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We live in a world where fad diets are popular and everyone strives to look thin and svelte without having to change their lifestyle. One diet, called the Master Cleanse Diet, promises not only to help you lose weight, but also to help your body rid itself of dangerous wastes, poisons and toxins, therefore making you healthier as well as thinner.

The Master Cleanse diet was originally created by Naturopath Stanley Burroughs in 1941. Instead of trying to create a miracle weight loss plan, however, Burroughs devised his diet to help those suffering from ulcers and other intestinal disorders. It is only recently that the Master Cleanse has surfaced as a weight loss plan with well-known figures such as Beyonce and Robin Quivers using the diet to lose large amounts of weight in relatively short periods of time.

Basically, while you are on the diet, you are not allowed to eat any solid food whatsoever. It is generally suggested the diet be followed for 10 days or more, depending on how much weight you want to lose. During this time period, you drink lemonade sweetened with maple syrup and spiked with cayenne pepper. Some also drink herbal teas and use salt water flushes for their laxative and total cleansing effect.

It is important to note that those with special health concerns, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, should not start on this diet without first consulting their doctor. Women who are pregnant or nursing should also not try the diet until they have given birth and/or weaned their child because they will not be able to give the infant the vitamins and minerals their growing body needs while they are on the diet.

Most who follow the diet properly do report losing a great deal of weight while on the Master Cleanse. For instance, Beyonce lost 20 pounds during her 10-day diet. That is an average of about two pounds a day. Like any other diet, however, in order for weight loss to be permanent, the dieter must change their lifestyle habits. If they return to their old eating habits after finishing the Master Cleanse, they will simply gain back all the weight they have lost. In order to maintain a healthy weight, one must eat a healthy balanced diet and exercise regularly. There are no miracle diets.

There are also some unpleasant side effects noted by those on the diet. Some say the diet left them feeling grouchy, dizzy and lightheaded. Others complained of soreness or pain in their teeth and gums. In order to relieve the tiredness, it is best to schedule your Master Cleanse for a time when you are not required to do intense physical activity. You should also try to rinse your mouth after each glass of lemonade to help keep mouth sores from developing. While the Master Cleanse can help you lose weight quickly, you must change your lifestyle habits in order to keep the weight from coming back.

Who is Stanley Burroughs?

While his diet, the Master Cleanse, has become a household word, very little is known about the man who actually created the diet. Many would be surprised that the diet plan was not actually devised primarily as a way to lose weight. If you read his book which includes the plan for the Master Cleanse Diet, you can get a feel for who the author of the plan was and how he functioned.

We know that Stanley Burroughs was a naturopath. According to MedicineNet.com, a naturopath is a person who “practices naturopathy, a drugless system of therapy based on the use of physical forces such as heat, water, light, air, and massage.” During his lifetime, Burroughs wrote two books which have become popular manuals for those practicing alternative medicine. One of these books is called Healing for the Age of Enlightenment. His next book The Master Cleanse Diet with Special Needs and Purposes is the book from which the plan for the Master Cleanse Diet comes. Most people are more familiar with the plan for the Master Cleanse Diet because it was popularized by Peter Glickman in his book Lose Weight, Have More Energy and Be Happier in 10 Days.

While some think the Master Cleanse Diet is a relatively new idea, it was actually in 1941 that Burroughs introduced this diet plan. When people read the original Master Cleanse book, they learn that Burroughs was not trying to formulate a diet plan at all. According to a forward in this book Burroughs says, “I present this book so that you can help yourself and others. Make the most of this work and know that it is the finest of knowledge in healing.”

In fact, Burroughs goes on to explain he devised the Master Cleanse Diet as a way to heal stomach ulcers. He indicates in his book a close friend was a test case on the diet and indeed his ulcer was completely gone after 10 days on the diet. While Burroughs does acknowledge the diet can hold the possibility of weight loss, this was never the sole intent of his diet plan.

As one reads his book, you will begin to notice the actual diet plan is only a small portion of the book. Most of the book is taken up in discussion of how toxins cause the majority of human sickness and the way in which to properly “come off” the Master Cleanse fast. Burroughs provides meal plans to follow when you first start eating solid food again as well as recipes for healthy meals.
While common knowledge of Burroughs’ Master Cleanse Diet can make you think he was a diet fanatic, the diet plan was actually created by a doctor of alternative medicine who was looking for a natural way to heal stomach ulcers and other digestive disorders. His original book does not claim to make one skinny or happy, only healthy, which he obviously felt was the best way
to be.

Foods That Detoxify Are More Common Than You May Think

Want to feel better and help your body work at an optimal level as well as reduce the signs of aging? One way to do this may be by consuming more foods that naturally work as detoxifiers. What is exactly is a detoxifier? In this case, it is a food that helps the body combat toxins and poisons that can be responsible for making you sick as well as making you age prematurely. By eating more of these foods that detoxify, we can help improve the health and vitality of our body.

In health news we hear much about antioxidants. It seems antioxidants are everywhere – in our vitamins, our juices and even added to some foods. You may wonder why these antioxidants are so important. They are important because they neutralize the free radicals that attack our bodies each day. These free radicals are basically tiny particles of matter that are short one electron. For those not familiar with chemistry, these particles of matter, or atoms, don’t like to be short an electron, so they will attempt to “steal” an electron from some other source. When these electrons are “stolen” from your body’s cells, it opens the door for disease and other health-related problems. Foods that detoxify your body, or those containing antioxidants, work by collecting these free radicals and flushing them from the body.

Want to know what foods are the good for combating these free radicals? Here’s a discussion of the best ones.

* Fresh fruits are a top choice for anyone wanting to detoxify their body. Fruits have the vitamins necessary to nourish your body, these vitamins, particularly A, C and E are antioxidants.

*Fresh vegetables are also a good choice for cleansing your body of toxins. Whether you eat them raw, cook them in a stew or juice them, vegetables are great detoxifiers. Some of the top choices are broccoli, broccoli sprouts, cauliflower, onions, artichokes, and garlic.

*Nuts and seeds are also great detoxifiers. Sesame seeds especially are said to protect the cells of the liver from toxin damage. Other good choices include pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, sunflower seeds, cashews, almonds, and walnuts.

*Beans and legumes are other great choices as detoxifying foods. Split yellow and green peas and lentils require the least amount of soaking time to prepare and are also easy for the body to digest. However, other good choices include pinto beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas.

If you want to detoxify your body naturally through the foods that you eat, the above foods are your best choices. Foods that detoxify are easy to choose and cook. They also give your body the nutrients it needs to cleanse itself of toxins that can make you sick.