The Master Cleanse is one of the most popular detox programs around today. The cleanse involves drinking a homemade lemonade that is made with cayenne pepper, lemon juice, maple syrup and water. The lemon mixture is believed to help participants to lose weight, to cleanse the body, to remove toxins and to increase energy and vitality.

The sweet and spicy lemon blend attracts people who normally do not like the taste of vegetable and fruit juices used in most of the popular fasts and diets. A portion of the lemon mix is made with ten fluid ounces of purified or spring water, 2 tablespoons of (preferably organic) grade B maple syrup, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice from freshly squeezed lemons or limes, and a dash (1/10 teaspoons) of cayenne powder. A minimum of 4 to 6 portions should be drunk every day, and you should also drink a lot of water and some laxative herbal tea. Some people also do a salt water flush in the morning or in the beginning of the program. The cleanse can last between 4 and 14 days, although 10 days is often recommended as a minimum.

As with any fast, it is important to ease yourself into it slowly before beginning the actual detox, and to return to normal foods over a few days after the fast. Because no solid food is eaten during the program, you should break the fast with a glass of fresh orange juice, and your first “proper” meals after the fast should include vegetable soups, fruits and vegetables.

The cleanse has become very popular in recent years after celebrities claimed to have lost large amounts of weight by drinking the spicy lemonade. However, it was already developed in the 1950’s by Stanley Burroughs in his book The Master Cleanser, still one of the most popular detox books.