Three of the Most Common Mistakes on The Master Cleanse Diet

1. Not doing all the elimination steps every day

In Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days, I humorously say The Master Cleanse (or the Lemonade Diet as it is also called) is divided into two parts: The Agitator and The Rinse Cycle. By not eating, you enable your digestive system to use its energy to eliminate old waste. Additionally, the lemonade dissolves the old waste and the laxative herb tea stimulates the intestines’ contractions to slough off old waste.

With all that going on, if you don’t drink enough lemonade and water, and if you don’t do the salt water flush each morning, you will have mobilized toxins, which are not being eliminated and can be reabsorbed! The result is you will feel tired, sick, achy and have cravings.

Burroughs does say that if you can’t do the salt water flush first thing in the morning, you must drink the herbal laxative tea every morning as well. However, I believe that isn’t as good as doing the salt water flush.

2. Not recognizing cravings, tiredness, boredom, etc. as detox symptoms and not knowing they will go away with the next morning’s eliminations.

When I personally start someone on the Master Cleanse, I emphasize knowing what the detox symptoms are and knowing they will be gone with the next morning’s eliminations. The only exception I’ve found so far are caffeine headaches, which, if they occur, usually last 2 to 4 days.

Nearly anything can be endured for a day. However, if you think the unpleasant sensations will continue the whole 10 days, you will quit just when the cleanse is about to do something really good for you.

3. Eating or drinking anything else but the lemonade, salt water, herbal laxative tea or optional mint tea

A lady once told me that she kept feeling hungry. After asking about this, it turned out she was drinking some vegetable soup each afternoon. Of course, this was creating cravings every day. So, rather than being done with cravings after the third day, she was continuing her cravings every single day of the cleanse!

Other people have asked about taking additional vitamins or supplements. Stanley Burroughs, the developer of the Master Cleanse, says not to take any additional supplements. (Of course, this doesn’t mean don’t take prescribed medicines!) They don’t realize, the lemonade has all the necessary vitamins, minerals and calories to support the body for the duration of the cleanse.