About The Master Cleanse Diet

Many people choose The Master Cleanse Diet to achieve an increase in energy, mental clarity, physical health and to obtain an overall more positive attitude. It is a great method to quickly lose weight and rid the body of toxins. There are negative and positive side effects that one should know before using any sort of diet, and disputes in the medical and science field about this diet are something to be aware of.

History

Created by Stanley Burroughs in 1941, the Master Cleanse Diet has also been dubbed "the lemon cleanse," "the celebrity cleanse" and "the maple syrup diet." It was originally created as a detoxification procedure. It lasts about 10 days and rids the human body of harmful toxins and reduces body weight at the same time. It started a fad of detox diets that have lasted up through current times, peaking in 2003 to 2007. There has been much controversy over the diet, and not much has been proved about it besides quick weight loss and the flushing of toxins.

Function

The Master Cleanse Diet has been utilized for decades by celebrities, people wanting to lose weight quickly for special events, people desiring a "spiritual connection" with their bodies, and those wanting to quit a vice such as smoking, eating junk food, drinking alcohol or caffeine, or using drugs. It is used as a detox to rid the body of things such as hormones, prescription drugs, pesticides, food additives and other substances that may be toxic to the body and its organs, such as the liver and kidneys. It has recently most commonly been used as a weight loss method, especially since well-known celebrities have celebrated publicly how convenient it is for weight loss. It is not recommended by medical doctors for weight loss, and some experts say that any weight lost by The Master Cleanse Diet will be gained back in time.

Process

The Master Cleanse Diet consists of drinking only fresh lemon or lime juice mixed with cayenne pepper, maple syrup and water. Over the course of the cleanse, which can last a minimum of 10 days to a maximum of 30, you consume only this beverage numerous times a day (on average, four) and eat no solid foods. It is recommended to drink a senna or colon cleansing tea every night to create regular bowel movements, since no solid food is taken into the body. After your desired time of the cleansing diet, you slowly incorporate food back into your diet, starting with juices, then adding soups. A day or two later, bring back vegetables into your diet, then fruit, then nuts. Slowly incorporate more nutritional food of larger and solid value into your diet and your weight should stay off, and your body should stay toxin-free for the most part. If you originally did the diet just to lose weight for a special occasion and start eating toxic and unhealthy food after, it can be very hard and unhealthy for your digestive system and body.

Effects

Negative side effects include headaches, dehydration, cravings (which can be distinguished from hunger if you are craving unhealthy foods), irritability, tiredness (because your body is using a lot of energy to heal and cleanse), hot bowel movements (because you are eliminating toxins) and physical aches, pains or vomiting (which occurs only in extremely toxic people). Positive effects include quick weight loss and an amount of toxins flushed out of the body. People who have had success on the Master Cleanse have reported that it has overall increased their energy and health, assisted them in losing unwanted weight, increased sexual stamina, cleared up acne and sharpened vision. Some users have even claimed that the diet has helped chronic conditions or even cured disease, however this is not confirmed by medical doctors.

Theories/Speculation

Healthy people do not need to participate in detox diets, such as The Master Cleanse, because the body is normally programmed to get rid of toxins in the body, lungs, liver and kidneys on a daily basis. Medical doctors have supported that this diet has no proven effects besides weight loss. Also, using the diet for an extended period of time can deprive the body of essential vitamins and minerals, and provide far less calories than necessary for normal body function. However, it is possible that the complete flush of the systems can rid the body of harmful bacteria regardless, while keeping the good bacteria and providing some nutrients from the ingredients. In the end, there is no scientific or medical research that backs up The Master Cleanse Diet, although some doctors do distribute it it to patients.