Lemon Detox Diet As Master Cleanser
The lemon detox diet, also known as the Master Cleanse, is among the best detox programs available, for several reasons. The lemon detox diet is one of the few 100% organic, natural detox methods. It is inexpensive, easy to perform and offers an impressive range of health benefits. The lemon detox diet is an excellent colon cleanser, liver cleanser, kidney cleanser, and overall body detoxifier. The lemon detox diet doesn't target a specific body system as many detox programs do. Because it is a diet, it works systemically in the body, and thus its detox and healing benefits have the potential to reach every body system.
Lemon Detox Diet Ingredients
The lemon detox diet is a lemon juice fast that typically lasts for 10 days. This time can be lengthened or shortened if desired. The lemon detox diet consists of fresh squeezed lemon, pure water, 100% maple syrup and cayenne pepper. Each of these ingredients play an important role in the detoxification process, and none of them should be substituted.
Lemon juice is a natural cleanser to the liver, intestines and colon. The acid in the lemon dissolves toxins and excess build up in the intestines and colon, and it stimulates bile production in the liver, which then initiates a natural liver cleansing process.
Maple syrup supplies necessary dietary nutrients to maintain brain function and supply energy to the body.
Cayenne pepper speeds up metabolism, promotes circulation, and enhances the release of toxins.
Pure water is a natural medium for the flushing of toxins from the body. No solid food is eaten during the lemon detox diet. This gives the digestive processes of the body, which requires energy from the body that otherwise can be utilized for detoxification and cellular repair, a complete rest. Periodic abstinence from eating is known to enhance cleansing and rejuvenation of the body's organ systems.
The ingredients of the lemon detox drink are assimilated directly into the bloodstream and utilized fully by the body without digestive energy.
Lemon Detox Diet Recipe and Instructions
I
ngredients:2 T lemon juice
2 T grade-B maple syrup
1/10th t cayenne pepper
Preparation:
- Put a gallon of water in your refrigerator in the evening; this is the amount of water you will need for the following day.
- Juice the lemons in the morning (3 large, 4 medium, or 5 small) and store in your refrigerator in an airtight jar; this is the amount of lemon juice you will need for the day.
- Drink 8 glasses of the lemon detox drink each day and as much pure water as you wish. Consuming a total of one gallon of liquid per day is a good rule of thumb. Spread the 8 glasses fairly evenly throughout the day, if your schedule allows.
Lemon Detox Diet: What You Need to Know Before You Start
The Lemon Detox Diet is a liquid juice fast. Because there is no solid food or ruffage provided for the bowel, it is essential that your colon continues to move waste material. One method to accomplish this is to take a natural laxative every night of the cleanse and begin the following day with a salt water flush. There are many natural laxatives to choose from. They range from stool softeners like mineral oil, to stimulant laxatives like senna, cascara sagrada, castor oil, and Epsom salts. Choose a laxative that you tolerate well. Our personal favorite is cascara sagrada, which causes less cramping than senna and is safe to use daily for fairly long periods of time.
In the morning drink a saline solution. Warm saline is a very strong purgative and passes rapidly through colon and is excreted usually in less than hour.
Because you may have disrupted the biological balance inside your gut, it is a good idea to supplement with a full-spectrum probiotic during your lemon detox cleanse. Once you begin introducing foods at the completion of the cleanse, an excellent food choice is yoghurt, which will continue to bring your intestinal flora back into homeostasis. You may choose a more aggressive therapy of acidopholous culture, especially if this is your first time doing the lemon detox.
When it's time to end the cleanse you will want to gently taper your fasting diet to your normal diet, keeping in mind that your stomach has shrunk on this liquid diet and made large accommodations to burning off fat and waste. End your cleanse with daily doses of freshly juiced fruit and vegetable juices, hopefully with some whole pulp. In the ensuing days add warm soups and finally add vegetables and nuts that you have tolerated well in the past.
The key to successfully ending your lemon detox diet is to return gradually to the best diet you have ever had with sensitivity and responsiveness. Notice how certain foods make you feel. Take advantage of this time when your body is hyper sensitive to take stock of which foods serve you well and which do not. You may be surprised.
In the morning drink a saline solution. Warm saline is a very strong purgative and passes rapidly through colon and is excreted usually in less than hour.
Because you may have disrupted the biological balance inside your gut, it is a good idea to supplement with a full-spectrum probiotic during your lemon detox cleanse. Once you begin introducing foods at the completion of the cleanse, an excellent food choice is yoghurt, which will continue to bring your intestinal flora back into homeostasis. You may choose a more aggressive therapy of acidopholous culture, especially if this is your first time doing the lemon detox.
When it's time to end the cleanse you will want to gently taper your fasting diet to your normal diet, keeping in mind that your stomach has shrunk on this liquid diet and made large accommodations to burning off fat and waste. End your cleanse with daily doses of freshly juiced fruit and vegetable juices, hopefully with some whole pulp. In the ensuing days add warm soups and finally add vegetables and nuts that you have tolerated well in the past.
The key to successfully ending your lemon detox diet is to return gradually to the best diet you have ever had with sensitivity and responsiveness. Notice how certain foods make you feel. Take advantage of this time when your body is hyper sensitive to take stock of which foods serve you well and which do not. You may be surprised.
During Your Lemon Detox Diet
Supplements: It is recommended that you do not take any non-essential vitamins or supplements during the Lemon Detox Diet, for even these can add a load to the body's digestive and elimination processes.
Exercise: Light exercise is safe and appropriate, but do not engage in any strenuous physical activity during the Lemon Detox Diet.
Elimination: Taking several enemas during the Lemon Detox Diet will help move toxic material out of the colon. You can take an enema on the first day and then every 3 days. Alternatively, you can drink one cup of laxative herbal tea each night at bedtime. Do not do both.
Detox aids: You can add any or all of these regimens during your Lemon Detox Diet. They will assist your body in the detoxification process and feel nurturing as well.
Exercise: Light exercise is safe and appropriate, but do not engage in any strenuous physical activity during the Lemon Detox Diet.
Elimination: Taking several enemas during the Lemon Detox Diet will help move toxic material out of the colon. You can take an enema on the first day and then every 3 days. Alternatively, you can drink one cup of laxative herbal tea each night at bedtime. Do not do both.
Detox aids: You can add any or all of these regimens during your Lemon Detox Diet. They will assist your body in the detoxification process and feel nurturing as well.
- warm (not hot) mineral salt bath
- dry or steam sauna (10 minute maximum)
- dry skin brushing
- light yoga
- massage
- meditation
- naps
Lemon Detox Diet: How to Go Off the Diet
VERY IMPORTANT: With any juice fasting program, it is essential to re-introduce solid food to your body gradually and with care. This means having a plan in place. When you have not ingested solid foods for more than several days, the flora in your intestines change, sometimes rather dramatically. When you end your Lemon Detox Diet, your body will need a few days to rebuild the mucus lining in your intestines and repopulate the intestinal flora. Probiotic supplementation is highly recommended. Here's a good general plan for going off the Lemon Detox Diet. It is what we might call the post Lemon Detox Diet diet plan.
Day 1 after the Lemon Detox Diet:
Day 1 after the Lemon Detox Diet:
- discontinue drinking the lemon detox drink
- have 5-8 small glasses of vegetable juices throughout the day (you can add spirulina as a protein source if you are feeling weakened from the fast)
- do not drink fruit juices on this day
- keep carrot and beet juice to a minimum, they are high in sugars
- good vegetable juice choices are leafy greens (chard, spinach, beet greens), cucumber, celery, red cabbage, parsley
- if you do your fast during cold weather, drink hot vegetable broth in addition to the vegetable juices
Day 2 after the Lemon Detox Diet:
- drink 3-4 small glasses of vegetable juices
- have 1-2 servings of vegetable soup (no potatoes or carrots), pureed; add some seaweed if you wish; do not eat canned soup!
Day 3 after the Lemon Detox Diet:
- drink 1-2 glasses of vegetable juice
- eat 1-2 servings of whole, raw fruit
- eat soaked nuts or seeds
- have 3 servings of vegetable soup
- you may have a serving of steamed vegetables and brown rice
Day 4 after the Lemon Detox Diet:
- you can now resume a normal eating plan
- if your diet includes meat, wait another day or two before having any; opt instead for beans, eggs, or tofu
Lemon Detox Diet: How Long Should I Do the Diet?
The standard length of the lemon detox diet is 10 days. This of course, is optional, and it is a good idea to do a shorter lemon detox diet if this is your first time doing a fasting diet or detox program. Many people have experienced benefits from the lemon detox diet with a shorter duration of 5-7 days. This shorter detox program is recommended for anyone who is overweight, prone to low blood pressure, hypoglycemic, physically frail or currently experiencing intense symptoms of toxicity.
Remember that you can end the lemon detox diet early for any reason, but be sure to follow the post lemon detox diet diet plan, even if you have fasted for only 3 days. Keep in mind that the post lemon detox diet period, during which you slowly reintroduce solid food to your diet, is 4 days in length. This means that if you do the 10 day detox diet, you will not be eating solid food for almost 2 weeks.
The lemon detox diet can be pursued for more than 10 days, for those who are experienced with it or who are under the immediate supervision of a physician. If you do not meet those 2 criteria, do not exceed the 10 day recommendation.
Remember that you can end the lemon detox diet early for any reason, but be sure to follow the post lemon detox diet diet plan, even if you have fasted for only 3 days. Keep in mind that the post lemon detox diet period, during which you slowly reintroduce solid food to your diet, is 4 days in length. This means that if you do the 10 day detox diet, you will not be eating solid food for almost 2 weeks.
The lemon detox diet can be pursued for more than 10 days, for those who are experienced with it or who are under the immediate supervision of a physician. If you do not meet those 2 criteria, do not exceed the 10 day recommendation.
Lemon Detox Diet: The Side Effects
Like any diet it also has side effects, the Lemon Detox Diet is essentially a juice fast and a rapid detox method. Toxins will be moving through and out of your body throughout the process. Side effects are to be expected while doing the Lemon Detox Diet, especially during the first few days. You will most likely experience one or more of the following side effects as you undertake your Lemon Detox Diet. This is normal. If these side effects are severe or do not abate after day 4 or 5 of your Lemon Detox Diet, consider ending your lemon detox program early and/or seeing your physician. See How to End the Lemon Detox Diet below.
- fatigue
- headache
- light-headedness or dizziness
- nausea
- vomiting
- food cravings
- muscle or joint pain
- low blood pressure
- constipation
- irritability
The Lemon Detox diet is an intense, fast cleanse that by it’s very nature inevitably produces side-effects. Understanding the side effects of the lemon detox diet will help you manage them as well as keep you informed as to what is "normal" for the lemon detox and what is warning sign that you need to pay attention to. So before you begin your lemon detox it’s important to realize there will be a series of side-effects manifesting as your progress through the diet. Some of the side-effects may be pleasant including a feeling of clarity and lightness. These you will enjoy. But others will most assuredly be more intense and dramatic and being prepared with the facts and really affect the success of your lemon detox program.
A common side effect of the lemon detox diet is the repeating urgency to relive the bowels many times per day. This is paradoxical when you consider that you are not taking in solid food. Why is there the urge to eliminate and what are you eliminating. In a word – toxins. Toxins in your bowels followed by toxins being stripped out of your entire body. This may continue throughout the entire lemon detox solid food fast. Do not be alarmed. Because you are drinking constantly, you will not dehydrate.
Another common side effect is dizziness and a feeling of weakness. This is from the reduction in calorie intake and the fact that the body is not used to not taking in any kind of solid food. Although this is normal it is important to take the normal precautions. When feeling weak or dizzy rest and don’t even consider driving a car or doing any kind of task that might endanger you in your weakened condition. These symptoms should clear up quickly after finishing the fast. Unless you are seriously under weight when beginning the lemon detox, these types of side effects can be safely negotiated.
The lemon detox diet may cause you to feel nausea. Remember detoxification is the body purifying itself of poisons. There can be nausea and arthritic-like pains. This also is normal for major cleanse of this nature. Although you may have periods of lightness and elation, you should also be prepared for intervals of head aches, grumpiness, confusion, and irritability. Hopefully, those around are supporting your detox and lend aid and comfort and your purify your body.
Even those these side effects may be intense, they are transitory. Stay strong with your determination and finish the entire lemon detox diet. It will get easier as your progress through the regime. The most challenging side effect is not a side effect, but the fact that you are going days without taking in any solid food at all. The juice fast may be fun for the first day, but by the second day craving for real food will begin. At first they will be quiet whispers in the back of your mind, but by the third day, the may be screaming for your attention. This is the time for you to be most steadfast. You are now deep into the cleanse where the maximum amount of healing and detoxification has begun.
In this most important and stressful part of the lemon detox diet make completing it the utmost priority. Stay home, rest, entertain yourself with pleasant distractions. The cravings for real food will come and go and you will find your stride at a new plateau of tolerance confident that there is now going to be a new you. Make it to the end the lemon detox diet and you will have undergone a major cleanse. So hang in there and make it a “Mission Accomplished!”
A common side effect of the lemon detox diet is the repeating urgency to relive the bowels many times per day. This is paradoxical when you consider that you are not taking in solid food. Why is there the urge to eliminate and what are you eliminating. In a word – toxins. Toxins in your bowels followed by toxins being stripped out of your entire body. This may continue throughout the entire lemon detox solid food fast. Do not be alarmed. Because you are drinking constantly, you will not dehydrate.
Another common side effect is dizziness and a feeling of weakness. This is from the reduction in calorie intake and the fact that the body is not used to not taking in any kind of solid food. Although this is normal it is important to take the normal precautions. When feeling weak or dizzy rest and don’t even consider driving a car or doing any kind of task that might endanger you in your weakened condition. These symptoms should clear up quickly after finishing the fast. Unless you are seriously under weight when beginning the lemon detox, these types of side effects can be safely negotiated.
The lemon detox diet may cause you to feel nausea. Remember detoxification is the body purifying itself of poisons. There can be nausea and arthritic-like pains. This also is normal for major cleanse of this nature. Although you may have periods of lightness and elation, you should also be prepared for intervals of head aches, grumpiness, confusion, and irritability. Hopefully, those around are supporting your detox and lend aid and comfort and your purify your body.
Even those these side effects may be intense, they are transitory. Stay strong with your determination and finish the entire lemon detox diet. It will get easier as your progress through the regime. The most challenging side effect is not a side effect, but the fact that you are going days without taking in any solid food at all. The juice fast may be fun for the first day, but by the second day craving for real food will begin. At first they will be quiet whispers in the back of your mind, but by the third day, the may be screaming for your attention. This is the time for you to be most steadfast. You are now deep into the cleanse where the maximum amount of healing and detoxification has begun.
In this most important and stressful part of the lemon detox diet make completing it the utmost priority. Stay home, rest, entertain yourself with pleasant distractions. The cravings for real food will come and go and you will find your stride at a new plateau of tolerance confident that there is now going to be a new you. Make it to the end the lemon detox diet and you will have undergone a major cleanse. So hang in there and make it a “Mission Accomplished!”
Lemon Detox Diet: The Dangers
- blood sugar imbalance
- moodiness or depression
- change in blood pressure
- constipation
- headache
- dizziness
- see side effects below
Lemon Detox Diet: The Benefits
- overall body detoxification
- elimination of build up in the colon
- enhanced digestion
- increased energy
- more radiant skin
- clearer complexion
- improved circulation
- weight loss
- strengthening of hair and nails
Lemon Detox Diet: Tips for Success
- use organic ingredients if available
- do not substitute any of the ingredients (no lemon juice concentrate or maple syrup that contains added sugar; this is important)
- for convenience and best taste, squeeze your daily amount of lemons once in the morning; keep in an airtight jar in the refrigerator
- use ice cold water when you blend your lemon detox drink; this will enhance its detoxifying effect
- if you have never fasted before or are overweight or physically frail, do not exceed 10 days of lemon juice fasting; keep an eye on your side effects, and if they are severe, end your lemon detox diet early
- take probiotic supplements during the week following your lemon detox diet program
- if you feel lightheaded or dizzy, sit down immediately
- do not eat any solid foods during the lemon detox diet; do not consume any liquids other than the lemon detox drink; one exception is peppermint tea with nothing added
- do not do the lemon detox diet if you are pregnant, nursing, recovering from a serious illness or surgery, or under abnormally high levels of stress