How To Start The Master Cleanse Diet

Developed by Stanley Burroughs in 1941, the Master Cleanse, or the Lemonade Diet, is a 10-day fast designed to eliminate toxins, cleanse the digestive system and purify glands and cells. The diet requires drinking a lemonade mixture along with an herbal laxative tea and warm saltwater.
Celebrities such as Beyoncé Knowles, Vince Vaughn and Jared Leto claim to have lost weight from the Master Cleanse. However, some nutrition experts point out that no scientific evidence supports the effectiveness of this diet and question its lack of protein and emphasis on laxatives.

Step 1

Buy lemons, cayenne pepper and maple syrup. Prepare for the cleanse by eating mostly vegetables and fruit instead of meat, dairy, processed food, alcohol and caffeine. Familiarize yourself with the daily routine of the Master Cleanser.

Step 2

Drink an herbal laxative tea the night before you start. First thing in the morning, drink either another cup of the herbal tea or a mixture of one-quart lukewarm water and 2 tsp non-iodized sea salt. Burroughs recommends this to aid with elimination.

Step 3

Mix 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1/10 tsp cayenne pepper and 8 oz pure, filtered water. Drink 6 to 12 glasses throughout the day, whenever you are hungry. In addition, you can also drink plain water and mint tea.

Step 4

Continue Steps 2 and 3 for as long as 10 days.

Step 5

Come off the diet slowly so your digestive system can effectively process regular food. Burroughs recommends this three-day plan for meat-eaters: On day one, drink several glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice. On day two, drink orange juice for breakfast and lunch and homemade vegetable broth for dinner. On day three, drink orange juice for breakfast, have vegetable broth with four rye crackers for lunch and eat a fruit or vegetable salad for dinner. You can then return to a regular diet.

Tips and Warnings

Many who have followed this diet suggest staying close to a bathroom, especially after drinking the saltwater concoction. Be prepared to rest during this 10-day period. Burroughs says that you may feel worse at first as the lemonade stirs up and releases the toxins in the system.
Check with your physician before doing the Master Cleanser. This diet is not recommended for those who are pregnant or who have heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney problems or diabetes. If diarrhea develops, discontinue drinking the tea and saltwater until it stops.