THE MASTER CLEANSE

Made famous by Beyonce, Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, the Master Cleanse is one of the hottest cleanses in Hollywood. Beyonce even used it to slim down for her movie 'Dreamgirls'.

This cleanse is so popular not just because of its powerful detoxing properties, but also because its a great way to lose a few pounds and get in shape.

It is not an easy cleanse though - the Master Cleanse is a fast regimen, with nutrition provided by a combination of lemon, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. Its hard work but the results are worth it!

How does the Master Cleanse work?

The Master Cleanse's strange set of ingredients may leave you wondering 'why am I eating this?'. Well there is some very sound reasoning behind it. Let me run through each ingredient and tell you the specific benefits that it can give you.

Maple Syrup

Although you may normally just pour it on your waffles, Grade B maple syrup contains a variety of minerals and vitamins. These include iron, chlorine, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, phosphorus, sulfur and silicon not to mention Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C. Also present is Pantothenic acid, a type of B-Vitamin that can lower cholesterol.

As you can see, adding good quality maple syrup to your cleanse actually provides you with many of the vitamins and minerals that you need during a short-term cleanse.

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is used to produce more bile in the liver, trapping fat molecules and allowing them to be easily secreted. It also helps to decrease your appetite.

Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne pepper increases metabolism and aids digestion. It is also a good source of Vitamins A, B, C, Calcium and Potassium.

Purified Water

The benefits of water need little explanation. It speeds your metabolism, cleans your internal organs and even helps you live longer!

How to do the Master Cleanse?

Otherwise known as the Lemonade Diet or the Maple Syrup Diet, this cleanse involves a fast of 10-14 days, with nutrition provided by a drink of Maple Syrup, Lemon Juice and Cayenne Pepper. Each day on the cleanse should follow the same routine:

MORNING

Each morning you should do a salt water flush. This is a simple way to do a colon cleanse, by drinking lukewarm water with non-iodized sea salt, that is excellent in conjunction with the Master Cleanse.

The salt detoxifies the entire digestive system and flushes out any impurities and toxins so they won't be reabsorbed back into the body. It isn't the most pleasant experience but the results are worth it so be strong!

Recipe - one serving

32 Oz of lukewarm water

2 teaspoons of non-iodized sea salt (iodized salt will not work)

Drink when you get up and on an empty stomach, otherwise the salt will be competing with undigested food. Around 1 hour later eliminations should commence. It's best to set aside 2 hours before you go out, to prevent any accidents

DAYTIME

Drink the Master Cleanse juice several times a day, whenever thirsty or hungry. You can also drink pure water by itself, but no other foods. You can either make the drinks whenever you need them, or make a jug in the morning to last all day. Here are the recipes:

Recipe - one serving

2 tablespoons organic Lemon Juice

2 tablespoons organic Grade B Maple Syrup (not the commercial maple flavored syrup you use on pancakes)

2 pinches Cayenne Pepper

10oz Purified Water

Recipe - whole day

12 tablespoons organic Lemon Juice

12 tablespoons organic Grade B Maple Syrup (not the commercial maple flavored syrup you use on pancakes)

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

60oz Purified Water

EVENING

The last step each day is to take a herbal laxative tea. One made with Senna will do the trick, and you can buy this from most health food stores. Since there is no fiber in the cleanse, the Senna is needed to stimulate muscle contraction of the colon.

Without the laxative tea, the toxins and waste products forced out by the Master Cleanse will stay in your body, so make sure you drink it each evening before you go to sleep.