With obesity rates on the rise in America, it's no surprise that fad diets are as popular as ever. Many different plans with many different "secret ingredients" offer the key to quick weight loss. One that has proven popular with celebrities and their followers is a diet involving a concoction of lemonade and cayenne pepper called the Master Cleanse Diet.
The Master Cleanse
The heart of the Master Cleanse diet is a drink made up of 10 oz of water, 2 tbsp of both lemon juice and maple syrup, along with a dash of cayenne powder. To follow this diet, you'll need to drink at least six glasses of this lemonade per day, along with lots of water and a laxative designed to aid the digestive process. The diet allows no solid food during the "cleansing" phase of the plan, which can last a few days or longer depending on the willpower of the dieter.
How It Works
At its heart, the Master Cleanse Diet is a low calorie diet plan. The only calories you'll be getting will be from the lemonade drink, which amounts to less than 80 calories per glass. With such a reduced calorie intake, your body will quickly shift into a starvation mode and you'll shed the pounds if you can stick with the plan.
Disadvantages
Unfortunately, severely reduced calorie diets have their own disadvantages. The lack of nutrition is the biggest red flag, with almost all the calories in the diet coming directly from sugar. Lemon juice will provide enough vitamin C to prevent scurvy, but the Master Cleanse Diet is deficient in other important nutrients. Switching to a low calorie diet can cause dizziness, fatigue, gastric upset and a constant feeling of hunger, making it difficult to stick with the program. Low calorie diets can also increase your risk of developing gall stones as the cholesterol balance in the body is upset.
"Detoxification"
Devotees of Master Cleanse tout not only its fat-burning capabilities, but its ability to detoxify the body as well. The plan claims that the lemonade drink plus the laxatives help purge the body of the poisons that build up from the modern diet and lifestyle. The truth of the matter is that we have organs that are efficient at removing contaminants from the body, and if your kidneys and liver are incapable of removing a toxin, it's unlikely that lemonade and cayenne pepper will be any more effective.
See Your Doctor
While many people have lost weight on the Master Cleanse Diet without lasting ill effects, consult your doctor before adopting any radical change in your eating habits. While a healthy person can sustain a sharp decrease in caloric intake, the adjustment can be more difficult for patients with underlying health conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. Your physician can suggest a diet plan that will work for your particular needs and ensure any weight loss occurs in a healthy manner.
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