Lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and water mixed together are almost all that is consumed for the basic 10-day period of the Master Cleanse Diet. Also known as the Lemonade Diet, the Master Cleanse has developed intrigue due to the challenge it poses to the dieter's will. By many standards, the Master Cleanse is considered a fast. "How long did you last?" is more often asked of followers than "How much weight did you lose?" To see past the physical challenge and understand how it actually affects the body, I got answers from Today Show nutritionist and bestselling author of Joy's LIFE Diet, Joy Bauer. Sarah Fuss: Joy, why do you think the Master Cleanse is so popular? Joy Bauer: People think it's a quick way to lose weight and detox. Sarah: The word "detox" is used a lot these days. Could you clarify its meaning? Joy: The word "detox" is used to describe a process which helps to eliminate toxins in the body, and perhaps provides a rest for vital organs. Detox has become quite a buzz word nowadays, but there's really no such thing and clearly juice fasts and other radical regimens are not the answer. Your body does not need any help ridding itself of toxins -- the kidneys, liver, and bladder already do the job nicely. Sarah: So, is the Master Cleanse good for weight loss? Joy: No. For one thing, rather than trim you down quickly, the Master Cleanse may actually cause you to overeat: The beverages are high in refined sugar, which starts the digestive process and can create peaks and valleys in your blood sugar levels, leaving you hungry (not to mention irritable, lethargic and head-achy). The plan is also void of protein, a macronutrient that's critical during weight loss. (It helps maintain lean muscle mass, rev your metabolism, and stabilize blood sugar levels). If you do want to go on a liquid diet, your beverages should include 50% of your weight in protein grams. In other words, if you weigh 200 pounds, the beverages you consume daily should include 100 grams of protein. I have spoken with many people who have tried this plan and were not able to sustain longer than a couple of days. Common comments I've heard are "impossible to sustain," "I feel starving," "I have no energy," "I'm dreaming of food," or "I binged on lasagna, fast food and cookies after two days on this fast" Sarah: I've heard that the Master Cleanse cleans your body of old undigested food? Joy: That's crazy... It's actually funny that anyone would make that ridiculous claim! Sarah: So, what does the Master Cleanse help with? Joy: I guess it provides a feeling of "temporary" empowerment because you believe you're helping cleanse your body. Not much of anything else, and I would certainly not recommend this plan....... --- Yahoo Food!In my past few posts, I mentioned that I'm doing this master cleanser diet thing. You know the lemon blah blah. Well to tell you honestly I'm did it for fun okay? and "cleansing" seems tempting. So I did it. And now for some fellows who are asking me questions about this topic....read now...
The Truth About the Master Cleanse Diet
Posted Fri, Apr 24, 2009, 10:39 am PDT
Sunday, May 3, 2009
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