I just read a fascinating book, Outwitting the Devil, by Napoleon Hill. He wrote the famous, Think and Grow Rich, a best-seller on personal growth and success published in 1937. Outwitting the Devil was completed in 1938, but only published recently in 2011 due to concerns that it would be too controversial.

In the book, Napoleon Hill has a dialogue with the Devil in which he questions and forces the Devil to share his secrets about how he holds power over people. Through this dialogue, we learn what tools are used by the Devil to prevent us from reaching our personal goals, and more importantly, what we must do to overcome the power of the Devil.

One of the main principles of success Napoleon Hill talks about is mastery over self. Hill suggests that in order to have control over self, we need to start with mastery over our desire for food. Our appetite for food is most frequently responsible for our lack of self discipline.

Hill states that most people are so weak in self discipline that they consume too much rich foods that overwork the digestion and elimination organs. He goes on to say that the vast quantity and combination of foods most people consume cause the body to “dispose of it by converting the food into deadly toxic poisons.” Furthermore, “these poisons clog and stagnate the body sewer system until it slows down in its work of elimination of waste matter”, causing constipation and eventually, physical sluggishness and mental irritability.

Hill believed that eating wisely means a clean body sewer, a sound body and a brain that functions properly. “It is just as important to eliminate the waste matter of the body and the unused portion of food as it is to take the right amount and the correct combinations of foods.” Sure sounds like Napoleon Hill would agree with cleansing and the benefits of an internal cleanse like Lemonade Cleanse To Go.
Although cleansing has been popular in various cultures and religions over the centuries because of the health benefits, it’s interesting to see it in a self-help book as a component of personal success. Napoleon Hill seems so spot on and ahead of his time.

Those who are familiar with the benefits of internal cleansing recognize the importance of eliminating toxins and waste build up from your colon and how a clean colon contributes to improved energy level and overall improved health. But it’s interesting to see it discussed in the 1930s.

What I found fascinating in this book was that even though it was written in 1938, all the concepts and principles are still so relevant now. As a country, we are struggling with obesity more than ever. Clearly, we have not mastered the important area of self control of our diet.

I love reading personal growth books. Oftentimes, a great description can clearly and succinctly describe a situation or feeling I can really relate to, and lead to clearer understanding of why I’m not successful in certain situations. Perhaps if I had more mastery over myself and my desire for food….

This is the time of year when I take stock of the current year, and plan ahead for the next year.  I love going through this process! This self reflection brings things into clearer focus; what’s important to me and what I should let go.

Even if I haven’t accomplished everything I set out to do at the beginning of the year, there are undoubtedly areas where I’ve made great strides.  If I didn’t do this yea- end review, I very well could have forgotten many of the milestones.  For areas where I stalled or made the conscious decision to not focus my energy on, it’s also a good time to re-evaluate and reconsider.  Everything seems to come into sharper focus by doing this self reflection exercise.

Reflecting on the past year is a great way to plan for the year ahead.   Thinking about the possibilities in the year ahead always excites  me and fills me with a sense of optimism.  In planning ahead for the new year, I think through each of the following 4 areas:

Family/Relationship – Would you like to improve your relationships with friends and family? Maybe you’d like to do a better job of staying in touch with old friends, or find a new love interest. Are there relationships you’d like to repair?

Health/Physical – A good diet and regular exercise play huge roles in your health and well being.  What can you realistically incorporate into your daily routine to improve your health?  *** (see below)

Career/Financial – Thinking of a career change, a promotion, or starting a business? What about investment or savings goals would be meaningful?

Charity/Spiritual – How can you give back to your community?  How can you express the gratitude you feel for the goodness and abundance in your life?

Do you set goals or make new year resolutions? What is your process? Please share and let us know.

* **  There are many people who will be kicking off the year with a group master cleanse starting January 9th, 2012.  If better health in 2012 is a goal for you, please join us!  Doing a master cleanse is a great way to eliminate the built-up waste and toxins from the holidays and jump start your health goals.  Join us for a group cleanse starting January 9th, 2012.

Happy Holidays!

It has been three days since I started my master cleanse with Lemonade Cleanse To Go in order to try to get rid of cold symptoms I was experiencing. It worked for me. No more stuffy nose and clogged ears! I’m telling you, it’s worth a try!

In my previous post, I mentioned that I was going to do a 3 day master cleanse because I was in the first stages of a cold with a stuffy nose and clogged ears.  I think the vitamin c from the lemon juice along with the cayenne pepper help reduce mucus levels and eliminate the cold systems.  It seems to work for me.

It is wintertime now. All around me people are coming down with minor fever, runny noses, sore throats and the other symptoms we associate with colds.  I feel one coming on today as I have a stuffy nose and my ears are plugged up as though I have been on a plane.

In the past I started a master cleanse when I was in the first stages of a cold. I found I was over the symptoms by day three or four.

My theory is that the vitamin C from the lemon juice helps to knock cold symptoms down. After all, Linus Pauling won a Noble Prize for his research into vitamin C and colds. Also, I think that the cayenne pepper helps my body reduce mucus. That is my understanding of why Stanley Burroughs included it in the formula for the lemonade cleanse.

I sleep better during a master cleanse. I think that is due to my body not doing the work of digesting food while I sleep. Better sleep seems to help me in getting over a cold quickly.

I am going to do a three day cleanse now and see if it helps this time. I do not want to suffer from cold symptoms for the next week and a half to two weeks. That could keep me from enjoying many things! Of course, to fit cleansing in my hectic schedule I will be using Lemonade Cleanse To Go, as the convenience of the product helps me tremendously.  I will share the results. In three days.

Jay

I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely suffering from a turkey hangover.

It certainly didn’t help that we had two turkey dinners with different sides of the family. While both turkeys were delicious (first one roasted, the second smoked), it creates a lot of leftovers, even after we forced everyone to take some home.

After the initial turkey dinner with all the fixings, I’ve had the following ‘modifications’:
Turkey soup
turkey sandwich (numerous, including turkey salad)
turkey pot pie
turkey lettuce cups
turkey fried rice

There’s still a bit of turkey left in the freezer, but I think I’m just delaying the inevitable trash. I think I’m good until next year.

I’ll be doing my modified master cleanse for a couple of days. If you recall my pre-Thanksgiving modified cleanse, I started the day with a green smoothie, followed by drinking Lemonade Cleanse To Go during the day, and then having a very small vegetable dinner. I had to cut it short due to some visitors, but I felt great and it was relatively easy to do. I think it’ll help me get rid of this turkey hangover.

I’ve made it through Day 4! My energy level has remained high throughout. Unfortunately, tomorrow will be my last day because I will be having visitors this weekend, and I don’t want to be cleansing.

On Day 2 and Day 3, days when I typically struggle a bit on the master cleanse, the modified cleanse made it much easier. I usually had 3 to 4 servings of the Lemonade Cleanse To Go each day.

Although I was able to eat a small meal of vegetables each night, it was still difficult to have such limits. I always said that one of the reasons the master cleanse is better than any diet is that it is so black and white. There’s no chance that you’ll just “have a little bit more.” The good thing was that since I was only having one meal a day, I made sure it was healthy.

So do I feel cleansed? I have to say I do. I feel healthy and less weighed down. Not to the extent I usually do with the complete master cleanse, but I think the modification made the cleanse much easier to incorporate into my regular routine. I can definitely see myself doing this modified cleanse again.

This has been the easiest Day 2 ever! Usually, I struggle to get through Day 2. After my green drink (made with banana, apple, orange, honeydew, and kale), I had 3 servings of Lemonade Cleanse To Go. I was not hungry at all during the day, but I accidentally ate 3 grapes before I realized it while preparing an afternoon snack for my kids. This slip up makes me wonder about what I put into my mouth unconsciously every day. I do feel a bit chilled, but overall my energy level is very high, especially after a brisk walk this morning.

I think part of the reason that this modified cleanse has been so easy is that I can still sit down and have dinner with my family. In the past, dinner time has always been very difficult because I had to make dinner, but could not enjoy the meal with my family.

This evening I had a bowl of vegetable soup plus a small salad made with bok choi. Very satisfying meal. Although with this modified master cleanse my digestive system is not getting the same rest it would be getting with the complete master cleanse, I still feel that with the limited high fiber diet I’m having, toxins and waste build-up are being flushed out of my body.

The salt water flush was not pleasant, but not horrible either.

Today, Monday, November 14th, starts my pre-holiday modified master cleanse lemonade diet. As I mentioned in my previous post, I’m doing this to prepare myself before the holiday feasting begins on Thanksgiving. I want to head into the holidays feeling good about my diet.

In addition to getting healthier before the holidays, I’d also like to eliminate toxins and waste build-up from my system. Also, I’d like to become more conscious of my eating so that I may continue this awareness through the holiday and make better decisions.

The “modification” will include starting each day with a green smoothie made with fruits and vegetables. During the day, I will cleanse by drinking Lemonade Cleanse To Go. Each evening, I will have a small meal of vegetables. I will also incorporate the daily salt water flush and the laxative tea.

Losing weight is not a primary concern. However, I am curious about how much weight I may lose on this modified cleanse. My weight at the start of the day is 118 lbs.

Morning green drink with banana, honeydew, apple, and kale

Yummy!

I started off my day with a green drink made with:

• Banana
• Honeydew
• Apple
• Kale
• Water

I don’t have exact measurements because I just sort of throw everything into my wonderful Vitamix blender and it’s always turned out beautifully. Also, I made it for my whole family so having a bit extra is not a problem. Due to time constraints this morning, I was not able to do the salt water flush, but will definitely do it tomorrow.

After the green drink, I had 4 servings of Lemonade Cleanse To Go. My energy level remained high and I didn’t feel particularly hungry. I can already feel my tongue coating up a bit and had terrible breathe. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I enjoy my lemonade hot, like a hot cider. I just pour the contents of the Lemonade Cleanse To Go stickpack into a mug (making sure I don’t take a big breath and have a coughing fit) and pour hot water on top.

For dinner, I had some roasted cauliflower and a salad. It was delicious and I felt very satisfied.

Roasted cauliflower and salad

Just before bedtime, I had a cup of laxative tea. I have to say, I really don’t like the after taste.

I know it’s only day 1 of my modified cleanse, but it was quite easy. I’m excited about trying this modification to start my holidays with a healthy focus. I’m looking forward to see how I will feel throughout the process.

Here it comes, the “holidays.” To me, this period of time between Thanksgiving and the New Year typically means a period of over-indulgence. Actually, it really starts with Halloween. Usually I head into the holiday season resigned to the fact that I’m going to over do it, with the end result of feeling weighed down, less energetic, and a few pounds heavier. This has been my pattern and I know it well.

I enjoy the holidays and the feasting is part of the experience. I would hate to miss all the wonderful foods and celebrations that come with this time of year. I want to enjoy all of it, in moderation of course. I don’t want to be a holiday killjoy. But that can be hard to do when the feasting marathon includes one meal more enticing than the next. Not to mention all the special treats that are laying around 24 hours a day.

What I plan to do this year is to prepare myself beforehand. I want to head into the holidays feeling good about my diet. I will be doing a modified master cleanse lemonade diet beginning November 14 for 10 days. The “modification” will include starting each day with a green smoothie made with fruits and vegetables. During the day, I will cleanse by drinking Lemonade Cleanse To Go. Each evening, I will have a small meal of vegetables. I will also incorporate the daily salt water flush and the laxative tea.

I hope to accomplish a few things in these 10 days of modified cleanse. First, I’d like to eliminate toxins and waste build-up from my system. Second, I’d like to become more conscious of my eating so that I may continue this awareness through the holiday and make better decisions.

Ideally, I should complete the prescribed course of the master cleanse. However, during this busy time of the year, doing a complete master cleanse seems just too much to take on. These modifications make it much more possible to cleanse during this busy period. I don’t have to alter my routines nearly as much. Even if I have an event I need to attend in the evening, I’ll likely be able to find a vegetable dish that meets my needs. Drinking the Lemonade Cleanse To Go during the day will be a cinch with the stickpacks.

After my modified cleanse, I plan to fully enjoy the holiday feasts. I will not abstain from any of the treats. But hopefully, I will remember how great I feel from the cleanse and not veer too far off the healthy track. I plan to enjoy every moment of all the wonderful holiday meals to come.

Of course there are those master cleanse ‘purists’ who don’t believe anything less than only the fresh master cleanse will do anything for you. But for those of you who are interested in being healthier, and would like to cleanse but finding it too challenging to do a full 10 day master cleanse, there are modifications that can work for your lifestyle. After all, if health is your ultimate end goal, there are a lot of ways to get there. I believe my modification will prepare me for the holidays. It will get me more focused on my health and not have one huge binge from Thanksgiving through New Years.

Check out the article, Help! I Gained the Dreaded ‘Freshman 15′ in College now posted at www.EzineArticles.com

Your first year in college has been something you’ve been dreaming about for years. You’ve entered an exciting new phase of your life, with unprecedented freedom away from your parents. New challenges and friendships have been exciting and stressful. You’ve been busy attending parties (you haven’t wanted to miss a thing!) and juggling school work. Your usual exercise routines have gone by the wayside.

The dormitory food quickly got boring. But worse than that, you’ve completely lost touch with the concept of serving-size because of these all-you-can-eat buffets. Making the situation worse are all the meals you’ve been eating on the run between classes. Late night snacking has not helped.

All of this has gotten you feeling sluggish and weighed down. Your energy level is at an all time low. Worst of all, you’ve gained weight.

Does any of this sound familiar?

Although it’s been a few years since college, I still vividly remember the gross, heavy, and lethargic feeling I had after the first couple of months in college. I was disgusted by my muffin-top and my jeans had gotten way too tight. I realized the dreaded college weight gain, also know as,”Freshman 15″ had happened to me.

I felt gross. Besides the weight gain, it was the dullness and lack of energy I hated. I stayed up late to study, didn’t get enough sleep, ate too much and poorly. Inevitably, every afternoon around 3 pmI needed sugar and caffeine to get me through the rest of my day.

I made up my mind to get rid of the excess weight and to feel better and healthier. Here are some of the things I did to help me lose the “freshman 15.”

1. Walk or bike to class – I was lazy and lucky to have access to friends who gave me rides to class. It really didn’t save me any time because of the difficult parking situation. On many college campuses, parking is often limited and driving can be expensive when you consider parking, gas, and the occasional parking ticket. So I decided to walk or bike to class more often. This was a great way for me to get some exercise into my day.

2. Minimize the carb intake- I craved the comfort of a big pasta meal that always seemed to be available in the dormitory. I had to work hard to stay away from those and instead shift my focus onto other lean protein options and the salad bar. I also cut out the large bowls of cereal each morning and replaced it with hard boiled eggs, yogurt, and fruit. In addition, I worked hard at limited my portion size. All of this got easier as time went on, but was definitely challenging at first, and I would sometimes cave into my cravings.

3. Bring my ownsnacks- I made a conscious effort to take healthy snacks with me during the day. This involved taking fruits available from the dormitory breakfast mostly. I would also purchase nuts to carry in my backpack. Having healthy snacks available at all times kept me from becoming overly hungry and allowed me to make better choices at meal times.

4. Cleanse regularly- To improve my energy and help me lose the weight fast, I did a fasting cleanse. I loved the burst of energy and the immediate effects of the cleanse on my digestive system. I also like that I quickly lost some of the weight I had gained. I was able to find a cleanse that I could do easily and discreetly even living in the college dormitory.

Even if you eat unhealthily most of the time, you can get back on the healthy track and feel better if you occasionally complete an internal cleanse. Cleanses help your body rid toxins and waste build-up, and quickly lose unwanted weight.

5. Stopped eating after 8:00 pm- It was tough, but I stopped joining in the late night pizza orders. I had to leave the room at first because it was so tempting to have just one slice. But I knew those were extra calories I didn’t need!

6. Drink less alcohol – At parties, I limited myself to 2 drinks, and I have a bottle of water between the drinks. Alcohol is high in calories, especially mixed drinks. But beer can pack on the calories too. A 12 oz serving of beer can be upwards of 200 calories, and it’s high in carbs. I think limiting my alcohol consumption also helped me make better eating decision.

7. Get enough sleep- This was hard to accomplish. It wasn’t that I cut out homework or studying, but I made more conscious decisions about limiting some hanging out time in favor of getting more sleep. Getting a minimum of 7 hours of sleep each night got rid of the afternoon slump, and therefore allowed me to cut out the vicious cycle of needing a caffeine and sugar fix. I felt a lot better and more energetic during the day. Studies show that adequate sleep can really help you keep the weight off.

I’m happy to report that I did manage to lose the college weight / ‘freshman 15′ within my freshman college year, and also made positive and healthy lifestyle changes that continue to be important.

Want to find out more about the benefits of regular internal cleansing? Regular cleansing gives your system a much needed break by eliminating toxins and waste build-up, promotes rapid weight loss, and increases your energy level. Reach your health goals through effective cleansing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6674497