The lemon juice diet, also known as the master cleanse diet, can help you shed pounds quickly.
The lemon juice diet, or master cleanse system, is a method of losing weight quickly by reducing caloric intake for at least ten days and augmenting your body with the natural components found in lemon juice. The diet greatly restricts food intake, allowing only lemon juice and water or lemon juice and other exceptionally low-calorie foods or drinks. Many celebrities claim to have successfully used the program to shed weight quickly, but the overall benefits are questionable. The lemon juice diet relies heavily on a handful of claims to support its effectiveness, and only some versions offer long-term solutions to meeting weight-loss goals. The basic plan denies all access to alcohol and does not allow participants to eat solid foods during an initial ten-day period. This is the cleanse portion of the diet, which is followed by a slow build up to soft foods and lasting changes to eating habits.
The Plan
The diet is exceptionally straightforward. During the first ten days of the program, you will drink only lemon juice and water. Some versions also allow an herbal laxative tea or a saltwater blend along with lemon juice and water. Solid foods are strictly prohibited during this phase, which is designed to purge toxins and restart your metabolism. After the ten-day phase ends, you may begin to eat healthy soups and soft foods, gradually working your way back up to a healthy diet consisting of many of the foods you enjoy eating. A typical week on the plan involves either days of drinking nothing but the specified tea and lemon juice solution or building your way back up to solid foods, depending on your current level of progress with the diet. Once the build-up phase is completed, you can eat a wide selection of different foods prepared in a healthy manner.
Overview of the Lemon Juice Diet Plan
- The Cleanse Period Recipe: The plan revolves heavily around the use of warm water and lemon juice. This simple lemon juice diet recipe can take many different forms, but you must always avoid introducing solid foods during the ten-day cleanse portion of the diet. You may mix the lemon juice in a tea rich with natural laxatives to help speed along the cleanse portion, and many versions of the diet suggest drinking a saltwater mixture to help aid in digestion during the cleansing phase. The recipe for this tea includes equal amounts of lemon juice and maple syrup, typically two tablespoons, along with a full glass of water and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Both hot and warm water are recommended by different versions of the basic recipe. Consume lemon juice in some form during every day of the diet, as the plan relies heavily on the purported benefits of this substance.
- Ramp Up to Solid Foods: During the period following the ten-day cleanse, you are permitted to eat a variety of soups and soft foods. Common recipes for this period include homemade vegetable soups and simple broths. Broth may be purchased from a grocery store or nearby shop and may contain meat or vegetable as a base. To make your own vegetable soup, chop your favorite vegetables into small portions and boil them in the broth of your choice until they are tender and soft. After a period of fasting, such as that recommended for the cleansing phase, you will need to rely on soft foods until your system is ready to handle more advanced products. Another option is to eat beans and lentils, which can be boiled in clear water or the same broth as your soups to enhance the flavor. Choose whole-grain foods over starchy, processed versions of soft breads.
Sustainable Recipes
Healthy eating practices can help you create a sustainable diet after you finish the ramp-up period. During this period, which is typically the final and lasting phase, the diet suggests at least five servings of fruit and vegetables each day. Chop your favorite fruits into small, bite-sized portions and mix them with vegetable juice in a food processor set to coarse to create a fruit salsa perfect for sharing with friends. The diet does not restrict fat intake, which allows you to eat many meats and dairy products without turning to low-fat solutions. Red meat, cakes, and pastries are best avoided because they contain large quantities of saturated fats. Instead, try grilling vegetables with a touch of extra virgin olive oil, which has a healthy fat content. Similarly, oily fish, nuts, and seeds can help you get healthy fats into your diet.
Variations of the Plan and Recipes
Variations of this lemon juice diet plan are rampant. The most common variation eschews the cleanse portion entirely and suggests sprinkling lemon water on everything you eat to give each portion of food the full benefits of vitamin C and the many nutrients found in lemon juice. Another common alternative is to enjoy a lemon juice and water breakfast and then eat the foods you like throughout the day. Many versions suggest a series of major changes in eating habits. These changes include adding more fresh vegetables and fruits to your diet and slowing your chewing and eating methods. These alternative options may introduce methods found in other popular diets or mix and match a large combination of different programs to achieve their results.
Likely Results of Following the Plan
By restricting yourself to a very low-calorie diet, you are likely to lose weight quickly during the initial ten-day cleanse period. Unfortunately, not all of that will be fat. Your body may also lose muscle and bone during this period due to a lack of overall nutrition. The elimination of alcohol from the diet cuts down on calories and sugars found in those beverages and may help many shed pounds quicker than any properties of lemon juice. This makes the cleansing phase of the diet a good choice for dropping a few pounds before a photo shoot or swimsuit appearance, but prolonged cleansing periods may be unhealthy and unsustainable over a long period of time. Following the recipes during the ramp-up and healthy eating phases may deliver far better results over time.
