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Lemonade Master Cleanse - The Master Cleanse Diet

Lemonade Master Cleanse: Is the lemonade diet master cleanse a healthy detox program or a bunch of bollocks?

I vote the latter. Now before you shout me down and tell me all about how wonderful you felt while on the cleanse, let me explain why I think so.

Master Cleanse Recipe

Firstly let's get to the master cleanse recipe.

The master cleanse diet recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of grade B maple syrup per 8 ounces of water and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. This supposedly contains essential minerals and nutrients that will adequately nourish the body during the cleanse.

Well, let's break it down. Lemons are very healthy, sure. However a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice at a time are not going to do very much to add to your general state of health. Nevertheless that part is certainly healthy, can't argue with that.

The maple syrup on the other hand is pure refined sugar. It has no special properties, no amazing health benefits, it is simply refined sugar. For the 100 calories of maple syrup added to each glass of lemonade, a person would be MUCH better off eating a banana (also 100 calories, but a perfect package of nutrition).

The cayenne pepper does not contain magical cleansing properties either. The mucus it causes is because it is a severe irritant to the digestive tract. The mucus is a result of the body attempting to protect itself from this toxin NOT a result of the body clearing out. Cayenne pepper is definitely NOT a health food.

Laxative Teas and Salt Water Flushes

As a part of the lemonade master cleanse a person is also supposed to drink a laxative tea as well as perform a salt water flush, where they drink a couple of liters of warm water mixed with sea salt.

This has no benefit whatsoever and is actually dangerous. If a person is stranded at sea and drinks seawater they will die. So why is it suddenly different when you are standing in your kitchen? Why is it suddenly healthy now to willingly glug down a couple of liters of salted water?

Salt water is dehydrating and incredibly toxic to the body.

Needing to use laxative tea as part of the cleanse is just another indicator that this is not something that we should take part in, as the body does not need to be 'forced' to cleanse itself, and this is just another sign that the diet is highly lacking in fiber and is too refined.

Master Cleanse Weight Loss

People generally lose a lot of weight on the master cleanse. This is because of the lowered caloric intake of the diet. Generally a person on the master cleanse is consuming between 600 and 1200 calories a day, all in liquid form and containing zero fat.

This definitely results in super fast weight loss, but it is not because you are drinking refined sugar and lemons, it is because you are not consuming any fats and you are on a semi starvation diet. You really might as well be drinking coke. It is not much of an improvement.

Why not rather just eat fruits and vegetables and have no need of the laxative teas? Doesn't that make more sense?

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If the lemonade master cleanse is unhealthy, why do people feel good while following it?

The lemonade master cleanse in many respects still signals an improvement over what people WERE eating before.

They cut the caffeine, they cut the meat and dairy, the junk foods, the baked goods etc, of COURSE they will feel better, MUCH better!

They will see their skin clear up, their weight go down, their allergies disappear etc. This is often very motivating and often people follow a period on the master cleanse with a healthy raw food lifestyle in order to maintain the benefits, and this is wonderful!

However, if they skipped the master cleanse and went straight to a healthy raw food diet, their results would be even more fabulous and with absolutely none of the downsides!

Or, perhaps if they did a short mono diet the results would far exceed that of the master cleanse fast.

If the lemonade master cleanse is unhealthy, why do people feel so much more energetic while on it?

This is simple. They are fueled by refined sugar, which is providing their energy. They are also NOT burdened by too much fat in their diet, as they are consuming NO fat at all. This gives a major energy boost. However, because it is refined sugar, this is harmful and will result in energy crashes.

SO much better to eat fresh fruit! You get all the high energy, without the crashes and without any negative effects.

My Lemonade Master Cleanse Story

I first did the master cleanse in early 2007. I lost some weight sure, but I put it all back on again - quickly - plus a few pounds more!

The only way to become lean, fit and strong is to EAT and exercise. I'm afraid drinking lemon juice is just NOT going to cut it. In fact it's going to make you fatter than before, count on it! And I don't care what your scale says - your scale doesn't know when you've lost muscle and water and gained FAT.

There is no quick fix to burning body fat and gaining lean muscle mass and the lemonade master cleanse will achieve the exact opposite for you.

If you want to try something new, try starting a raw food diet instead!