Lemon & Cayenne Diet

The lemon and cayenne diet is also known as the lemon pepper diet, lemonade diet, lemon and maple syrup diet, and the Master Cleanse diet. The Master Cleanse was designed in 1941 by Stanley Burroughs. Lemon and cayenne are key ingredients in the lemon drink, which is all you consume for a minimum of 10 days. First, the toxins are stirred up and loosened with the lemonade drink, and then they are flushed from the body.

How It Works

The purpose of the lemon drink is to help detox the body. It loosens up toxins that may have accumulated within the system. The drink's ingredients consist of 1 cup of distilled water, 2 tbsp. of juice from a fresh lemon, 2 tbsp. of pure, organic, grade B maple syrup, and 1/10 tsp. of cayenne pepper. While that may not seem like a lot of cayenne pepper, it has a powerful impact on the body. You can drink it chilled or at room temperature.

The diet requires that you drink a minimum of six and up to eight glasses per day of the lemon drink. The cayenne pepper helps loosen the mucus from the walls of the intestinal tract, the lemon juice cleanses the loosened debris from the body, and the maple syrup contains the nutrients that the body needs while it is detoxing. According to Stanley Burroughs, the reason grade B maple syrup is used is because it contains more minerals needed by the body and tastes better. It must also be organic, as maple syrup that is not organic can often have traces of pesticides. Most supermarkets carry grade A maple syrup, so when you are shopping for organic grade B maple syrup you may want to try your local health food store. Organic grade C syrup is acceptable in the diet, but the strong maple taste is a turn-off for many.

A Day on the Cleanse

If you wish to do the Master Cleanse, you'll need a few more things along with the ingredients in the drink: sea salt and a laxative tea. Add 2 tbsp of sea salt to 1 qt of warm, distilled water, and drink it every morning. The laxative tea is used in the evening to stimulate the colon and rid the body of waste. A day on the Master Cleanse consists of the salt water rinse upon arising, 6 to 8 glasses of the lemon drink throughout the day, and the laxative tea in the evening before bed. If you, for some reason, cannot drink the salt water in the mornings, have the laxative tea in the morning as well as the evening.

Precautions

Never attempt the Master Cleanse without consulting your physician, especially if you are under treatment or medication for any reason. No food or drink, other than what is mentioned above, can be consumed for the entire cleanse. In the first few days you may feel nauseous and light-headed, but that is part of the detox process.