Your Grandmother Knew Best: Get Lean & Healthy With This 50-Year-Old Detox Diet

Several variants of the Lemon Detox diet have been around for nearly 50 years now, with the basic diet undergoing numerous changes to fit individual requirements and choices. Despite these adaptations and doubts regarding its efficacy this detox diet has managed to hold its ground for almost half a century, thanks to the heaps of praise and endorsements it has received from satisfied users over the years.

Recently, the Lemon detox or Lemonade diet has come into the limelight again, especially after the surfacing of reports that Beyoncé Knowles managed to lose 20 lbs in a matter of ten days with this diet, under the supervision of a dietician of course. But, Beyoncé isn’t the only Hollywood personality who has benefitted from this diet. Naomi Campbell, Robin Quivers, and Jared Leto are some of the others who have used this diet to look stunningly fit.

So, whether you call it the lemon detox diet, the lemonade diet, or the master cleanse, the results are all the same, a healthy and lean body devoid of harmful toxins and excess fat. In fact, from all the information and testimonials available about this diet it seems like the shortest, and yet the healthiest route to weight loss.

The lemon detox diet is certainly a means of maintaining good health, apart from the added benefit of weight loss. It was developed by Stanley Burroughs in the 1940s to flush out toxins from the body and to treat ulcers. Yes, ulcers! In fact, in his book “The Master Cleanser with Special Needs or Problems” published in 1975, Stanley Burroughs writes that he first tried this diet on a patient suffering from ulcers since three years. The master cleanse diet managed to rid him of his ulcers in 11 days flat, unlike all the other treatments he had undergone previously. Stanley Burroughs met with similar success in many other such ulcer cases.

He also noted that these people also ended up losing some weight at the end of the master cleanse, hence he introduced it as the ‘reducing diet’. And, that’s how the master cleanse came to be used for weight loss and detoxification. More recently, Peter Glickman and Tom Woloshyn have helped increase the popularity of this liquid mono-diet through their books “Lose Weight, Have More Energy and Be Happier in 10 Days” and “The Master Cleanse Experience,” respectively. In addition to weight loss, Tom Woloshyn goes so far as to say that this detox program entails additional health benefits such as, improved sleep, positive attitude, a clear mind, and freedom from addictions. So, what exactly does the lemon detox do to rid your body of toxins and fat?

How does the Lemon Detox Diet work?

Various scientific advances in the fields of nutrition and medicine have often pointed towards faulty and unhealthy diets, stress, negative mental outlooks, and lack of exercise, as major causes of most illnesses today. These factors assist and boost the buildup of toxins in our body by many folds, the end result of which is diseases and ill health. This is where the lemon detox diet comes in. By cleansing your body of its toxin overload, this diet simplifies and corrects disruptions in the normal functioning of your body to bring about a harmonious operation. Basically, the master cleanse is just the beginning of a long and positive healing process. Because, once the toxin and excess fat in your body are broken down and eliminated, the lemon cleanse initiates the cleansing of your kidneys, digestive system, glands, cells, and the rest of your body.

Lemon juice has the ability to purge your digestive system and eliminate toxins through it, since it is rich in vitamin C and roughage. It eliminates waste from your joints and muscles too, in addition to relieving pressure and irritation in your nerves and blood vessels. Detoxification also improves your blood circulation and improves the elasticity of your skin giving it a healthy glow. An added benefit of detoxification with the lemon diet is the loads of vitamin C and flavonoids that you get through it. We already know of the many advantages of vitamin C for a disease-free body.

Not only does vitamin C boost your immune system to help your body fight diseases better, but it also rejuvenates your skin, protects it against infections, and reduces body odor, and acts as an antibiotic. However, once you begin the process of detoxification you need to encourage and enhance it with additional measures such as a healthy diet, stress reduction with meditation, and regular exercise. Only then will you be able to maintain the weight loss and health benefits of this program.

Should You Use the Lemon Detox?

Contrary to popular perception, the Lemon detox isn’t only for those wanting to shed those extra pounds. Individuals with a weak immune system who fall sick often with acute and chronic illnesses and those with sluggish metabolic rates should also consider following this detox program a few times in a year. Bad metabolism usually leads to weight gain, hence this program will improve your metabolism to help your body assimilate and digest the food you consume in a better and quicker manner, thus slowing the process of weight gain and reducing the fat in your body. If you are someone that comes down with every infection doing the rounds, then it’s high time you opt for this program to help improve your immunity and shed some of that stubborn fat in the process.

But, if you are breastfeeding then avoid doing the lemon detox for that duration. Very often, breastfeeding moms are in a hurry to lose weight after giving birth, but embarking on the lemon detox under such circumstances can reduce the quantity and quality of breast milk as well as harm the mother’s health in the long term. There are some who say it can be done safely though.

People who have had organ transplants and those who are on immune suppressant drugs shouldn’t undertake this program either, as it will boost their immunity and result in a rejection of the organ transplant and also nullify the effects of such immune suppressant drugs.

​Beginning the Detox Process

Embarking on the Lemon detox diet can be no less intimidating than your first Pure Barre class. The process can be grueling enough to break one’s will resulting in an unfinished detox. So, instead of giving up on the race mid-way set goals for yourself that are simple and doable. Take baby steps until you ‘Master’ the master cleanse to perfection. Tom Woloshyn suggests that you educate yourself about its side-effects and only then begin with the diet. He also proposes going on a vegetarian diet for a while before you begin with the actual detox program to get your body used to the switch to the master cleanse.

And, if you consume coffee or soda regularly, a gradual reduction and vitamin B-5 supplements are recommended to prevent the caffeine withdrawal symptoms such as headaches. You will require at least 10 days of the lemon detox diet for it to be really effective, so plan your schedule such that you aren’t too busy around those days and can stay home more often to help you fast better. First timers could begin by doing it for a fewer days in the beginning, and gradually increasing the duration to 10-11 days.

The Lemon Detox Recipe

In recent times, the lemon detox recipe has seen numerous changes and additions. Although some of these variants may still produce results, it is prudent to stick to the old Stanley Burroughs recipe. Why? Because most of the newer versions have been formulated without understanding the utility of each of the ingredients in this recipe, and this is basically a ‘liquid mono-diet’, which means that adding cayenne pepper capsules, supplements, protein powders, and shakes to it will only defeat the whole purpose of giving your digestive tract a break, rather than improving the recipe.

Stanley Burroughs himself discourages vitamins and supplements as they could interfere with the elimination process of your body. Some other mistakes often made with this recipe are in relation to the ratio of water and dilution.

Here’s the recipe proposed by Stanley Burroughs for a single serving:

Well then, in the words of the late Stanley Burroughs “when all else fails, follow the instructions” and you should be right on track towards your goal of a healthy and lean body.