Vincent Bronson

Guide to Lemonade Diet Vincent Bronson

Originally cooked up to flush purported toxins and waste from the body, Master Cleanse - also known as the Lemonade Diet - has only recently become popularized for quick weight loss. (Beyonce allegedly used it to slim down for her role in "Dreamgirls.") Say goodbye to solid food. For at least 10 days, your new best friends are not-quite lemonade, water and laxatives. That means 4 cups of salt water each morning, a cup of herbal laxative tea at night and six to 12 glasses throughout the day of the "lemonade" - a concoction you make from fresh lemon or lime juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and water, according to www.themastercleanse.com, one of the most comprehensive Master Cleanse websites. (Several variations of the diet exist, so it's up to you to decide which one to follow.) Crave something more substantial? Too bad. Straying from the 650-calorie per day regimen is not allowed. After a minimum of 10 days (some dieters apparently stick it out for 45), you'll slowly transition back to solid foods with soup and fruit juice. The website doesn't specify what your post-cleanse diet should be, but it does advise that you eat as little meat and dairy as possible and supplement meals with a probiotic to aid digestion. While dieters commonly repeat the regimen - the website's author claims to have done it 18 times since 2003 - experts don't advise making this your permanent routine. Beware: You may experience what the website calls "detox diet symptoms," such as cravings, fatigue, irritability, aches, pains, nausea, vomiting and a burning sensation during bowel movements. Proponents claim these symptoms are signs of the body's detoxification, but there's no scientific evidence that Master Cleanse or other detox diets actually rid the body of toxins. What's more, say experts, the liver is perfectly capable of purging the body's impurities. Because you're getting so few calories, you'll probably lose weight. You'll also be losing muscle, bone, and water. And you're likely to gain the weight right back.