The Master Cleanse Diet/Detox

With summer closely approaching, I bet everyone is trying to slim down and tone up, to be better able to show off their hot bods. Last year around this time, I was so desperate to lose some weight I did The Master Cleanse. Usually around December and January I binge eat like food is going scarce & cannot control my portion sizes. Then comes February, where I say to myself, ya I am going to eat better, ya I am going to go to the gym, ya I am going to stop being lazy and fat but that prolongs for another month. Suddenly, I get the drive and energy to do something about it because I look at a picture of myself and wonder why the hell my arm is the same size as my thigh. Scary!

So instead of going about the proper way to lose weight, I search the Internet for the quickest method possible and that is where I discovered The Master Cleanse. Also a side note, at this point in my life last year I had also wanted to do a cleanse because I felt so sluggish, tired and bloated. I have done this cleanse twice and experienced 2 totally different outcomes.

Celebrity, Beyonce Knowles has been known to do The Master Cleanse and it provides great results for her when she needs to shed those last minuted unwanted pounds. You can read more about celebrities and their cleanses here.

Basically for 10 days you are only allowed to drink this lemonade recipe for The Master Cleanse and consume absolutely no food. You are required to drink 12 glasses a day and make any adjustment thereafter. When the cleanse is complete, you can only drink fresh orange juice for the following 2 days and then slowly re-introduce food to your body - starting with raw veggies and bring meat and dairy in last.

These are the only ingredients necessary:

• Cayenne Pepper
• Lemons
• Water (not tap water)
• Grade B Maple Syrup (not the syrup you use on your pancakes)
• Herbal Laxative Tea  

Now back to my experiences with The Master Cleanse:

Experience #1 - April 2011

I was drinking 6-8 water bottles full of this concoction on a daily basis with zero food consumption. The first couple of days I had the worst headaches (caffeine, sugar & nicotine withdrawal) but as day 3 and day 4 passed it was becoming a lot easier. I was suffering from hunger pangs and craving food. I was not craving food because I was hungry, at this point I was only craving food for flavor in my mouth. I was also consuming plain water in between the lemonade drinks. Come day 6+ I was only drinking 3-4 water bottles as my stomach had drastically shrunk. I felt great! I was sleeping better, my skin looked better, I had more energy and I had virtually almost lost my appetite for food. The only thing I disliked was taking the laxative tea at night because it would wake me up about 6-7 hours later with pretty bad cramps in my stomach. I felt light as a feather and happier than ever.

I had lost a total of 15lbs in 10 days and had quit smoking (prior to this cleanse, I had been smoking for at least 7-8years) and till today the smell of cigarettes actually disgusts me. It had drastically reduced bloating and diminished cravings for junk food.

No one had faith in me, that I could complete the whole 10 days without sneaking some food. I stayed honest and dedicated to this cleanse because if you are going to start something you might as well finish it or not start at all. Buya!

Experience #2 - November 2011

I planned to do this cleanse every 6 months to flush out the toxins, drop a couple of lbs and just feel refreshed. I had vacationed in July and was binge drinking beer, sugary drinks and eating whatever was disposable. Plus the summer had passed, BBQ season and margaritas. I attempted it again in November of 2011 and by the 6th day I had felt like death. I think this happened because I was not consuming enough of the concoction. I was barely drinking 3-4 water bottles to begin with and not consuming plain water on the side. I had felt so dizzy, light headed, nauseous and my heart was pounding so hard and so fast I thought I needed to be admitted to the ER. Instead, my mom had made me some bland homemade soup which had made me feel better. I then quit the cleanse on that day. However, I did manage to drop 7 lbs in those 6 days. :)

So as you can see, I experienced a great outcome and a really bad one. I personally, would not recommend this cleanse nor would I attempt it again. It is not healthy, it is just a quick fix although it did demonstrate outrageous results the first time.

A month and a half ago, I did the Wild Rose Detox in which I could still consume food but it was limited to choices. No dairy, nothing fermented, no starches, no fast food, pop, sugar, candy or black tea. I managed to lose 10 lbs and supplement a good diet into my regimen. Since this detox, I have managed to maintain the weight I lost and am continually still shedding those pounds. Please note, that in addition to sustaining my healthy eating I have incorporated hot yoga (4-5 times a week) and running (2-3 times a week) into my schedule. I have also lost my appetite for sweets, pop, tea, junk food and alcohol. Don't get me wrong, I still do indulge here and there but nothing too extreme - nevertheless I am filled with so much guilt when I do have those cheat days.