Over time toxins can build up in the lining of your colon and in fat cells. These toxins can make you feel fatigued and sluggish and reduce your mental acuity. A cleanse helps your body flush out toxins. The Master Cleanse is a 16-day program that utilizes a combination of lemonade, maple syrup and cayenne pepper.
The Cleanse
The Master Cleanse has three phases: ease in, the lemonade diet, ease out. Before beginning the diet, you should take three days to prepare your body for almost two weeks without solid food. The first day of the ease you eat salads with nuts and seeds, the second day you have juices and broths, and the third day you consume nothing but orange juice.
Once you complete the ease-in phase, you begin the lemonade diet. The lemonade is made in the following proportions: 3 small lemons squeezed, 14 tablespoons of maple syrup, 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper and 2 liters of purified water. You can drink as much of this as you want for 10 days.
After 10 days on the lemonade diet, you will ease back into eating solid food by starting with orange juice on the first day. On the second and third days you can eat fresh fruits and vegetables. After that you can go back to your normal diet.
Common Mistakes
There some common mistakes made when doing the Master Cleanse. Make sure you get pure, unrefined maple syrup to ensure it has the nutrients your body needs during the diet. Don't skip the ease-in and ease-out phases. Not doing an ease in can make cravings much stronger while on the diet. Skipping the ease out for a cheeseburger can lead to serious stomach cramping and illness. If you are unable to complete the diet for the 10 days because of cravings, don't skip the ease-out phase. This is important to helping your body readjust to solid food.
Dangers
Consult your doctor prior to starting a major detox program such as the Master Cleanse. You may have a health condition that does not allow you to do such an extreme diet.
When you are cleansing, you may feel fatigued and sluggish. This is a result of the toxins being released into your system. Make sure to continue drinking to eliminate the toxins and try to do the cleanse when you have a light workload.
If you feel lightheaded or dizzy, consult a doctor. This may be a warning sign that you have an electrolyte imbalance, which could lead to a serious health issue including coma or cardiac arrest.
Most people recommend using a laxative tea, such as Smooth Move, or an enema to promote regular bowel movements during the cleanse. This helps prevent toxins from building up. If you are not having bowel movements, consult your doctor. Do not do more than one enema every 24 hours.
Tags: Master Cleanse, your body, lemonade diet, solid food, bowel movements, cayenne pepper