8 Mistakes People Make With the Master Cleanse

I do the Master Cleanse at least once a year, and have for the past 5 years. I know that the detractors say it’s harmful, but I’ve never been harmed, because I do it by the book. Most of the bad reports are from those who didn’t prepare properly, didn’t follow the directions or who didn’t end the cleanse properly. There are valid reasons to read the book and there is a free version and support sites online to help you.

Mistake #1: Not Preparing Properly

The cleanse directions say to eat only raw foods for four days before the cleanse. Some people skip this step and just start right in. Going from eating to starvation overnight shocks your body. I go a step further, and eat small vegetarian meals for a week, then eat raw foods for 4 days. This seems to prevent some side effects.

During preparation, you should cut back to no more than a half cup of coffee a day to avoid caffeine withdrawal headaches.

Mistake #2: Not Drinking Enough of the Lemonade

You simply must drink the entire 64 to 80 ozs. of lemonade every day to keep from getting dehydrated. If the cayenne pepper is too harsh, drink half with and half without, or cut the amount of cayenne in half. Modify the recipe if necessary, but stick to it as closely as possible.

Mistake #3: Substituting Ingredients

In the book, it says that you are only allowed to substitute one ingredient, and that is for diabetics. Diabetics can take the cleanse, but they should use molasses instead of the maple syrup.

Organic lemons are expensive, and I’ve used regular lemons, which worked fine. I’ve tried using bottled lemon juice, and it didn’t work well. Using tap water instead of distilled water changes the entire chemical makeup of the lemonade.

Mistake #4: Not Taking the Laxative or Salt Water Flush Daily.

Neither of these is pleasant. If the senna tea is too harsh, switch to a gentler laxative, but there is a method to the madness. According to the book, the lemonade loosens the gunk from your colon, and the laxative pushes it out. Detractors say your colon doesn’t need cleansing, but if you’ve ever done this cleanse and seen what comes out after even four or five days, you’d disagree. I found that adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to the salt water helped get it down without decreasing effectiveness.

Mistake #5: Continuing to Drink Caffeine.

Caffeine makes it harder on your kidneys and can dehydrate you.

Mistake #6: Failing to Plan to Take Time Off Work

You really can’t do the cleanse if you’re working. The first few days are rough and you need to be right next to a bathroom throughout the day. If you must work, give yourself at least 90 minutes after the salt water flush before trying to leave the house.

Mistake #7: Skipping the Special Ending Diet

After 10 days fasting, your system needs to readjust to solid food. The plan has a specific four day ending diet. Skipping this part can cause intense digestive pain as your body tries to kick itself back into gear too quickly.

Mistake #8: Staying on the Cleanse Too Long

I’ve seen people stay on the cleanse for 40 days, which I believe is dangerous. I once did the weight loss version for 30 days, which involves drinking the lemonade during the day and eating a healthy meal at night. I also took vitamins during this, though. Staying on any fast too long can be a serious health hazard. According to Vanderbilt University, some of the side effects of fasting for too long include headaches, nausea and muscle aches. Rare side effects during long-term fasting include acute emotional distress, a drop in blood pressure, and a persistent cold. During a long fast, the body uses protein from essential organs to feed itself. In effect, it eats itself away. I would never do the 30-day diet plan again. I ended up losing 20 pounds, but was depleted and gained the weight back quickly.

If you are going to do the Master Cleanse, do it the way it was originally intended. You can do a modified cleanse in the future, but it’s best to do it straight up the first time. Even if you quit early, take the time to do the slow return to real food. The instructions are there for a reason, so follow them.

More by Deborah Aldridge:

How I Lowered My Cholesterol 40 Points
How I Cured My Insomnia With a Single Mineral Supplement
Confessions of a Recovering Hoarder