The trendy Master Cleanse program is promoted as both a detox program and a weight loss plan. The program consists of going without food for 7 to 10 days, subsisting only on a mixture of water, lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. Proponents credit the Master Cleanse with a variety of health benefits, none of which are proven. In fact, there are many things about the program that make it inherently dangerous. If you are constipated and have high blood sugar, you are better off consulting your doctor than trusting a cleanse program.
Constipation
Different people have different bowel schedules, and most are considered normal. You are not considered constipated unless your bowel habits have slowed abruptly, or you have fewer than three bowel movements per week. Regardless, the Master Cleanse program will get things moving. The program recommends a nightly laxative, followed by a glass of salt water every morning -- this is essentially like using a laxative twice per day and qualifies as laxative abuse. The laxatives stimulate intestinal contractions, while the salt water draws moisture into the intestine from surrounding tissues to lubricate the passage and add bulk to your stool. Once the initial constipation is past, you'll have liquid diarrhea because you won't be eating solid food.
Healthy Constipation Treatment
Instead of the Master Cleanse, increase your fiber intake, drink more water and get some daily exercise. If you don't experience relief, try an over-the-counter laxative. Milk of magnesia and magnesium citrate work the same way as the salt water, or you can try a stimulant laxative. Use them as directed, and only for a couple of days -- if the laxatives don't work, consult your doctor because there may be a more serious problem at work. Don't take laxatives habitually, or your bowels can forget how to move on their own, and you will become unable to have a bowel movement without laxatives or an enema. Don't believe the myth that laxatives cause weight loss -- by the time food reaches the part of the intestine where the laxatives work, you've already absorbed the calories.
High Blood Sugar
While reducing food intake is one of the ways high blood sugar is treated, fasting takes it too far. The Master Cleanse is especially harmful because there is maple syrup -- pure sugar -- in every glass of the beverage. Because you are encouraged to drink the beverage every time you feel hungry -- and you will because you're not allowed to eat -- you could easily consume about a cup or more of maple syrup per day. Drinking pure sugar is not a recommended treatment for high blood sugar and is almost certain to make it climb even higher.
Safer High Blood Sugar Treatment
High blood sugar is a hallmark of diabetes, so consult your doctor for a treatment plan. Losing weight is often a major part of treatment, but the Master Cleanse will only cause you to lose water weight. Any weight you lose during the program will come back with reinforcements once you start eating again because your body feeds off your muscles during starvation. The American Diabetes Association recommends exercise to bring down an acute case of high blood sugar as long as there are no ketones in your urine -- test strips are available at your local pharmacy. If the high blood sugar is a long-term thing for you, you must begin doctor-supervised treatment for diabetes or risk of stroke, heart attack, blindness, gum disease, nerve damage and kidney failure.
