Lemon Juice Cleanse Diet

The lemon juice cleanse diet is one of many names for the Master Cleanse detoxification diet. In the 1940s, alternative medicine practitioner Stanley Burroughs developed the Master Cleanse as a treatment for stomach ulcers. In later years he prescribed the fast for other diseases, such as cancer, and he also advocated it as a weight-loss remedy in his 1976 book titled “The Master Cleanser.” The diet fell out of favor for several years until Peter Glickman revived the diet in 2004 with his book “Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days.”

Diet Ingredients

The primary ingredients of the lemon juice cleanse diet are lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup. Per Burroughs’ specifications, all of the ingredients should be organic, high-grade and as fresh as possible. For example, for the best results Burroughs specified fresh-squeezed juice from organic lemons, rather than using pre-packaged lemon juice. Additionally, you should only squeeze the lemons as you make each glass of lemonade, rather than squeezing several lemons in advance for use throughout the day. The diet also has other ingredients such as fresh juices, salt, water and laxative teas.

How the Diet Works

The lemon juice cleanse diet is a three-phase plan with an ease-in phase, a fast phase and an ease-out. During the ease-in you slowly remove solid food from your diet over the course of three days in preparation for the lemonade fast. On the first day you consume nothing but fruits and vegetables. On the second you consume nothing but juice and broth. On the third you consume nothing but diluted juice, and you start the fast on the fourth day. During the fast you consume up to 12 8-oz. glasses of the lemonade mixture plus a laxative tea at night and a quart of salt water every morning for approximately 10 days. At the end of the fast you ease out for three days, drinking diluted juice the first day, juice and broth the next, and incorporating fruits and vegetables on the third.

Substitutions

Although Burroughs recommends lemon juice and maple syrup for the diet, you can substitute fresh-squeezed organic limes and cane syrup if the other ingredients are not available. Burroughs specifically advised dieters not to use honey. Burroughs also advised that dieters could drink plain water, in addition to the lemonade, and mint tea.

Effects

The diet is supposed to clear toxins from the body by encouraging frequent bowel movements. Additionally, because you are not consuming food, you should completely clear any foods that may have “collected” in your bowels over the years. Practitioners may experience dizziness, nausea and severe abdominal cramping, and Harvard Medical School warns that fasting for long periods can cause kidney and liver damage.