If you haven't tried the Master Cleanse, chances are you've heard of it. Celebrities such as Beyoncé, Jared Leto, and Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher (who tweeted about it) have all played a part in bringing the lemonade diet to the masses. And now the man behind the madness, Peter Glickman, appalled by the deluge of misinformation on the web about the detox, has published a new guide to getting it right.
US singer Beyonce helped the Master Cleanse rise to popularity when she followed the diet for her role in "Dream Girls." ©AFP PHOTO/ BEN STANSALL
The diet -- both for weight loss and "detoxing" -- involves sustaining oneself on nothing more than lemon juice, cayenne pepper, maple syrup, and water for 10 consecutive days -- in addition to laxative teas and a salt water flush in the mornings. Expect cravings, fatigue, and irritability, and a host of other complaints, although Glickman says that only means the cleanse is working, and you should feel better the next day.
Since the diet's surge in popularity, Glickman says that misinformation on the diet has flooded the web, with media reports misquoting the recipe or suggesting variations which he says won't produce the same results. For those ready to take on this exercise in starvation, his new book, "The Master Cleanse Coach," aims to answer your questions and clear the air about what you can and can't do while on the diet. The book is available now (also on Kindle) in the US.
The Master Cleanse has been a hot fad since 2006, and Glickman says his iPhone and Android apps have been purchased 7,000 times in 52 countries. His first book, 2004's "Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days," has seen three editions and has been translated into eight languages. Glickman, both a Scientologist and an entrepreneur, repackaged a 1940s diet dubbed the Master Cleanse, which was also written about by Stanley Burroughs in 1976 -- and Glickman is a purist to the original formula.
For extra motivation, Glickman is currently hosting his 9th Annual Free January Group Master Cleanse at his website, themastercleanse.com/forum.
Watch Glickman answer FAQs about the Master Cleanse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK0IhixTDsY
