Customer Reviews

Master Cleanser

5 star:		(172)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(20)
1 star:		(27)

 

 

Interesting book. Originally published in 1976, it's short and sweet- and actually held together by two staples. Readers may also know this "master cleansing" diet and "the lemonade diet." Having said that....

What do you do? Drink 6-12 glasses a day of a concoction made up of lemon or lime juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and water. No other foods should betaken during ther full period of the diet.

What's it's purpose? to dissolve and eliminate toxins that have formed in any part of the body

When do you use it? According to the book, when sickness has developed-good for all acute and chronic conditions.

How often? For a minimum of 10 days and up to 40 days and beyond in serious cases. Good to do 3-4 x year.

The book ends with a list of suggested natural aids (such as coconut oil or oil of clove) for various "minor inconveniences" (such as warts, dandruff). A book not to be missed by hardcore detoxifiers, its not for the faint of heart. Other self-help books I enjoyed include The 5-Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution.

Of all the cleansing methods I've looked at, this one seemed the easiest to do. And it turned out to be very effective. You will notice the changes right away.

There are some things that should be noted:
1. If you read and follow the instructions accurately, you will NOT feel hungry, but you WILL have cravings for foods that have sugars, caffeine, etc. There is a difference and some of the negative reviews were from people who cannot distinguish between the two.

2. There IS some measure of discomfort. I could literally feel the toxins leaching through and out of my body. So, do whatever you can to help the expelling though herbal laxatives and the salt cleanse.

3. This is NOT MEANT TO BE A DIET. It has a side benefit of losing weight as the author notes, but as the author also notes it's origins and applications are NOT about losing weight. This is also misunderstood by those giving negative reviews.

4. Read carefully and buy the correct maple syrup. One reviewer suggested that you would consume between 600 and 1200 calories in syrup. That is totally inaccurate - that person was probably consuming syrup with added sugar (a warning also given by the Burroughs). 100% organic grade b maple syrup has 50 calories per 2 tbl serving, which is the ratio for this cleanse. At 6-8 servings per day, that is 300-400 calories.

As with anything, your mileage will vary, but my experience seemed to generally line-up with the book and it's nearly 30-year old concept.

After hearing raving reviews about the affects of the Master Cleanser I decided to give it a try. I never thought I could fast for 1 day let alone 10 days, but now I'm on my 10th day and feeling better healthier and happier since my first drink. The amount of energy and vitality one receives from this cleansing is incredible. I feel cleaner and more alive. I highly recommend this book to anyone seriously interested in making a positive change in their life and begin a healthier lifestyle. The juice is great tasting elixer, it takes alot of will power and determination on ones part yet once you dedicate the 10 days believe me you will not have any regrets. P.S the first 5 days are the most challenging so be patient and stay focused remember 10 days are not as long as you think especially if the outcome is better health and a slimmer appearance. Good Luck and have faith in yourself you can do this, if I can anyone can. LC

It's hard not to write a book on this experience, but I'll try to keep it short.

1. Read it. It seems to be the obvious thing to do, but I find most people do it, just by getting the recipe. There's some enlightening and important info in this book that will help keep you on the track to a healthier life.

2. Map out your plan. I worked full time at a Lebanese restaurant as a waitress and I was glad to have started on an off day. First day is the hardest, not only b/c of the hunger pangs but b/c it's sooooo easy to break it on the first day.

3. Drink enough-even if it means more than what the book calls for. It's true that you won't be too fatigued, but I should've had more b/c I'm at an average weight and I worked (as a waitress-which means more activity). Follow your instincts.

4. Do it for all the right reasons. The right reasons being for changing your life and diet for the better. Don't do it just to lose weight. If you do, you won't follow through and even if you follow through, you'll hurt yourself by gaining the weight back and throwing your body off balance. Trust me, I've had two friends do it and broke it off on the second day.. or just cheated and it just made them crazy. Mentally prepare yourself for great changes.

5. Have support and educate yourself about food. If no one in your immediate environment is not supportive, read any literature that is. It's more important than you think, especially when you're idle with free time (from not cooking/eating). Best way, if possible, is to do it with a dedicated partner.

BENEFITS
You will read about the benefits throughout this booklet. Personally, my benefits exceed whatever inconvenience or 'torture' my tastebuds and cravings went through in those 11 days.
1. Allergies have improved immensely.
2. lost weight(15lbs.), gained some of it back but did not want to lose weight before the fast.
3. I felt completely light and had a sense of peace that I'd never experienced before.
4. I don't struggle with food anymore. My attitude about food has changed completely. Food can be healing and to clean out like this is like having a clean slate to start life over again.
5. Remember, it's easy to dehydrate but it's hard to starve to death. What keeps you going are the simple ingredients that you add to water.

Most of all, if you do this properly and follow a good diet of nutritious and good food afterwards, you will be happy you did.

Please don't look at this as just a diet.This cleanser is a total detoxification for the body. I am 5'8" and 128 pounds..I started this cleanser because I was tired of eating junk and I was SO sluggish in the mornings..I suffered from ulcers, low blood pressure, sugar cravings, toothaches, pms etc...you name I had it..Five days into this cleanser my energy went thru the roof. I required only about four hours sleep resulting from the detoxification process. My blood pressure's normal. My ulcers healed. The sugar cravings have disappeared. No toothpain. I was also an allergy sufferer,which I am no longer..I suffered from these ailments for years..I paid thousands of dollars over the years for medications that never cured but only temporarily fixed the problem..The answer to all these problems I found was in a little fifty page book. Organic lemons, Organic maple syrup, Cayenne pepper and water has not only cured all of the above, I have no need to visit the physicians anymore. If you know anyone with an addiction of any of the above problems ,including smoking, don't hesitate to follow this program and by the way I started off at 133 pounds. I lost five pounds of toxins, waste and disease and kept the healthy tissue. I completed 15 days with no problem. In a few months I probably will continue. This is truly THE MASTER CLEANSER...GOOD LUCK!

I've cleansed three times this year. After the second one, I had my annual physical. Not only did it reveal spectacular results in terms of cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure, but I dropped two dress sizes and my skin has visibly improved. My doctor was actually shocked at the difference between a few years ago and now.

People preach that this is not primarily a weight-loss diet, and they're right; if you don't commit to maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly after you finish cleansing, you defeat the purpose, and any weight lost may return quickly (your metabolism tends to slow with reduced caloric intake). However, if you let this cleanse serve as a health-building, confidence-boosting jump-start to a completely new lifestyle, you can have the best of both worlds. The great way I feel, as well as the desire to keep off the 31 pounds I lost, have inspired me to adopt a vegan/organic lifestyle and exercise daily. High-quality food is more expensive (I've learned firsthand), but your body is the temple of God, and you are a worthwhile investment.

The amazing thing is that you CAN do it. I never thought I could fast for 10 days, but it really wasn't that hard. You may "miss" food, but you're not truly hungry. My only cautions: 1) you'll need a few hours of extra sleep each night and 2) you should follow the instructions for breaking the fast very carefully, or you may experience cramps and indigestion.

I hope your experience with cleansing proves as positive as mine was.

I've read a number of reviews here where a person starts on this cleanse, but then stops after a few days because of all the sudden "pains, aches, canker sores, dizziness, pimples, feeling horrible" etc. It IS important to listen to your body, but at the same time...this is a CLEANSING DIET. All the source material about detoxing that I've ever come across makes the point that all such "pain and discomfort" is generally a result of the detox, and is a sign that your body is getting rid of GUNK! The gunk in your cells, tissues, all through your body...it doesn't JUST come out the potty end. If you're suddenly feeling pretty bad a few days into this intense cleanse, that's a very good sign that not only is it working, but that you NEED it. It's no fun to go through the process of releasing toxins, but at the same time, if you can get through it, you will burst onto a whole new level of wellness. If you think about it, rewards often come through a certain level of "trouble", whether it's spending weeks in the library studying a subject to gain knowledge or running 3 blocks to catch the last train. You've got to "get through it" to get the reward. My main point here is: this detox diet is not "bad" because it causes painful (and initial) side effects. That's a sign that it is working to clean out your body.
As a small second note, it amuses me to read the reviews here that rail against the "dangers" of not getting a full daily dose of every vitamin, mineral, etc. during the fast. The average American diet is cheesburgers, fries, coke, and meat-lovers pizzas. This diet seems like a very benign "danger" next to a lifetime of fettucine alfredo!
Fasting isn't for everyone, but if you choose to, you should understand what fasting will do for you, and how.

This was the best cleanse I have done so far. For the two weeks I was on it I had no pains in my back, neck, shoulders or joints. Plus I lost and have kept off the last 10 pounds I had since having my daughter. I had more benefits from the cleanse, but I'm afraid it would be too much to read. You definitely have to get the mind set to do it. I had to prepare food for my daughter still, but it wasn't hard to do. She loved the lemon drink sans the cayanne of course. My husband did it with me as well as some family members. Everyone loves it. I bought the book for some friends who are also going to be doing it when I do it again. I feel this is essential to keeping your system healthy. I don't crave junk food nor have I had it since getting off the diet 5 weeks ago. We cook more at home also. I have always been into health and aware of foods and what the wrong ones can do to you. We went pretty much all organic about a year ago, but I still cheated while at work and would grab a burger and soda from time to time. I also lost my craving for a cup of decaf coffee every morning. The great thing about the cleanse is you also don't crave sweets. It really does make a difference in how you eat and view food. I highly recommend this cleanse for anyone over eighteen the results are wonderful and it's a good maintenance program for your body. I also must mention this I had a very calming and loving feeling towards life and others while doing the cleanse, I think it is truly amazing how much chemicals from foods and other ingested properties can really make you moody, edgy, irritable and stressed. Test it I think you will be pleasantly surprised, but follow the diet exactly. Best of luck.

I went on a three day juice fast last year and it was rough: headaches, poor sleep, and on top of that I was dizzy all day. Not this one; it's much easier and seems to be doing more on all levels (I'm ending day 6 now). Every morning my stomach aches until I go to the bathroom: that seems to be the toxins exiting my system. I would recomend doing it with someone, a friend, or even find someone on the yahoo group "master-cleanse" to buddy-up with. Very helpful site.

The problem is not the hunger this time, it's the fact that so much of our life revolves around food; I don't know what to do with myself at noon and six pm. We spend a couple hours a day planning and attending meals. (I guess that's better than cavemen who spent 24 hours a day hunting for their dinner.)

Good luck, it's worth it.

I first did the MC for 10 days in 2003. Although the book states that this cleanse is not for weight loss, that was my main goal. I lost about 12 pounds during the 10 days on the cleanse, but because the cleanse takes away cravings for sweets/carbs/junk food and makes you crave healthier foods, I kept losing weight after going off it. You also get full much faster after coming off the cleanse, hence you eat less and continue to lose weight. The first three days of the MC are the hardest but if you can get through them you can do the 10 days - it's a good test of one's will power too! The lemonade tastes like iced tea to me and I found I only needed 6 glasses a day to be satiated. I did not experience any headaches or pains during my detox, but I found after going off the cleanse that my irritable bowel syndrome was completely gone and my low blood sugar attacks, due to hypoglycemia, had stabilized. I highly recommend the MC to anyone - it really is amazing!