The Master Cleanse Diet – also known as the Lemonade Diet – has gained popularity recently in the press. Below is information about this diet, including a general overview, what the diet consists of and its aims, as well as various health considerations.
Overview
The Master Cleanse Diet is an extremely low-calorie diet that aims at quick weight loss; as a matter of fact, its proponents claim that it is possible to lose as much as 20 pounds in 10 days on this diet and detoxify the body at the same time. It is necessary to give up all solid foods and take in only liquids to accomplish this.
How Does it Work?
For the 10 day course of this diet, a person lives off of water, a special “lemonade” recipe and laxatives. It begins with drinking four glasses of salt water in the morning. This is followed by 6 to 12 glasses of the lemonade throughout the day and the day ends with a drink of laxative tea. There are many variations on the specific lemonade recipe that must be followed, but it generally consists of a combination of water, lemon or lime juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. This diet will give you around 650 calories a day.
The Results
Weight loss is almost inevitable with such low calorie intake as well as the absence of solid food and the use of laxatives. However, this a very-short term plan and it is unlikely that long-term benefits will result. This is because mostly one will lose water weight and lean muscle mass instead of fat and the extremely low-calorie nature of this diet can also stall the metabolism, which will make it more likely that the person will gain weight once a regular diet is resumed.
Notes on Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes
Weight loss in considered to help alleviate both cardiovascular disease and diabetes. However, because the weight loss is rapid, mostly involves water weight and will likely be back on again, this yo-yoing can actually put stress upon the heart. Also, the required use of laxatives can cause dehydration, even with all the drinking that this diet requires, and that can also negatively impact heart health. It is also potentially very dangerous for diabetics to attempt this diet because of blood sugar issues. Common side effects for this diet include fatigue, gastrointestinal problems like nausea and vomiting, pain and increase irritability.
Overall, it is a good idea to sit down with a physician or other medical practitioner to discuss weight loss goals and whether or not this kind of diet would be appropriate. If someone is diabetic or has cardiac, kidney or other conditions, it is very likely that other forms of dieting will be encouraged.
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