Most health professionals recommend healthy adults have at least one bowel movement a day. That indicates you consume adequate fiber and liquids to maintain a healthy digestion and elimination. If you are irregular or want to jump-start a diet, there are several ways to do a homemade cleanse to help you lose weight. If you have not done a homemade cleanse before, ask your doctor or nutritionist first for medical clearance.
The Master Cleanse
The Master Cleanse is a fasting lemonade made of organic lemons, cayenne pepper, maple syrup and water. Popularized by Stanley Burroughs in the late '70s in his booklet "The Master Cleanser," the homemade cleanse remains popular because it is inexpensive and easy to do. The idea is to consume no other food while drinking only water and the fasting lemonade. Advocates say this liquid fasting rests the internal organs from digestion and speeds weight loss, as you are consuming very few calories. As this is not always practical nor appropriate for many people, ask your physician or nutritionist if it is appropriate for your weight-loss program.
Juicing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Drinking the fresh juices from organic fruits and vegetables in different combinations is another way to do a homemade cleanse. People who drink only fresh juices for several days to a few weeks will often lose weight quickly. Juicing provides more calories than the Master Cleanse, and vitamins and minerals from the fruits and vegetables, but no fiber and very little protein.
Whole Foods Detox Diet
It is not necessary to drink only liquids to cleanse. Dr. Elson Haas has led juicing groups for health benefits, but he also advises people to consider a whole foods diet to cleanse the internal organs. He recommends that people eat vegetables; fruits; whole grains such as brown rice, millet, quinoa and oats; and small amounts of olive, sunflower or flax seed oil for several days as a way to cleanse. In his book "The New Detox Diet," he advises readers to eat seasonally. For example, favoring squashes in fall and strawberries in summer. He states that a detox diet can be supplemented with small amounts of lean protein, such as chicken, fish and low-fat yogurt, and that it can become a long-term way of eating.
Consume Detox Herbs
A homemade cleanse can include consuming herbs in the forms of teas and supplements that are well-known for their ability to help the colon and other internal organs to cleanse. There are many commercial detox teas on the market. Carrie L'Esperance, author of "The New Seasonal Detox Diet," recommends buckthorn root, dandelion root, burdock, yellow dock, senna and cascara sagrada as herbs effective for a home cleansing program. You could drink a cup of detox tea daily or take herbal supplements before bed and follow a juicing, Master Cleanse or whole foods cleansing diet, depending on what you determine is most appropriate for you.
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