The Master Cleanse is a diet plan that calls for two weeks of consuming nothing but a drink made from lemon juice, water, maple syrup and cayenne pepper, a laxative tea and a salt water solution. If you follow the plan strictly, you eat no solid food during the cleanse. Although advocates of the Master Cleanse claim weight loss, renewed energy and mental clarity as benefits of the diet, health professionals caution against the plan.
History and Features
Dr. Stanley Burroughs first introduced the Master Cleanse in the 1940s. It experienced a revival in popularity in the 1970s and again recently, with reports of major movie stars using it to slim down and detoxify. The recipe for the Master Cleanse drinks consists of 60 oz. of spring water, 12 tbsp. of organic maple syrup, 12 tbsp. of freshly squeezed, organic lemon juice and ½ tsp. of cayenne pepper. You are to drink 10 oz. of the lemonade six times per day. The original diet regimen calls for you to slowly decrease your food intake prior to beginning the cleanse and an easing out period in which you introduce solid food slowly.
Calories and Nutrition
Although you eat no food on the Master Cleanse, you do take in about 650 calories per day. The average woman should consume between 1,800 and 2,400 calories per day and the average man between 2,400 and 3,000 calories per day. The lemonade contains very little nutrition. You may feel week, dizzy and even nauseous -- especially during the first days of the plan -- due to the lack of food.
Weight Loss
Some people follow the Master Cleanse because it contains no food and leads to rapid weight loss. The original intention of the cleanse was not weight loss and even Burroughs notes most of the weight you do lose will return once you begin eating solid food. The diet intends to help detoxify your body by reducing the stress of digestion and assisting the liver, kidneys and lymphatic system.
Healthy Options
While your body does a good job of detoxifying on its own, you might seek a detox diet to help clean up your eating habits. Instead of going on the Master Cleanse, which is basically a starvation diet, follow a healthy cleanse that includes a variety of whole, natural foods. Include plenty of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, plain whole grains and raw nuts and seeds. You could even eat small portions of plain, lean proteins and nonfat dairy on healthy cleansing plan.
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