Traditional Medicine vs Modern Medicine

The Master Cleanse is a 10-day fast that is used for detox and weight loss purposes. It has also been called the Master Cleanser Diet after the original book that described it, the Lemonade Diet, the Maple Syrup Diet, and the Cayenne Pepper Diet after some of the ingredients used, and the Beyoncé Diet after its most famous fan. Stanley Burroughs The Master Cleanse was originally developed in 1940 as a stomach ulcer cure by alternative health practitioner Stanley Burroughs (1903-1991). Glickman’s book revived the diet’s popularity. Neither Burroughs nor Glickman was a physician or medical researcher. Burroughs promoted a number of alternative practices beyond the Master Cleanse, including light therapy, deep massage, and reflexology, and he was a practicing nudist and vegetarian. Moses and Jesus both reportedly underwent a pre-Burroughs 40-day version of the diet, not involving lemonade or laxatives. Not recommending the diet is rocker Eddie van Halen, who nearly died when his “intestines exploded” during the Master Cleanse, according to the National Enquirer. Does the diet work for weight loss? As an example, if you normally eat 2,150 calories, and you choose the extreme 650-calorie version of the Master Cleanse, you will have a 1,500-calorie deficit, losing three pounds of fat per week (and perhaps some water weight also). Many reputable diets prescribe a two-pound per week loss, so in this sense the Master Cleanse is actually not that radical: it just substitutes lemonade for real food and adds the shock effect of constant colon cleansing. Master Cleanse Dangers Most medical authorities don’t believe that a few days of fasting will harm you (and the Master Cleanse is more of a low-calorie, nutrient deficient diet than a fast). There’s no evidence that our bodies contain excessive toxins of the sort Burroughs discusses, and there’s no evidence that detox diets flush out anything bad in your body. How to Do the Master Cleanse In a nutshell, the Master Cleanse is this: The only nourishment that you take is a special lemonade concoction made from the Master Cleanse ingredients: lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and water, six to twelve glasses per day, each glass containing about 110 calories in sugar carbohydrates Buy Master Cleanse Master Cleanse kits are available from Peter Glickman, Coombs, Neera, and Maple Valley Syrup. The Master Cleanse Lemonade 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice. Burroughs recommends organic lemons, fresh, not bottled juice. 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. 1/10 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Water. Burroughs recommends a 10-ounce glass of medium hot water, but also allows cold water to be used. Since Burroughs also allows plain water to be drunk during the fast in addition to the lemonade, this doesn’t seem important. An alternative to the lemonade endorsed by Burroughs substitutes 10 ounces of fresh sugarcane juice for the lemon juice and water. Burroughs allows the consumption of extra plain water and of mint tea. No other food or drink should be consumed at all, say both Burroughs and Glickman. Laxative herb tea. Internal salt water bathing solution. During the Diet Purchase lemons, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, laxative herbal tea, and sea salt in sufficient quantities to last the duration of your cleanse. The night before beginning the diet, drink some laxative herbal tea, and retire for the evening. In the morning before drinking any lemonade, drink a quart of salt water (remain near a toilet). During the day drink 6 to 12 glasses of the Master Cleanse lemonade concoction. The lower number of 6 glasses is recommended for those seeking weight loss. In the evening drink some herbal laxative tea. Post Diet: Breaking the Fast Burroughs outlines a gentle approach for coming off the diet without upsetting your digestive system excessively. Vegetarian Transition Process Day 3: Drink orange juice in the morning, eat raw fruit for lunch, and eat fruit or raw salad for dinner. Day 1: Drink several 8-ounce glasses of orange juice, sipping slowly, diluting it if there is digestive distress. Day 4 and beyond: You may return to your normal diet, but Burroughs recommends continuing to drink the lemonade concoction at breakfast on a permanent basis. Master Cleanse Recipe: The Omnivore Vegetarian Soup Ingredients: 1 green pepper, diced 1 teaspoon curry powder 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon salt Protein and the Master Cleanse The Master Cleanse provides several hundred calories of carbohydrate per day in the form of lemon and maple sugar, and Burroughs’ recommended vegetarian diet excludes “toxic dead animal flesh.” Master Cleanse Alternatives There are other cleanses out there, and many dieters spend time looking into the Master Cleanse vs. water fast, Master Cleanse vs. juice fast, and Master Cleanse vs. Colonix. Beyond the Master Cleanse Quotations from Stanley Burroughs Stanley Burroughs: 1903-1991