The Master Cleanse, also known as the Lemon Cleanse and the Maple Syrup Diet, was created by Stanley Burroughs in 1941 and later popularized by Peter Glickman in his book (2005) Lose Weight, Have More Energy and Be Happier in 10 Days. The Master Cleanse is a detoxification program that aids in the removal of harmful toxins in the body and helps remove the cravings we experience from drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and eating junk food. People have also used the cleanse to lose weight, although that is not the aim of the cleanse.
The Master Cleanse involves drinking only lemonade made from fresh lemon (or lime) juice, Grade B organic maple syrup, water and cayenne pepper. No solid food can be eaten for the duration of the cleanse. The lemonade is best taken at room temperature. The master cleanse is technically not a “fast” and proponents say it is more gentle on the body because it does contain some essential vitamins and minerals. According to proponents it is recommended to be on the cleanse for a minimum of ten days, but it is not uncommon for people to stay on the cleanse for longer periods of time, even as long as 40 days. A good indicator of when you should end the cleanse is when the coating on your tongue clears up and your tongue is nice and pink in the morning. This indicates that your body has cleared out most toxins. But you must judge for yourself when to end the diet.
Since there is no intake of solid food, special precautions are taken to avoid constipation. Laxative tea, which is optional, can be taken every night, or, in the morning a quick drink of 32 ounces of lukewarm sea salt water (use only uniodized sea salt) serve as a top-down enema. This passes through the digestive system extremely quickly, usually causing defecation in 30-60 minutes. Many individuals don’t require the laxative tea as long as the salt water has the desired effect. To do this, add 2 level teaspoons of uniodized sea salt to a quart of lukewarm water. Shake well, then drink the entire quart. Make sure you use uniodized sea salt; regular or iodized salt will not have the same beneficial effect. This oral enema will flush out your entire digestive tract and colon from top to bottom, usually within an hour, prompting you to eliminate several times, clearing out the plaque and debris from the walls, and the parasites that have been living there.
#1 Lemonade Drink (single serving):
2 Tablespoons of organic lemon or lime Juice (about 1/2 a Lemon or lime)
2 Tablespoons of Organic grade B maple syrup
1/10 Teaspoon Cayenne pepper powder
Ten ounces of filtered water
#2 (60 oz. daily serving):
60 ounces of filtered water
12 Tablespoons of organic grade B maple syrup
12 Tablespoons of organic lemon juice
1/2 Teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
Drink the lemonade mix every 1 to 2 hours. Take no other food, but do be sure to drink plenty of purified water in addition to the lemonade drink. Drink as much of this lemonade as you want, but make sure that you drink at least twelve 1/4 liter (8 oz) glasses.
There are a couple important things to remember when preparing the lemonade.
For one, the lemon juice used must be fresh squeezed. This cannot be emphasized enough. It is necessary to use fresh produce. Canned juice won’t work and will erase most of the benefits of using the master cleanser diet.
Also, the maple syrup must be grade B maple syrup, not the sugar filled syrup that is used at the breakfast table.
The cayenne pepper might seem unnecessary, but it is actually very important. Not only does it help to add a bit of a kick, but the pepper helps to break up mucus and increases healthy blood flow. It also is a good source of B and C vitamins, commonly referred to as Super Vitamins due to their many benefits for the body.
Mixing herbal teas with the recipe is one way to help modify things, just make sure it’s decaffeinated tea because caffeine can restrict blood vessels and you want to keep your body passages as open as possible.
When you have finished the Cleanse
It is essential to go off of the cleanse slowly. The lack of solid foods for such long periods requires careful breaking, as gut flora (good bacteria) need to re-develop and mucus linings re-build. This usually involves drinking “full strength” juices for a day or two, while slowly adding in soups, then fruit, vegetables and nuts before resuming a regular diet. Some practitioners add probiotics (good bacteria) at this time to help re-establish a healthy intestinal culture. Some individuals have returned to their healthy diet the following day after stopping the program without any problems, but this is rare and not recommended especially for first timers.
Improper diet causes the accumulation of waste, toxins and poison in the colon. These filter into the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body, living in tissues and cells. The settling of these toxins weakens the cells and the entire immune system, exposing the body to disease. Cleansing the body of this built-up waste rejuvenates its natural healing mechanisms. A light cleansing fast two to four times a year is helpful, but being healthy is a daily practice involving a diet of plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and eliminating fast foods, junk foods and processed foods.