
A modified juice fast that helps in cleansing the body of toxins is called the master cleanse. The master cleanser lemonade diet is talked about a lot lately. Let us have a look at this diet and its advantages as well as disadvantages in the following article.
There are different types of diet that are undertaken by people around the world. It is not always to lose weight, one would opt for a diet. Sometimes, diet helps in clearing the body of the toxins. If you want both, to lose weight and cleanse your body, then you can try the master cleanse. This is a modified juice fast, where one is not allowed to eat food.
Following the master cleanse or the lemonade diet helps your body expel built-up toxins, gets the kidneys and entire digestive track to optimum health and performance, eliminates joint and muscle aches, and most importantly helps eliminate fats reducing unwanted weight and giving your body a firmer tone.
Everyone Desires a Toxin-free Healthy Body
Everyone wants to have that perfectly clean body; not just externally, but internally as well. We can do a variety of things to clean our bodies externally; have a warm water bath using the best soaps and shampoos, using the best hydrating creams, rubbing and scrubbing the skin to rid it of dead cells. What can we do to clean the body from inside?
Our body should be pure and clean from the inside. It is only then that it will show on the outside. You can’t have naturally glowing skin if your body is saturated with toxins. Toxins that are allowed to accumulate in your body will have bad repercussions over time. Energy levels begin falling, lethargy sets in, you need more sleep to feel refreshed; put simply, your body begins slowing down, allowing a host of diseases to set in.
Who is to blame for all the toxic waste that gets accumulated in our bodies. We ourselves! Our lifestyles have become such today, making it is just the right combination for accumulating all possible toxins into our body without giving it a chance to be expelled out. Eating just about anything that is available, without even thinking of what harm it might do you, smoking, excessive drinking, partying late nights, not drinking enough water, taking unnecessary body supplements, eating more of junk food that healthy food just because it is more appetizing and quick to make; the list is endless. How easy it is to harm your own body.
Most of the time you’re very aware of what these things are doing to your body. But you just don’t care because it has possibly not got you into intensive care as yet. Almost everyone wait for something serious to happen to change their lifestyle. How many times have you seen someone change their entire lifestyle after they have suffered that massive heart attack and have had a bypass surgery performed on them?
None of us have to wait for such dramatic things to happen to change the way we live. Right now our bodies are in all likelihood swarming with a multitude of toxins. We might have body fat that is in excess and totally undesirable. There is probably not one person in the world who does not want to get rid of all these and lead a healthy energy-filled life.
This is where this diet comes in. The master cleanse diet is a naturopathic way of cleansing and getting rid of toxins from our bodies. This cleansing technique was devised by Stanley Burroughs and in practice from the 1940s with a book on the technique published in 1976.
What is the Master Cleanse or the Lemonade Diet
The Master Cleanse (hereinafter called the lemonade diet) is 100% liquid diet that must be followed strictly without any exceptions for a minimum of 10 days. It is also known by other names such as maple syrup diet, lemonade cleanse, lemon cleanse and the latest name the Beyonce diet. The diet consists of lemonade prepared from fresh organic lemons, grade-B maple syrup, and cayenne pepper; water with sea-salt to be had in the mornings; and laxative tea to be had just before going to bed at night. The only other exceptions to these are water (pure, without any additions), lemon tea and mint tea.
Many just hear of going for over 10 days without having a single bite of solid food, and give up the idea. The first thing that comes to almost everyone’s mind when they hear of this is ‘How will I survive for so long without any nutrition. How will I be able to go about my daily routine without any source of energy. Will I not just collapse some day due to malnutrition.’ The answer to this question is ‘NO’, you will not collapse due to malnutrition, you will not suffer during this phase due to a lack of energy and will be able to do whatever you used to in a routine manner.
It may sound very strange and an extreme exaggeration; but almost everyone who has gone through the lemonade diet has felt more energetic and fresh during the diet. How is this possible?
There is an explanation to this. Have you thought as to why this diet consists of fresh organic lemon, grade-B maple syrup and cayenne pepper? Lemons are the richest source of vitamins and minerals, the maple syrup will provide the required energy and the cayenne pepper helps in loosening and getting rid of toxins. The purpose of this diet is to cleanse the entire body (cells), kidneys, glands, and digestive system from all accumulated toxins. All the substances that are responsible for joint and muscle pains are dissolved and eliminated from the body. What this lemonade diet will leave you with is a toxin-free healthy body.
Preparing the Drink
There are no solid foods allowed to be eaten during this diet. All you can consume is the Master Cleanse drink that helps give you the essential vitamins, minerals as well as energy. One serving of the maple syrup diet consists of the following:
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (use only organic lemons)
- 2 tablespoons grade-B maple syrup
- 1⁄10 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Preparation Method:
Dissolve all ingredients in 10 oz. water.
Prepare the lemonade as given. Do not change the proportion of any ingredient. The lemonade may not give you the desired results. Do not substitute the maple syrup or cayenne pepper with anything else. The use of honey in this lemonade is a strict ‘NO’.
You can substitute the water with fresh sugarcane juice if available. If using fresh sugarcane juice eliminate the maple syrup. The reason this is not usually told is that fresh sugarcane juice is not readily available in the US. This is very useful for persons living in most of the Asian countries where fresh sugarcane juice is available in plenty, not maple syrup. However, diabetics beware. Sugarcane juice is contains a lot of sugar and should be avoided at all costs. Use only pure maple syrup. Do not use maple flavored sugar syrups.
Maintaining a Schedule
The night before you decide on starting the lemonade diet, have a laxative herbal tea. The first thing you must have when you get up in the morning should be a quart of salt water. Prepare this by mixing two teaspoons of sea-salt (do not use iodized salt) in a quart of lukewarm water. Do not worry of ill effects. The salt water will not be absorbed into your bloodstream. It will help in flushing out all the waste in your digestive tract. If you can’t have this salt water some day, don’t worry. Replace it with the laxative tea, but do not skip this first thing in the morning.
In between the morning salt-water and night laxative tea, you must have in between 6 to 12 glasses of the lemonade daily. The more the better. Drink as much as plain water as you want throughout the day. Treat yourself to the occasional mint tea (no sugar). During the entire schedule of 10 or 14, do not have anything solid. Absolutely nothing. No liquid other than those mentioned should be consumed.
Will There be Any Side Effects?
Yes. There will be side effects without exception. Most of these will not be pleasant. You must have proper knowledge of the side effects so that you know that what you are going through is nothing abnormal, but perfectly natural in the detoxification process.
The first thing that you may suffer are cramps in the abdomen. You may need to visit the toilet 3 to 4 times a day. Sounds strange to be visiting the toilet so many times since you will not be eating anything solid. But this will happen. Your body will keep on eliminating all the toxins that are loosening from all parts of your body. You could feel a bit weak when you begin the lemonade diet because of the sudden elimination of all the accumulated toxins. Vomiting can occur, and joints could pain. This is normal and natural. Your body is in the process of purifying itself. Other symptoms may include nausea, headaches and irritability. When any of these side effects happen to you, do not despair and leave the lemonade diet. Be firm and go through the entire course; you will not regret it!
How to Come Off the Diet
Coming off the diet is the most important part in the entire diet. Yes, the most important part.
It will be 10 days or more where the body has been void of solid food. Do not make the mistake of gobbling down whatever you can lay your hands on once you have completed this diet. Your body will not be able to adjust to this, and it could lead to a serious condition.
You have to get off the diet and introduce solid foods gradually. The first and second day after you complete the lemonade diet, you should have only fresh orange juice. 8 to 10 glasses a day should suffice. Drink as much water in between as required. On the third day have fresh orange juice in the morning. Afternoon lunch should consist of a little fresh and raw fruit/s. At night have a raw vegetable salad. The following morning, drink a glass of fresh orange juice. Lunch should be a little soup made of fresh vegetables. Have the same soup for dinner. You are now ready to eat normally.
Points to Remember
• Follow the lemonade diet as mentioned.
• Do not substitute any ingredients unless mentioned.
• If you are on some medication that can’t be stopped, consult your physician.
• This is not a weight loss program, so even though you will lose weight, do not overdo it; it could lead to serious complications.
• Come off the diet in the specified manner. Not following this may lead to serious problems.
• This diet requires that you stay off all forms of meat, eggs and milk once the process is complete. This is not possible for many, but is no reason you should not do the lemonade diet at least once a year.
This was about the master cleanser lemonade diet. Although, Robin Quivers and Beyonce have claimed to have benefited greatly by this diet, do not try it out without speaking to a dietitian. You should also note that there is no scientific evidence that proves this diet removes ‘toxins’. It has no temporary harmful effects, however, long-term use could prove to be very risky. One may even gain weight after stopping this diet. Therefore, make sure you speak to an expert doctor, dietitian as well as nutritionist before trying out the lemonade master cleanse diet or any other type of liquid diet.