The Master Cleanse - Myth or Miracle?
81Master Cleanse
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Lemon & Syrup Detox Diet. Master Cleanse Secrets! 5 PDF
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NEW The Complete Master Cleanse Lemonade Diet WT6105A9
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The Complete Master Cleanse
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If you've ever been desperate to lose weight, chances are you've heard of (or tried) the Master Cleanse Diet. First conceived of by Stanley Burroughs in the mid-twentieth century, this regime for detoxification regained popularity in the early 2000's, with a book by Peter Glickman touting the health benefits and especially the alleged weight loss results of the Master Cleanse.
But does Master Cleanse work, or is it just another diet scam, part of the mass deception that comes standard with the multi-billion dollar industry?
What Does Master Cleanse Do?
The basic principle behind the Master Cleanse is a detoxification fast, drinking only a mixture of water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper in specific proportions (recipe below). It's this concoction that gave rise to the popular aliases "Lemonade Diet," "Maple Syrup Diet," and "Lemon Cleanse."
The premise is that drinking this special beverage aids in ridding the body of toxins from pesticides, hormones, and other chemicals in our everyday environment, as well as clearing out built-up material in the colon. Drinking senna tea (a laxative) and performing daily salt-water flushes is also recommended.
The testimonials of die-hard Master Cleanse fans report positive results such as weight loss, increased energy, improved acne, and sharper vision. However, there is no peer-reviewed scientific evidence indicating that the Master Cleanse actually provides health benefits from detoxification.
Master Cleanse Ingredients
How To Do Master Cleanse
Master cleanse kits regularly sell for $50 each, sometimes over $100! For something that's supposedly so simple, that seems like a lot to shell out. The basic master cleanse lemonade recipe is as follows:
Master Cleanse Recipe
- 8 cups filtered or distilled water
- 3/4 cup grade B maple syrup
- 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Sound disgusting? It is. Now imagine drinking that entire recipe over the course of the day, with no other food, for 14 days. Feel ill yet? Lemon juice and cayenne pepper both irritate the digestive system, while maple syrup provides just enough calories so that you don't keel over. Add to that a daily dose of laxative tea and/or a salt water flush (1 tsp non-iodized sea salt in 4 cups of water), and you better be near the bathroom.
The Dangers of the Master Cleanse
Not only is this program hard to follow, and the drink hard to swallow, it is potentially dangerous as well. You are inhibiting your immune system, as well as your ability to process food.
Purposefully irritating your gastro-intestinal tract is never a good idea, but salt water flushing actually removes healthy, helpful bacteria from the lining of your colon. By engaging in this practice for an extended period of time, you are effectively wiping out one of your first lines of defense against infection and sickness.
In addition, prolonged fasting has many negative side effects, including all the symptoms that go along with malnutrition: insomnia, cravings, nausea, depressed mood, hair loss... the list goes on. Proponants of the Master Cleanse will tell you that these are signs that the toxins in your body are being eliminated, but you would experience the same symptoms on a water-only fast.
Once you start eating again, you may suffer bloating, constipation, and/or acid reflux, as your body is unused to processing food and has to re-learn how to digest it.
Like modern-day diet scammer Kevin Trudeau, creator of the Master Cleanse Stanley Burroughs was plagued by accusations and lawsuits for his entire career. One patient, whom he convinced to ignore his doctor's advice for 30 days, actually died under his care. Burroughs was convicted of second-degree felony murder and felony practicing medicine without a license.
Master Cleanse Guides
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The Master Cleanser
The original text that introduced the Master Cleanse, by Stanley Burroughs.
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Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days, Second Edition
The book by Peter Glickman that popularized the Master Cleanse Diet as a method of weight loss in 2005.
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The Complete Master Cleanse: A Step-by-Step Guide to Maximizing the Benefits of The Lemonade Diet
Tom Woloshyn's 200-page book on the Master Cleanse, capitalizing on the renewed craze, published in 2007.
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So Why The Hype?
After all of this, one might wonder why an outdated, groundless formula for a revolting spicy lemonade would enjoy such success in this day and age.
Part of the rejuvenation of this concept comes from the hubbub around colon cleansing to rid the body of so-called "mucoid plaque," which is actually a term coined by a naturopath/entrepreneur who sells, what else, colon cleanse products.
Affiliate marketing on the internet has also served to propogate many a diet myth, and this is no exception. The large number of "testimonials" for Master Cleanse speaks more to the high pay out for the person singing its praises than to its actual efficacy.
The "Lemonade Diet" got a boost from celebrity Beyonce Knowles, who used it to fit into her costumes for the film Dreamgirls. However, Beyonce herself has said she does not condone it as a diet plan, as quoted in a 2006 interview: "I wouldn't recommend it ... there are other ways to lose weight."
The fact also remains, people do lose weight on the Master Cleanse Diet. The only calories you take in on this plan are from the maple syrup in the lemonade drink, which constitutes a starvation diet. Anyone on this sort of fasting regime for more than a few days is bound to lose weight--but not permanently. Doctors agree, weight lost on this sort of crash diet will return, often with the company of a few extra pounds.
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Share Your Master Cleanse Testimonials or Skepticism Here
I'm not trying to soap box, but I lost a family member due to a diet very similar to this one. Her kidneys shut down because she was over-loading them with so much water they couldn't function properly anymore. This diet is very dangerous, thank-you for mentioning that it isn't healthy, Maddie. I want to let people know that this diet and other diets like the Super Dieters Tea's can kill you. What's the point of being thin if it's only to become a thin corpse?
Nicole:
I'm so sorry for your loss. In our diet-obsessed culture losing weight is linked to appearance rather than health. This perversion of priorities can have disastrous consequences, as you mentioned.
Thanks so much for sharing your story. I hope it will deter others from pursuing this kind of dangerous "detox" diet.
I've done it and I'm not going to preach that it's good or bad, but I will say this: This "diet" isn't to lose weight, it's a detox. Yeah you'll lose weight because you're not eating like you normally do, and a lot will be water weight. People do this soley to lose weight and that's the wrong reason. You will gain weight back once you stop doing this detox.
I did have nicer skin during it, I did lose weight, and it did change my eating habits once I started eating real food again. Would I recommend this as a way to lose weight? NEVER, that's not what it's for Beyonce! haha Would I recommend this as a detox? I don't know, it's pretty hard and can be expensive.. I'd recommend you going all organic as a detox.. bet you can stick to that one.
And the drink really doesn't taste that bad, it's like a spicy tea. Only problem is the cayenne pepper.
Bendo13:
Thanks for the comment. The fact is, Master Cleanse *is* currently being marketed primarily as a diet to lose weight. And as such, it's ineffective for sustainable weight loss.
I'd also like to point out that there aren't any special properties to the ingredients used in the "master cleanse lemonade." It's simply bowel irritants with just enough calories to keep you functioning (at least for the short term).
I agree that eating organic is a much better plan for self-detoxification, and it's sustainable over the long term as well. The key to not having toxins in your body is not to consume them in the first place.
Whoa!!! Education is bliss.. We tend to go to great lengths to lose weight. Sometimes resulting in malnourishment, thin, weak with no immune system left. When will we learn that there are very healthy was to lose unwanted weight.
Great Hub!!
haynie:
It's true, people are so focused on weight these days that they neglect the health portion of the equation--which is the only reason one should really be worried about weight in the first place. I've always said the emphasis on appearance and an arbitrary number of pounds is misplaced. Make health your goal, and everything else falls into place.
Thanks for stopping by.
Doing this kind of cleanse as a means of weight loss is definitely not the answer. The short-term results may be good, but the long-term results are likely to be bad in one way or another. Nice hub!
You've got to look at anything touted by Kevin Trudeau with a highly skeptical eye. If he said the sky were blue, I'd probably start doubting that too. Great hub!
i've completed three 10 day sets of the master cleanse diet over the course of two years, and it was a wonderful experiece for me. if you're a religious person, or perhaps just spiritual, your faith will make it easier to get through the span of the diet. this is not a starvation DIET, but a CLEANSE. weight loss is just a happy side-effect of the process. the primary goal is to CLEANSE the colon and digestive system. TRUE, in the process, you do lose some of the good bacteria found in the body, which is why it is recommended to take a probiotic supplement to replenish what is lost. also, it is truly not a starvation diet! i was only hungry for the first day and a half, however, when your digestive system goes into "rest" mode after day 2, it is a breeze!
there are variations of the cleanse. the syrup and lemonade are actually quite delicious, and you don't have to add the pepper to the lemon mixture. i'll usually put a spot of it on the back of my tongue, and drink a bit of water to wash away the spiciness before it starts. also, if you get sick of lemonade, you can vary the taste by using LIMES and molasses. and the lemonade doesn't have to be cold! you can heat it up, and enjoy it as a tea.... or freeze them into popsicles, and enjoy them that way! i never got bored in any of my cleanses.
in response to the claim "the weight lost is only temporary"... that is true, IF you return to the exact same diet you were on before. after my first cleanse, instead of going back to junk food, fast food, and refined sugary sweets, i now only eat wholesome fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. i've also incorporated regular exercise into my daily agenda. altogether, i've lost a total of 34 pounds, and have kept every last pound off.
another note: you can't eat ANYTHING on the diet! many people attempt it, and quit, because they say they're always hungry. the digestive system rests after day 2 or 3, and thus the hunger pangs end. but if you're constantly snacking, the system will never get a chance to rest, and you'll always be hungry.
to sum up this ridiculously long comment (sorry!), don't think of the cleanse as a DIET, or a quick and easy way to lose weight. you will quickly lose weight, but if you treat it like a diet, and return to your regular eating habits afterwards, then all the benefits you reap will be lost.
just wanted to offer the point of view from someone who's been through this, several times, with plenty of success.
FYI, i'm a 21 year old black female, currently weighing 135 pounds. when i first started, i was over 160 pounds.
Senna is a powerful laxative, and irritates the digestive tract as well. My daily coffee habit kept me regular, when I tried to break that habit I felt things were moving a bit sluggishly, So I thought a little "natural" senna tea would ease that yucky stuffed feeling, To make a long story short I wound up in the ER. I would never drink a full cup of senna tea again. If I ever use it again I will freeze it into ice cubes and just have one cube at a time. Thank you for exposing this scam. There is healthy fasting and juice fasting but the "lemonade diet" aint it.
Eating healthy food in moderation and exercising works the best, I think!
I did this cleanse long before Beyonce's hype and I guess one thing that people are missing with this is it is a "cleanse" and not a diet. I did the cleanse for eleven days, and followed Stanley Burrows text to a "t" to ensure that when I came off of the cleanse that I did it properly. The only setback to the cleanse is that it is extremely expensive (the maple syrup alone is costly) and yes by day five I was terribly sick of lemons, but persevered. I felt great afterwards, purging all toxins and impurities that developed throughout the years, and my eating habits changed. Yes, I lost the weight but I didn't do the cleanse for weight loss, but rather as a means to detox. I now have been a vegetarian for a year because I no longer crave meats, sugars, etc...
Would I recommend this to anyone else? I'm not sure, as with all fasts and "diets" one should consult a physician in order to determine if it would be right for them.
I had a great experience with the cleanse and still continue to do so....I think it is a matter of the individual....
I have done the Master Cleanse and so did my sister. It cured her arrhythmia about 8 years ago; she has the before and after EKG to prove it. Would you believe her allopathic doc wasn't very happy? He preferred a patient he could prescribe drugs to.
However as with all fasts, common sense and wisdom must prevail, as its not for everyone. The cleanse was so good that sis opened a website a few years ago that sells the MC program and is number one with Google. A yoga center in Canada orders from her site, as well as a chiropractor, and its also popular with the military. It pleases me, because this fast is promoting well being for many. A concious way of earning a living.
I don't believe in "cleansing". If you take the time to eat healthfully your body is already in a "cleansed" state. Feeding the body right is the best thing you can do. Cleansing is a way for the general population to get even MORE obsessed with dieting.
i tried the master cleanse after a friend of mine did it but quit after a day since i got a splitting headache. I had no idea that the people who created this diet were so controversial, thank you for this englightening hub Maddie
Don't use anything..without proper fact finding...
I think the best way to loose weight is self discipline, to eat healthy and excercise regularly. But with busy lifestyle many of us go for easier way to loose weight that sometimes can be hamful to our bodies.
It is interesting that most people do not allow that the cleanses and detox in a box products only 'cleanse' specific areas. In most instances your body holds onto weight in fat cells to protect your vital organs.
These 'cleanses' do not cleanse the organs themselves, or your blood stream, brain or any of a number of toxic laden areas in your body, and it is these areas which lead to many of the illnesses of this day and age.
On a daily basis we breathe ingest and plaster our skins with toxic substances, which remain trapped in our system. A recent report by Dr Mercola www.mercola.com outlines the severity of some of these toxic sustances on our bodies.
For a free emailed report on the effects of toxins and toxicty on your body email info.absolutehealth@gmail.com
Good article! I agree that weight loss is about health and living not looks. But it is difficult to make people understand there are no shortcuts to losing weight. In fact there are no shortcuts to anything in life - It calls for developing sustained healthy habits.
Thank you Maddie,
A client just came and asked me about this lemonade diet and I had no clue. So wee looked it up on the internet and your article came forth with this great info. Always helpful.
She is not going to do it and will rather embark on a fitness program to loose weight. Cheers Marcus
Wow this is the first time i'm hearing about this home made remedy. I would like to do more research. It seems as though it can be very dangerious to try though. I wonder how many others have had success with it. Truthfully.
I cannot believe that ignorance that was vomited all over that article. If you are not educated by doing reaseach for weeks on something like this before you do it, you are inevitably going to hurt yourself.
I take 3-4 day fasts 4x throughout the year. I do fresh organic lemons (halved and squeezed down a knife) with distilled water, and my friends homemade detox tea with licorice raspberryleaf marshmallow and other herbs.
But before and after your cleanse is the most important thing to get right. I started eating only salads w avocado 2 days before. And just lemon water eventually going to distilled water. You dont need the maple syrup, but cayenne is GREAT for your circulation. I broke my fast with a salad I made mostly with a cheese grater.
Raw Beets, carrots, apples, cucumber, corn, banana, avocado, tomato, cooked cabbage, cooked beet greens (love these)
And a dressing of squeezed lemons, apple cider vinegar, and chopped roasted garlic (chop the top of the bulb, drizzle a lil olive oil, stick in oven or even toaster oven for 15)
This acts as a good sweep of the gunk and toxins in your body. Apple cider vinegar is great stuff, but you need to know how to do everything correctly by discipline!
Braggs products are excellent fasting tools.
Im gonna buy a nice bottle of kefir tommorrow.
Next week ill have a snickers.
steveyjoey:
I have done plenty of research on the topic. In fact, I'm a trained holistic health practitioner. You mention what sounds like a raw food cleanse, which I never disparaged here. Note that I did encourage eating organic as a method of ridding your body of toxins.
However, I cannot condone the use of this or any other "detox" that is being marketed as a weight loss plan, since in regards to weight loss, it is merely a starvation diet. And I do not condone it to detoxify either, since, as mentioned above, there are better ways to do that.
like what?
You have one person who died by waterlogging their kidneys and then her family blames the cleanse. (2nd comment up top)
You have another 1,000,000 like yourself who are confusing fasting/cleansing your body for some "ultra" weight loss program.
No matter what anyone tells you, this is not a diet.
Diets are stupid and you should know this as an HHCP . Being educated by taking control and listening to and feeling your body and promoting an actual energetic lifestyle change is the way to go!
There are a few precautions that should be taken, but im sorry, this is pure ignorance. Im willing to bet that half the people that took the "lemonade diet" used powdered crystal light lemonade or something similar.
Lemons are delicious as long as they're fresh!
steveyjoey:
The fact is, no matter what die-hard cleansing fans like yourself say, the Master Cleanse *IS* being marketed as a diet. And, as I think you'll agree, it's inadvisable as such.
I do object to diets in general, as you'd see if you read any of my other articles. You'd also know that I do advise people to pay attention to the cues their body gives them, rather than stick to the arbitrary rules put forward by some pseudo-guru.
Since you're not presenting a cohesive argument, I don't see a point in continuing this discussion, if you're just going to insult and attack both myself, my commenters, and anyone who might hold doubts about things on which you clearly have very strong opinions. I've encountered this attitude on several articles that I've written, and it's reminiscent of cult behavior, if you ask me.
First of all, it helps if you have had experience with the Master Cleanse before you condemn or support it. Neither extreme is reasonable.
I have been on the cleanse several times, but would like to give you the sum of my experiences. I am diabetic and on insulin. I wanted to prove to myself that this "disease" is curable. Just before Christmas two years ago, I began the cleanse. Somewhere I read that diabetics should begin on "blackstrap molasses" instead of maple syrup until their blood sugars normalized. It was that comment that decided me to try the cleanse for an extended period.
I began to lose an average of a pound a day. A day or so after the first two weeks, even my greatly reduced level of insulin caused me to go below normal blood sugar levels. That day I switched to maple syrup and from that day until the end of 6 weeks, exactly 42 days - I required no insulin!! Almost 4 weeks without the requirement for insulin, even while taking in sugar [albeit a natural one].
I lost a total of 48 pounds and after I returned to eating, I gradually put back 24 pounds - but the rest stayed off.
As to laxatives, I had earlier tried the recommended combination of warm water and sea salt. It worked, but the result was much like creating a shower from your body - unpleasant but effective. I found I couldn't stomach the taste of the salty water on an extended basis. So I used a laxative tea from a health food store. When i found that wasn't quite effective enough, I made the tea with two teabags each night before bed.
I had not expected to go for 42 days with nothing but the cleanse drink and the laxative tea, but during the first two weeks I gradually began to feel extraordinarily well. After the first two days of headaches from caffeine withdrawal and toxin release [see the below] I gradually experienced greater energy levels - some of this is attributable to removal of the digestive load; the stomach does not require as much blood to carry away nutrients, and it does not have to work very hard to digest the food.
I had heard that limes were equally effective, so I used a 2:1 ratio of lemon:lime juice, for a better flavour. Once I began using the cleanse on a daily basis, the juice tasted almost sweet to me. Please use ripe fruit - an unripe lemon or lime is really sour and even bitter, whereas ripe ones are not - just tart. Let them ripen before you use them.
There is some research which shows that lemon juice becomes alkaline after it hits the stomach. Whether this is true or not, I never experienced acidic reactions - and i definitely don't have a "cast-iron" stomach.
Finally, some folklore [??]: (1) it is said [true??] that one of the original purposes of the cleanse was to allow severe stomach ulcers to heal; (2) when doing some research on the web a few years ago, I ran across the story of a woman with MS, in a wheelchair. After 121 days on the cleanse, she was able to leave her wheelchair. If the latter story is true, it is probably due to detoxification. The Master Cleanse liquid is completely without additives/contaminants if the ingredients are pure.
Finally, I'm looking to cure my diabetes following the raw food regimen described in the book "There is a Cure for Diabetes" by Gabriel Cousens, MD. Aside from its focus on diabetes, it is an excellent source of information on which foods are good for which conditions. And if you read there about the side effects of soy usage [an 80-90% GMO product], you will never touch it again. [This is confirmed by other research, I have since found out.]
While I generally agree with Maddie about diets, in my case it was beneficial as a diet - although that was a secondary purpose to the cleanse. If you use common sense - by trying it for shorter periods before a longer trial - you will learn what to expect from your body. And, because it is a detoxifier, it has the following effect: to remove the toxins from your body, these must be released from your cells into the bloodstream. And that means that other parts of your body will now temporarily experience these toxins for a second time. During that period, you may indeed be at risk, especially if the release is so rapid that parts of your body are overwhelmed. Balance is the key.
I hope this information is useful to those who read it. Good luck and a truly happy life - Jim
After re-reading all the postings above, I feel I should add the following, to explain a misconception.
The real detoxifier is the body itself. If you use the Master Cleanse [as just one example] and use pure ingredients, several things happen which allow the body's organs to start increased detoxification:
1] for a period of time, no new toxins are entering the body; the body can focus on eliminating whatever toxins are present;
2] reduced digestive load allows the body to divert energy to healing and detoxifying;
3] organs normally distressed by processing toxins on a daily basis have a chance to start healing themselves.
As I see it, it is the ingestion of a pure uncontaminated liquid food which explains how something as simple as the Master Cleanse can have such great benefits in some cases.
After initial use of the Master Cleanse, it would be a very good idea to find a health practitioner who can identify what the next step in detox should be.
"steveyjoey" mentions using the cleanse without maple syrup. BUT, the syrup provides sugar and valuable minerals for the body's use whenever the cleanse is the only nutrient.
Adios!
Jim:
Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences. You and steveyjoey both mentioned a raw food diet for detox purposes, and I am much happier to condone that course of action than I am a plan like the Master Cleanse. Eating raw, organic fruits and veggies does not introduce any new toxins to your body, without depriving your body of the nutrition it needs to properly heal itself.
Oh my God... surely there have to be other, far healthier and safer ways to detox one's body while losing weight? Thank you for warning us all about the dangers of this diet! You just saved my life....
Maddie wrote: Since you're not presenting a cohesive argument, I don't see a point in continuing this discussion, if you're just going to insult and attack both myself, my commenters, and anyone who might hold doubts about things on which you clearly have very strong opinions. I've encountered this attitude on several articles that I've written, and it's reminiscent of cult behavior, if you ask me.>>
Maddie,
Im sorry that you feel insulted by my take on all of this. Through the years it has been very disgruntling for me to witness all of these people making bad decisions about their health, but im putting all of this into account and I do want to be honest about all of this because thats "how I do".
I'm from new york city and I am sorry if i come off as some hardhead. But im actually the most open minded person you'd ever meet. Im also not a cult member nor do I have cult following traits. Thanks for that blind assumption though.
It took me years for me to get where I am today. Ive lost alot of weight and it took alot of hard work to change my attitude about life.
And just so you know, im not the "fan" you pin me as. Im just a health food store veteran that worked the juice bar for many years, I have met many sick people, answered many questions, and met an conversed with many top doctors in NY. Fred Bischi, Gary Null, Gulam Bazaz, and others. I ate the best organic healthfood, and tried different supplements many of which didnt work for me. I quit that job about 7 years ago, when the managers "vision" of a hot dog cart in a health food store clashed with mine.
Pardon if i come across as an edgy cult follower to you, but do you realize how many people are hurting themselves everyday by buying into what is to them, a "reasonable" justification for the use of the Master or any cleanse? As a writer and researcher, I hope you realize this, as it is kind of a serious issue.
If you want to learn how to eat better for your energy, life and longevity, heres my advice.
a - Find out your blood type. And learn about the foods that work best for that blood type.
b - A big breakfast is a bad idea as you need to let your body ease into the digestion period for the day. This is why many recommend fruit for breakfast, because its a joy for your body as a first digest for the day. This is also why its unhealthy to snack late at night. Because your body needs to focus on getting you well rested and not digestion while you sleep (digestion takes more energy than you think)
c - Consider weening pork and red meat from your diet. As it can take years to digest.. and yeah, its not that delicious and makes you feel like sh*t after you eat it.
d - Research and question your doctors and dont just blindly take meds prescribed to you
3 - Check out Paul Braggs books
4 - Buy a cheap juicer, invent your favorite juice, and have it on an empty stomach often. Your body will appreciate it.
I wish the best of health to everyone. And no money can buy good health.
Be well and take good care of yourself.
(to steveyjoey)
Do you know anything about like, weak circulation while on the cleanse? Or what does it mean if the salt water flush doesn't work the first 2 mornings??? Just curious, trying to get all the info on this cleanse that I can
At 18 I sprained fingers on both hands from using them to brake a fall. Ever after, my fingers would ache when ever it was going to rain and even more so when it was going to snow. At 34 I broke a toe: It healed: From then on, my fingers and my toe ached like crazy when ever it was going to rain or snow. During the extremely cold wet fall and winter of my 47th year, the pain became more intense, especialy in my toe. I was taking arthritis strength pain killers, but could still not stand to have the pressure of a shoe or boot on the injured toe. I spent the entire fall and winter wearing an old pair of stretched out leather clogs, which I would slip out of as soon as I was indoors. At work I kept my bare feet hidden under my desk, pecking away at my keyboard with my aching fingers. For both seasons, I avoided walking (hobbling around) anywhere - The pain became less intense with apring, and warmer temperatures. I had to begin wearing summer open toed shoes very early in the season. By Fall, when temperatures began to drop, the pain increased . Then my knees began to ache constantly. I began to move about like an elderly person: My walk was slower, and going up stairs was torture. If I stooped down, I could barely stand back up. I pulled out the old stretched out clogs and was living in pain - My toe - my fingers - my kneees- and I was dreading winter. Then I went online and found the Stanley Bourroughs book - The Master Cleanse, and read it at my computer in one sitting(it is available online for free) I read how and why the Master Cleranse cures arthritis. As quickly as I could get the ingredients at Trader Joe's, I started the 10 day program. It is a miserable program, and I hated every minute of it - but it worked. The arthritis pain was gone . I have been pain free ever since - that first winter immediately following the program when I was 48, all the way up to now - the summer of my 52nd year: No pain in my toe, my knees, my fingers - anywhere, no matter how damp, rainy, snowy, or humid it is. I did repeat the program when I turned 50 because I felt just a hint of pain in the old toe and because it seemed a good way to mark my first 50 years. I will not ever do it again because it is a very challenging and I hate it- Unless the pain returns - then I will do it immediately. In closing I have to say that when you follow the directions exactly as given by Stanley Borroughs in his book the Master Cleanse, the program is beneficial. For me, the alternative would have been pain killers, decreased mobility, a change in life style (I have always been a walker), and weight gain from decreased mobility. How healthy is that?
Thanks for the hub. Always good to get as many perspectives as possible. And sorry some users have been giving you a hard time.
I actually just finished day 9 of my first Master Cleanse, and like some of your other posters, I can attest to its value. Within days, it cleared up chronic neck and shoulder pains that had been plaguing me for the past couple years. I had tried to treat the pain with traditional physical therapy, exercise, massage, yoga, accupuncture, Alexander technique, therapeutic pillows, you name it. But nothing could ever give me anything more than temporary relief. I'd wake up feeling okay, but by noon, the pain would be at least a 7 on a 1-10 scale. Now it never gets above a 2. Now that I'm not in constant pain, I've also discovered marked improvements in my overall mood. (Imagine that! Lack of pain = better mood!) It's quite a nice feeling.
I have no idea whether the MC is being marketed as a diet. I just know that I came to it for reasons that have nothing to do with weight loss, and although it's far from an easy routine, it's been worth it so far for me. I hope others reading this hub make the decision that's best for them.
--James
Very intersting post, I found it even more so considering I just finished an 11 day episode with it. I actually posted every day (I have not gone back and edited at all, as we all know the way we type often says quite a bit about our mental thought process at the time, so I don't want to alter anything written during that time). http://hubpages.com/hub/Master-Cleanse-Am-I-Crazy
The goal was to detox my whole system, NOT to lose weight. While I am sure many "stars" do it for that purpose the facts are that the weight you lose will come back twice as bad if you are doing it for that purpose with the intent on going back to your old way of eating.
Personally I did not think the drink was bad at all (I was VERY suprised, but also used liquid ceyanne which I think helped). The salt water flush was pretty rough, but I really did feel much better when I was done with the cleanse. I have altered my diet quite a bit and enjoy the way I feel now. I am eating better, eating less (I was over eating before this is not a bad thing in my case), and overall think it was a very good experience for me.
An additional bonus of the cleanse for me was the fact that I was able to quit smoking. It didn't make much sense to cleanse my body while continuing and it helped to break the old addictions I had.
While it is "sold" at stores etc, I would not recommend any of those! One they are WAY over priced, it ended up costing me about $8 a day all said and done personally. $3 for 6 lemons, $4 for the maple syrup, and $10 for the cheynne that lasted me for the whole 11 days. The things they sell are WAY out of line it crazy to spend that on the diet. That I would agree with you has gotten out of hand. The book can be found online many places for free as well.
If anyone has any questions about actually doing it, please feel free to shoot me a question I will be happy to answer. As you can see on my posts, the reason I did it was because I had my gall bladder removed (misdiagnosis) when I was in my early 20's and my liver was working overtime. I needed to clean my body and rid it of the built up toxins and give my liver a chance to repair itself. At the time I felt that it was not fulfilling my dietary needs I quit. Simple as that. If someone decides to try it, while yes, you can go up to 40 days (I have known people to do this too and they avoided gall bladder surgery), that is NOT recommended, nor is it recommended as a diet. It is a cleanse, NOT a diet.
Great information though, you clearly did some research I just think that some of it was from the hype of it and not the actual purpose. Unfortunately many in the world today will turn anything into something they can make a profit off of!
I agree that the Master Cleanse is not a diet, but I did it for only four days and felt the benefits. I do think it allows your body to detox and I didn't lose a lot of weight but I felt more clear in my thinking and more energetic. I am going to do it again before the end of this year. The other thing I want to point out is that fasting IS NOT BAD. Remember, in India people have been fasting for millennia. My father fasted for a whole month once (we are East Indian) when we were having hard times. I think the body has the power to heal itself when we leave it be for a while. Also, cayenne and lemon *may* be irritants to the digestive tract, but a pinch of cayenne is not. I eat more cayenne in my curries than in that silly lemonade. Sometimes North Americans forget that a heckuva lotta people can tolerate and even enjoy spicy food. In my humble, uneducated opinion, cayenne, turmeric, cumin and hot sauces keep me from getting sick! Or, a good dollop of wasabi when I feel a cold coming on!! cheers and good health to all. I am fifteen pounds overweight but would rather have inner peace than Beyonce's body.
A friend of mine followed the Master Cleanse, or at least the maple syrup/lemon juice/cayenne part of the program for two months with a break for a few days while traveling.
Twice she released something from her vagina. The first time she was so hoorified, she didn't look at it. It popped out of her after she ran to the bathroom.
The second time it happened she was in the shower. She thought oit was just clotted blood. When she went back to the bathroom, however, she noticed some white tissue on top of the drain!
Particia lost 50 pounds during the fast. By the way, her mother had died of ovarian cancer two years prior.
Patricia is quite happy about the results she obtained by taking the daily drink.
The best to you.
Kelley Eidem
Call me a masochist, but maple syrup, lemon and cayenne are like, some of my favourite things to eat. Hmmm, food for thought, nothing to lose except about 20 lbs. or so Thanks for the great article and info about common sense dieting.
Madellen
I agree with you, Maddie, all diet sounds horrible, and it is too big shock for the body. It might be good for some people for day or two, but I like to be tender to my body, and left it to do the self-cleansing when my body feels it is appropriate time to do it. Stooped eating meet 12 years ago, and my colons do not need cleansing any more...he,he.
Thanks for this hub. Look how much discussion you generated! Appreciate what I read here.
I did it for 15 days straight and also everyday I allowed myself to drink 1 cup of the lowest most healthy chicken brothe...I lost 20 pounds. And a month later I still have it off. Repeatedly people tell me how much smaller I look. It takes a good mental determination and commitment to do this. It is hard. Especially the first 3 days but after that you get used to it. And, I do not use the pepper in the drink. I dont like the taste of it. But all in all it worked for me. It is ok to do every once in awhile but not something recomended to do for an extreme period of time. Im about to start this again tomorrow for 20 days this time. I repost and let you know how it does.
I have done the Lemondade Cleanse several times since I was 18 years old. I am now 45 and the longest I have been on it is 30 days. I built up to that throughout the years, starting at 3 days and going longer every time I went on it. I absolutely love the benefits and how I feel. You do have to come off it properly or you may experience all sorts of gastro discomforts but if you follow it precisely and come off it correctly, you really shouldn't experience any discomforts. When I first started the cleanse I did experience head-aches but as I became more experienced, I realized that the more of the juice I drank, the less I experienced headache's. I learned that the headache's were due to me not drinking enough and flushing the toxins out fast enough. The less you drink, the more toxins sit in your system stirring about and causing headaches. As time went on and I played with it, I realized that to avoid the headaches, I just drank more juice and also used peppermint oil (externally) on my temples and forehead and that alleviated headaches.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely I would. Not as a diet but as a cleanse - exactly what it is called. I have recommended it to other's and only a couple of people that I have recommended it to quit after the first day, claiming that they just couldn't go without eating all day. The only reason a person can't go without eating is because they aren't drinking enough of the juice. If you drink enough juice you will be fine :o)
My brother is a long time user of the Master Cleanse and he has gone up to 48 days on it and reeps the benefits every time.
We are true beleivers of the cleanse and until you experience the feelings, sensations, benefits and over-all blissfullness that the cleanse delivers, you cannot possibly comment on it.
It really has been interesting reading all the comments, I am gratefull I have discovered this blog.
In Joy.....Janine
I'm currently on the diet and I will refrain from any comment regarding its value because firstly I've not finished and secondly it would be more than my own personal experience.
Haddie, when you talk about blindly following the advice of gurus, could that mantle not be attributed to you. As far as I can tell you are making assertions based simply on research that you've done and expecting readers to swallow it whole. It may be well and good for you to regurgitate the words of others but I take them with a liberal helping of sea salt. Haha.
MOreover, articles should be persuasive but that persuasion be underpinned by some fact. I notice how negatively you treated the ingredients called for by the Master Cleanse but nowhere did I read that have you actually tried it. I can tell you from my own experience that there is nothing disgusting about the drink. My point is that looking at something and calling it disgusting because our limited experience or somebody else tells us it is, sounds like the response of a child to a new culinary experience (I work in ECE and I am sure parents can empathise with me on that one). And yet I see the responses of so many people who reply (to paraphrase) 'Gee, thank god I read this article before I started this yucky diet.' To the people who read one article and decide that they've found the gospel truth, I suggest you exercise extreme caution with this thing called the internet. Moreover, Maddie there are a great deal of people who would try and debunk your credentials or area of expertise though I assure you I am not one of them. I just think we should maintain a healthy perspective and be fair with dispensing skepticism.
Before starting I availed myself of all the information on the net both negative and positive, which is of the utmost importance before beginning such an endeavour with an inherent risk. But then I undertook the 'experiment' myself and at the end, the only thing I will be able to say is whether or not it worked for me. Ultimately, pay attention to your body's cues and you're not likely to find yourself in any danger.
Secondly I follow the fast to the letter. In reading the testimonials, I often encountered sentences beginning like this: What I did was...; instead of...; Because I couldn't...; I thought it better to..., etc... For goodness sake, if your medical practitioner prescribes you to take two pills on an empty stomach, you don't go home and take three with a donut because you're feeling peckish.
Thirdly my reasons for starting it have nothing to do with weight loss. It's unfortunate that this program is being championed as a crash weight-loss diet. That is the true evil here. What result could be worse than ending up an emaciated Kate Moss type? A hatchet could also help you lose a great deal of weigh rather more quickly but that is not the purpose of a hatchet. ALthough I'm sure if Beyonce were to advocate it we would see a corresponding rise in new amputees.
Finally everybody disclaims that one should consult their health professional before trying this as if they have all the answers? They don't (and I can say this with absolute certainty is NO. Uncertainty principle, after all. And Western science has taken one approach to the treatment of illness and disease as if no others exist. Remember it can also be extremely dangerous to blindly follow the advice of doctors, especially from a place like the United States where the bulk of these 'debunking' articles hail; where the Hippocratic Oath has a hollow ring; physicians are mercenary; and medical treatment is a business. In the same way that I take what the real estate agent tells me about the condition of the grass on the other side, I'm highly skeptical of anything told me by an American doctor whose position is hardly objective with all those dollars at stake.
Somebody mentioned a death while somebody was on the diet (and I do not mean to make light of this in any way or detract from the value of this cautionary), but does that mean the diet was the cause? How many people have died from malpractice in the hands of 'real' doctors? Perhaps in this case there were existent problems that the diet exacerbated. Moreover the diet calls for up to 12 cups of water a day as part of the lemonade mixture. This is not a great deal of water, so I infer that there must be more to the equation it implies i.e,: lemonade diet = death.
Now I am not suggesting that there is no value in what medical science advocates, but to see it as the ultimate authority on anything would be insane. Attune to your own body and make your own judgements because for every person who says its myth there is another who claims the opposite and vice versa.
Good luck.
The "have you actually tried it" argument is a common one. I'd respond that I don't have to snort cocaine or chop off a limb to know that that's not healthy either. What would me doing this cleanse really prove, other than that I, too, can be manipulated by hype?
As for my credentials, you can see below a few resources including an MD and nutritionist who condemn the master cleanse, but I'm sure their credentials aren't good enough for you either. There's no way I can convince fanatic believers to change their minds. I knew that when I wrote this article. I can only hope to discourage some dieter from doing something unhealthy in a fit of desperation.
Thanks for weighing in.
In the west there is so much hype about losing weight, being the perfect size. I would reccommend a balanced approach to life, simply dont over-indulge, a diet should include ample vegetables and fruit and that's it.Being too obssessive about what we eat is not to recommended and i dont think I would opt for the master cleanse.
Its very strange how in some parts of the world, this is not an issue at all. In African cultures for example, a curvy figure is much appreciated. This thing of lose weight is unheard of.
Maddie, this hub was very informative though. Good piece of work. Thanks!
Great information. I did the Master Cleanse for 21 days just as a cleansing for my intestines. Everyone I know is totally into it and recommended it. I felt great and came out of it fine, but I had no idea of the other side of the coin. Thanks for bringing this out in the open.
Hi! While all of the comments were very individual, so is thE MASTER CLEANSE!!
I have done this cleanse several times for the last 20 years, with the shortest being 7 days and the longest 33 days! I love it! It IS natural. I use organic limes, organic maple syrup and red pepper. Limes have more juice, less seeds, and less expensive. I drink water, de-caf tea or coffee, but not very often. The hard part -first three days. Then everything is great! No more "head fog" and lots more energy. No time wasted on thinking about, preparing meals and cleaning up afterwards!! - it is amazing how much extra time you have!!! I used to have pain in my elbows and other joints and they have all been eliminated through this CLEANSE! My husband also does the cleanse with me and also has wonderful results!
The bottom line is: Don't Condem Thi MASTER CEANSE If You Have Never Tried It!! It is all natural. Read the book thoroughly and follow exactly. You will lose weight but it wont stay off if you continue to put toxins back into your body after the cleanse. A doctor friend told me it is great to continue drinking a glass of the cleanse every morning after finishing the CLEANSE to maintain your new weight and continue to flush toxins. I am doing the cleanse now, so it was great to read all the comments to reinforce that this is the best CLEANSE for me! The first time my husband and I did the cleanse for two weeks. We both felt so good and lost weight, too. Now, each time I do the cleanse, I get excited to know that my body will detox and the weight loss is such a great benefit in my overall health.
Check with your doctor, but don't be surprise if he/she thinks it is nonsense. Some doctors would rather keep you unhealthy so they continue to have you as their patient. I am sure they could perscribe a nice drug to help you.....
Take charge of your own health! And please, please be sure you have tried something before you condem it! I thank God for giving us a safe and natural way to help our bodies do what they're supposed to do. Our body can heal itself but we have put so many toxins in it, they are struggling. Congrats to all of you who have actually done the MASTER CLEANSE, as you are taking charge of your health and reaping the benefits!!
PS Kevin Trudeau is RightON!!! Have you read his book? Have your tried anything from his book? Once again, those how haven't tried have no right to criticise. For instance, if you have acid reflux, it is not because of too much acid in your stomach! Doctors and drug companies love this one!! You don't have enough acid in your stomach!! Try drinking organic apple cider vinegar each morning and/or night. It puts the acid back into your stomach - hense, no more acid reflux. This is from Kevins book. I tried it, it works. Many, many people I know have tried it - it works!! But if you would rather continue on those drugs prescribe for that "condition", go ahead. The drugs should help you have even more problems with your health! WAKE UP people! Are you so far gone that you think Kevin just wrote that book for money!??? Can't you believe someone wants to help you? Have we driffed so far away from goodness that we think everyone is out to get us? to lie to us? (well, yea, don't get me started on our government!!) Just open your eyes, help yourself get healthy and then you can be ready to help others. That's what we are supposed to do has human beings.
It is nice to have a place where all sides of the subject can be heard. Thanks!
I have done this cleanse. It is not a diet. My results were great in many ways. Yes, I lost weight, but also my aches and pains went away, no more stiffness when I got up after sitting for periods of a time, I learned and keep better eating habits, it controlled my hot flashes, just to name a few.
Everyone should decide for themselves. We all should know our own limits or we should.
Hi Maddie,
I'll start by saying that the Master Cleanse is a terrible idea for someone looking for a quick fix diet to drop a few (or many) pounds. There's no substitute for healthy eating practices and regular exercise. People look to fad diets, so that they can avoid making real and lasting changes to their lifestyle.
I would suggest, however that you take care in how you characterize the cleanse, because any inaccuracies on your part might discount your whole article and send someone off to the store to stock up on lemons and cayenne to "give it a try".
1. The lemonade tastes good. It just does. When I first heard the recipe, I said "Yuck, sounds like nasty hippie crap." Now, even when I'm not on the cleanse, I whip up a batch to serve to guests on a summer's day. They love it and ask for the recipe. Always.
2. It's not a starvation diet. I clocked myself at about 1300 - 1600 calories a day on it. Not quite my usual amount, but definitely not under the 1200 minimum. It's also suggested that you could add more syrup if you want more calories.
3. $50 - $100 a day is not that expensive as your entire food budget for 10 days. That's $5 -$10 per day, which is less than some people spend at Starbucks.
I really want you to be successful in discouraging people from using the Master Cleanse as a quickie weight loss plan. I think all fad dieting is like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound. I think many other "fanatic" supporters of the Master Cleanse would say the same thing.
I have used the Master Canser detox program since the 1970's and think it is one of the best overall detox programs out there. I encourage those interested, to READ THE BOOK before considering it. Be informed, and make your choice knowing what to expect (especially if you've never fasted before). After 3 days you are NOT HUNGRY (if you drink the lemonade consistently throughout the day). It is easy to take to work if there is a fridge, or if you have a large thermos. Fasting is a good thing if done properly. Dr. Burroughs' patients had amazing results from this "recipe". He states in his book that ulcers have been greatly improved on this diet. I can tell you, my STOMACH feels fabulous on this diet, and my aches and pains literally disappear. With the epidemic of gastrointestinal problems in this country, it is worth a TRY. Your body will not lie to you. I started out doing the fast for 4 days, and worked up to 10. Everyone is different, and this is a PROCESS... not a 1-time fix. I do this detox once a year, and EVERY TIME, am AMAZED how great I feel. This is not a substitute for food on a regular basis, and was never documented in the book as such. Be informed, and let your BODY tell you how it feels. Fasting is always a challenge and should be approached in an informed, positive, non-biased way. The time needs to be right. You won't know until you experience how your digestive tract feels when it is RESTING. It is amazing.
I am on the cleanse now, for the first time and I can say that it is great. Day one was even a breeze and to my surprise, the lemonade was great tasting! I did not get hungry at all, which was very surprising to me. As the other positive commentors say, please read the book and make your determination. I love my body and want to keep it on this earth for as long as I can. That is why I made the conscious decision to cleanse it by way of detoxification.
I am doing the cleanse now and am doing it for spiritual and health reasons. It is a difficult thing but I feel that it is helping me. I have lost some weight but and intend to work to maintain the weight loss and to commit myself to annual cleanses. It's a great way to really get in touch with your body and your soul.
I'm personally in favor of cleansing, but, not in such a drastic way. I believe that a healthy cleanse includes an herbal cleanse and completely organic eating. I have two cleanse reports available and would be happy to send them to you. Just let me know. They are both effective and safe and mild. No frantic runs to the bathroom.
Michelle Moseley
Michelle:
I'm with you on the organic eating. As you'll see, I recommended that as an alternative to the Master Cleanse in the 5th comment down. It's important that you give your body the fuel it needs to cleanse itself--and maple sugar just doesn't cut it as a nutritional source of much of anything other than empty calories.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Maddie you're a hater the thing is 90% of people say its works wonders it would have made the news by now if it was horrible and there would be lawyers after the stanley burroughs estate or something if if killed people the thing is its recommended to not be done prolonged periods of time and only to be done like once a year and the website recommends you to use organic products from whole foods market or other like stores all of the ingredients are 100% natural and organic how much could it hurt its for a minimum of 10 days and its for the purpose of system cleansing its just in a regimen that will work better because its consistant within a 10day minimal period
and its also a way to get you off of your regular diet of gross junk food a person shouldnt crave that crap once the desire is gone after the cleanse you shouldnt load yourself back up with disgusting toxin filled junk a person should come off of the diet easily with orange juice, soup, fruits and veggies, veggie juice and things of that nature its not a diet its a cleanse and a person should do it once a year no more than 14 days at a time and continue to eat healthy and exercise afterwards its not a cheat drink whenever a person wants to pig out drop a few and call it a noble act by branding it a "self cleansing" i understand why you dont recommend it a person is smart people are dumb and if they go a off of the souped up jazz about it without the proper knowledge then yes people will start dropping like flies trying to be friggin beyonce and angelina jolie but as long as its out there people are gonna try it dont tell people not to try it too many people stand behind it educate them thoroughly and tell them to consult a doctor first I will ask my doctor your doctor will not lead you wrond and a physicians words usually dont fall on deaf ears
Thank you all..... be safe........ and do your homework before you change or begin ur eating, fasting, or cleansing regimens Dieting sucks!!!! diets dont work!!!!!!!!!! its not about a few days or weeks to fit into something its about taking care of yourself on a lifestyle changing basis to ensure that you are doing the best you can to sustain your health and prolong your existance....Much Luck!!!
I am so happy this discussion is happening. I am on my 3rd day of the cleanse. I have been struggling with pains that extend from my neck down to my hands for over a year. The pain and the depression have become unbearable. In these last few days my pain has lessened. Noticably. My mood is elevated too. I feel that with all the crap our bodies endure, it's good to cleanse. I know so, because I'm feeling the effects of it now. For people that are in pain, and have tried so many methods to cure and heal themselves... why shouldn't this be an option?
yes,cleansing is so important; nd you feel better afterwards. this one is new to me
Great Hub Maddie! Really informative - the amount of harm you can do to yourself in order to lose some weight is incredible! I have lost over 70 pounds after I was pregnant and managed to get back into my clothes and the only thing I did was excercise, eat healthy food and drink loads of water!
Thanks for debunking this in such an intelligent and well-thought out hub. So many people do unintentional harm in a desperate urge to lose weight and have a better body image, and there are better ways, such as increasing activity and keeping a food journal. Mindfulness can go a long way to curbing the emotional eating which is often at the root of weight problems. Better self-esteem and body image from exercise can provide motivation to improve eating habits and find one's clothes fitting better -- no starvation required! (I used to weigh 198, weigh 155 now). You are doing a lot of good in providing such a clear and well-informed article on the dangers of extreme weight-loss practices. Thanks! Trent
Hi. Thanks so much for writing about this horrible diet. I tried it and lasted only 3 days. I felt terrible. Experiencing, nausea, weakness, and horrible nagging headaches. It's a shame that so man celebs were recommending this diet. Knowing that they use personal trainers, dieticans, and nutritionist, to lose weight and tone up. You couldn't pay me to believe that they could do this diet for 14 days and still rehearse, dance, sing or whatever without passing out!
if you are going on this diett to lose weight the only thing you have to worry about is what you do after the detox. you cannot go back on your normal diet of bad foods. you should continue a fruits, veggie, and good food dietttttt
One quick question...who is asking for Maddie Ruds permission? anyone? certainly not me. I had to laugh when she insists she will not condone the Master cleanse.
Fine, so don't and the world will go on.
I'd like to suggest that if you haven't tried the cleanse you should keep your opinions to yourself, and the 'quack, guru' that you labelled the originator of this diet applies to you; what, you believe knowlege is only to be had whilst in school? are you kidding me? You must not be a Christian, because your posts reek of it. All knowledge comes from God and he inspires people everyday whether or not they have been to school, and the fact that 'doctors' may want to dissociate themselves from this man is a joke. Western Medicine...now there's a laugh!
As for your thinking that you can erase toxins simply by eating organically, shows what kind of 'quackery' school you went to...what are they going to do? just fly away?
Also, whoever is saying eat organically in the first place is being kind of silly. Everybody in this country at one point or another in their life has ingested toxins, you can't get away from it.
So you all don't have the discipline it takes to go on this fast, so be it, there are many who have, myself included at this very monent, and I actually did not lose weight on this my sixth day. This is not for weight loss this is for detoxification, and I don't have any weight to lose. I suggest you all mind your business and stop dispensing unsolicited advise.
I must say this is the first negative board I've seen about the cleanse, you all sound so bitter, you should probably do the cleanse. It will make you feel better.
For the person who lost a family member, sorry to say, I don't know that one can conclusively deduce that it was from the cleanse, but I think he probably had problems with his kidneys prior to doing the fast- It is not for everyone, but I'm sorry for your loss.
Speaking of loss, if I die, so be it. It's far better to die trying to fix a problem than die consuming (unknowingly) aspartame...I did this fast to get that particular toxin out of my body which caused me a trip to the emergency room because I could not breathe.
If you all want t cause to be so irate about I'd suggest it be the fact thta the FDA approved the poison aspartame on the market, and that MSG continues to be in so many food products...now there's something to get all up in arms about.
If the government can allow a poison to be on the shelves beside real food, then surely Mr Burroughs can be allowed to teach the benefits of lemons, maple syrup, cayenne Pepper and water.
And by the way, it's delicious and satisfying, and I love the pepper!
Emmy, thanks for your post. I agree with you and I am at the end of my 5th day of the Master Cleanse. I feel better already (both physically and spiritually).
We know that there are benefits to fasting. In fact, if you go to the hospital for heart disease of some sort or another, they cut and poke around at you etc. and feed you a very restricted diet (jello and broth) or some other great food for you.
My point is that they feed you very little. Maybe much of the healing is from the partial fast that the doctors put you on and not the medicine as much.
There can be great benefits to many of the different fasts.
Thanks, Tim
Steveyjoey says: No matter what anyone tells you, this is not a diet.
Late to the party, and I realize that this post is months old, but I can not let steveyjoey get away with that comment, when, in fact, Stanley Burroughs himself, the 'inventor' of The Master Cleanser, does indeed call it THE LEMONADE DIET. The big problem with Burroughs, beyond being a quack who was prosectued for murder and practicing medicine without a license, is that he could not make up his mind wether The Master Cleanser was just that, a cleanse; or if it was an actual reducing diet. His book itself if contradictory and filled with outright nonsense.
The cleansing itself is not the solution, proper eating habits and exercise are necessary. I lost 27lbs the first time I did the cleanse and haven't gained but no more than 10 lbs back. The cleanse should only be a lesson in paying attention to our health, a quick fix to our lifetime bad eating habits won't resolve the issue if the problem is within your perception of food intake and the degree of importance you give to it.
I find it interesting how it many people can excuse regularly "pigging out" and/or overdoing it with alcohol, tea, coffee, etc., sometimes as a lifestyle yet the same individuals can recoil with horror at the prospect of allocating a mere two weeks of so to cleanse the digestive system? I'm currently on my 2nd Master Cleanse and am doing it primarily to readdress the past few weeks where I clearly ate too much of the wrong foods. I don't do the cleanse to diet, however, one positive "side effect" is that I am less bloated by the end of it and embark on healthier eating. One can't start with a "clean slate" and undo all the years of toxins and second hand pesticides, but a twice yearly Master Cleanse is the closest I can get to a holiday from toxicity!
I am currently on day two of the M.C. for the first time. Let's face one overlooked fact here: People are turning to this method becuase we have a hard time regulating our everyday diets. You can't put a great tasting meal in front of me and say "Just eat half". I don't operate that way and many of you probably don't either or you wouldn't be on this site. I also won't go to Mcdonalds to eat just salad. Their are too many temptations out there and the M.C. can make up for several months or years of bad habits in nust 10 days. That is the lure and appeal of the Master Cleanse.
I have high blood pressure and would like to try the Master Cleanse but a bit afraid of the salt water flush. Any suggestions ?
to maddie why do you continue to fool people with your western science my mom has had several problems with her leg to other problems and theyve never found a cure or anything to help her but steroids prescription drugs etc u expect people to believe that is an HONEST cure iits common sense would you honestly trust a drug made my a bunch of scientists in a lab with chemicals? it seems like your in the medical business yourself when anyone brings up garlic or herbs or things that come from the ground u and western doctors automatically dismiss it because YOU are getting paid from the people who u say u truly want to help but yet dont do anything to help at all i hope all of you people stop turning to prescriptions because if you want to de bunk something their have been many more cases of people dieing from surgery or your prescriptions drugs that u rid people with to the person who has lost a family member because of the master cleanse i feel very sorry for you but the only way her kidneys could have been water clogged is if she was drinking too much water even when your eating u can still die from too much water my point of this comment is im just trying to tell everyone the truth dont let anyone fool you the truth will set u free peace and love
all those commenters that have tried it or currently on it with just regular names and no link anywhere (yeah I'm doing it now, but I'm not trying to prove this clense one way or another) makes me think that someone from the master clense DIET company had some people log on and create "positive hype" to counter act the article that might dieter people away. suuussspicious!! they all sound like sales pitches!!!!pretty funny. you can say anything on the internet without a face!
Jeez.. another example of how little people know about the MC. Hey "Internet", the Master Cleanse was created in 1941 by a guy named Stanley Burroughs.. There is NO "Master Cleanse Diet Company".. There are people out there that try and sell the ingredients to make a few bucks but they should be avoided as it will cost twice as much as you could spend by just going to a health food store.
Do some research, you find his book all over the internet for free in PDF. Read it for yourself, it is interesting. I do the master cleanse a few times a year, and it is life changing. I recommend it to anyone reading this that hasnt been completely freaked out by some of these posters who have either never tried it, or tried it but obviously were to weak spirited to stick with it for more than 24 hours.. The first day or two can be hard.. your body is like "what the?" and headaches and such are normal if you drink a lot of caffeine.. Get through the first day or two, then around the third day you start feeling amazing.. On day 6 or 7 I actually have more energy than I did on day one. I can workout and then go walk 5 miles and feel perfectly fine. Here is an example of what it is like: Remember how when you watch the Wizard of Oz, the movie starts out in black and white, but when it changes into color? That is what it feels like after a few days.. And it is not because you are starving and losing your mind.. (trust me most americans have enough fat to keep them alive and healthy for weeks..) Instead, what you are experiencing though, is that your body doesnt have a bunch of sludge in its belly, you have begun to experience the feeling of breaking an addiction to unconsciously just shove stuff down your throat all day long, and as a result you will see and think differently than you ever have before.. Its like the exact opposite of taking drugs.. you experience changes, but rather than put something in your body, you left something out..
I recommend it to anyone, but do a LOT of reading so that you can hear about peoples experiences. It will make more sense to you about what you can expect, by reading others experiences.. but remember that someone needs to be on the cleanse for at least four or five days to begin to really feel the difference so I would not give to much consideration to people who said they went on it for a day, they were miserable and they quit. Find people who are on the cleanse and blogging about it, and ask them questions.. Also talk with your doctor as a precaution, as you may have specific health needs that would prevent you from going on such a cleanse.
Good luck, and anyone reading this who decides to go for it, STICK WITH IT, and come back in here and tell us how you feel!! :) I would love to see Maddie do it, she would come back in here and have a few new things to say I can assure you! ;)
After doing some research, I realized you were supposed to take some sort of laxitive or sea salt cleanse along with this. Is it possible to just spoon in some "fiber one" into the cleanse everytime I drink it?
ya, so i tried it several times... the one time i actually stayed on more than a day or two was only for 5 days but at that point i could have never went off of it. and ive done it for like 3 also but i always went off on regular food. every time fine and the time i went on for 5 i would have never went off... i felt so satisfied and if you know me that never happens lol im always eating i mean always and i work out constantly.. so im in pretty good shape but i felt great on it and the only thing i did was i had to drink water also i couldnt go a day without water.. but i still drank at least 5-9 glasses of mc by the way i went off because my mom brought me to a pizza place and the rest of the family was eating and she was doing it with me and she went off... and we acutally had a bet and she convinced me to go off but i plan on doing it again really soon hopefully for 13 days... sorry about the crude writing im a horid typer
Odd how these discussions get so heated!!
Here's my experience: I agree with those who do not recommend Master Cleanse for weight loss purposes. It is a restorative, revitalizing cleanse. I am a 30 year old male, who is also an international touring musician, prone to being around strange foods and lots of booze - and I have completed the cleanse 4 times (1st time-14 days, 2nd-7 days, 3rd 10 days, 4th-9 days). By sticking to Stanley Burroughs instructions, I have had no problems whatsoever, other than the typical discomforts that come with detoxing.
I do not believe that Burroughs is a saint/sage of a man - I find his personal life story often a shambles frought with difficulty and heartache. A blind devotion to a pseudo-guru is far from an interest of mine. However, his Master Cleanse diet is uniquely valid, and has been an important part of my own life - decreasing my sickness-prone nature dramatically (I spent a good chunk of childhood in bed or at the hospital, but since 25 I have virtually been un-sick!), and uplifting my spirits and providing a focused time to evaluate my life and life choices.
It can be frightening to read stories of people who are pooping funny or forcefully - I understand. It may lead you to say, "Well, that's not for me. Eat healthy, eat raw foods, and exercise." And, yes. This statement is mostly true.
However, fasting/cleansing is a piece of nature's puzzle that makes up how we take care of the bodies we have been given. A bitter idea to swallow, but it is, indeed, important and vital for all - barring those who are pregnant or whom have expicit medical constraints - even the beasts of the field and air go on fasts first thing when they are injured or unwell!!
I would recommend the Master Cleanse to any friend of mine...Don't let fear hold you away from what might open a new door in your life!!
I feel its a stretch to call the Master Cleanse a scam. Why is it a scam have you read the book? Have you tried it? The Real Scam is going into a local grocery store and ingesting the S.A.D.(Standard American Diet) Diet we Americans intake daily. Like Mr. Burroghs says in his book we take a bath and clease daily our outer body when do we cleanse our inner bodies? Yes our body's are miraculous and can take a beating but it loves to have a rest every now and then so it is not breaking down all this unknown food stuff we give it. I think we eat way too much we dont need the amount of food we have been SCAMMED into eating. People who poo poo's on alternative methods that seem extreme are usually experiencing brain washing effects of the programming that serves only a fearful ego. That was my first reaction when I was first presented the Master Clease as a relief to my extreme Hay Fever and Asthma because my body was producing a lot of mucous from all the cheese I used to LOVE. I thought it was ludicrous and impossible to not have solid food for 10 days What are you crazy?? But I have done the cleanse for several years and I do it at least once a year to cleanse the inside of my body I have never once had a problem. I usually intend to eat a cleaner diet when returning to regular foods and I do best when I do. It's when I am taking in too much dairy, sugar, and "low vibrational" non food stuff is when I know its time to do the cleanse because sugar begets sugar and so forth.
My sister was saved from Colon Cancer in 14 days of the master cleanse. They could not find the tumour they had previously saw. I am a supporter of The Master Cleanse as a Detox, Cleanse, not a weight loss method. Yet if thats what brings you into it, the desire to lose weight, so be it. Weight is waste and if we are overweight there is waste in our bodies that need to come out. Thats why the medical industry is so powerful because our waste is powerful. We are a sick people, we die too young from too many unnessesary illnesses caused by emotional, and physical debris. Its all too commonplace we are used to people leaving the planet because of an illness, thats not the way it needs to be. We can decide when we need to leave the planet not forced out from too much sugar (looking for the sweetness of life in High Fructose Corn Syrup) We need to live, We all need to cleanse some kind of way from toxic food waste and emotional waste.
Unfortunately Doctors don't usually promote alternative methods, even if they heal. They are professionally trained to prescribe drugs (with side-effects galore, that kill). They are trained by a society. That has to keep its control so everyone stays paid and comfy. If they go tell you to drink some water lemons and maple syrup for a few days youll feel better. Who's gonna get paid. Trader Joes?Arrowhead? You can almost get any doctor from California to New York to disagree with any alternative, not in the system. My conclusion is that the medical industry without change is going to fall. Were in the age of enlightment. and the light is shining in the face of darkness and people are waking up and there is a plethora of ways to heal once we leave fear behind. its automatic. peace to all.
My Dog Haley goes outside and eats grass when she's sick or won't eat at all. Why? Because her instincts tell her to. If we as humans would listen to our bodies we would fast often, especially when we're sick. Meaning nothing exept water, Not even chicken soup.
I'm not a religious person but even the bible talks about fasting. Are you going to say that it's stupid to read and follow those teachings.
I don't like typing so I'm going to give my opinion in a few short words.
I did the Master Cleanse and it cured me from ALL of my ailments in 20 days that no doctor could do for 3 years. I listen to my body now.
Okay, some people agree and some don't. Just like some people realize all the toxins we ingest and that these can stay in the intestines and body for decades...and some don't and they go eat Mc Donalds hamburgers everyday.
Some doctors will say that taking ginger for a sour stomach won't work and you must take these man made antacids.
The fact is, even God told us to fast. Fasting is not dangerous nor will it harm your body. Many religions fast as a part of course and they aren't all dying.
As for myself, I have done the MC...why? Because for the last 15 years I have had doctors send me from one specialist to another to another to another. I was suffering from anemia, endometriosis, arthritis, an elevated strep antititer of 700, when normal is 80. I am 31 years old now and have had these problems since I was a teen. I am 5'6 and weigh 115 pounds so noone can say I wanted to lose weight. I come from a family of organic eatters and people who believe herbs are much more powerful that pharmacutical drugs. My mother is a nurse and I myself have my degree in Medical Terminology, and Anatomy. I am a unit clerk, a wildlife rehabilitator and a mother of 4.
Therefor I can say that this is not an uneducated guess but an educated one. Raw foods are great yes but even they have their share of toxins as well as meat has it share of parasites and hormones ect. We worm our animals because we know the damage the worms can cause, worms are actually an attributing factor in some cancers. But yet....we forget to detox ourself. And yes....we are all full of parasites, worms and toxins reguardless of how or what we eat. Those toxins worms and parasites as well as the buildup of gross things in our intestines can and will stay in there for your life even if you start to eat halthy because you have not rid yourself of them you have simply stopped intaking as much. We must therefore cleanse ourselves in order to get rid of what is already there from our pre healthy days. There are many ways to do that and to each their own.
But what I can say is that I had my doctor do tests for free aestrogen, strep titer, vitamine and mineral amounts, hemoglobin and ferritin counts ect before I started the master cleanse. Why? So i knew if it helped.
The outcome after the master cleanse?
hemoglobin at 130 - it hadn't been above 105 in 15 years no matter how much iron I intook and I had even had an ironifusion that was unsuccesfull.
vitamines and minerals remained stable
ferritin finally at normal level after 15 years- before that my ferritin count was 2
no arthritis pain anymore and I was riddled with it, every DIP joint in my fingers, my back, my kness, and my left ankle. (I hve degenerative bone disease)
and no extra free aestrogens floating around in my system since they store themselves in fat and even at 115 lbs I have enough fat to store these buggers and therefor had developed endometriosis which was diagnosed through laparoscopy and biopsy so noone can say that perhaps I didn't have it in the first place. I had already cut out all sources of xenoestrogens but had to get rid of my bodies stores from before.
Now after so many years and so many specialists, gynocologists, internists, hemotologists, and suergeons, all agreeing that I had these weird problems and none of them knowing why or how to fix them....especially the strep titer and the anemia.... I took it upon myself to do the cleanse. My last resort since I already ate healthy and have always been organic.
did it work? Yes, I fixed myself when medical science was dumbfounded and could not help
is the drink gross? No it's actually incredibly good
Is it important as well to eat organic? Of course it is but you can not clean yourself out just by eatting well you must rid yourself of what is stored.
Is it important to do some sort of cleanses even if you eat well? Yes it is because like I stated before, even organic food has little nasties in it just not as much as non-organic food.
I always wonder how it is that someone can say that eatting well will fix all of your problems and yet they also intake suppliments because they know that their body needs them and you can not get them all from food grown in dead soils but yet will not make allowance for anything otherwise that your body may need to stay healthy.... very strange indeed.
A message to Fran re; High Blood Pressure and the salt flush read up on The Sea Salt and water cure and also the book Your Body's Many Cries for Water. the site is the water cure 2 dot org There is also a website you can get it from the previous site I'm sure. Interesting
Hmm. Seems you deleted my post. (recap) not eating junk for 10 days can't be bad. Fasting has spiritual and positive health related benifits. Prayer helps. How can u as an upright honorable woman tell your readers not to use the master cleanse and backhandedly promote and advertise hyped affiliate links pasted to your hub? I see you have changed some of your links since my deleted post. to thine ownself be true. i'm not attacking you just asking a fair question.
Georgia:
I do not have any affiliate links on this page, so I assume you are referring to the Google advertisements. I do not have control over what ads show; they are based on keyword, and they change every time you refresh the page, if you'd care to confirm.
I LOVE THE MASTER CLEANSE! By day 4 I always feel awesome and have sooo much energy. I feel great after I get off the cleanse and I have not been sick since doing it the first time. Before that I would get sick every couple of months ever since I was a child. I do the cleanse every 3 or 4 months to regularly cleanse my body and give my digestive system a rest. I am a 32 year female with 2 young children.
Hi Maddie:
Thank you for your article and for allowing others to comment. I think that our world would be a better place if we could all just learn to agree to disagree. We all have a right to our own opinions and beliefs.
I just want to say that I see on the net that some call it the lemon diet and the Hollywood Master Cleanse, but I believe that most that are for it are using it for the purpose of cleansing their body and not as a diet. I don't see where you have stated that you have read the book The Master Cleanser with Special Needs and Problems by Stanley Burroghs. It is very informative and does provide the nutritional value of the lemonade mixture and the use for each ingredient. You stated that there was no nutritional value in maple syrup, but I disagree.
Lemons and Limes (organic) provide a rich source of minerals and vitamin and has a cleansing and laxative effect. The maple syrup should be pure organically produced maple syrup grade B (the darker the richer in vitamins and minerals such as the following minerals Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Iron, Copper, Phosphorus, Sulfur, Silicon and the following Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C and Pantothenic Acid B5). The cayenne pepper breaks up the mucus and increases warmth by building the blood for additional lift and adds many of the B & C vitamins.
The book gives accounts of illnesses cured through the cleansing, the origin of the diet/cleanse (reducing diet as well as a cleanse that can correct ailments and disorders), the purpose, when to use it, how often, the use of internal salt water bathing & herbal laxative, not using honey or additional vitamins or supplements, how you will feel, how to break off of the cleanse/diet safely (3 day diet based with options based on prior diet), recipes, thoughts on water fasting, good nutrition following the diet and much more.
I stumbled upon this book in the health food section at the grocery store ($6.50) and bought it because I was considering a water fast for cleansing. I read the book and felt it was a better option for me. I have also done a raw food diet with supplemental drink to cleanse the toxins from food, prescription drugs and the environment. I had not hear about the Hollywood diet or Beyonce using this diet until today.
I am 5'5" and 113 pounds, so I am doing this for a cleanse, the benefits and to hopefully change my diet (eating habits) for good for better health. I am currently researching food combining, vegan and raw vegan diets.
If you have not read this book, I think you should. I would love to hear your opinion good or bad after reading it. I was at Whole Foods buying my ingredients and they happen to have it right now with all the ingredients and the book on a display.
I am on day 2 and it is going well. The drink is actually good and filling. I plan to do at least 10 days, so I will let you all know how it goes.
We know our bodies and how we feel better than anyone. My experience with Western Medicine is they treat the symptom and not the problem. I believe our bodies are capable of healing themselves with the proper knowledge, diet and nutrition.
I wish happiness and good health to all.
Great post! Don't get discouraged by all the fanatics who are disparaging your comments. I started to notice some odd similarities in syntax and sentence structure between the different remarks, and I suspect that many of them were written by the same person. Perhaps someone with a financial stake in selling the Master Cleanse? At any rate, no one who has invested themselves for days, weeks, or months in such a ridiculous diet will ever admit that it was bogus.
I know a couple of people who swear by Master Cleanse. They are the same people who get caught up in every network marketing scheme or weight loss plan that comes around. Years later, they still swear by it, are still grossly obese, still in terrible health, and still completely broke (actually in bankruptcy court).
As to the claims of miraculous recovery on Master Cleanse, it is fairly common for people in a state of starvation to feel euphoria and cessation of pain. Anyone who works in hospice can tell you this. I observed it firsthand when my grandfather was dying. That cessation of pain can convince people that all of their ailments are cured, but that doesn't mean it is healthy or good for you, only that your body is trying to help you through the dying process by not making you feel every bit of it!
I've read many of your articles, Maggie, and I appreciate them. They are logical, well-thought out, and extremely useful to everyone who is tempted by the persuasive nonsense that surrounds us on the internet. Keep up the good work!
I am on day 2 of the cleanse. This will mark my 3rd cleanse in the past 3 years. The first time I was able to stay on it 5 days the 2nd time I completed 2 weeks. My goal this time is to complete 30 days. I admit that I originally did the cleanse the first time for weight loss. The 2nd time I was looking to clean out my body and prepare myself for becoming a vegan. The first time I didn't loose weight maybe 1 or 2 lbs. I think my failure was due to the fact that I was on it for the wrong reasons.The 2nd time I began mentally preparing myself for the diet at least 2 weeks prior. I reread Stanley Burroughs book and I also bought the book by someone who wrote about how the master cleanse was used to begin the raw food eating with nuts & veggies. This really helped me with preparing myself for much healthier eating following the cleanse. My eating changed tremendously, I slipped up a little and gained weight back which was due to my own lack of portion control and cheating a little on unhealthy foods.
I felt great on the cleanse last time and I didn't want to come off of it, but listened to others (non believers) and came off on the 15th day.This time I am planning to cleanse for 30 days to begin my life as a vegan. Over the past year I've researched on ways to get proper nutrition & protein a vegan lifestyle. Hemp is an excellent source of protein and omega oils with its hemp nuts, hemp oil, hemp protein and hemp milk. Hemp also has all of the basic Amino Acids. I'm also planning to do mostly organic fruits & veggies.
Alot of people don't understand the cleanse because they've never tried it and they have such ties to food and constant eating to satisfy themselves and their cravings that they can't imagine someone doing without eating food for so long. Those of us who have tried and believe in the cleanse know that doing without the excess food allows our body to rest and clean out the buildup within. I don't understand how some people think you can detox and clean your body while still placing food inside? Can I clean out my bathtub if there is still dirty water sitting in it and the drain is clogged? No, I have to first let all the water out and rinse out the tub eg. Salt water flush. I also have to use an agent that will scrub the dirt of the walls so that more dirt can't wash through and cling to the existing dirt (cayenne pepper & lemon juice). Once scrubbed I again have to rinse out the dirt that I've washed of the walls of the tub right? So, could this be done if I was continuously adding more dirt & water without allowing anything to drain and wash out? I would only be washing and stirring dirt around in the tub. The same concept applies to the cleansing and detoxing of ones body & colon.
People want an easy way to cleanse without having to make the sacrifice of doing without beloved food. Working in an office each day I see many women buying over the counter drinks or teas that are labeled as "detox tea" or "detox capsules" and the swallow it right down with the #2 combo from Mcdonalds and wonder why they aren't seeing any results.
The cleanse is about making a sacrifice to better your body and clean it out. The more you do the cleanse the more you see how there are so many who have emotional ties to food and realize how you only want the best for your body and begin eating healthier everytime you do the cleanse.
If you decide to do the cleanse the best advice I can give is NOT to share this with others unless they to have tried the cleanse or believe in the cleanse. Otherwise food lovers don't understand your ability to do without food because they can't even diet or cleanse for 1 day. Their constant negativity in your ear will confuse you and make you doubt what you want to do or how long you'd like to cleanse. I myself don't relate to food in that way.
The diet is great after the 4th day I didn't crave food. The first 3 days I always have a bad attitude and am a bit snappy. I'm not feeling that way this time. The bloating begins to go away, my body starts to crave and appreciate the lemonade.I also enjoy the improvement of my skin while on this diet. I continue to workout however, I do workouts at night instead of first thing in the morning I usually do an hour of cardio at night go home shower drink the tea and sleep and allow my body to rest. The workout causes the tea to work faster and I end up waking up in the middle of the night to get on the toilet. The salt water flush is great because you really feel like it's washing everything out and it's interesting to see what comes out. This time the salt water has been very hard to swallow, I don't like salt in my diet and the smell of the salt water makes me nauseated so I've been doing the tea in the mornings, I will try the salt water again in a few days.
Upon completion of the diet this time I plan to continue my disciplined portion control and have small portions of organic fruits and veggies
The master cleanse is NOT about losing weight. Those who use it as such are bound to be disappointed, because at least half the weight comes back... and all of it comes back if you go back to your old, bad habits.
I'm currently on my 3rd master cleanse. I don't use it to lose weight (don't need to), I use it to hit the "reset" button on my normal diet, and break bad habits such as addictions to caffiene, white flour, and other unhealthy foods. Yes, it's an extreme step, but sometimes you need a big change!
Oh, and by the way, the lemon drink tastes fine. It tastes like normal lemonade, only spicy. The master cleanse isn't for everyone. Some people would be better off with juice fasts or raw food. As far as everyone else goes, MOST Americans eat way too much processed junk, even when they think they're eating "healthy" (Snackwell cookies and Cliff Bars aren't healthy, people!). Why give a hard time to people who are actually TRYING to take care of their health?
Well there sure are alot of ignorant people posting on this blog. The master cleanse,as some got it right, is NOT about losing weight!! It is a fantastic way to cleanse your system. I have done the full 10 days this year and last and have never felt better then when I am cleansing! The proof, as they say, "is in the pudding"! Most of the population are merely too weak and lack determination and self control to something that is truly beneficial. I feel sorry for all you that try to condemn something without experiencing it. It's called justifying the fact that you are weak!! I wouldn't want any of you on my team!
Today is my first day of my first Master Cleanse. So far I hate everything about it. Idon't like the herbal laxative tea one bit. The swf is the worst thing I've ever done in my life. I felt naus for a good 30 minutes. But then it was gone, and I was ok. The bm experience wasn't as bad as the nausea. Ok, now the lemonade. Yuck, yuck, yuck. But I'm going to stick with it. I want to see if it does what they say it does. I have no head or any aches that I've read may occur. I'm actually looking forward to possibly having some of these symptons. I will keep you posted. Oh, forgot to mention... I'm not doing this to lose weight. I do need to lose about 12 lbs. But I've already lost 40. I have found the diet/lifestyle change that has helped me lose. So this is not why I'm doing the cleanse.
I have tried the cleanse/diet and actually lasted 18 days! I had not planned to go for that long but kept feeling GREAT so continued. Had big weight loss (about 20lbs) but had lots to lose so not eating anything for that long would be expected I think. I honestly felt energized and alert and like I was functioning at an optimal level after the second day. I did the cleanse 6 months ago and kept most of the weight off for about 2 months, unitl I returned to my poor overeating habits!
I did stick to the lemon/syrop/touch of cayenne drink (hot and cold) with the exception of plain peppermint tea in the evenings. Also used the senna tea at night (right before bed so I was not forced to get up in the night) and did the salt water flush daily for the first week, then every 2 or 3 days after that. To be honest, the salt water makes me want to be sick but the results are immediate (within an hour) so easy to plan around or accomodate.
One caution - a friend of mine tried it and did not last past Day1 It was NOT a healthy choice for her body -and she listened to her body and protected her health. I think anyone needs to be aware and use common sense -if your response is extreme or different from those you read in blogs or in the Burroughs book - stop doing it!
Just a note - I first found out about this from my 70 yr. old mother in law who has the original Burroughs book and does the cleanse for 3-7 days at least 3 times per year. She has followed this practice for years and is one of the healthiest and most energetic people I have ever met. Who am I to question that kind of proof?
PS: Am starting the cleanse again today and plan to stay on it for at least 10 days. Now that I know what to expect it will be easier to go through the initial discomfort without all the questions.
This is day 7 for me on the Master Cleanse. I never even thought of doing this to lose weight. It's called The Master "Cleanse". That's exactly what it does. Yes, lots of people fast and try to lose weight fast, but that's not what this is all about.
I used to be one that gave up when things got tough. I went into this with a different mindset. I don't want to be a quitter. I didn't want to give up before being able to experience the rewards. I was just ready.
I have never gone 24 hours without food, but I care more about my health nowadays and I avoid Western Medicine as much as possible. I have recently been diagnosed with gallstones. The treatment: Gallbladder removal or Pain Medication. I decided to try some natural alternatives with my homeopathic doctor. When I read about this cleanse I just knew I had to try it. It is both spiritual and physical for me. I can feel, see, and smell the toxins being removed from body. Sure the first day was tough because I am so used to eating. It seems that everything is centered around food. When you think about it, should this be easy? I don't think making changes and depriving yourself is easy. Getting in shape and exercising isn't easy at first. Studying isn't always easy. If I want results, I need to be disciplined and yes, determined. I will never know the benefits if I don't try this.
By the way, I have only had a couple of days of feeling tired, maybe some cramping in the evening from the tea, but overall, I feel good. My head is clear, and my other senses seem more awakened since I am not using my taste buds very much. I plan on eating healthier when this is over. I look forward to the next 3 days. Then a few days of easing back into solid foods slowly.
After talking to other friends who had done the MC fast I suggested to a friend of mine who is a big guy naturally, mascular, but also carrying ample body fat to try it out. He is Puerto Rican is used to eating large meals, pork, beef, chicken rice ect so i wasnt sure if he would be up to it honestly. He has had Asthma most his Adult life and was a heavy snorer. Not only did he succeed in fasting for the required minimum 11 days, he decided on his own to continue the diet untill day 21. The lemonade actually tastes good! (I was drinking it with him) He was REALLY surprised at the amount of energy he had throughout the day, how weel he slept at night, (and totally stopped snoring) and his Ashma symtoms went away. Although he was overweight, he knew the weight loss to be secondary to his wanting to cleanse the body of 'junk' and re-balence. He did loose almost 30 lbs on the diet and looked incredable too. His skin cleared up and expelled alot of muck (mucoid plauge) and the excess fat. After finishing the dies he began , gradually eating healthier and adding more vegetables fruits and 'clean protein' and he and i would highly recomend it.
I am on day 1 trying out the MC with my boyfriend. It is scary to read all of the negative comments and side effects and it seems that there is a huge misconception. This is NOT a diet and should NOT be done to lose weight. It is always great to learn both sides of the story and to make a decision for yourself. I am in good health and eat quite well, but have very low energy levels. I'm hoping that this will boost my energy levels and help me sleep at night. My boyfriend is overweight and snores at night. Hopefully this will get him to start a new eating plan for life, and help me sleep (without the snoring).
I have done this detox diet for the full ten days before. A few notes about it.
1. It is a DETOX. Do not do this if you are trying to lose weight!!!!!!
2. It is very difficult to go through if you are not prepared to not eat solid food for 10 days
4. I personally did not feel unhealthy while doing this, however if you try this and start feeling like you are dying...you might want to stop.
5. As far as whether or not it worked. after the diet, my diet completely changed. I am now vegetarian.
6. As far as detox diets go, I would really recommend just switching to a healthy diet full of green vegetables. It will take little longer to flush out your system (because trust me...this diet flushes out your system pretty fast), but your body wont be under as much stress from not eating.
I feel that Chemotherapy is pretty bad for your health. Take poison to get rid of poison. How about a cigarette to get rid of lung cancer. Lemons, Cayenne, maple syrup, water and mineral salt water is pretty natural. The reason we can get sick on the diet is that all the toxins coming out. Most foods these days are unnatural. Mad cow disease. Giving vegetarian animals meat. Milk is drunk by baby cows to grow tons in a year not for a human.
It is a cleanser not a diet. People shouldn't do it as a fast way to lose weight. I just stared doing it and I feel good, I have lots of energy. I really like the flavor, is not as bad as people say. The best part is to know that all that decomposed matter that I had in my intestines is coming out. Once I'm done with it I will take some probiotics to help get back some of that good bacteria I lost in the flushing process. So I will see you in 7 days to tell you how I feel at the end.
Hi - I'm a 39 year old male, very athletic and in relatively good health. I've done the master cleanse 5 times - once a year. I usually do it for 10 to 12 days, but i've done it for as many as 20 days. There are huge benifits to CLEANSING your body of toxins.. but there are also mental benifits in pausing ones day to day routine (of stuffing our faces with crap) and coming to terms with what it is we actually injest on a daily basis. While I concur that there limitations to every rule, and perhaps no studies have been done to demonstrate the legitimacy of such a diet - ew should also bare in mind that there are also no watchdogs keeping chemicals, fake foods, and other injestible unknowns form our tables. I for one have felt nothing but amazing for months after doing this cleanse. It's made me treat my body with a lot more respect. That's all I have to say. - peace
I think it is worth noting that no scientific/medical research has confirmed that toxins actually leave the body doing the cleanse (or more toxins than are normally eliminated under regular eating habits). The big fans of the cleanse simply believe that is what is happening because they have been told that is what is supposed to happen. Unless they are taking their stool samples to a laboratory for testing, how do they know what is being eliminated really? I'm afraid they are actually doing their bodies more harm than good by depriving it of real nutrition for so long.
I had considered doing the cleanse myself until I started reading more about it. Various fitness experts explained that by shutting down the metabolism through starvation (and empty calories), you actually make it harder to lose weight or digest food normally. I don't think anyone can look at the victims of chronic malnutrition and claim they are healthier than those of us who have access to a wide variety of good food every day.
The other thing that fans of the cleanse should notice is that their improved health is a result of their changes in long-term eating habits rather than by not eating anything for a few weeks. Many of them say they started eating more raw foods (fruits and veggies) and/or stopped eating meat and overindulging in the high-fat, processed stuff. That is what is making the difference and providing genuine health benefits. Of course they're going to feel better once they stop eating junk. They also seemed to notice that they stopped craving the bad stuff once they got used to going without it, but that would happen anyway on a more reasonable diet. Once your body gets used to not eating chocolate or whatever, it stops demanding it.
Instead of doing the cleanse, I started a regular diet of eating less and exercising more (who knew?), and I have lost about 42 pounds so far. It's not a quick fix but a permanent lifestyle change. I stopped eating fast food altogether because of the high fat/high calories, and I cut down on or eliminated most of my favorite fattening foods (cheese, steak, ham, ice cream, fried chicken, etc.). I plan ahead to have healthy snacks close at hand and make sure to eat breakfast every day. I eat more fruits and vegetables and yogurt and fiber. So, of course, I also feel better, sleep better, look better, and all without starving or abusing my body.
I've always avoided caffeine, alcohol, smoking, drugs, and other obvious toxins, so I just have to worry about the pollution I have to breath and other pesticides that get on my food, but I think my stronger body is capable of eliminating what doesn't belong the regular way, without my trying to force it.
Thanks for this rational and beneficial article. You won't be able to change the minds of fanatics who want to believe that short-term, radical stunts will have miraculous effects, but sensible people who are looking for answers will be well guided by you.
Maddie- first of all, your sort of attacking people too. Just not in such an obvious way. You made the statement that you dont' need to cut off your hand or snort cocaine to know it's bad for you. Now, comparing those two things is a bit silly, don't you think? After all, there aren't TONS of people coming to you telling you what great benefits they got from cutting their hand off, or doing cocaine are there? No, because that's ridiculous. Common sense ALONE tells you those things are bad, duh. But when you live in a toxic society, and people ,by and large, seem to be more and more unhealthy and suffering from horrible dis-eases, and the medical community seems to be able to help less and less, then YES, people are going to listen to their best friend, mom, uncle, co-worker, author,T.V. program because those people have something of substance to offer, results!
I think you know that it's pretty clear that even though you have your opinion, there are TONS of people out there, including myself, that have used this cleanse with amazing, life-changing results. But then again, I guess that's all just anecdotal to you. Without sounding redundant, as others have stated, it depends on your intentions for the cleanse.It's not a diet. It doesn't matter what it's being marketed as! If someone isn't smart enough to realize that (which should be easy given the current info on the cleanse), then they should NOT do it. Plain and simple. If you go back to the toxic lifestyle as before, if you don't go back in with pro-biotics, if you don't follow it TO A .T., then don't bother. The truth is, most people don't have the intestinal fortitude to stick it out and be diciplined about it, so they bash it because "it didn't work for them" haha how sad.
Maddie, don't do it if you think it's not right for you. But when you get this much of a back lash as this, maybe you should consider writing about something that you KNOW about. Seriously. You can make all the assumptions you want, but until you do it, experience it for yourself, your opinion, to most people, means nothing. No offense, but the only thing you have to come back with when you are presented with a contrary opinion, is ad hominem attacks, calling people cult members or zealots. There's a reason for it's success, IT WORKS! Not for all, but for most of the people who removed the wool from their eyes that the medical community placed on them.
Also, I wanted to note that basically all your links to more info on this are all MEDIA. Everyone knows the media is there to sensationalize.
Also, I wish to God I could remember who the doctor is, but he actually DID examine his waste during his cleanse, and as a middle aged physicians, he found a med he had been given a a 5yr old, with the records to show it. THat wouldn't have come out otherwise. And that is exactly why people are sick. Compounding all the toxic aspects of our modern lifestyles lead to dis-ease. Cleansing is a very real 'medicine' for that, and so has it been all thru time. Also, I know someone who had a VERY bad stomach ulcer. 2 doctors examined him and both basically told him that he would die if he didn't get surgery to fix it. He doesn't like the idea of someone cutting his body open, so he saught ONE more opinion, lucky guy, and he got it. This particular MD was into realizing that there may be more out there than what he was taught. He advised he do the Master Cleanse. The friend tripped out about the ingredients...ALL THINGS THAT HE WAS TOLD WERE MAKING HIS CONDITION WORSE. But, he did it anyway. Anything is better than sugery, right? Sure enough, 23 days later, he checked back in with the previous doctors, who had proof of his condition. They were completely dumbfounded! Completely! Here were these 2 side by side x-rays showing that not only was it better, IT DIDN'T EVEN EXIST ANYMORE!!haha
And to think, he almost let some barbarian slice and dice him for NO REASON.
Just some more food for thought! Namaste`
It's an ABSOLUTE myth that our intestinal tracts have debri from years ago clung to their walls. Ask ANY doctor who does colonoscopies and lower GI studies. If you quit eating and only drink water for a few days, your intestinal tract will be clean and pink inside. GI docs hasten this process by inducing diarrhea, using Mg citrate or Na phosphate solution before colonoscopy procedures.
I still hear them say that John Wayne and Elvis died with 50 pounds of colon debri in them. BULLSHIT! This is a lie. If you believe this lie, then PLEASE contact me as I have a bridge to sell you.
I just stopped MC at the end of my third day. I'm a pretty healthy girl, no bad habits and am pretty active. I thought it might be good to detox and also do a fast for religious purposes. I had back aches all 3 days, was practically falling asleep on the fwy on the way home from work, and going to bed early. Last night I had broth and some raw veggies and I had a lot of GI discomfort. This morning I've had the chills and the continued back ache. Once I started to drink a little juice and take a a Tylenol it went away. A couple of my friends tried this and lost a lot of weight and they did it for that purpose, but I had to listen to my body. My body told me to knock it the heck off!
I did it along with my husband and my sister and we're all fine. We feel and look great. We didn't do it to lose weight but that was a benefit! Throughout the 10 days I felt better and better. My sleep was great, my skin looked great, I had a higher libido, and was always energized. I changed my eating habits after coming off the cleanse and neither of us has gained any weight back. We all lost 11-14 lbs and you better believe that wasn't water weight because we had already been dieting and had lost our water weight prior. We did it to rid ourselves of all those toxins in our system so we can start off fresh eating lots of raw fruits and veggies, not meat or dairy (as there are plenty alternatives out there!) We do eat chicken and fish. Anyway I wouldn't recommend it as a diet, but as a detox I definatelly would! I'm actually going to do it again tmw as I did it 3 months ago.
Hi, I've just hit my 48th birthday (getting a bit near to the big 50) and I am fed up with being overweight and always feeling tired.
So I am about to give the Master Cleanse a go as a starter to cleanse my body of toxins.
After that I will be trying to follow a healthier more sustainable diet and combining that with taking more exercise (I've already started running 3 times a week).
I'll feedback on how I get on
As usual, the truth is somewhere in the middle: the MC cleanse is good for some people some of the time, and not good for others either all or some of the time.
Anytime you give the digestive system a rest, the body switches to cleansing mode, rooting out old toxins. All-raw diets allow this to happen at different rates, depending on what kind of raw diet you use. Simply switching to "organic" won't cut it - it does nothing about the toxins still in your body. These toxins can defeat your best attempts to lose weight because your body can and will add fat and water to sequester and dilute the effects of the poisons in order to protect you, and it will resist losing those protections for the same reason. Forcing the body into a deep cleanse by any method will release toxins that can damage the body on the way out even more drastically than they do in their sequestered and diluted spots.
The MC isn't appropriate for everyone, and some people don't realize that they aren't good candidates until they experience worse-than-detox problems on cleanses, overwhelming their bodies' ability to excrete toxins quickly enough to prevent auto-intoxication.
The presence of toxic metals in a person can make a cleanse a dangerous thing without some sort of support to remove the metals safely, whether IV chelation, or oral supplements like Biochelat, NCD, MMS or others like chlorella and cilantro, or specific formulations like Metalloclear, and so on. It would appear that more and more people are turning up with uranium and barium as well as mercury, arsenic, nickel etc. Barium has been found in rainwater in areas where chemtrails have been seen. Uranium may be coming down in minute amounts due to the ability of air currents to move debris from atomic testing all around the world. In some people, it builds up rather than being excreted, suggesting that some people handle detoxification from metals better than others. Research done in this area is linking all sorts of conditions to metal toxicity and finding lack of certain enzymes in susceptible individuals.
Once I would have written a column like this, debunking this or that diet. I've learned better now. There is some common sense behind the MC diet, and it can logically be a part of some people's health-enhancement plans, even though it isn't appropriate for, say, me. At least not right now. And as others have pointed out, there are other cleansing options. Learn your own body, learn some basic anatomy, physiology and chemistry as it relates to the body, and become responsible for your own health while seeking out qualified people to give you input as well. But just because someone has an M.D. behind their name doesn't mean they have a clue about cleansing and detoxification...if they do, then they learned it somewhere besides medical school, just like you. So when it comes to health advice, get it, but analyze it.
What exactly does "cleanse" mean anyways? If you eat healthfully, have enough fiber to help you go to the bathroom and remove colon "toxins" you are fine.
Both my mom and my aunt have done this diet. Ot really does make you lose weight they lost like 9-13 lbs in the first week. But unfortunately it is unhealthy for the body because you are essentially starving yourself.
I have been doing this cleanse for about 15 years. I started out looking for things on the internet because i was feeling foggy. The lemonade cleanse popped up and I tried it. It was only hard the first three days because I got a little headache, but after that I felt wonderful and the fogginess left. I noticed that my joints didn't get stiff like they had been, I felt cleaner and lighter; even though I didn't lose any weight and I was on it for 14 days. In all these years, the only year I lost weight was when I was going thru a difficult time and was getting a lot of exercise. I would never use this as a method to lose weight. I do find that when I'm done the cleanse my eating habits are much better; I don't crave sugar and want very little meat. People thought I was nuts when I'd tell them about this cleanse; then I realized it was very popular and featured on tv, radio shows, and famous people use it. I've turned a few people on to this cleanse and they love it. I do the lemonade cleanse in the spring and another type of cleanse in the winter. I think it's a great way to get your body regulated and cleansed. No you don't get hungry and after the first bottle of mixture it's not too bad and sometimes I even look forward to the refreshing beverage....it's not for everybody. With anything, you need to do it in moderation and not for weight loss.
Thanks for this great article, Maddie. I run a Take Charge of Your Health Care Blog Carnival each month. I have suddenly found a number of submissions for the Master Cleanse Diet. This month I decided to not include any blog posts featuring the Lemonade Diet in my carnival. I feel this lemonade diet is unhealthy, unbalanced, and could be down right dangerous for certain people such as those with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, or for those who might be pregnant. I am not a health practitioner but have done considerable research as a health care blogger.
To me personally, this diet sounds like torture. I have personally found that I have lost weight in a "painless" way by just using portion control--eating less of foods that I like and enjoy.
With no health insurance and a painful gallbladder attack, I tried the cleanse as a last resort. I am four days off of a six day cleanse and I am amazed at the results. All back pain has stopped, and bonus, I am eliminating normally for the first time in my life.
The first two days were not fun because I wanted to eat even though I didn't really feel hungry. By day four of the cleanse my husband and I went a pub where I had water with no temptation to drink or eat. I felt so great that I did not want to break the fast and end the wonderful feeling that I had. That is how soon I saw positive results. I must add that I love the juice mixture and plan to continue drinking it for breakfast.
Healthy or not I have not felt so "well" for several years. I am a 40 year old female who had on average 5 cocktails per week and 4 cups of coffee per day before starting the cleanse. Not overweight but always looked and felt bloated. Also, I did this for a detox but I lost 6 lbs.
Just wanted to share my story.
I am on my 5th day of the cleanse and I have been following stanley burrough's instructions to the T, however I have been experiencing abdominal pains in my solarplexis. I have been drinking 9 glasses a day and thought maybe I need to up it 12 but it doesn't seem to help. Does anyone know if this is normal or have any suggestions as to what I should do? Thanks in advance
Jonthan,
I have not done the cleanse but I am preparing to start on Monday. I have spent two days researching. Somewhere I read that the symptoms one day will be alieviated with the next bowel movement. Makes sense. I read a lot of stories and pain, rashes, tongue film, headaches, etc all seem "normal" detoxing symptoms. I have read where drinking the lemonade will also help in the moment to feel better. It seems important step to do the salt drink so toxins can move through.
Good luck! I am right behind you. I am doing it to cleanse, lose weight, feel better, and to "reset my body" after a few years of extreme stress (son deployed, job loss, etc), menopause, and not being as active. It makes total sense to let the digestive system rest. I am also doing it for spiritual reasons --- like Stanley's book points out for eons humans have fasted. Americans are the best-fed humans and mammals on the planet even if you include the engineered, junk food and excessive meat. Much of the world is starving. Ten days of drinking clean water with organic substances still seems like nothing when so many around the world live day after day without food.
I've eaten very little meat for most of my adult life, organic when possible for most of my life, but intentionally for past 28 years -- I'm 52 so I expect it to go well. I'll be doing a video diary.
Expense is not an issue. I smoke cigarettes, I like to drink beer, and of course I eat food, but these are eliminated from consumption during the cleanse. The cleanse ingredients costs about the same that I would spend on the above items for a 10 day period, the amount of time that is recommended. Also, if there are better ways to detox from the buildup of harmful residuals to which we are exposed today, the information must be provided, otherwise we will resort to what has worked for many people to the best of its ability. To me, lemon juice, maple syrup, water, and cayenne sound alot better than monosodium glutamate, butylated hydroxy-anisole, propyl p-hydroxybenozoate, and many other strange and unnatural chemicals found in foods, not to mention others in our water and air. Perhaps those experiencing trouble with the cleanse are dealing with the contrast of a healthy and naturally functioning human being in an unfit society.
I can't even think of going into this sort of a diet. I think i will stick on to my diet and exercise plan.
For God sakes Maddie.. put a sock in it already.
Im on Day 3 of the diet and this was the first time I heard my stomach grumbling from hunger...i do feel dizzy at times and my vision is somewhat blurry, nothing big though... i hope to last all 10 days, even though I am overweight, I am not doin it to lose weight, but to start a new lifestyle. I figure if I can go days without eating junk then obviously my body doesnt need it. 7 days to go......
Your article is not unbiased.
I did the MC as a cleanse, NOT as a way to lose weight and it worked great for me. A list of injury side effects that I have acquired as a result of being an athlete my entire life have all but disappeared. I was already fit when I started, so I wasn't thrilled about the weight loss. However, the absolute reduction in pain in all my joints, and the lack of desire to eat ANYTHING processed, or refined are the real benefits of the MC. This program cleansed my mind (10 days not eating builds great willpower) most of all. I have been a vegan since the day I stopped and love my new food lifestyle. Yes, I could have made the switch to a 100% cruelty free, organic lifestyle without the MC. Working hard to purge my body and mind before the switch made it easy to give up toxic foods, and beverages forever.
Just my two pennies.
Cheers
I recently completed the ten day lemonade cleanse and I have to say that I felt great afterwards. During the cleanse I did have a few days where I felt achy and tired. I moved past that and had a few days where I felt great. My skin looked better. My hair felt thicker. My body was much more flexible when I practiced yoga. I did lose ten pounds and gained most of it back but not all of it. It gave me a jumpstart to eating a "raw food diet" at about 95%. I do very well on the "raw" and feel my best eating this way. I am a vegetarian and eat mostly uncooked foods like salads, avocados, nuts, seeds, and make raw sunburgers and corn chips in my dehydrator. They are yummie and I feel good. The master cleanse is good if you are doing it for the right reason and you understand that you need time to be quiet and restful while you do it. It is not easy and one needs to educate themself on what to expect. It was positive for me.
This Maddie Ruud has absolutely "NO" idea what he/she is talking about ZERO! First of all, the original author Burroughs never pushed this as a weight loss diet and really neither did Glickman. Though now it might be, but it's purpose is to detox and that is exactly what it does, thoroughly and very healthy. And by the way, Burroughs was not charged with Manslaughter or any crime in his entire life, was completely respected in his field and helped 1000's of people. As a researcher, I have access to much "deeper" researching tools than this "writer" could ever imagine and I have yet to come up with a true negative proof. All the crap one reads about the MC is by people who don't know and simply listen to others who don't know. I've fasted for almost 30 years anywhere from once a year to four times a year and any where from one day to 46 days which was on the Master Cleanse. Never felt better, never looked better, never had more energy and never had a cleaner body than when using the MC. If you know what you are doing. Have completely done your homework and research and talked to your doctor, than of course you can even do a water fast and your BODY will tell you when to STOP. If you do not listen to your body and continue, then it becomes a starvation situation and ONLY then can it become dangerous. Do NOT listen to this Ruud person/ She/he is Rude and does NOT know what he/she is saying.Cayenne pepper is one of the MOST healtiest natural products on the planet, organice REAL Grade B maple syrup is filled with everything you need. Real organic lemons - same. And water of course is God's medicine. We are talking here about real, organic foods and water, not Aunt Jemimah syrup - that's so fake I don't even know how to spell it. Any writer knows that they should KNOW what they are talkiing about before they put it to pen and negatively and unfairly influcence others.
Hey everyone.
I was just wondering, is there an age frame? (Ex: from 20years old to 103years old)
I am 15. Not overweight at all.. I just feel like i need to get rid of everything excess in my body, because i am an athlete, and can't feel sluggish during a softball game or a ski race.
Let me know :) thanks
I have never tried and neither am I interested in trying it after reading your article. Thanks for informing about the dangers!
Maggie
Master Cleanse really works!! If you believe it not not :)
Maggie
Master Cleanse really works!! If you believe it not not :)
Maggie
Master Cleanse really works!! If you believe it not not :)
I'm currently on the 12th day of a 15 day Master Cleanse. I do it once a year (this is my 4th time) and it works. The MC is impresssive on many levels, the least not being that it is much easier to "turn a corner" and adopt a better lifestyle afterwards. Diets don't work. You must change your lifestyle and the MS is a fantastic way to "clean the slate" before you begin a new life.
I am currently on day 18 of a 30 day MC. I have read that fasting aids the immune system, as opposed to supressing it as the article states. Animals naturally fast when they need to heal, so it makes sense that we should too (since we are animals as well - don't deny it!) I decided to do the fast to cleanse the system as well as loose weight, and it works. My Contact Dermatitis is clearing up, my skin has cleared up, and I am loosing weight. My blood sugar is normal, my blood pressure is low (normal for me), and my sleep is normal. If you are in general good health, I cannot imagine how fewer calories per day for a short amount of time could be harmful.
I weighed in on this article about 14 months ago when it seemed that everybody was buying wholesale into Rud's flimsy assessment based on... well, I don't know what really. But it is good to see that the tone of this string has changed dramatically. As a result we see almost nothing of Maddie anymore; certainly not to thank contributors for weighing in. She did more recently mention that she has noticed syntactical similarities in the testimonials and jumped to the conclusion that Master Cleanse Inc. had a team of monkeys typing them up. Well I'm not monkey and you would be hard pressed to find another person here with similar syntax. I have done the cleanse twice with great results without having to pay anybody a cent. The information is available all over the internet... for free... Gee, I wonder why that is? But there are opportunists of course and chief amongst these would be this Glickman fellow. If you want to understand what I mean just log into his Raw Foods site.
Maybe some good WILL come out of your blog, Maddie and you'll be convinced to try it yourself.
Incidentally, Maddie, regarding people enriching themselves with this 'scam,'I couldnt help but notice all these ads on your blog. I wonder if you arent using Adsenze or some similar contract where you effectively get kickbacks for such... and for Master Cleanse kits, no less!
I admit I first tried MC when I wanted to lose a few quick pounds to jump-start a longer weight loss campaign. I planned for 7 days and ended up doing 14, because it was so absolutely amazing. For me, the "hype" can't touch the real experience. I had so much energy I couldn't sit still and ended up power-walking 5 to 10 miles a day. Skin infections, acne, a chronically painful shoulder healed up in the first week. I lost 15 pounds in 14 days. Started eating again, carefully, great food in small quantities. Kept losing weight, but was falling asleep all the time. I craved that weird lemonade, too. So now I'm back on MC for a while, crazy with energy again, sleeping like a baby (for the first time in my life), popping out of bed at 6 to do 5 miles before work, I feel the best I have in my life, AND I've lost 22 pounds in 28 days. Three sizes, 10 inches off my waist and I feel like a human being again. I ate healthy food in moderation for years and the weight never budged. This is one of the greatest things I have ever discovered.
I admit I'm currently using this as a way to lose weight quickly (down 8 pounds in 7 days). It's part of a bet I have going to lose a certain amount asap so I AM doing it for completely the wrong reason. These are some of the things I've noticed up to this point (I'm on the morning of day 8):
-Slightly more energy (I ran 3 miles straight for the first time ever, and had energy to spare)
-Skin healthier (I have a mild skin condition that is doing very well, may just be a coincidence)
-NO HEADACHES (Had one the first day, none since though. I get headaches very easily and even skipping 1 meal causes me headaches normally, but I've had only 1 in 8 days. That's like a record for me).
-Better mood (I've been much more positive and feel happier)
-CANKER SOARS (I have 3 now that have developed from the high levels of acid in the lemons. Not fun).
Anyway, I started the cleanse for the wrong reason, but after noticing how much better I feel, I'm going to start eating healthy after the cleanse ends. I plan to eat lean proteins, lots of veggies and fruit, and limit my processed foods.
I just finished doing a 10 day sint on the MC. I will say it gave me energy I have not had in years. I only dropped 8 lbs. in the 10 days, but it gave me energy and modivation. After the 2nd day I was wanting to run and exercise. That is the great thing I am getting from it. I recommend this for anybody that wants to lose weight but doesn't quite have the motivation to do it. This is the best I have felt in years and I am looking forward to my new found energy and motivation.
I'd just rather hear from someone who's tried the diet, Maddie!
Just as (to react to your own argument), I WOULD rather hear about an experience with cocaine from a user and about amputation from a self-mutilator.
Experience is the only truth we have sometimes, and as a dietician I'm surprised you don't understand this is one of those times.
This diet worked wonders for me! I exorcise a lot and my energy stayed fine the whole 10 days. Now I substitute breakfast and dinner with the lemon juice drink and I eat whatever I want for lunch - pizza, a burger, salad, whatever. I also have a few drinks maybe two or three times a week. I feel good, my skin cleared up and all that stuff. Plus I did lose weight.
I did this as a 'detox' but now use it as a diet. I lost a little more than 10 pounds in 10 days and have kept off about 8 of it for 12 weeks now.
Two days ago I ate 'regularly' for two days and felt stuffed even though I was eating far less than I used to. So I'm going back to the lemon juice thing for breakfast at least.
I work out hard at least three times a week (1.5 hours of squash and 30 minutes in the weight room) and I commute by bike. So I'm active.
Plus I think the drink tastes pretty good!
Hi Maddie, thank you for the post. Another interesting commentary about the controversy surrounding the master cleanse. I see that you're certified in Massage, Aromatherapy and Health Education, which gives you some clout in what you say, however, I'm just not sure if your demonization of the master cleanse isn't more harmful than helpful. I assume you haven't done the cleanse yourself, as you don't agree with it. What if you were to challenge yourself and try it - just for a short period of time. I did it for 15 days and I was hesitant at first, because I read so many mixed reviews about it. I actually loved it and am still enjoying the results. As some of the comments mention, to do it as a 'diet' or weigh loss program is a bit silly, because it's meant as a body detoxification program, or a cleanse, which have been practiced in various forms in all cultures throughout history. I mentioned that criticizing it may be more harmful than helpful for a couple reasons. First, as responsible 'writers' we should encourage critical discussion, not a simple shunning of a controversial issue. Secondly, it's crucial when writing to a large audience to avoid embellishment for the sake of your story. The master cleanse is a challenge, yes. However it is not 'hard to follow', nor is it 'hard to swallow'. You mentioned the cleanse removing helpful bacteria (as does any antibiotic). But you didn't mention that once done with the cleanse probiotics are taken to restore healthy gut flora. Anyone doing the master cleanse knows this is a crucial part of it. You mentioned the negative side effects of prolonged fasting, but what about the side effects of prolonged eating, such as diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart attacks, metabolic syndrome, etc. Where are you getting your information? Is it from extensive research or the regurgitation of poorly written blogs void of actual experience? As 'writers' we need to remember to write responsibly and honestly. Also, although Burroughs was indeed plagued with accusation and lawsuits, as well as having a patient die under his care, to link this to his master cleanse is irresponsible and desperate. There is simply no correlation there. Try the master cleanse, you might like it! I don't mean to be harsh sounding at all - in fact I would love some good discussion coming from this. Thanks Maddie!
More Master Cleanse Critics
ProCW says:
16 months ago
You're right. That absolutely sounds ... YUCK! Good luck to the people that try it. I don't think my stomach could come even close to tolerating that!
ProCW