The Lemonade Diet, also referred to as the Master Cleanse, is a dietary regimen meant to detoxify the body. While some people only follow the diet for a few days, others remain on the cleanse for two weeks. According to Harvard Health Beat, proponents of the lemonade diet recommend staying on the cleanse at least 10 days. Always consult your doctor before starting a detox diet, especially if you plan to remain on the detox for two weeks.
Purpose
Proponents of the Lemonade Diet claim the detox program helps remove toxins and wastes from all areas of the body. In addition to removing toxins, the detox diet is said to cleanse the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract, purify your glands and cells and eliminate any waste, and reduce pressure in your blood vessels. However, according to MayoClinic.com registered dietitian Katherine Zeratsky, there is little scientific evidence that detox diets such as the Lemonade Diet are actually effective in removing toxins from the body. Furthermore, Zeratsky adds that there is no need to follow a detox diet. Your liver and kidneys can efficiently remove any toxins from your body.
Diet Basics
The main component of the Lemonade Diet is the consumption of a lemonade solution that is a mixture of spring water, organic maple syrup, freshly squeezed organic lemon juice and cayenne pepper. The Lemonade Diet involves drinking six 10 oz. glasses of this liquid every day. In addition to the solution, the diet plan consists of a laxative tea taken twice daily, as well as drinking a saline solution.
Considerations
The Lemonade Diet is a detox diet, not a weight loss program. While you would undoubtedly lose weight if you followed the lemonade diet for two weeks, most of the weight lost would be due to loss of water, not of fat. Because of this, most weight you lost while following the diet would return when you resumed normal eating. According to EveryDiet.org, the book outlining the Lemonade Diet states that most dieters regain at least half the weight lost when they stop the Lemonade Diet.
Warnings
Diets like the Lemonade Diet are extremely low in calories, as well as other nutrients, such as protein, vitamins and minerals. According to Harvard Health Beat, most of the calories, which total around 600 per day, are supplied by carbohydrates. When you don't supply your body with an adequate amount of calories for two weeks, your basal metabolic rate, which represents the amount of calories you burn at rest, decreases. As a result, your body burns calories less efficiently. This can make it more difficult to lose weight in the future. In addition to not providing adequate nutrients, the Lemonade Diet plan causes diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration and depletion of important electrolytes. The diet may also disrupt normal bowel function and disrupt the normal intestinal flora that keeps your digestive system working properly. Consult your doctor before starting any diet, but particularly one as severe as the Lemonade Diet.
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