01/25/2011 19:34
WHAT IS THE MASTER CLEANSE?
The Master Cleanse is such a simple program. First, squeeze Fresh Lemon Juice, then add Rich Maple Syrup, and Cayenne Pepper into Pure Water. Drink a minimum of six to twelve glasses throughout the day whenever one is hungry. Take a laxative, morning and evening; or instead of the morning laxative, you can do the Salt Water Flush. Every day of
The Master Cleanse that you overcome the psychological need to eat, you feel a growing sense of control that motivates you to complete the process. The Master Cleanse is by far my favorite of the Detox
Diet Recipes.
There are three phases to The Master Cleanse:
Ease-In,
The Lemonade Diet,
Ease-Out. Each of these will be explained in detail, and it is very important to follow these directions carefully. If you read closely you shouldn't have many questions, but of course there is always more to know, so check out the comments. Most of your other questions will be answered there.
Since I get so many of the same questions, I will be making a FAQ or Frequently Asked Questions page very soon. There are often questions regarding the precise ingredients for the Master Cleanser Recipe, as they can vary somewhat, depending on your experience and requirements. Be sure to choose which is right for you and learn how to best be prepared for The Master Cleanser Side Effects.
Ease-In - Starting The Master Cleanse
The Ease-In step of The Master Cleanse (Pre-Diet Routine) is not as important as the Ease-Out (Post-Diet Routine). In fact, you could skip the Ease-In completely and begin directly with The Lemonade Diet at anytime. In my experience, however, beginning The Lemonade Diet with the Ease-In routine not only prepares your stomach for less food, but your mind as well. I find by doing the Ease-In, the first two days of the Diet are not as shocking, and the impulse to eat is therefore more manageable. Use the 3 days of the Ease-In to gather your ingredients for the Master Cleanser Recipe.
Regardless of whether you choose to Ease-In or go right to The Lemonade Diet, your Master Cleanse Kit will contain all of your ingredients, tools, equipment, and appliances that you will need during the Master Cleanse and The Lemonade Diet. The tools and equipment of The Master Cleanse Kit are used to prepare and make the Lemonade, as well as to produce your Daily Detox Bowel Movements. The Lemonade Diet Ingredients are discussed in detail further down this page (and on The Lemonade Diet page).
Gather Your Master Cleanse Kit
Below are some other items you might consider for inclusion in your Master Cleanse Kit.
- Laxatives (to create Daily Detox Bowel Movements)
- Sea Salt (for The Salt Water Flush)
- Hand Juicers or Electric Juicers
- Teaspoon and Tablespoon Measures
- Naturally Non-caffeinated Herbal Teas (the only cheating allowed)
- Bio-Metric Measures (scales, ph-testers, body fat measures, and other devices to measure the results of your cleanse)
- Journals (to document the process, emotions, challenges and triumphs during the Master Cleanse
Starting The Master Cleanse with the Ease-in is also a good time to build your confidence and exposure to a Living Food Diet, Raw Food Diet, Green Diet, Vegetarian Diet.. or whatever you call your ideal post-cleanse, food lifestyle. I don't see these diets as "Diets" in a strict sense. To me they are a lifestyle choices regarding the foods we eat. If the style of life you want is healthy, energetic, and long lasting then you must eliminate toxins, de-vitalized foods, processed foods, and otherwise dead-foods from your diet. Detox Diet Recipes such as these (and others), are great templates to base our daily food decisions on. We all know this deep down. The Master Cleanse, for most, is about a transition to a healthier lifestyle.
Ease-In Day 1 - Living Food Diet
To do the Living Food Diet, you only need to eat live foods. Simply remove processed foods, meat and dairy from your diet. Enjoy shopping for, and eating interesting fruits and vegetables. Savor the rich flavors and textures. Be sure that you don't go too heavy on fruits as they are high in sugar. A 60/40 balance of vegetables to fruits is a good guideline.
Ease-In Day 2 - Juicing, Blending, Soups and Broths
This step preps your body for a liquid diet and delivers macro nutrients more quickly to your bloodstream. By breaking down the foods to liquids we can more readily take in the nutrients from the food. Fruit and Vegetable Juicing is very enjoyable. There are endless combination's of tasty juicing recipes. Blending is equally enjoyable. Green smoothies are like drinking a glass of healing. If you do not have a juicer, you can make soups or broths.
Ease-In Day 3 - Orange Juice
Manually or electrically juice enough oranges to make 2 liters of Orange Juice, mixed with water (to taste). Sometimes I find it hard to get the calories I need through the day and so I add some Maple Syrup to increase my caloric intake.
The Lemonade Diet
Whether you begin
The Lemonade Dietimmediately or
Ease-In, the process of the Lemonade Diet is the same. You will however, need to make two decisions to suit your personal preferences and/or your daily work and family routines. The first Master Cleanse Variation revolves around timing your daily flush. Perhaps equally important as
Ending The Master Cleanse is the Daily Detox Bowel Movement. It is crucial to flush out the toxins your body is eliminating, and since you are not consuming digestible food (fiber) to create a bowel movement, you will have to make that happen. This is why I call this process "The Daily Detox Bowel Movement". It is this process that cleanses your body of the waste, and toxins. There are two accepted methods to produce Daily Detox Bowel Movements:
Nightly Laxatives, and the Salt Water Flush. Prior to your first day on The Lemonade Diet you should have taken your Nightly Laxative. On your first full day you do not need to do the SWF so you can start drinking your Lemonade immediately upon waking.
Lemonade Diet - Step 1 - The Lemonade Diet Recipe
Awake, and prepare your Lemonade - this is your nourishment and energy source for the day.
Soon after arising you will prepare your daily intake of Fresh Lemon Juice, Rich Maple Syrup, Cayenne Pepper and Pure Water. If you are doing The Salt Water Flush, you should drink your first glass of lemonade after your first bowel movement to allow the process of elimination to begin.
Drink your Lemonade Fresh! I can not stress this enough. The key to The Master Cleanse is the fresh lemon juice, and the living enzymes that it contains. The other ingredients are important as well, but the fresh lemon juice is irreplaceable (but yes, limes can be substituted).
The Lemonade Diet Concentrate
Previously mentioned on this website was my preference to drink Pre-mix Lemonade. I now understand a critical flaw to this plan. The longer your Lemonade sits, the more enzymes die. If you need to Pre-mix your Lemonade, then you should only mix a concentrate of just the Fresh Lemon Juice, and the Rich Maple Syrup. The maple syrup acts as a preservative. This Lemonade Diet Concentrate will keep the enzymes alive long enough to be consumed during the day. Store The Lemonade Diet Concentrate in a cool, dark, glass container. Do not add the cayenne or water to the concentrate. The cayenne will "Steep" like tea, and make the concentrate very hot. The water will dilute the maple syrup and the enzymes in the Fresh Lemon Juice will die. Learn the details about Master Cleanse Enzymes and The Lemonade Diet Concentrate because it is crucial to your success, and is a leading cause of Master Cleanse Problems.
You will drink between 6 and 12 glasses of Lemonade each day (some people drink as much as 26 glasses per day). This will depend on how big or small you currently are (caloric needs), your tolerance to physical and psychological urges to eat, and your desire to to lose weight. Master Cleanse Weight Loss results vary according to your pre-cleanse weight, and can be managed, to a degree, by how much lemonade you drink. Obviously you can Drink more, for less weight loss, and drink less to lose more weight. It is not a wise choice to drink less than 6 glasses in an effort to lose "extra" weight. Weight loss (if any), should occur naturally. It is wise to drink whenever you're hungry, or when you feel a lack of energy (commonly felt as a weakness or mild shakiness), which is quickly corrected by drinking a glass of Fresh Lemonade. 12 glasses per day should be your starting point from which you will make adjustments.
Lemonade Diet Ingredients
Mix each of the following lemonade diet ingredients into a large glass:
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
- 2 Tablespoons Rich Maple Syrup
- 1/10 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper Powder - or to taste (as much as you can stand)
- 8 ounces (250 milliliters of Pure Water
Roll each lemon firmly between your palm and the counter. Put sufficient downward pressure as you rock the lemon back and forth under your hand. You are softening the lemon to make the extraction of juice more efficient.
NOTE: store your lemons on the counter to ripen, NOT in the fridge. Enzymes are dormant in the fridge. You want those enzymes. If you buy 50 lemons in advance, as most people do, store 40 in the fridge at a time and take the 10 most ripe lemons out for your first day or two.
Next, cut the lemon and juice each half on the juicer (if using an electric juicer you may want to juice the whole allotment at once, since you will not be sure how many lemons will yield the proper amount of juice. You may initially find you will waste a lemon or two).
Add the rest of the lemonade ingredients into the glass, mix immediately, and drink. I like to drink the glass quickly because it seems to hit my hunger spot quickly. I usually only drink when I need to, and when enough time has passed to allow for a nice spread over the day as I try to manage my daily quota.
(Note: You might get a kick out of licking the tablespoon measure after adding your maple syrup. You may even come to look forward to this part of the process --just don't "eat" the syrup in quantity).
Drink Pure Water Throughout the Day
I carry a 1-liter BPA-free Water Bottle filled with Pure Water with me at all times. This water will cleanse your palate of the lemonade, as well as maintain the illusion that your stomach is full. You can drink as much water as you do Lemonade. All the water you consume from (including the water in the lemonade), is a key factor in why this cleanse is so successful. Most of us are chronically dehydrated. And most of us eat when we are thirsty. We don't understand the difference between the cravings for water and food. I drink as much as I can, but like anything, one shouldn't overdo it. Every time I feel a hunger craving, I take a nice big chug of water. I believe I am turning off the switch in my physiology that is telling me that I am hungry. If I feel very hungry, or weak, I drink a glass of Lemonade.
Step 3 - Master Cleanse Detox - Induce Daily Bowel Movements.
The Master Cleanse is a Detox Diet. The Detox of The Master Cleanse Diet occurs largely through Bowel Movements. The Daily Detox Bowel Movement is the result from the Nightly Laxative, and The Salt Water Flush. The Salt Water Flush is optional but the Bedtime Laxative is not. Some choose to do a Morning Laxative as well.
Master Cleanse Detox with Herbal Laxatives
There are several herbal laxatives that work well. Most people find that by using Laxative Tablets they are able to better manage the dosage. Often the suggested dosage is not enough to produce the movement in the morning. Tom Woloshyn, author of The Complete Master Cleanse swears that 4 tablets is a good starting point. If you cramp or wake up early with a movement, scale back to 3 tablets. If your movement doesn't happen in the morning, scale up to 5 tablets.
I choose to do the Salt Water Flush in the evening. The SWF process is a commitment in itself. Once you take the solution, you will have to be on guard, a bowel movement WILL be coming shortly. I don't mean in 5, or even 15 minutes, but generally in 30-60 minutes after taking the salt water, you will have your first movement. The last movements will begin to wind down an hour or so after they begin. This is a, ahem... crappy process, and there is really no way to sugar-coat it. The next few paragraphs will describe in detail what you can expect.
Master Cleanse Detox with The Salt Water Flush
Using 1 liter BPA Free Water Bottle and your teaspoon measure, mix a solution of Sea Salt and Pure Water. The original book says 2 teaspoons, but I have used 1 tablespoon almost every time and it works the same for me each way. The last time I did the cleanse, I tried it each way (once with 2 teaspoons and then again with 1 tablespoon), and each time I had success. NOTE: There have been many questions about this process. Many people complain that the SWF doesn't worked for them. This is probably the most common mistake with the master cleanse. I believe it can work for everyone, but there are no absolutes in this world. The key is to adjust the amount of salt in order to create the right solution for your individual needs. make sure you don't used iodized table salt.NON-iodized sea salt is essential. The Salt Water Flush MUST be done on an empty stomach.
Shake the mixture well and move to the sink. I like to "pound it" - perhaps because I like to pretend I am still in college and the sea salt is actually a keg stand. I also move into the bathroom and stand in front of the mirror. Somehow, by watching myself, I can manage to drink the whole liter in one try, spilling very little. This too is a challenge in itself, especially once your stomach has become very small from taking no solids. Chances are, you will feel full halfway through, so just keep going. Stopping only makes you taste the salt, and will activate your gag reflex. If you throw up most of the mixture, you will not have success. Do whatever it takes to get it down, and keep it down.
While it is not required to drink the solution in one go, you will find that the taste is such that you will want to get it down quickly. It is not awful, but it is not exactly pleasant, and therefore I choose to get it over with. I also enjoy the little challenge. Many people have submitted their Salt Water Flush Tips that range from sipping the mixture through a straw or adding lemon juice to the mixture.
After you have consumed the solution, you can go about your activities until nature calls. Laying on your right hand is side to aid the solution on its journey through your digestive track, although I don't find this especially helpful and so I don't bother.
What to Expect from The Salt Water Flush
When you first feel the rumble in your belly and your bowels, DON'T go running off to the bathroom. Give it a while. Let it brew! Yeah, I know that is weird to think about, but you should let it build up. You are going to have 3-7 movements, possibly more. Generally speaking, you will end up pushing out what you put in. The entire liter of sea salt water will be immediately expelled. This is because the solution is indigestible. You may have heard that, if you are stranded at sea, drinking sea water will only dehydrate you more. This is why. It just comes right out of you because the mixture is such that it is not absorbed.
NOTE. If your mixture is off or it doesn't work (check to see if you have the right kind of salt. Did you do it on an empty stomach?), don't worry. The amount of salt you just consumed is far less than your "regular", modern diet. All is well. Just try again the next day with an adjustment in the amount of salt. I suggest adding an amount to the 2 teaspoons until you are successful.
Of course, along with the sea salt, you will be expelling waste. During the first 2 days you will be moving out the remaining solid matter in the digestive tract from the days prior to the Master Cleanse. If you began your diet immediately, this will be more true than if you Eased-in, and therefore have only juice in your system. Nevertheless, for each day you will expel solid matter. Gross, to be certain, but also empowering. You really begin to understand the value of this process when you recognize the elimination of waste that has been stored in your body for months, even decades.
NOTE: Your eliminations will be MOSTLY liquid from now on. You will only notice smaller material and clumps of thicker waste. Don't expect large solid movements of any kind. You should be encouraged that even on day-10 you still have dark liquid in your first movements of the day. All the dark matter is retained waste that the cleanse is loosening and removing.
Once you feel you can no longer hold out, go to the bathroom. A word of warning while you wait for this moment. DO NOT FART!!! You will most certainly not pass only air - if you know what I mean. This is also true throughout the rest of your day. Don't be fooled or you will be leaving work to change your shorts. The first movement will be rather large and fairly powerful. You will want to flush almost immediately. In order to understand the whole messy details, take a look... if you dare.
Stay close to a toilet and continue to move until the frequency eases. Once you can last 15 minutes without a serious movement, you are safe to go about your day. For this reason I choose to undergo this process in the morning, before I go out for the day.
Lemonade Diet Conclusion - Repeating the Process
That concludes the process of The Lemonade Diet. Just repeat for every day of your intended duration. Most Master Cleanse Practitioners won't recommend less than 10 days. 10 days is a great achievement and will produce far better results as your body can really begin to focus on the deep and dark within. 14 days is very challenging and when added to the Ease-in and Ease-out is almost 3 weeks in total. I have heard of, and known, people who go for 30 and more. Tom Woloshyn claims the longest he has heard of is 372 days straight with the second longest being 256. Some people do "Cleanse Stacks" where they will do 10 days followed by some regular eating and quickly going back on for another 10 days as many as 5 times. My suggestion is that 2 weeks is more than enough. There are reasons for Long Term Master Cleansing such as Disease Cleansing, but that topic is far outside of the scope of this article.
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Ease-Out - Stopping The Master Cleanse
The Ease-out process of The Master Cleanseis the exact same as the Ease-In, but in reverse. This is also another reason I choose to do the Ease-In - it prepares me for the Ease-Out. You will be tempted to fast-track this process, but DON'T. Consider this step as ESSENTIAL. You can become nauseated if you start to eat too soon. Please don't underestimate the importance of this process. On the other hand, don't be scared of it either. You do risk some serious constipation or some of the worse Complications of The Master Cleanse - but if you eat something too soon, you will likely be okay in the long run. If you are unsure at any time - consult a doctor. My words here are opinion only, and should always be considered informational not medical advice.
The most important factor to keep in mind during this stage of The Master Cleanse is to drink a lot of water. Especially when you are Fruit Juicing and Vegetable Juicing. If you do not make broth, and opt for juices instead, it is important you understand that the juice will have a great deal of fiber, and you need to make sure you have enough water in your system to keep you from becoming constipated.
Ease-Out Day 1 - Orange Juice
Manually or electrically juice enough oranges to make 2 liters of Orange Juice, mixed with water (to taste). Sometimes I find it hard to get the calories I need through the day and so I add some Maple Syrup to increase my caloric intake.
Ease-Out Day 2 - Juicing, Blending, Soups and Broths
This step preps your body for a liquid diet and delivers macro nutrients more quickly to your bloodstream. By breaking down the foods to liquids we can more readily take in the nutrients from the food. Fruit and Vegetable Juicing is very enjoyable. There are endless combination's of tasty juicing recipes. Blending is equally enjoyable. Green smoothies are like drinking a glass of healing. If you do not have a juicer, you can make soup or broths.
Ease-Out Day 3 - Living Food Diet
To do the Living Food Diet, you need only to eat live foods. Simply remove processed foods, meat and dairy from your diet. Enjoy shopping for, and eating interesting fruits and vegetables. Savor the rich flavor and textures. Be sure that you don't go to heavy on fruits as they are high in sugar. A 60/40 balance of vegetables to fruits is a good guideline.
Post Cleanse - After The Master Cleanse - Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle
When you are done
The Master Cleanse, the next and maybe most important step is to begin to Eat Wisely. This sounds so simple, yet so many people go right back to eating emotionally to sooth their daily worries. Choose to Eat Wisely and you will not put the weight back on. Go back to Eating Poorly and you will gain back all the weight you just lost - and maybe more!
ET #2 and then repeat.