Did you ever feel like your body needs a deep cleanse from within? Ever thought how awesome it would be if all the toxins in your body were flushed out with just a click of a button? Well, that can happen. The harmful chemicals in your body can be flushed out, and not with the click of a button, but with an amazing way of detoxifying known as The Master Cleanse.
Our bodies need a cleanse A cleanse removes toxins from our bodies that our organs like liver, kidneys, lymph glands, lungs and sweat glands in skin can’t throw out on their own. And because our toxic lifestyles, we accumulate various types of chemicals and poisons in our bodies and hence fall ill regularly. This usually shows up as persistent fatigue, loss of vitality and a feeling of ‘something being very wrong’. This is a signal from the body that it needs a detox and this is when a cleansing diet like the Master Cleanse comes in handy.
One of the best ways to detox is the Master Cleanse. Wondering what it is and how you can make the best use of it? Then sit back and read on!
The Master Cleanse is also commonly known as the Lemonade diet. It has 4 main ingredients–fresh lemon juice, Cayenne pepper, Maple syrup and pure water. The diet is sometimes also known as the Juice Cleanse. And it has a reputation of being the best diet to shed extra weight and get rid of accumulated toxins.
The Master Cleanse was developed by Stanley Burroughs in the 1940s. But it kind of picked up around 1976 when Burroughs wrote two books, “The Master Cleanser“ and “Healing for the Age of Enlightenment”, giving precious information about the diet.
The Master Cleanse lasts for ten days and it is carried out in 3 phases:
That’s all you get to eat for those ten days in the Master Cleanse. The only other food you can eat while undertaking this diet is a laxative. It could be a diuretic tea before sleeping, and it is also recommended that you drink at least a litre of salt water called the ‘saltwater flush’ each morning, as soon as you wake up.
If you are on the Master Cleanse, you will be glued to your bottle of lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup like it’s your only source of life.
This special beverage is the mainstay of the Master Cleanse. It is made from fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and pure water. Though simple and just requires just four ingredients, the special lemonade requires good quality, organic and unrefined (with no preservatives) ingredients to be really effective.
Canned lemon juice is not recommended for making the special lemonade which is used during the Master Cleanse. You can instead use freshly squeezed lemon juice for its nutritional content. Using organic lemons will ensure that you don’t overload your system with more toxins from pesticides and fertilizers.
The maple syrup will need to be full of nutrients too. Hence, make sure you don’t use maple syrup made from refined sugar.
Cayenne pepper is a type of red chili and is also called red pepper. It comes packed with ingredients that can treat several ailments. Its anti-bacterial properties are due to the presence of ‘Capsaicin’, which stimulates hormone secretion and ups the heart rate leading to a high breathing rate which results in you burning more calories.
Lemons too have immunity boosting, detoxifying and anti-fungal properties. Lemons are also rich in vitamin C and come packed with electrolytes. Lemons help cleanse the gut and digestive organs, the major areas where toxins are stored. Thus, lemons help you get rid of toxins. Lemons also stimulate the secretion of certain enzymes in your liver that aid detoxification.
It acts as a sweetener and a source of energy. It comes packed with Iron, Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium and is low in calories.
It is best to use distilled water to avoid introducing pesticides into your diet.
Ingredients:
Method:
The Master Cleanse is famed to detox and cleanse the body and also help lose oodles of weight. It’s a great way to get rid of cravings for salty, fatty, or sweet foods. You may also start appreciating the flavour of whole, fresh foods after completing it. And the diet may also help you reconnect with your normal hunger and fullness cues.
So, what are the benefits of The Master Cleanse? Here they are!
1. It helps you become more aware of what you are eating.
2. Your hair and skin start feeling better.
Although, one con of The Master Cleanse is that you may not lose much weight.
Critics have a lot to say about the Master Cleanse and most of it is not good! The biggest peeve against this ‘extreme’ diet is that there is no scientific evidence saying that the diet removes any toxins from the body, or that it achieves anything more than temporary weight loss.
Experts warn that if carried on for extended periods, the Master Cleanse can be harmful as it contains no nutrients, proteins, vitamins and minerals and too few calories. The diet also has a number of short term side effects like fatigue, dizziness, nausea, and dehydration, while long term harm includes loss of muscle mass.
If you have grappled with intense food carvings or are prone to binge eating, the Mater Cleanse is not for you. And if you have any eating disorder, for that matter, the Master Cleanse is not for you. This is because, even people who are ‘normal‘ experience intense cravings for food apart from moodiness, depression, irritability, and rebound eating during the cleanse. Don’t force yourself to go through the diet if your body does not agree with it. You must also not try this diet if you are diabetic or suffer from serious chronic health problems.
Detoxes and cleanses help you energize and rejuvenate, so give yourself a break from exercise while on the Lemonade diet. If you don’t, you may suffer from unwanted side effects like dizziness and weakness as you are not taking in too many calories during the Master Cleanse. Heavy exercise can also break down muscle mass from your body and lower your metabolic rate which will make you gain weight, rather than lose it.
Using the Master Cleanse to purge can put you in the trap of overindulgence in food and detoxing. This can be counterproductive and dangerous to your health.
Master Cleanse or lemonade diet is the best way to cleanse your body from within and feel lively and robust! Use it today and see the change for yourself!
If you have questions about this diet or want to share your experience of doing it, feel free to leave a comment below!