The lemonade diet, also known as the Master Cleanse, was developed more than 50 years ago by Stanley Burroughs. It is a detoxification program and not specifically designed for weight loss, although weight loss is a natural byproduct of cleansing. After you finish with the lemonade-only part of the program, you must gradually add food back into your diet. Food is added slowly and in a specific order designed to not overtax your digestive system.
Step 1
Add orange juice first, before adding solid foods. Water down the juice so you don't have too much sugar hit your bloodstream too quickly. Do not consume more than 1,000 calories of juice the first day off of the fast, remembering that 8 oz. of orange juice has about 120 calories. The orange juice is an easy way to prepare your body for food tomorrow.
Step 2
Make a vegetable soup using purified water and vegetables of your choice. Carrots, celery, onion, potatoes and a leafy green vegetable like kale or spinach simmered with herbs such as thyme or parsley is a good choice. Have lemonade for breakfast and vegetable soup for lunch. You may drink orange juice if you wish, but again, watch out for the high sugar content.
Step 3
Continue to have the lemonade drink for breakfast every day as you add raw fruits and vegetables into your diet the third day off the fast. Try a salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Eat as much as you care to. There is no need to count calories or limit yourself with fruits and vegetables.
Step 4
Start to add cooked vegetables into your diet on the fourth day after you finish your cleanse. Continue to drink the lemonade for breakfast daily.
Step 5
Avoid animal protein, refined sugars and flours, caffeine and alcohol. Add plant protein in the form of legumes and nuts. If you have any stomach irritation, go back to drinking lemonade and having vegetable soup for a day or two until your stomach feels better, then slowly add other foods, still avoiding animal products and refined sugars.
Tips and Warnings
- Choose organic fruits and vegetables to avoid adding toxins and pesticides back into your system. The lemonade diet can be a good transition to a raw foods lifestyle.
- Consult your doctor before beginning any type of fasting diet. Most weight lost will be water weight and it is possible to gain the weight back when you start to eat normally again.
Things You'll Need
- Organic orange juice
- Vegetable soup
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