The lemonade diet, also known as the Master Cleanse is a diet
designed to achieve quick weight loss results. Though this diet is
nowhere near the principles of healthy eating, many people are following
the lemonade diet. This diet was designed by Stanley Burroughs in the
year 1941. It was created to treat ulcers, but it gained popularity for
its role in weight loss around 1976, when his book ‘The Master Cleanser’
gave precious information about the diet. Two important aims of
lemonade diet are:
- To promote quick weight loss
- To flush out the deadly toxins and impurities out of the body
Master Cleanse Diet Recipe
Followers
of this diet give up on solid foods and are only allowed to consume
salt-water, herbal laxative tea and lemonade made from lemon juice,
cayenne pepper and maple syrup. The lemonade is the special and
important component of this diet, which can be consumed whenever the
dieter feels hungry. An herbal laxative tea can be consumed at night to
induce bowel movements.
How to make Lemonade Drink
All you need for 1 serving is:
- Lemon juice- 2 to 3 tablespoons
- Organic grade B maple syrup- 1 to 2 tablespoons
- Cayenne pepper- 1/10th teaspoon
- Filtered water- 250 to 300 ml
As
per the creator of this diet, the lemonade drink contains all the
essential nutrients that are required by the body. 6 to 12 glasses of
lemonade drink can be consumed in a day.
Salt Water Flush
The
salt-water flush helps to cleanse the gut and promotes elimination of
harmful toxins and parasites. This should be consumed in the morning.
Add 1 to 2 teaspoons un-iodized sea salt to 1 liter lukewarm water.
Shake well before drinking it.
Herbal Laxative Tea
Herbal laxative tea should be consumed at night to induce bowel movements. Its main purpose is to cleanse the digestive tract.
Master Cleanse Results
It
has been claimed that, following this diet for 10 days will help in
weight loss, boost energy levels, detox your gut and make you feel happy
and healthy. However, there are no long-term scientific studies to
prove these claims.
How to Start the Master Cleanse Diet
There are three important phases of this diet:
The
first phase or the ease-in section is the one, where the dieter needs
to start with natural foods such as vegetables and whole grains followed
by soup broths and vegetable juices on day 2 followed by orange juice
on day 3. Many people think that the ease-in section is not required,
but it prepares the body for the rest of the diet.
Phase 2 is the
lemonade diet phase, where the dieter has to drink special lemonade
drink 6 to 12 times a day combined with a salt-water flush in the
morning and a natural herbal laxative tea at night.
Coming off the
diet or the ease-out phase is just the reverse of the ease-in phase.
During this phase, the dieter should drink orange juice on day 1
followed by vegetable and fruit juices and soup broths on day 2 followed
by organic living foods such as vegetables and whole grains on day 3.
One
just cannot start with the lemonade or Master Cleanse directly. He or
she needs to practice ease-in and ease-out phase in order to make the
body and gut comfortable.
Is Lemonade Diet Really Effective?
Lemonade diet results in weight loss and detoxification.
Weight Loss
When
a person is on a lemonade diet, the number of calories entering his/
her system is low, around 600-800 calories, whereas the calorie intake
prescribed for a healthy adult male and female is 2320 kcals and 1900
kcals respectively, as per the revised Recommended Dietary Allowance for
Indians.
Now because the caloric intake of the person is so low,
weight loss is bound to happen. During this phase, the body uses fat
cells as a source of energy and to perform necessary functions.
Detoxification
The
main component of lemonade diet is lemon juice. Lemon juice is an
excellent source of vitamin C, a natural antioxidant. This antioxidant
fights oxidative stress by scavenging the harmful reactive oxygen
species. It protects the cells of the body against destruction and
death.
Cayenne pepper, a component of the special lemonade drink
is a powerful anti-microbial agent. It helps in the removal of microbes
that may otherwise cause infections and damage to the body.
Maple syrup too, is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent that protects the body against attack by toxins.
Water,
which is used to prepare this special drink helps in flushing out the
toxins, keeps the gut clean and keeps your body hydrated.
As the lemonade drink is a combination of all the above-mentioned ingredients, it helps in detoxification.
Other Benefits
It
is very well-known that obesity is the root cause of various diseases
and disorders. Because lemonade diet helps in weight loss, it
automatically reduces the risk of diseases that are associated with
obesity.
Side Effects of Master Cleanse (Lemonade) Diet
Some of the common side-effects of lemonade diet are:
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Irritability
- Weakness or fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Irregular bowel movements
- Body ache
- Poor concentration level
Nutrient Deficiencies
Because
this diet involves elimination of certain food groups, it is difficult
to meet the vitamin and mineral requirements. Following this diet
repeatedly may increase your risk of nutrient deficiencies and can lead
to medical issues.
Muscle Loss
Low
calorie and low protein intake forces the body to break down protein
rich tissues, like muscles. Protein is required by each cell of the body
to carry out important functions. When your diet is low in protein, the
body depends on muscle proteins. This causes muscle loss, muscle
weakness, and you may tend to get tired easily. This further leads to
poor quality of life. As lemonade diet does not provide essential amino
acids to the body, muscle loss may tend to happen.
Poor Immunity
Low
intake of calories, proteins, essential vitamins and minerals may
hamper your immune system and put you at an increased risk of acquiring
infections. Lack of protein, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals,
health-promoting plant chemicals in lemonade diet can reduce the ability
of the body to fight against infections.
Weight Re-Gain
Poor
compliance is a common problem with this diet. Lemonade diet cannot be
followed all throughout the life, hence, once when you get back to your
normal eating pattern, you may gain back double the amount of weight.
Therefore, it is advised to follow a diet, which is doable, and it
should give long-term results.
Blood Glucose Instability
In
simple terms, lemonade water is nothing but lemon and sugared water.
Drinking such a water without eating any solid food may cause spikes and
drop in the blood glucose level. This further causes dizziness,
light-headedness, hunger pangs and irritability.
Final Verdict
Lemonade
diet is a FAD or a crash diet, which is not sustainable. This diet is
deficient in vitamins, minerals, protein, essential fatty acids and
calories, which is required for the body’s normal functioning. It
reduces your body’s resistance against infections and leads to muscle
loss too.
There are no long-term scientific studies to prove the
beneficial effect of such a diet on human health. Hence, it is better to
avoid such FAD diets and follow a well-balanced and a nourishing diet
plan.
Talk to a certified Registered Dietician if you need a diet
plan for weight loss or any other health issue. There are many other
healthier and effective ways to lose weight and to improve your overall
health.
