My Own Home Remedy

The tough to swallow stuff

The other day while at Whole Foods I looked for a natural cleanse . . . I told you I would tell you all more about that.  First of all, let me say I am not a proponent of fasting, “cleansing” or living on a liquid diet for weight loss.  I do think drinking enough water to stay hydrated is very important for our bodies to naturally stay “flushed”.  As I mentioned I was having difficulties for an occurance of Meniere’s Disease.  One of the causes is a build up in sodium in one’s body.  Oftentimes the doctor will prescribe furosemide, also known as  Lasix.  (This is a diuretic to flush out sodium and chloride from the kidneys.  I feel like a really old lady even typing this so feel free to move on to some other blog if this is grossing you out!)  As I didn’t have a prescription on hand, and knew that by the time I got in to see a doctor I’d be about 2 weeks on the couch, AND I do try not to take medications if possible,  I decided to take matters in my own hands and look for something natural.  That’s why I found myself in the Detox aisle at Whole Foods.  

I came away with two products.  One was a powder by Electic Institute called Master Cleanse spice Pow-der.  That sounded a bit interesting.  Surely I could mix this with water and sip on it all day and be just fine.  I can do anything for a day.  So, the minute I got home I followed the directions and mixed 2 teaspoons into 10 ounces of water.  Well, that first gulp was just about the worst thing I’ve had in a long while!  I gotta be honest!  I can do some crazy things in the name of health but this one was really hard for me.  I did manage to drink the 10 ounces, but knew that was ALL I could choke down for the day.  The description sounded like what I remember reading that Beyonce’ drank while filming Dreamgirls and dropped a ton of weight.  It is a mixture of maple sugar, cayenne and lemon.  That Beyonce’ is a lot more woman that I am.  

I moved on to the next product, and with a much better result!  I got a gallon of Arden’s Garden 2 Day Detox.  It is made of all fruit juices and is advertized to be used as a cleanse for rejuvinating the system.  I poured a water bottle full and mixed a scoop of vanilla protein powder in it to give me some protein for the morning.  Since the juice itself has an orange taste, my drink tasted something like a creamsicle.  Remember those?  Definately drinkable and even enjoyable.  My water bottle is 20 ounces.  I downed that and followed by another 20 ounces of water.  Let’s just say I had to warn my Bootcamp Class that I might be scooting out to the restroom – they would just have to keep squatting or running suicides! 

After a day and a half I gladly say I’m feeling so much better . . . back to my old self!  I can drive, exercise, decorate and catch up on the four days of work I’ve not been able to do.  So, for me, my experiment worked.  I’m thinking hourly trips to the restroom are a pretty easy exchange for eliminating sodium AND vertigo.  

I am not at all advocating not taking medication.  I am a proponent of modern medicine.  In fact, it was modern medicine that allowed my father to see his four grandsons.  It was modern medicine that saved my mother’s life last year during Christmas, so please don’t think I’m advising anyone to NOT taking prescribed medications.  This was simply my attempt at a “home” remedy.  In a way it reminds me of some of the things  my grandmother would do or suggest for different ailments.  I specifically remember her telling me to rub some bourbon on my babies gums when they were teething.  I don’t think I ever did this, but I’ll bet my parents did when they were babysitting.  She also had a penchant for castor oil which I never understood. Nasty stuff.  I also have a vivid memory of being dunked in an ice bath when I was about four years old.  I can’t imagine that would be a prescribed method of reducing fevers.  Home remedies can go both ways.  Some are simple and good and some are just crazy.

If you happen to have this annoying thing called Meniere’s a lot of fluids could be really helpful.  If you don’t, but are feeling really bloated one day, here’s an option.  If you can stomach the Master Cleanse you are a super star and I want to shake your hand!

(This is not a sponsored post and is based solely on my own experiences and opinions.  I have not been paid for the mention of the products named here.  Please consult your physician for appropriate medical advice.)

Any home remedies to share?  Have you ever had a spoonful of castor oil and lived to tell about it?