Master Cleanser Fast

Created back in the 40s by alternative health guru Stanley Burroughs, the Master Cleanser Diet didn’t become well-known until 2005, in part thanks to author Peter Glickman, who mentioned it as both a weight-loss tool and a cleansing method in his book Lose Weight, Have More Energy and Be Happier in 10 Days. The diet received even more publicity when Beyonce admitted using it to lose weight quickly for a movie role. Better known as the maple syrup diet, the program is based on the idea that drinking a special mix of four items will clean your body of toxins and help you unshed unwanted pounds without much effort on your part.

According to Wikipedia, Burroughs started the diet as a detoxification program that aids in the removal of harmful toxins from within the body, as well as a reducing diet for loss of weight, and a cure for ulcers and "every kind of disease," resulting in "the correction of all disorders."

During the 10-day cleanse, followers need to drink a mix of lemon juice, water, cayenne pepper and maple syrup. While additional water is fine, any caffeinated drinks, including sodas, are prohibited. The exception is senna teas, which are recommended during the fast to prevent constipation. No solid foods are allowed during this period. Other damaging products, such as tobacco, should also be eliminated while doing the cleanse. In fact, many people use the master cleanser fast to clean their body of toxins as they’re trying to quit smoking or give up alcohol or other toxic habits.

While some people may experience nausea, tiredness or weakness during the cleanse, most report a sense of well-being. This is due to the fact that the mix does provide some energy, as opposed to other juice fasts, which are packed with sugars (such as in the case of fruit fasts) but little to no energy value.

There are no limits to how long this cleanse can be followed. While most people stay on it 10 to 14 days, it is possible to keep going for a longer period, as long as you don’t experience any secondary effects and have enough energy to perform your daily activities. Once the cleansing period is over, you should switch to more nutritious liquids for a few days, to help your body adjust to fuller meals. Soups, fruits and vegetable juices and even shakes and smoothies are a good way to get back in track. After a few days of this, you can start incorporating solid foods back into the diet, until you return to your normal diet.