Should I Do A Cleanse Before I Start HCG?
CLEANSING AID: SALTWATER INTESTINAL FLUSH
I promised I would explain in more detail the theory behind doing Phase 1 before the HCG Phase 2 VLCD
I am not endorsing Phase 1 but I do think a good cleanse which is part of what Phase 1 encourages can be a huge health benefit!
CLEANSING AID: INTERNAL SALTWATER BATHING
As it is necessary to bathe the outside of our bodies, so it is with the inside.
There is a great method of cleansing the colonic tract instead of doing colonics or enemas.
This method will cleanse the entire digestive tract while the colonics and enemas are said to
only reach the colon or a small part of it. Plus the ease of not having to lie on the bathroom floor waiting for something to happen and dealing with tubes etc.
Also colonics can be expensive while the salt water method is very affordable!
The directions I followed the very first time I tried this cleanse;
Saltwater Intestinal Flush DIRECTIONS:
Prepare a full quart of lukewarm water and add two level teaspoons of sea salt.
Do not use ordinary iodized salt as it will not work properly.
Drink the entire quart of salt and water first thing in the morning.
This must be taken on an empty stomach. The salt and water will not separate but will stay intact and quickly and thoroughly wash the entire tract in about one hour.
Several eliminations will likely occur.
The salt water has the same specific gravity as the blood, hence the kidneys cannot pick up the water and the blood cannot pick up the salt. This may be taken as often as needed for proper washing of the entire digestive system.
If the salt water does not work the first time, try adding a little more or a little less salt until the proper balance is found; or possible take extra water with or without salt. This often increases the activity.
Major saltwater intestinal flush TIP!
Because the salt water doesn’t taste good here is a tip that can really help get it all down.
My Revised Method;
Add the measured sea salt into only enough water to drink down quickly and still get all the salt into your system
Have the Quart of water next to you so you can start drinking the water down as a chaser after the salt water.
Personally the water didn’t need to be lukewarm but if it is too cold it can be more difficult to drink down that much water that quickly.
This method still gets the same result without having to taste salty water during the entire quart drinking experience.
It is advisable to take the herb laxative tea (my favorite Edom Labs Chiro-Klenz) the night before to loosen, then the salt water cleanse in the morning to wash it out.
Chiro-Klenz The Original Made By Edom Labs
Please note: My personal experience that the elimination did not begin after only one hour. It took longer than that when I did the original method and my revised method.
With my revised method it kicked in more quickly. So plan the day you do this accordingly so you can be close to the “throne”.
It will depend on how icky your inner is on how you will feel during the cleanse.
The 1st time I did it was way before my HCG journey so I wasn’t near as healthy as I am today.
My symptoms were a lot like having a cold. Mucus was clearing out asap. The last time I cleanse it was simply a nice cleanse for my intestinal tract.
The Salt Water Bath can do no harm at any time. The colon needs a good washing, but do it the natural way the salt water way.
Advocates for Colonics or Enemas point out the not so pretty facts about a clogged colon;
- If you are not having three bowel movements a day you have a clogged colon.
- The colon gets clogged by non-prescription and prescription drugs
- Low water and fiber consumption
- Lack of walking and exercise,
- Insufficient digestive enzymes in the food we eat, and many other factors.
- In autopsies, medical doctors have found as much as thirty pounds of undigested fecal matter in people’s colons. – ew
- Unless you clean your colon, digestion will remain slow, and metabolism will remain slow.
- Food cravings and hunger will remain high due to lack of nutrients being absorbed properly.
- You will never get a flat stomach.
*This post was originally created in 2012 but updated in 2018
Succeed on HCG with or without Doing This…But the Suggestions are GREAT!
HCG Phase One Wellness Do List
Getting Ready to start HCG
Do’s that are Listed I Have Done Some But Not All.
Some I didn’t know about till after my HCG rounds.
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Organic
The first two I would like to transition into doing. I DO some organic but not all…yet.
Eat only Organic Meat and Dairy
Eat 100 % Organic food
The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter
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Eating Habits
The Next three we have all heard are Good to Do- Who reading this has got this down cold?… I have yet to –
Eat Breakfast
Eat 6 meals per day
Eat dinner before 6:00 p.m.
- Eat salad with lunch and dinner
- Eat 100 grams of protein before bed
I have heard that this is good I just haven’t done it as a habit
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Drink Chamomile Tea
Drink Chamomile Tea when you’re feeling stressed or anxious. Stress wreaks havoc on your hormonal systems and promotes fat gain, especially belly fat. Stress reduction efforts help you regulate stress hormones and lose weight.
Colonic
I think there are easier and simpler ways to accomplish the end result (no pun intended).
Check out my vlog reviewing the cleansing teas I use
Do Infrared Sauna Detox
I understand why sweating out toxins is a good thing.
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- Get Massages before phase 2
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In Phase 2 the massage oil can mess up your fat releases
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Do Rebound Exercising – like a Mini Trampoline
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Do Yoga
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- I agree there are a lot of benefits to doing Yoga
namely staying flexible as we age is vital.
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Stress-Proof Your Brain
I purchased some good habit forming Cd’s you are suppose to listen to while you sleep. They haven’t arrived yet. I will keep you posted on how they worked
Lift Weights
I agree having more toned muscle is good.
I don’t lift everyday but I do light Hand Weights
at least 3 times a week.
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Have a Clean Shower Filter
A Filtered Showerhead is ideal
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Cleanse
The Next Two-
By Way of Supplements
Heavy Mineral Cleanse
Liver Cleanse
Sorry I didn’t put these 2 in my “Have Done List” I have a Detox Foot Bath Machine
As I was working on this post it dawned on me the machine I have would be this type of cleanse as well.
I will do a post later explaining my experience with the machine, why I got it and a picture of what it looks like.
The Next 2 Are things that make me go Hum<
- Electromagnetic Chaos Eliminator – I will have to look into this one
- Reduce Air Conditioning – I didn’t quite grasp why staying cool would cause a slow down in weight loss. I know part of theThermogenesis theory is if your body is cold it will burn more calories trying to stay warm!
Take These Supplements :
Coral Calcium
Probiotic
Acetyl L-Carnitine
Alpha Calm
Natural Calm – I use and like this magnesium powder… Can that count?
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Take a Product to Eliminate or Reduce
Candida
Parasite Detox
Regulate Insulin – Blood Sugar
Boy if you followed this to a “T” your BODY would be in INCREDIBLE SHAPE inside and out and have a Wealth of Health!
But if you were not financially well off when you started, your credit card balance will have increased or your bank balance would have decreased.
Use discernment and incorporate what you want when you can.
**This Blog Post was originally created in 2012 but updated with current info in 2018
Benefits of MCT OIL
MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) = MCT OIL
MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) is something I used religiously while on my HCG plan. It is a good fat and helps with digestion aka regularity. When you are on a food plan that might cause constipation the MCT can help keep things going. When I was using it at that time I also added apple cider vinegar and drank it like a shot. So I am back to doing that now. I know it is used in the bulletproof coffee but I’m not much of a coffee drinker. When I would get hunger pains it definitely calmed those down too. Like many things that are good for us we sometimes stray from them. I recently was reading an article and it helped me remember the benefits of MCT and realized I needed to get back to using it regularly. I was happy to find a brand with convenient travel packs. Trying to transport a bottle of MCT oil would be a hassle and if it broke or spilled just think of the mess. Since getting MCT back into my routine I think having the added GOOD fat in my system has helped in more ways than I expected. Put it this way not just putting lotion and oil on your skin but allowing the MCT to lubricate from within is a great idea.
Along with the benefits I am experiencing I am excited about the benefits I have read it has that are probably going on inside my body and I don’t even realize it…Like heart health, the antioxidant benefits and I like the idea that it can help my metabolism. Remember I read an article recently so all this is fresh in my brain and I figure I should share with those who may not know.
Medium-chain fatty acids possible benefits:
• Maintain a healthy weight — since they both make you feel full
• Specifically reduce stored body fat and they can also raise your metabolic function
• Have more energy
• Think more clearly
• Experience better digestion/regularity
• Help balance hormone levels
• Improve your mood
• Fight bacterial infection and viruses
• Absorb fat-soluble nutrients from various foods
Where to Buy MCT Click Below:
My vlog on the benefits of ACV AND MCT
HCG – How to Begin Phase 3
How to Have a Successful Phase 3
Questions – I am so scared, I start Phase 3 tomorrow. I’ve done my 3 days without HCG. I’ve been reading and checking out different recipes for this phase.
How do I figure the amount of protein to eat? Someone said just double the amount that I’ve been eating. I want to make sure that I get the correct amount. I know I have to start slowly introducing foods. Is 1500 calories the minimum daily caloric intake or do I start by 1st week: 800, then go to 1000 on the 2nd week, then go to the full amount of calories 1400/1500? How much fruit do I eat per day?
My Answer:
The very first Phase 3 can be intimidating!
My first Phase 3 went very wrong because I got too caught up in wanting to try all the great recipes I saw people making on Phase 3.
On my very first day I added so many different foods that those on Phase 3 had been talking about. Open face tuna sandwich using Ezekiel bread with cheddar cheese, I baked a phase 3 friendly cookie recipe. It has been so long now since that time it is hard to remember what else I slammed my poor body with.
So what I found out the hard way about Phase 3 is this….Don’t slam your system with everything at once even if it says it is P3 friendly.
Doubling the protein is fine, especially if your body type craves protein.
Just go very SLOW with adding back in the starches and sugars. I can not emphasis this enough. Journal as you add so you can pinpoint if there is a food that you are sensitive to at first. Go easy on everything you reintroduce and keep tabs on what you are adding and what activity you are doing..
Think Low Glycemic:
When it comes to fruit (at first), I’d say 2 maybe 3 servings the first day and see how your body responded.
I admit I have never counted calories just what types of food I eat and my activity level. Then I figure out between the two what the outcome will be. As long as you go slow and stick with healthy choices you are on the right track.
And for now be cautious with anything bread or pasta like. Example – If it makes you feel full (bloated) or lethargic.
I say “for now” because I don’t want you to think the foods I say to use caution with is a “never”.
But I can’t stress enough how slow introduction will help lock in your effort so you can keep the new you and enjoy what you choose to eat in the future.
If you feel better with counting calories – go for it. The plan you laid out looks like a pretty good one as long as you keep tabs on what you take in and how your body reacts so you can adjust accordingly
Easy does it – That’s my motto!
Maintain Weight Loss After HCG
Understanding the Importance of Set Points
Many questions I get are about stabilizing and maintaining.
What these questions boil down to is, “how do I not gain back the weight”?
Looking at my post HCG journey the “stumble” I regret was ignoring the scale for too many days at a time. I was fitting in my jeans fine so I got too lax. Once I faced the music because I did start to notice that my jeans were fitting tighter it wasn’t that it was “too late” but I did make getting back on track more difficult for myself.
In a few of my blog posts I have mentioned that 2012 has had its share of life stresses.
During those times it is very easy to put discipline in the back seat and let emotions take the wheel. If I had simply mustard the courage to jump on the scale each morning my body could have settled right back into it’s comfy set point HCG got me to with only a couple of minor tweaks to get back on course.
Bottom line –
I think Dr. Simeon definitely got it Right.
If I had kept myself in check my body would have stayed in its new set point without a struggle.
This is my theory so bear with me here…
You figure the body has set points you have to push past when reducing.
These are the weight set points our body had settled into in the past at some time or another in our lives.
That is usually why we Plateau. Our body gets to that weight and says, “Oh I remember this place”. And for a bit thinks it is where it should be.
So once at goal and the body is settled into its new weight set point. It is pretty happy there. Especially when you have established that set point by doing the protocol using the phase 3 breaks between rounds to “lock in” the new set point. One, maybe two, ah heck even three little slips is no biggie as long as a person checks and sees the change on the scale and acts on that appropriately my making better choices to correct the “up flux”.
And because the body wants to be in the new and “happy to be in” set point it will respond by getting back in check.
But if you don’t know there has been an increase because you didn’t check the “numbers” and only relied on how clothes were fitting the weight could push toward an old set point. If you get to or past an “old set point” it can potentially open up the flood gates and cause difficulty in controlling the gain.
Your body might think it is time to settle into an old set point that it had been at before that we don’t want any part of.
When I goofed by not weighing daily I can tell that my body didn’t like the excess AT ALL. The extra wasn’t noticeably showing but I could feel it and it did not feel good.
If I would have caught myself in time the way Dr Simeon designed it I wouldn’t be writing this post.
But Good news is this has been a very important lesson learned for me.
And because I experienced it first hand not only do I know how to avoid that mistake in the future but I can help you do the same!
Good Habits Before, During and After HCG
HCG Phase One “Do List”
My Experience 😉
After going over the entire list I realized just how overwhelming it all is.
So I would rather comment on what I did and why.
Not that some of the other Do’s aren’t good too. I simply want to help keep it manageable and within reason. Plus I can share my experience firsthand.
I also want to be clear that I did not make a point to do or consume what is on this “Do List” the 30 days prior to starting my HCG journey. Most of them I found out about their benefits throughout my journey.
Phase One Do List that I have experience with;
Do’s – That I Do and Have Done:
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Drink Water
Stay Hydrated and when you are burning fat you need water to help flush it out – Benefits of Water
My choice is Alkaline Water:
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Add Fiber
Keep your intestine swept out!
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Walk
Good Circulation equals all kinds of health benefits.
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Get Sleep
Lack of sleep causes stress on the body. Stress is not a good thing for weight loss and a lot of other things.
Have trouble falling asleep??
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Get Sun
Good Day Sunshine! Keep your vitamin D level UP…Can’t get outside or live in a very rainy,cloudy place?
Take a vitamin D supplement!
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Breathe Properly
Most of us are shallow breathers –Oxygen is KEY!
Is is easy to get into a habit of shallow breathing. That is why we many times lack energy and get that late afternoon lethargic feeling.When you start to feel that way while let’s say when you are at work sitting at your desk.
Try this ; To bring large quantities of oxygen into your body – Breath in taking in as much air as you can and allow it to fill your diaphragm.Hold that breathe for a moment, tighten your abdominal muscles, and exhale through your mouth as if blowing up a balloon.
I know when I do this I feel refreshed!
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
For cooking (I use MCT Oil too) See my other post for the tons of MCT Benefits
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Colon Cleanse
Here is an easy affordable Cleanse – Cleansing
Or Go the Pre-packaged choice
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Eat Grapefruit/Apples
Low Glycemic, good fiber .Apples are a natural diuretic.
Both cleanse the liver, gallbladder and colon glycemic-index benefits
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Use Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
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Drink Green Tea/Wu long tea
Helps regulate hunger, stimulates cleansing of the cells, helps metabolism
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Drink Organic Yerba Mate Tea
Yerba Mate Tea-One cup a day. Increase energy, reduce appetite and stimulates releasing of fat cells.
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Eat Hot Peppers
I put cayenne pepper in my Cali kicker and I like to eat pepperoncini peppers- Increase Metabolism and reduce appetite. Helps release fat ,stress and reset body set point
Use Natural Sweeteners
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Use Cinnamon
Helps regulate insulin and blood sugar, normalizes appetite and helps the body release fat.
I love baking an apple with cinnamon and stevia – YUM!
Just want Cinnamon is a capsule click image below. =)
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Limit Carbonated Drinks
You have to watch out for sodium and let’s face it very hard to find one with Stevia but there is Zevia All Natural Soda and it really taste great!
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Take Digestive Enzymes
Gotta love a well working system!
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For those of you that are still curious about the other Do’s and what are the Don’ts I will be sure and post that next.
After that I want to share a couple of good questions I was asked after doing my recent vlog on You tube
HCG and DIETING – Conquer Adversity
Conquering Adversity-The Happy Ending
Taking Lemons and making Lemonade….
Or should I say How I found the Positive from a Negative.
Whether it was because a day went by or a few seconds and you had a moment to look back at experiences in your life, probably both good and bad. And like me there could be a lot more examples than just a handful of negative experiences in your memory bank
(Am I right)? Especially if you grew up battling weight, or other situations that people have to overcome. Since my blog is about my weight loss journey I tend to focus on that so if you are reading this and weight wasn’t the “thing” for you thanks for visiting my blog and knowing that you can get something out of what I want to share.
And now… without further a-do… the rest of my torrid story;
Parents raising kids now run all over town taking their kids to different activities so the child can get a taste of different experiences and if the child decides that activity isn’t what like to do the parent will move on to the next activity for them to try. I’m sure there is an exception that is close to what happened to me that still happens now. Especially the parents that invest a lot of money all on the hope and dream that their child will go pro in said activity like sports lets say. I must point out; my story had nothing to do with trying to be “pro”.
Ok here it is, to this day I still remember telling my MOM I wanted to stop doing something that I am sure for my parents felt they had spent money and time so I could participate in it. My Mom’s response, “You are such a quitter”!
To this day if I am doing anything that ultimately is a goal, opportunity to win a prize or basically prove that I could do it even though it looks like it can not me done. I will not QUIT!
Why did I share this? I want you to find the “tipping point” that you have the choice to either let it paralysis your effort or advance you forward to attain your GOAL!!
I believe you can do it, do you?
How To Maintain Your Weight After Dieting
I’ve Lost the Weight – How Do I Keep it Off?
Question – I’m in P4, but find I’m gain back slowly. I’m up 10 lbs in about 4 weeks. What should I do?
Answer –
OK – As I write bear in mind I am talking to myself as well.
Here are a few thinks you want to ask yourself. Did you tend to shy away from the scale for too many days? Did you keep a journal so if there was a food that didn’t work out for you it would be easier to pinpoint what you would need to be more careful with?
Have there been stressful situations in your life that made it more difficult to make good food choices? Is 4 weeks been how long you have been on P4 or were you doing pretty good then this began to happen?
Re-reading your question it sounds like you were doing good and it has been the last 4 weeks that has caused issues. Try to think back on what could have changed from when you were holding steady with your new weight. Personally for me all was great then in Feb 2012 I was slammed with one situation after another that mentally triggered me to throw my hands up in the air so to speak. We all have “things” and set backs. It is how we dust ourselves off to move forward that defines us. You and I both can turn a situation around. Basically long story short depending on your answers to the questions I put out there. If you sum up that it is due to a few too many choices or habits slipping through the cracks as long as you identify them and adjust you will be back on track. If you feel getting stricter with yourself for a few days to regain mental strength and confidence in the power you have in your heart and soul you could choose to do the Mac nut fast or fruit flush or simply eat really clean – lean protein and low glycemic fruit and veggies.
You my dear worked too hard to get your heath, body and mind where you want it to be to let anything defeat you now!
Is Sugar Toxic to Your Body?
HCG Craving Buster of the Day
This blog post isn’t about a supplement though one L-Glutamine capsule poured under the tongue can help with sugar craving
The video link below provides information that helps you and me both to think before we act on a craving. Thus one day closer to the goal we have set for ourselves because we decide to make the right food choices that keep our body and mind healthy!
Video shows how sugar not only causes heart disease and diabetes, but also feeds tumors and is as addictive as Cocaine to your brain
Mike’s comments:
I think everybody needs to watch this video from a recent 60 Minutes episode to see just how harmful to your health sugar really is. I don’t think most people understand the seriousness of this. People seem to blindly eat and drink loads of sugar each day (Americans consume a whopping 1/3 lb of sugar per DAY on average) without thinking about how this internally affects your body and your biochemistry.
As you can see in the video, it should be no surprise to anybody that studies clearly relate excess sugar consumption to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
You might argue that some natural sugars have always been in the human diet, so why is this an issue. Well, yes humans have always eaten small amounts of natural sugars from fruit as part of the ancestral diet, but we’ve never historically been exposed to the massive amounts of added sugars that we see in today’s world of sweetened drinks, candies, cakes, cookies, as well as added sugars in everything from condiments to dressings to tomato sauces.
As you can see in the video, the average American eats a sickening 130 lbs of sugar per person per year, or 1/3 lb per day! That’s just nasty if you ask me, and shows how little most people respect their body, or even think about what they’re putting in their body on a daily basis.
The video also mentions that in one controlled study, they replaced 25% of the daily calories of the subjects with sugary drinks, and took continual blood tests. The tests showed that by replacing 25% of their daily calories with sugary drinks, the subjects increased their dangerous small dense LDL particles in their blood which causes arterial plaque and heart disease. Yes, in fact, sugar and carbs in general contribute more to heart disease than fats do.
We also need to realize that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a relatively new invention in the human diet and is something that your body does not know how to properly handle. HFCS didn’t really become part of the human food supply until the 1970’s and now it’s found it fairly large quantities in almost every processed food on the grocery shelves. As the video points out, HFCS consumption is clearly linked to increased heart disease and stroke risk.
One statement I don’t agree with in the video above is that sugar and HFCS are “the same”. While I agree that they are both terrible for your health and both toxic, there are certainly big differences in how the body processes HFCS vs table sugar or other forms of sugar. I cover this in full in this article about HFCS here (opens a new window).
Also take note that the video mentions how sugar feeds tumors and can make cancer worse.
In addition, sugar activates reward centers in your brain, similar to drugs like cocaine, thereby making sugar addictive. The part of the video where they do brain scans on him while he sips a sugary soda is interesting indeed.
One other thing to mention about this video… I don’t fully agree with how they lump honey and real maple syrup in with table sugar or HFCS. Although honey and real maple syrup are mostly sugar, and should be minimized overall, both of them at least have additional micronutrients and antioxidants that sugar or HFCS simply don’t have.
In addition, another aspect that the video fails to mention is that it’s not just added sugar that causes all of these negative effects in your body, but also fast-digesting carb sources like breads, pastas, bagels, muffins, rice, and other grain-based foods that spike your blood sugar just as quickly as regular table sugar. For example, each piece of bread you eat is basically equivalent to eating about 20 grams of sugar since the response to your blood sugar and triglyceride levels is essentially the same.
The bottom line is that food manufacturers want you to be addicted to sugar and continue to buy all of their junk foods and sugary drinks which destroy your health. But it’s time to take control of your health for yourself and not support these giant businesses who only care about their corporate profit and not about how they are destroying your health.
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