I have been aware of my posture as far back as I can remember which makes it really hard for me to stop myself from screaming out, “Stand up straight!” at the nearest hunchback around.

The first thing I notice is posture because it screams messages about a person. You can be drop dead gorgeous, but if you have terrible posture I will automatically assume you are ashamed of taking up space. Whereas a person who stands up straight, shoulders back, stomach in, gives off a vibe of confidence and pride.

But looking good and giving off the right aura is not the only reason to be aware of your posture. It is your health. A good friend of mine ALWAYS points out people with bad posture. He is one of the few people who I know who considers posture to be an important aspect of fitness. What begins with an unawareness of your body can lead to real health problems in the long run if not corrected.

I am not a fan of working out and being too active. But if you feel as though you have poor posture, or sit at a computer all day long, then you might consider doing some basic yoga exercises. Yoga frequently requires you to sit erect and pull your shoulder blades back.

Truth is for the majority of people, having excellent posture does not come naturally, it takes effort. You have to work at it until it feels abnormal to slouch! The payoff in terms of your health is high and well worth the little effort it takes to get there.

So please sit and stand erect so I don’t have to force myself to quiet down…because next time I will yell at you!

The Master Cleanse aka The Lemonade Diet or the Maple Syrup Diet is a 10-40 day fast that claims to remove toxins from the body. In other words it’s a detoxification program used to cleanse the body of any impurities and internal ailments and is also a popular way to lose weight.  The fast became wildly popular after Beyonce Knowles lost 20 pounds in 10 days for her role in Dreamgirls. The Master Cleanse was first developed by nutritional guru Stanley Burroughs, which he published in his book The Master Cleanser. The main purpose of the fast is to cleanse the system, the weight loss occurs naturally and normally you gain half the weight lost back once off the fast.

The detoxification program is NOT for everyone; it’s always smart to check with a physician before starting any kind of diet.  Keep in mind, the idea of the body needing a special detox is questioned by many doctors, as the body does detox itself without any special fast.

During the fast, your sole source of nutrients and energy will stem from the 6-8 glasses of “lemonade” intake per day. Your nutrients will be in the form of freshly squeezed lemons, Grade B maple syrup, and cayenne pepper.  You will also be flushing your system using salt water and drinking laxative tea each night.

The most difficult part of the fast is to overcome the psychological need to eat, particularly on the first three days. Once you get past the first three days you feel a sense of control that should motivate you to complete the cleanse. Before you begin your cleanse I suggest you prepare yourself by cutting out meat and processed foods from your diet. By doing this you are slowly prepping your body for the liquid fast making the transition much smoother.

Ingredients needed for daily 60oz serving:

12 Tbsp of Lemon Juice (do not used canned/bottled lemon juice)

12 Tbsp of Grade B Maple Syrup

1 Tsp (or as much as you can stand)

2 liters of water

Light grey celtic sea salt (for the flush) or Organic Sea Salt

Preparing the Lemonade:

Measure out the ingredients (minus the sea salt) and combine the ingredients in a pot of water. Measureing out 1 Liter at a time is much easier since finding a pot that holds 2 liters of water can be tough. Add the cayenne pepper only when you are ready to drink the mixture this way you don’t risk making the juice too spicy.

It is recommended to drink 6-12 glasses a day.

The Salt Water Flush:

32 oz  of lukewarm spring water

2 tsps of grey celtic sea salt or organic sea salt

Planning when to drink the Flush:

You must finish the whole mix in order for it to work. Planning when to take it is very important because once you have downed the solution, you will be on guard for a bowel movement. You can expect the knock at the door in 30-60 minutes, so planning your day around the flush is important. Doing the flush in the evening I think works best, this way the crappy process HAHA crappy…the process will not get in the way of your normal day-to-day routine.

Finishing the entire amount is necessary and a challenge. My suggestion? Pretend you’re a freshman in college doing a keg stand, nothing stopped you then right?!

If ‘pounding it’ is not your thing then drink at your own pace, just make sure you finish the entire mix.

Rumble in the Jungle:

Like I said, it generally takes about 30-60 minutes before your belly starts to rumble. You will have several bowel movements and don’t expect it to be a walk in the park. You are after all removing solid matter from the digestive track, and you have months and months of waste to expel. Reminder, it is unpleasant but you will love how light you feel afterwards.

The next morning you can start your cleanse and repeat this process for the next several days or however long you plan on doing the detoxifying your body.

After your last day you may be tempted to stuff your face silly but don’t. All that hard work will go down the drain. Instead ease your way out of the fast the same way you eased yourself in. It’s really important to do it this way otherwise you risk feeling nauseated, constipated or even worse. Again, if you are feeling unwell contact your physician.

Start by switching to orange juice the first day, veggie juice and soup the second day, fruits and vegetables the third day…and on the fourth day you can go back to your normal (hopefully healthy) diet again.

Pros: More energy, clear skin, better sleep, cleansing digestive system, and overall improvement of the immune system. Bonus: weight loss

Cons: Cravings, headaches, loss of muscle definition due to weight loss, requires a whole lot of willpower!