It’s day 6 of my Master Cleanse journey. Both Mark and I have made it over the hump. Yay! What an interesting roller coaster experience this has been. The first couple of days were easy but the last 3, oh boy, not so much. Dealing with the cravings and the lack of solid food is a big challenge. Not so much because you are hungry but you miss having a normal meal. Sometimes just making Denzin’s food feels tempting and had it not been for my strong will and dedication, I would have given up on day 3. We are determined to complete our goal of 10 day cleanse.

Since I announced our journey publicly, I have received many positive and supportive words from family and friends. Mark and I are grateful for your encouragement from the bottom of our hearts. Some have expressed interest in the Master Cleanse diet and more specifically, how we make the lemonade. For you, guys and girls, I wrote this blog and educational video, so you will get a better understanding of the Master Cleanse diet.

Before you decide to undertake the cleanse, I strongly recommend that you buy Stanley Burroughs book “The Master Cleanser.” He is the originator of the diet and his 50-page instructional booklet will help answer any question or concern you may have. There are nutrition tips, health advice, recipes, suggested meal plans, etc. Barnes & Noble carries it so you can get it from there.

Secondly, to do the Master Cleanse properly you will need the following ingredients:

• Distilled Water
• Organic Lemons
• Organic Grade B Maple Syrup
• Organic Cayenne Pepper
• Herbal Laxative Tea
• Celtic Sea Salt

It’s important that you buy all of them organic because this will be all your food and drink for the next 10 days. Might as well invest in quality ingredients that are free of toxins, pollutants, pesticides and additives. If you have Whole Foods store or a health food store nearby, you can buy them from there.

Next, you will need the following equipment:

• BPA-free Water Jug
• Citrus Juicer
• Measuring Cup
• Measuring Spoons
• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board

Now that you have all necessary ingredients and tools, the recipe for the lemonade is as follows:

• 10 oz. warm water
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/8 tsp. Cayenne pepper

You should drink between 6 – 12 glasses a day. Mark and I make 10 glasses each to drink throughout the day. When you multiply the recipe by 10 here is what it looks like:

• 100 oz. warm water
• 20 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 20 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper

Make sure that you shake the water jug well before pouring a glass each time since the lemon pulp and Cayenne pepper will sag to the bottom. Also, it’s detrimental to drink your lemonade at room temperature so your body wouldn’t require extra energy to warm up cold lemonade in your stomach.

Every evening drink a cup of herbal laxative tea and every morning a quart of salt water (a.k.a. saltwater flush). Those two things will help with your eliminations and if you skip them, you will have no way of removing the toxins that are loosened by the lemonade drink. It will be as if sweeping your floor and never removing the dirt. If you cannot do the saltwater flush, then take a cup of the laxative tea in the morning too.

Follow this regimen for a minimum of 10 days and up to 40 days. During that time your body will be provided with all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients through the lemonade. Don’t worry, you won’t starve. If you feel hungry, just drink more lemonade. That should take care of the empty feeling in your stomach.

If you are concerned about doing the cleanse while performing your job, know you will have enough energy to sustain you through the workday. At no point have I felt dizzy, lightweight or tired on the Master Cleanse. You will even be able to exercise moderately.

And a few Don’ts:

• DON’T use pancake syrup in the place of genuine maple syrup. It would not provide you with the necessary nutrients to sustain your 10-day journey without food.
• DON’T use bottled lemon juice or conventional lemons because they lack the freshness and contain much less nutrients than freshly squeezed organic lemons.
• DON’T skip the Cayenne pepper even though it may burn slightly when drinking the lemonade. Cayenne pepper is extremely powerful cardiovascular support ingredient and helps carry out toxins out of your body while cleansing. You may, however, substitute the powder with drops or pills.
• DON’T drink a glass in the morning and then wait 4 or more hours to drink another one. Space out the glasses evenly throughout your day so you’ll have a consistent flow of nutrients going into your body.  If you are going to be away from home, pack up extra lemonade to take with you.
• DON’T take any multivitamin/mineral or herbal supplements while doing the cleanse. As stated above, all that is required by your body will be found in the lemonade.
• DON’T smoke, consume alcohol or abuse drugs either! Remember, you are trying to get rid of the toxins not add to them.

Good luck!

Copyright © 2010 Zoe V. All Rights Reserved