The Master Cleanser

History
The Master Cleanser was developed by Stanley Burroughs in the 1940s and marketed as a cure for ulcers. In 1976 he self-published his formula in a 50 page book of the same name.

How it works
The Master Cleanser is a detoxification cleanse, not a diet or a true fast, though you will probably lose weight as a side-effect. It has also been said that the cleanse will lead to reduced cravings, increased energy, and overall better health. Some believe that it can be therapeutic for people with certain ailments.

For a minimum of 10 days, you will eat no solid food. Instead you will drink 6-8 servings per day of the Master Cleanser formula, which is a mixture of water, lemon or lime juice, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup.

The Master Cleanser Recipe is as follows, and no substitutions should be made:

• 60 oz filtered or distilled water
• ¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
• ¾ cup grade B maple syrup (this must be pure maple syrup, not the maple-flavored syrup you find in most grocery stores)
• 3/5 tsp cayenne pepper

Mix ingredients together in a large container. Recipe makes 6 servings.

To aid the flushing of the body, you will also drink and herbal laxative tea in the morning and evening. You should also do an "internal salt water bath" regularly in the morning. Add 2 level teaspoons of uniodized sea salt to a quart of warm water, and drink the entire mixture at once on an empty stomach.

During the detoxification process, you will experience some side effects as the toxins are being drawn out of the body. Side-effects may include:

• Cravings
• Fatigue
• Headaches (especially if you have a caffeine addiction)
• Nausea, vomiting
• Bad breath
• Irritability, boredom
• Aches and pains
• Abdominal cramps, burning or otherwise unpleasant bowel movements

Frequent bowel movements are a part of the cleanse, especially after drinking the laxative tea or salt water solution. Make sure you will have ample bathroom access for as long as you are on the cleanse, and you may want to stock up on toilet paper.

When you are ready to end the cleanse, you must to so by gently weaning the body onto regular food. For the first day, drink fresh-squeezed orange or grapefruit juice, and start taking a probiotic supplement. This will begin to replace the "good" bacteria in the intestines that were flushed out during the cleanse. Good bacterial flora is vital for proper digestion.

If you were on a raw diet before the cleanse, you can begin eating some raw fruits and vegetables on day 3 of weaning. If you ate a more typical diet before the cleanse (including meat and dairy products), start the transition back with homemade vegetable soup for dinner on day 2. Have more soup for lunch on day 3, and a salad for dinner.

After that you can gradually begin introducing more foods into your diet while paying careful attention to your body's signals. If you find yourself feeling ill, you are probably going too fast.

If you would like to ease yourself into the cleanse so it's less of a shock to your system, you can try doing something like the weaning, only in reverse, gradually removing solid foods, caffeine, etc from your diet before starting the first official day of the cleanse.

The Master Cleanser is NOT right for everyone. Please consult with your doctor before starting the plan.

Popularity
Though it was originally published over 30 years ago, The Master Cleanse is still extremely popular today, and other books have been published on the subject. Many people do the cleanse at the beginning of the year, after making a New Year's resolution to be healthier.

Celebrities that have done the cleanse include Beyoncé, Trina, Robin Quivers, and Jared Leto.

Additional Resources:
Master Cleanser information and supply kits
Master Cleanser information on the Cosmic Healer website