Do you remember that administrative assistant who told you about the diet involving lemonade and cayenne pepper and you thought she was little crazy?  Do you remember that time Beyonce Knowles went on Oprah and said that she went on a Maple Syrup Cleanse and lost ton of weight for her role in Dream Girls?

Well, it turns out that neither of them is crazy, they were both on the same program, the Master Cleanse, and users of this cleansing process swear by its results. 

The Master Cleanse is not a diet because no solid food is eaten.  Instead, it’s a cleansing process using natural ingredients to clean the internal digestive walls of debris build-up and mucous.  It was designed over a half century ago by Stanley Burroughs, one of the leading pioneers in natural alternative therapies. His belief was that solutions to our bodily problems could be found in nature and it led him to develop the Master Cleanse.

Every time we eat, a certain percentage of that food does not leave our body. Bits from every meal begin to attach and clump to the walls of our intestines.  Gradually, the rotting foods build up, creating a toxic environment.  The body responds by throwing a layer of mucous over the toxic build-up to prevent any toxins from spreading elsewhere in the body. 

The Master Cleanse can purge the intestines of this rotting sludge.  The Cleanse is comprised of three parts: lemonade drink, salt water, and a laxative tea.  The lemonade drink is made using lemon or lime juice, a dash of cayenne pepper, purified water, and grade b maple syrup.

Lemon/lime juice offers a power dose of Vitamin C and other phytonutrients.  Lemons/limes are also loaded with antioxidants that have remarkable antibiotic properties.  They are also potent with citric acid.  It’s the citric acid that cuts through the dense layer of mucous and attacks the putrid muck stuck to the intestinal walls.

The lemon/lime drink is the main solution that you are required to drink every couple of hours, followed by some laxative tea in the evening and/or morning.  In the morning, you also have to take a salt water oral drink that acts like an enema preventing constipation and flushing out the toxic sludge. The salt is also special in that it must be sea salt with no iodine.

The length of this cleansing program can vary depending on your objectives, but to start, the fast is usually a ten day process.  Those who have been on Master Cleanse are quick to tell you that it’s not easy, but many will also tell you that it’s worth it.  People have reported that their energy levels dramatically increase, they sleep better, feel better and the weight loss for those who stick to the 10 day program is noticeable. 

One of the lasting benefits is developing a greater level of respect for your body and health.  Because you’re not actually eating food but still expelling rancid smelling waste, users come to understand that the intestines actually do retain a portion of the food eaten and it sits inside the body, rotting.  Imagine if you had kept rotting trash in your house for several months; what do you think the effect would be?

People also report that the first three days are usually the hardest and that after your first bowel movement things begin to improve.  The most immediate negative effects are caffeine withdrawals for coffee which can include headaches, some food cravings, lightness in the head-unable to concentrate and irritability. After the third day these begin to wane and users say each day gets better, you stop feeling hungry, your energy levels begin to rise and you have better focus.

Once the fast ends, it’s advised to gradually incorporate foods back in to the body by first having stocks and broths, and then slowly move up the food ladder.  The fast may not end after Day 10.  Ten days is only a number, the real objective is to ensure that you have expelled all of the toxic fecal content in your body.  That becomes evident when you are only passing mucous, usually on Day 9 or 10.

Whatever your persuasion on holistic practices may be, there is one thing that is truly fascinating about the Master Cleanse; it’s over fifty years old.  In an industry where detox programs come and ago by the year, this one has stayed and is more popular then ever. 

If you’re thinking about trying the Master Cleanse it’s important to know what you’re doing and how to avoid the side effects that can sometimes pop up when you do the Master Cleanse – this website has a terrific guide that will help you through the Master Cleanse and make sure you reap all the wonderful health benefits as quickly as possible.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Raylen Sterling, the publisher of the Master Cleanse Secrets newsletter, and author of the Master Cleanse Secrets guide.
With the help of the Master Cleanse I look and feel better then I did when I was in high school Click here to try the Master Cleanse for yourself 

the lemon detox diet