Last week, Lemondrop blogger CJ Arabia tested the Master Cleanse -- all in the name of journalism. In short, it's a 10-day fast in which you consume nothing but a concoction of lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and tea. While CJ felt weak, cold and hungry throughout the cleanse, she did say that her "pooper felt super-clean." And it's not like she cried about losing 10 lbs., either. We asked if you guys had ever tried this particular detox and, sure enough, you like to do weird things to your bodies too. Here are some of your testimonies:
"I did the Master Cleanse for 2 days. My migraines were so bad that I had to stop or call in sick. The latter wasn't an option." -- Vichica
"I did it too. I did it after my birthday this past summer and I figured I should cleanse from all the crap I ate then. I'm glad I did it, but man, I'll never do it again. The colon cleanse was the worse part. For me, the first few days were the easiest, the last few were the worst. I was so angry, haa haa! Also, my digestive problems as well as my sinus problems went away, but of course, now that I actually eat, they're back. But what I did learn was that I really didn't need that much food to get full or satisfied. But have I learned my lesson about being full? Um, no. I too lost 10 pounds and was looking pretty good and reaching my weight loss goal, but now it's the holidays and after two trips to places where food is plentiful and delicious, I've gained at least five pounds back. Not bad, eh? But yeah, I'm never doing it again. Its just not worth it. Also, I hated cayenne pepper before I started and now I can't even *think* about it with wanting to vomit." -- Andrea
"I did it last year. I lost a lot of weight, but I was so sick of lemonade when I got done. I couldn't even have anything with lemon it it for three months. LOL." -- Luckygirljen
"I too am on my 10th day of the Master Cleanse. Prior to this I did it several years ago for 13 days where I lost 25 lbs. Unlike the author, I am a fan of the diet. I always feel better afterward. This time I do not know how much I've lost because I don't have access to a scale but my goal was to get into a certain pair of pants of which I have. When I get hungry, I just drink more of the lemonade and the hunger goes away. I agree the salt water flush is the most unpleasant part of the program but instead of combining the flush and the herbal laxative tea in the morning, I did the tea just before going to bed as Burroughs suggested. It's not for everyone but I recommend it highly." -- Denise
"I've been doing this cleanse for years. I know what it feels like and what it can and can't do. It can't repair torn tendons or dislocated joints. Good luck with a pain where you've had an operation. It does help with arthritic pain. You feel tired and even dazed because of the poisons that hit your system all at once as your body begins eating itself. The lethargy DOES GO AWAY. But only after you've gotten rid of the crap. The more you have, the longer it takes. Your first time will/should logically be the longest.The mix is easier to make than a good breakfast. I make a gallon at a time so that I don't have to constantly be squeezing lemons and cleaning up. It does NOT just remove water weight. It DOES remove muscle, too, along with the fat. Therefore, do not do this to lose weight. You will be shooting yourself in the foot because you will gain the weight back afterward because muscle burns calories and you just lost an ally that was burning what you were taking in BEFORE you cleansed. Do this especially if you have digestion problems. It lets your system have a break and rest, repair, and recuperate. The tea is taken THE NIGHT BEFORE and the salt water in the morning. If you work during the cleanse, get up 2 hours early, so that you're ready for work on time. Start it Thursday night. Better if you have a 3 day, Monday off, weekend. Don't skip the tea and salt water. If you thought you felt lethargic with taking them, just wait and see how you feel without taking them. NO, YOU CAN'T SMOKE, DRINK ALCOHOL OR COFFEE. Actually, you can, just don't expect it to work properly and stop blaming the cleanse for your piss-poor performance on it. I don't agree with everything that Mr. Burroughs writes, but his cleanse is close to miraculous. And yes, this cleanse is worth the effort." -- Pete
Tell us: Do you regularly fast or cleanse your body? What other crazy-sounding cleanses have you tried that have worked for you?












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Friday 25 December
By Casey
I just finished the cleanse last week and I feel great!! I tried it 6 years ago and only got to Day 2-10am. I am more disciplined now, and eat a much healthier diet than back then. This isn't for the faint of heart, or for people looking for a quick weight loss fix. The long term goal is for one to cleanse AND CHANGE the way they care for their body nutritionally. I found this to not only be a physical thing, but mental and spiritual as well. I can't believe I was disciplined enough to do this for 10 days...it was truly worth it! The first days weren't fun, but by day five I felt energetic and good. By the way, the salt water is hell in a glass, but it works! Good luck to those interested, and a word of caution, be wary of naysayers; do your own research, know your own body and it limitations.
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Friday 25 December
By Casey
Hey Paige, you can get the booklet at any bookstore, or just type Master Cleanse into Google and you'll find a blog site with all the info...good luck!!
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Friday 25 December
By Michael
Well duh ... do you realize why you feel so sick and can hardly go the full route with this "great" cleanse ... and "why" you feel so great afterwards? You create an Electrolyte imbalance in your body during these "cleanses" and you almost die! There have been many deaths with these cleansings! Since most survive they start feeling such a huge difference when they finish the cleanse because they start filling their bodies back with nutrients!
Get real ... putting your body through this is so dangerous!
You can cleanse your body slowly by way of proper nutrition, exercise, and laying off the sodas and caffiene for a couple of months - you'll be just as "cleansed" and not have to put your life at risk!
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Friday 25 December
By Lisa
I did the Master Cleanse for the first time this summer. It was actually the best thing!!! Yes, it hard, but it is SO worth it. I kept a journal of my experience so I can do it again soon. You do want to be home on day 3 and 4. If you are hungry, drink more lemonade. You get all the nutrients and vitamins you need from the lemonade. People have to remember that you are expelling TOXINS during this process... of course you will have headaches, fatigue, naseousness, probably even feel some of last illness you have. But, once you have those symptoms then do the salt water flush (you have to do this, only the first 20 minutes or so are bad the first few days, then not a problem!) those symptoms are gone. Then your body works on the next layer of toxins.... once they expel daily, you hit another layer lining your intestinal walls... I did it for 13 days and lost 15.2 pounds... I had SO much energy, once i past the toxins after day 3. I was alive and everyone could see it in my face and eyes and energy. It's worth a try if you value extending your life and removing all the horrible toxins we've spent YEARS adding to our bodies. You should also drink spring water... tap water is NOT recommended as it is also full of chemicals the water plants put in to "purify" the water... right! Remember, read the book, follow the plan exactly as Stanley Burroughs states and realize you have to do it for the full 10 days to get all the benefits... :-) well worth it!
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Saturday 26 December
By Amanda
My OCD mother made me do this cleanse when I was in high school. I was about 10 pounds overweight and made me do the Master Cleanse with her. I loved it for a few days. It wasn't too hard and I dropped pounds easily. I think I stopped the cleanse on the 5th day. Being in high school and seeing all the food everyone else eats is too much of a temptation. I WAS 15!! It wasn't worth it. I would DEFINITELY go on it now though...it's a quick and easy eay to lost a few pounds in a week. Just follow the separate plans. Sea salt in the morning is the worst but it's worth it!
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Saturday 26 December
By Chris
The Master Cleanse is just one of many ways to cleanse the body of unwanted toxins. I have heard from many that it can be difficult. The one cleanse that has the most history is the 7 day cleanse by Vitratox. I have been doing a Vitratox 7 day cleanse for over 15 years twice a year and believe me, I am not a new age type nor a "health nut". There isnt a doubt in my mind that cleansing helps the vast majority of people that do it. Its cleared up sinus problems that I struggled with for years as well as some pretty serious asthma issues. I wouldnt say that it cured my asthma as the symptoms start coming back approximately four months after the 7 day cleanse, but for those four months life is much better. The cleanse is not hard to do because your still feeding your body what it needs, but it can be a mind game when you stop relying on your daily visit to fast food or a resteraunt for your nutrition. Add to it a Colema Board and I dont believe you can do anything more important for your body. Just try not to get too extreme in anything you do. Balance is the key.
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Wednesday 06 January
By Dave
Since you think that your digestive system is "dirty" and needs "cleansing", which interferes with the natural digestive process, why not just do a Lysol enema?
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Tuesday 29 December
By michaelene berger
Years ago while in Mt. Shasta, we (my husband & I) had the joy of taking Stanley Burrougs full course from Stanley Burroughs himself, part of the program was the Master Cleanse...it was a 3 part program that taught you how to be in optimal health. We loved it! I was 43 at the time and never looked or felt better. This is when I started to do research on alternative methods of healing. The only thing I found that brought people to wellness since that time were the Glyconutrients. When I work with people I put them on the cleanse and give them the Glyconutrients which gets the cells to communicate, the results are amazing! There are so many processed foods out there, plus the way food is prepared that so go against us, it can be difficult trying to stay healthy. I'm 72 years old and feel better than I did when I was 40! I have so much energy and do not look my age. (people usually guess me 15 years younger) We highly recommend this simple way to clean yourself to better health. Stanley Burroughs saved so many lives, it's so sad that the Pharm. industry saw to it to put him in prison on trumpt up charges.....because he was teaching people to take charge of their own health. He died in prison. Take charge of your health people, there is no need to suffer.
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Tuesday 29 December
By michaelene
I'll have to disagree with you sir. You do not die from the cleanse....if you die it's from the toxins and poisons you have been putting in your body most of your life. I agree that you can take it slow, but please clean out your body at regular intervals, the rewards are astounding!
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Tuesday 26 January
By Regina Boe
Folks you do NOT have to "cleanse" your colon. That's along the same lines as checking the bumps on your head back in the early part of the century or the old chiropractic theory (other than minor back manipulation) of it "curing" anything. YOUR COLON WORKS NATURALLY, it does not need your assist or any UNscientific advice from UNlicensed so-called "health practioners." If you really think you have a medical problem -- go see a board-certified internal medicine practictioner (M.D.) If they haven't been to med school, you're not their "patient," you're their "guinea pig" and "bank depositor." People have gotten very ill and even have died from so-called "cleansings." There is no healthy quick answer to weight loss: it's calories in/calories out. Eat less (talk to any nutritionist, preferably a dietician), a well-balanced diet (less animal protein, more fruits and veggies) and EXERCISE (that dreaded word: it can be just walking 30-min on a regular basis every week. Just like you can't save yourself out of debt (if you have no income), you can't lose healthy weight (that is, not muscle weight) w/o eating less or increasing exercise. Ignore the Pathways-type "I'll read your iris, halos, vibs, colors, early life, tea leaves, kind of BSers." If it really was that effective, you'd be hearing about it in the nightly news -- not on some info-mercial at 3am~!
I'am not surprised that you are the only one speaking the truth. The colon does not need to be "cleaned" that's 19th century nonsense. Most ads are trying to sell you something you don't need.
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