The Master Cleanse diet is also known as the Lemonade Diet. It is a 10-day liquid diet that purports to promote fast weight loss. Because the diet is so low in calories and allows for no solid food, it will not curb your appetite.
About the Cleanse
The Master Cleanse has become popular in recent years because of its ability to cause fast weight loss. Proponents of the cleanse also claim it can help your body detoxify itself, but these claims have not been backed up in the medical literature. On the cleanse, dieters drink a minimum of six 8-ounce glasses of lemonade. This lemonade is made of freshly squeezed lemon juice, cayenne pepper, grade-B maple syrup and water. Additionally, dieters follow a laxative regimen consisting of either oral laxatives or a saltwater flush, where a quart of warm water mixed with salt is drunk quickly in order to produce a bowel movement.
Effect on Appetite
Many people who complete the cleanse experience intense hunger pangs. This is due to both the low calorie intake of the diet and the lack of solid food. According to the Harvard Medical School Publication Healthbeat, the average calorie intake of those following the diet is only 600 calories per day. The absolute minimum recommended calorie intake is 1,200 for women and 1,500 for men. In addition to the low calories, the lack of solid food can contribute to feelings of hunger, because human bodies are only satiated by solid food, which take longer to digest than liquids and remain in the stomach, which signals to the brain that it is full.
Other Risks
According to Mayoclinic.com, much of the weight lost on fad diets is not fat, but muscle and water. Because it is very hard for bodies to burn the number of calories needed to see a big drop on the scale, if you do lose large amounts of weight in a short period of time, it is likely that it is due to water weight loss. It could also be due to your body burning lean muscle tissue for energy, which it does in times of deprivation. According to the University of Iowa Health Care Website, low-calorie liquid diets can result in fatigue, nausea, dizziness, light-headness and a regain of any weight lost once you return to your normal diet. The laxative regimen could cause a host of gastrointestinal complications, and could exacerbate any preexisting conditions.
Suggestions
According to the official Master Cleanse website, many people drink more than the recommended 12 glasses of lemonade per day because of cravings or an the need for additional calories. If you are looking to lose weight, a reasonable long-term plan is the only way to cause permanent fat loss. If you believe your body needs detoxification, discuss the situation with your doctor or a nutritionist, who can help you come up with a diet plan to achieve these goals.
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