the food in. Going to an Indian restaurant the next day, however, turned out to be the real kicker. I barely had time to get back to our friends' home before I got sick as a dog. ;-(

Once again, I felt I had little choice but to give my digestive system a big break. While I considered returning to a liquid diet, I decided to do a Master Cleanse instead, a topic that also started to creep back up after several years. After feeling it out I modified it slightly, as I felt that my body was badly depleted in nutrients. And so I continued to enjoy our morning juice before drinking the Lemonade for the rest of the day. On Day 4 I switched to juices: orange juice, our usual apple-carrot-beet-ginger-lemon, and the Mean Green recipe from the Reboot Your Life website. Really yummo! It's the favorite blend of Phil, the truck driver who decided to juice fast in the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. (By the way you can watch it for free here!)

Today I'm incorporating smoothie and soup, see how that goes. *fingers crossed* After spending a good chunk of the month of December on liquids and being down to 95 lbs, I must say that I'm very much looking forward to getting back to eating normally again.

I can't say at this point whether I want to continue with the Liver and Gallbladder Cleanse process, as I don't have it in me right now to go through this ordeal again, especially since I haven't fully recovered yet. I guess I'll take it one step at a time.

Dececember 26 Update
I'm pleased to report that after an initial failed attempt at introducing solid foods on Day 5, I was finally able to keep a meal of cooked squash down. Phfew! Since then I have been VERY slowly and for the most part successfully expanding my repertoire of ingredients. Tonight will be raw soup, salad and steamed broccoli. The latter worries me a bit as it can be difficult to digest. We'll just have to see...

Helpful resources I've stumbled upon:





 WARNING!!!




If you are queezy you better stop here! I'm now going to be sharing photos of my stones. I figured that others who are interested in doing the Liver and Gallbladder Cleanse might find them helpful.

Stone Harvest from Liver Flush #1
As I mentioned above, it's apparently quite unusual to release so many stones on the first flush, so don't feel alarmed by what you're about to see.



Here you can see how they float in water.


To give you an idea, these are the ones that Don released.




Everyone's experience is so unique!



Stone Harvest from Liver Flush #2
And now the harvest from my second flush. Still when I look at them I can hardly believe that these were inside me! Better out than in, that's for sure!



A line up of my largest stones


This was the big monster that I suspect was blocking my duct. Matt insisted that it must be a world record! lol It was indeed huge, also much more compact than the stone agglomerations from my previous flush.



 

This one had a bit of red in it. 


That's it folks! This sums up my rather unusual experience with the Liver and Gallbladder Flush.

Now off to make myself a detox tea... ;-)

11 comments:

  1. Wow! Great harvest! congratulation! I will be doing my second flush in a week, I hear that full moon is a good time for a flush. Are you going to continue? Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hum, I'd double check on that as I've read the exact opposite, that at Full Moon the body withholds the most liquid. But perhaps I'm wrong...

      Can't say at this point whether I'll be continuing. I had my first solid food today and my body kept it in! Yippee! It's been such a challenge for my digestive system, I'll have to meditate on it. ;-)

      Delete
    2. Here is a video that explains the effects of the moon and seasons and what the 8 COSMIC LIVER DAYS are. These days are the most cosmologically aligned days to cleanse your liver. Learn why the new moons are more cleansing on the liver & body than full moons. Also learn why the spring is more cleansing on the liver than the fall. Finally learn what the WORLD LIVER DAY is and why it is the most optimal day to cleanse your liver. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IENGe77Wmg4

      Delete
  2. It seems as though you just got sick from the flushes. I would love to know if you experience increased health that you believe is from doing the liver-flushes. Do you think these flushes are worth pursuing? Did you feel any benefits?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aimee,

      I know that it may seem that way but bear in mind that each of our circumstances are very unique. I know that thousands and thousands have done Liver Flushes without any negative side effects and certainly not like mine. I think it had to do with my unique build up (my digestion has always been weak) and the fact that, weighing 100 lbs, I really should have reduced the dosage of Epsom salts.

      It's still too soon to tell what kind of benefits, if any, I will experience from doing the flushes as my body is just now getting over the whole Epsom salts overdose issue.

      I will make sure to post an update, though, once I'm fully recovered.

      Delete
  3. Dear Carmella!

    Have you heard, that Andreas Moritz died in oktober?

    Hugs
    Karina
    Denmark

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I heard! What a shocking news given his state of health. ;-(

      Delete
    2. There is a good alternative to epsom salt. Yes as kidney stones and kidney related problems are connected to salt intake. The alternative to epsom salt is niacin B3 whcih is nothing more than vitamin B3. Niacin is sold at most health food stores in 100-500 mg tablets. Niacin will cause your skin to flush red and get itchy from the increase in circulation in the blood. Buy the FLUSH version and not the NO FLUSH or time release kind. The second alternative to using epsom salt is the coffee enema. Coffee enemas have been used for hundreds of years as natural cancer treatment protocols (Gerson Therapy). Coffee enemas have also been used as powerful liver detoxes in and of them selves. When combining niacin B3 with the coffee enema you cause the liver and gallbladder bile ducts to relax and dilate just as the epsom salts do in Andreas Morits recipe.

      Delete
    3. Also doing probiotic friendly beneficial bacteria enemas such as kombucha and rejuvelac will help ressed the intestines will friendly beneficial bacteria. Learning how to do proper enemas is important for having a successful flush. To learn how to do enemas properly please watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiGgTMOLrGw

      Coffee enemas are slightly acid which can give rise to unfriendly bacteria such as candida. The liver flush can flush candida in large amounts so doing healthy probiotic enemas and colonics will get your intestines back in a healthy state. Beyond kombucha and rejuvelac is a number 1 probiotic enema the FERMENTED URINE ENEMA & FACIAL ferment up to 16 days. Watch the video now and learn the secret to intestinal health where over 85% of the immune system is located. Learn how to stay healthy when everyone else get's sick and how the fermented urine is one of the top three natural cancer treatments. Go to the video by clicking this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkHeAQ96X_8

      Delete
  4. I am new to this, so please bear with my question: How do you know these stones aren't compacted feces? How do you know they came from your liver and gallbladder?

    Curious George

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. stones are usually green but can be other colors. they are usually not the color of feces. I suspect the last few pictures at the end of this article were simply feces. Although stones float, so will the feces due to the undigested fat. the first pictures were very good for showing what to expect. The only way to really know is to have them tested but for most that isn't worth the money.

      Delete