Master Cleanser Detox/Diet Review

Next I will be reviewing the Master Cleanser detox and diet plan. I am basing this plan on the Book by Peter Glickman's book Lose Weight, Have More Energy, and Be Happier in 10 Days. On the surface this title consists of all the bit buzz words in diet to the point that it is almost comical.
The Lemonade Diet (also called Master Cleanse) is a short-term, cleansing diet that is similar to a juice fast in many ways. While you are following the diet (10 to 40 days), your sole source of energy and nutrients is a lemonade made with fresh-squeezed lemon juice, purified (non-fluoridated) water, grade-B maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. In addition, each morning, you drink a salt-water flush, and each evening you drink a laxative tea. The only other beverages allowed on the Lemonade Diet are pure (non-fluoridated) water and peppermint tea.
There is a strict regimen for ending the diet, beginning with fresh-squeezed citrus juices for approximately 36 hours, and then gradually moving to raw vegetables and fruits or to cooked vegetable soups over the course of three to five days after ending the regime.

What Does It Do?

The goal of the diet is to rest the digestive tract, cleanse the system of impurities, mobilize and eliminate toxins stored in various areas of the body, and burn excess fat stores.

History

The diet was first explained by Stanley Burroughs in The Master Cleanser, first published in 1976. It has been revived in recent years with the publication of Peter Glickman's book Lose Weight, Have More Energy, and Be Happier in 10 Days, first published in 2004, and revised and expanded for a second edition in 2005.

An extensive website and bulletin board support group for those following the Lemonade Diet has popularized the diet, and there is a large group of people who do the 10-day diet each January. The bulletin board can be found here.

Raw Food adherents often use the Lemonade Diet to start or augment their raw lifestyle.

Side Effects

The first few days of the program can be tough. Like any other fast-type diet, learning to get along without your normal amount of food is difficult. And, like any juice fast, learning to get along without solid food can be a tremendous challenge.

In addition, because this diet is a cleansing fast, there are "detox" symptoms that may occur, including headaches, nausea and vomiting, cravings, fatigue and irritability. Most of these symptoms are short-lived. On rare occasions, they may be so severe that the dieter has to end the diet early.

Medical Considerations

Because it represents a tremendous change in eating habits, persons who wish to try it would be wise to discuss it with their physician first. In particular, individuals taking long-term medication that cannot be safely discontinued for the duration of the diet need to consult with their physician. The doctor may wish to monitor the dieter to ensure that the change in dietary habits does not alter the effects of the medication.

Persons who have followed the diet have reported changes in blood-pressure, blood-sugar / insulin levels, and depression, all of which required alteration of their normal dose of medication for these conditions.

Health Warnings

Persons following the Lemonade Diet should follow it exactly as written, and, ideally, under the supervision of their personal physician. Individuals should also be attuned to their body's signals that it is time to transition back to eating. The recommended 10 days is sufficient for most people; higher numbers of days would not be recommended unless the person were under a physician's care and had become accustomed to shorter-term fasts.

Drink at least the minimum amount of the lemonade each day; Burroughs and Glickman both state that one should drink 6 to 12 glasses of the lemonade per day. With 100 calories per 2 tablespoons of Grade B maple syrup, and 8 calories per 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 1 calories per 1/6 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, each drink provides approximately 109 calories. Thus, it would be important to drink 11 to 12 glasses per day to ensure that at least 1200 calories were consumed.

To guard against dehydration, water should also be taken throughout the cleanse. Many cleansers drink a glass of water between glasses of lemonade.

Persons who wish to follow this program more than once a year are advised to wait three to six months between stints; the longer the time on the diet, the longer one should wait to repeat it. Three months between 10-day stints is the minimum recommended interval.

About the Books

For those wishing to explore this diet, Glickman's book is recommended as the one that is easier to read and more user-friendly. Burroughs's book, while thorough, is not laid out with the modern reader in mind, and can be confusing and overly technical. Burroughs' writing style is also quite pedantic, which some readers find alienating. Glickman's book is well-organized, informal in style, and less technical in nature. It is also replete with anecdotes from those who have followed the Lemonade Diet, along with suggestions and observations for those who are new to the concept.

Other Resources

Although it is not necessary to buy a kit in order to undertake the Lemonade Diet, many of those who follow the diet, especially first-timers, find that the kits simplify the preparation process. While the local health food supermarket or organic foods store may have all of the ingredients, it is often more convenient to simply order a ready-made kit.

Several companies have "Lemonade Diet" or "Master Cleanse" kits available for those who wish to follow the Lemonade Diet. These kits generally include everything except the water and lemons. Three such sites are: The RawFoodSite.com (Peter Glickman's site), Humblebee Health.com , TheLemonadeDiet.com




The concern with the Lemonade Diet is its lack of nutrition. As stated, the sole source of energy and nutrients of this diet is obtained from lemon juice, water, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. The laxative tea replaces dietary fiber, but is not the form the body prefers. Most importantly, any eating plan that does not supply an average of 1200 calories a day is not safe or supportive of optimal health.

The impact of this diet on the intestinal system is intense. This is not kept a secret. However, there are other ways of cleansing the body without suffering from the enormity of stomach pain and diarrhea reported on this program. Dehydration is a definite side effect and one that requires constant monitoring. Dizziness, nausea, vomiting, fever, headaches, blurred vision and fatigue are a few of the symptoms of dehydration.

It is doubtful that any medical professional would recommend or support the undertaking of this regime. Most importantly, this program is not intended for weight loss purposes. It needs to be seen and utilized strictly for detoxification. It is also strongly suggested from medical experts that these types of diets be followed for a minimal length of time, if any. Forty days of the Lemonade Diet is not recommended for any one.

One final note: The Lemonade Diet should be called by its original title: The Master Cleanse. Any program with “diet” in its title provokes the idea of the newest weight loss trend. This diet is no exception as perennial dieters seek the latest ways to shed unwanted pounds. The fact is lemons are not magical fat-burners. The only reason for weight loss with the Lemonade Diet is the unfavorable breakdown of muscle and fat stores in order to sustain our highly active bodily systems, as well as the depletion of our water stores.