Want to improve digestion and lose weight? The Lemonade Diet is your answer
Several celebrities, ranging from Beyonce to Jared Leto, have been on the Lemonade Diet which is also called the ‘Master Cleanse’ in order to lose substantial amounts of weight.
The Diet, as its name suggests, entails restricting your food intake to lemonade (made from lemon juice, water, organic maple syrup and cayenne pepper) in addition to lots of water (with a pinch of sea salt) and herbal teas (including chickweed, dandelion root and flaxseed) for a period of up to10 days.
While nutritionists recommend the Diet to a few of their patients (after several checkups), they are careful to warn them that they should not make it a permanent lifestyle choice. Furthermore, they are quick to point out that people should only go on the diet for a maximum of three to four days, rather than the recommended 10.
The Lemonade Diet offers a host of health benefits which include:
1. Weight loss
Since it is a liquid diet, your weight loss will be immediate, mainly because your carbohydrate and sugar intake will be next to none. This is what makes the Diet ideal for people looking to lose a few pounds quickly. However, the Lemonade Diet is not believed to deliver any substantial results for obese people, since it is not an efficient way of burning calories or getting rid of stubborn fat.
2. Improved digestion
By skipping regular meals you will give your digestive system a must needed rest. What is more, since laxative teas are an essential part of the regimen, especially before calling it a night, the Lemonade Diet relieves digestive disorders and stomach bugs naturally.
3. A stronger immune system
The substantial amounts of vitamin C – the natural immunity booster – in the freshly squeezed glasses of lemonade you will be consuming throughout the day will ensure that you do not succumb to viral and bacterial infections. This makes the diet ideal for people with compromised immune systems (such as those suffering from autoimmune diseases); going on a Master Cleanse every two months will optimise your immunity and maintain high energy levels.
NB: Since lemonade is highly acidic and can cause severe stomach cramps, consult a physician before jumping on to the Master Cleanse bandwagon.
The writer is a nutritionist.
Published in Dawn Advertiser on Sunday, August 27