Water, Lemon & Honey Diet

Water, lemon, and honey are the ingredients for a good cup of warm tea or perhaps lemonade. "Lemonade" for dieting purposes has become a popular topic and practice over the past two years. Many dieters have turned to a tonic of fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, water, and cayenne pepper as a way to stave off hunger and lose weight. Honey is a variant ingredient to maple syrup that some people prefer. Does the diet really work and is it safe?

The Master Cleanse

The idea of The Master Cleanse, or the "Lemonade Diet" had a resurgence with the 2007 publication of Tom Woloshyn's "The Complete Master Cleanse." Woloshyn's ideas come largely from the 1976 book, "Master Cleanser" by Dr. Stanley Borroughs.

The primary idea of the cleanse is that drinking a mixture of fresh lemon juice, water, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper offers a complete array of essential daily nutritives. As a result, the mixture staves off hunger. The books discuss the "lemonade diet" as part of a cleansing ritual to make fasting easier and to help the body eliminate toxins.

Common Use

Some people have begun using the "lemonade diet" outside the confines of the Master Cleanse as a way to lose weight. Woloshyn' and Borroughs' theories hold that the nutrients in lemon juice contain most of what a person needs in a day. The maple syrup provides some essential carbohydrates and other nutrients. And the cayenne pepper not only adds flavor, but also assists in the elimination and the intake of B vitamins.

Some people like to substitute honey for maple syrup. For dieting purposes, this probably doesn't change the low calorie intake and flushing that induces weight loss. However, both authors are clear in their books that honey is not a good substitute for maple syrup for nutritional reasons. The authors feel their particular cocktail's nutritive value makes it so that a person doesn't become hungry when on the "lemonade diet."

Warnings

Replacing normal eating with an all-liquid diet containing only a few ingredients has its risks. While it may assist in a quick weight loss, many physicians would advise that it's not a healthy way to lose weight.

Even many of the websites dedicated to the Master Cleanse --- like MasterCleanse.org and PureInsideOut.com advise doing the cleanse under the supervision of a naturopath or herbalist.

Before beginning a diet of this nature, it's always wise to consult a physician.