For most of us a “cup o’ mud” is silly colloquialism for a cup of coffee. For those seeking good health through alternative pathways it means something more literal. For a recovering geologist like me it’s sweet irony as we are commonly referred to as “rock lickers”.
I am truly living up to my reputation!
I started drinking this strange concoction of what amounts to food grade dirt last summer at the tail end of six-week Candida diet. I dubbed it “the sludge” as the mixture is a pale grey, very thick concoction of dirt and fiber. I started drinking the sludge because that’s what you do when you’re not well. You’ll try anything that won’t kill you, and sometimes you’ll even try things that might kill you. It’s all a matter of how distressed you are in the moment and how desperate you feel.
In polite society we call these “calculated risks”.
The day I began my sludge regiment I immediately enjoyed the obvious benefits of a colon sweep. To my surprise the sludge also helped settle my entire GI system. While on the sludge I found that I could even drink hoppy beers without consequence. For those of you who know how much I enjoy Egypt’s greatest gift to mankind, this was a fabulous discovery!
The sludge enabled me to eat and drink with wild abandon. And I did! Until I stopped drinking the sludge but kept up the bad diet. Then, predictably, the Candida came back.
So here’s the dirt on drinking dirt.
Have you ever heard of bentonite clay? I know about it because we used it in the drilling mud back when I was a field geologist. You may know of it because it’s in your cat litter or maybe because you’ve tried your hand at throwing pottery. Regardless, bentonite clay is just that, clay. Clay is simply fine-grained dirt and in this case it’s fine-grained volcanic ash.
Those of you who have played in the mud know that clay can be real sticky. That’s why it’s used in some products as a binding agent. Well, that property of clay works both on your boots and in your belly. Clay is great at sticking to and pushing out all kinds of nasty stuff including bacteria, like Candida.
But wait, there’s more! Why stop at drinking a cup of mud when you can also slurp down a slurry of fossils. Don’t go choking on a T-Rex bone, I’m talking about diatoms!
Diatoms are single cell algae protected by a shell made of silica. When they die their crystal shells fall to the floor of the ocean or lake and accumulate into thick horizons. When we humans dig this up we call it diatomaceous earth, or diatomite.
Similar to bentonite clay, diatomaceous earth is absorptive and used in many filtration systems. Little holes in these tough shells can filter particles as small as 1 micron. In addition, all of those little points on the silica shells are abrasive which is why diatomaceous earth is used in abrasives and toothpaste. The “cutting” quality of these sharp points also make it an effective de-worming agent and pest control in gardens. I’m not suggesting that any of us need de-worming but just to help you understand the nature of the stuff, it literally minces everything it comes across as it moves through you.
How is this stuff even edible? There are food-grade versions of each, and nothing but food grade should be used. There are many recommendations on how much to take. I’ve read 1/2 tsp to 1 Tbs daily of each. Regardless, I use 1 TBS each. I mix the bentonite clay and diatomaceous earth into a large glass of water mix or shake well. The clay doesn’t mix well so pre-hydrating the stuff separately in a jar is recommended. Then just spoon into a large glass of water with diatomaceous earth and mix or shake to blend. Drinking the sludge must be followed up with at least 32 oz of water throughout the day. I blend as best as I can by just mixing. There are always some small lumps left but it’s more visual than a gag hazard.
Being the adventurous type I also mix in 1/2 tsp of Psyllium Husk to make sure that all that sticky mud doesn’t get stuck. I also drink more like 64 oz of water daily.
This is not a recommendation to try the sludge, just me sharing what I do and what works for me. I just started the sludge last night and I’ll be on it for a while. I can use all the help I can get and despite how icky it is to drink, I really enjoy the results and it’s actually not that bad.
Bottoms up!
Diatom picture By Wipeter – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5682386
