The Master Cleanse Diet, also called the lemonade diet, was originated by alternative health crusader Stanley Burroughs in his book, "The Master Cleanser." As this book has been around since 1941, many variations on the recipe abound.
The diet, in its simplest form, is a fast with nutritional supplements. Although this technique has made headlines as a weight loss diet, it was intended as a detoxification procedure. The ideal fasting routine with Master Cleanse involves slowly weaning oneself off of food that is difficult to digest before jumping headlong into the fast. This is a good time to consider refining your diet to exclude unhealthy foods entirely. The Master Cleanse Diet could be the start of a whole new you.
Step 1
Substitute fresh vegetables and fruit for the meat, dairy and processed food in your current diet. Give up soda pop and coffee in favor of unsweetened juice. Drink 64 ounces of water daily throughout the fast. Continue eating uncooked fruits and vegetables for two or three days.
Step 2
Substitute raw food with a purely liquid diet of juice, smoothies and water for one day. Either take a herbal laxative or drink salt water mixed into a quart of tepid water. Effective herbal laxatives contain one of the following herbs: cascara bark, senna pods, slippery elm bark or aloe vera.
Step 3
Mix the Master Cleanse formula containing maple syrup, lemon juice and cayenne pepper in 64 ounces of tepid water. Drink this formula throughout the day. Do not eat or drink anything else except additional water to stay hydrated. Repeat this routine for three or four days.
Step 4
Add juice and fresh fruits and vegetables back into your diet over the next two or three days. Some people find that the processed food that they enjoyed before the fast is unpalatable after the fast.
Tips and Warnings
- Track of your progress by keeping a diet journal. Write down your weight and measurements at the beginning and end of the cleanse. Note when you used laxatives and which ones you used. Track the number of bowel movements that you have daily as well as physical discomforts such as headaches. It is important to log the amount of water separate from the water used in the Master Cleanse formula. Dehydration is a serious health concern. If you are having problems sticking to the Master Cleanse the first time you try it, remind yourself that you can try it again later. Some changes take a great deal of effort to adjust to. Get help from a qualified nutritional consultant before attempting the diet again.
- As with any fast, the Master Cleanse is only intended for short term use. It is not recommended for children, pregnant or nursing mothers or patients using medicine that must be taken with food. Patients with serious health concerns should consult with a qualified health practitioner before under going the Master Cleanse Diet. Do not attempt to operate heavy machinery when fasting.
Things You'll Need
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 quart tepid water
- Herbal laxative
- 1/2 gallon container
- Spoon
- 64 oz. tepid purified water
- 3/4 cup grade B maple syrup
- 3/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
References
- "The Master Cleanser"; Burroughs, Stanley; 1976
- "The Complete Master Cleanser"; Woloshyn, Tom; 2007
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