Explanation of the Lemonade Diet
Here’s a brief run-down of the protocol for a Master Cleanse that is commonly called the Lemonade Diet. The only things I am ingesting during the 10 to 40 days of this liquid fast are water, salt water, peppermint tea, laxative tea, and a specially prepared lemonade consisting of water, lemon juice, grade B maple syrup, and cayenne pepper.
The lemonade contains all of the nutrients and sugars that your body needs to function optimally during the fast. Grade B maple syrup is nothing like the excessively processed maple syrup that you buy at the supermarket. Grade B has not been filtered, diluted, or mixed with stabilizers and preservatives. It is an extremely dark brown, very intense-flavoured syrup — only slightly less viscous than blackstrap molasses. It is overflowing with vitamins and minerals and offers an amazing nutritional value. It also helps stabilise blood sugar. The lemon juice acts as a solvent to dissolve years of buildup in the digestive system. The cayenne thins mucous secretions. The water, of course, is crucial to the body’s functions whether you are fasting or not. I drink between 60 and 120 ounces of this lemonade daily.
The salt water is used only in the morning, to flush the system. Since there is nothing solid going in, regular bowel function is disrupted, and the toxins and stored gunk will not pass through my system if I don’t wash it out. So, very early each morning, I drink a warm solution of two teaspoons of natural, non-iodized salt dissolved in 32 oz. of water. I chug it down as fast as I can and then wait about an hour, when it has finished washing through my system and begins to, um, drain. It takes about 90 minutes for the whole quart to come through.
The laxative tea is used only at night, unless I am unable to drink the salt water in the morning. In that case, I also drink a cup of the tea in the morning, to help keep things moving properly. I can drink the peppermint tea any time I feel a need for a little different taste.
I am eating no solid food at all. This plan is to follow it for a minimum of 10 days, but you can do it for up to 40 days safely. That is what I am trying to do. A 40-day liquid fast.
Why? Because I am desperate. One thing that this cleanse is supposed to do is clear out the toxins that make us retain weight, and clear out the things that cause food cravings. The body, when bombarded with more toxins than the liver can filter out, binds those toxins to fat cells and deposits them throughout the body. When the ingestion of toxins ceases, the body can begin to release the stored toxins, metabolise the fat, and move it out of the body. The person begins to lose weight and feel better — rapidly.
When I break the fast, whether at 40 days or when my body says “enough!”, I will have to go very slowly in reintroducing solid foods. The first day will be fresh-squeezed orange and grapefruit juices, and the second day will add a light vegetable soup. I can then begin slowly adding vegetables back to my diet, with meat returning in a week or ten days.
The plan is quite safe, and thousands upon thousands of people have tried it. You can get more information by reading Stanley Burrough’s booklet The Master Cleanse, or Peter Glickman’s book Lose Weight, Have More Energy, and Be Happier in 10 Days. Both books are available here, as is additional information and personal stories of those who have done the cleanse.