10 Day Detox

A 10-day detox can be a long haul, but the potential benefits are worth the effort. There are many products out there that offer a "miracle" detox plan; beware that many claims are overblown, and not everything works for everyone.

One cleanse that effective for a lot of people is called the Master Cleanse, or the "Lemonade Diet." The cleanse involves drinking large quantities of a lemonade-like drink for 10 days, and stimulating the colon to flush itself.

Getting Started

Before you get started with the Master Cleanse, give yourself a few days to prepare yourself mentally. Cleansing your body can also result in cleansing emotional poison, and you might feel overemotional during this time. It's best to start a cleanse when you are in a secure, supportive environment.

Unlike some other cleanse programs, the Master Cleanse requires very little investment. You need a boatload of lemons (preferably organic, because they're free of pesticides), grade B maple syrup, cayenne pepper, an herbal laxative tea, and uniodized sea salt. You can also take psyllium to further cleanse the colon.

Refer to sites like www.mastercleanse.org and therawfoodsite.com/mastercleanse.htm for information and links to testimonials, so you know what you are in for.

Before the Cleanse

Before you actually begin the cleanse, spend a few days getting your system ready for drinking the lemonade drink. Some people skip this step, and get right to the cleanse. The first "pre-day," cut out meat and processed foods. The second day, eat only fruit and vegetables and soup broth. The third day, drink only 3 liters of fresh-squeezed orange juice mixed with 2 tablespoons of grade B maple syrup. Drink water copiously.

During the Cleanse

After three days of prep, you are ready to flush your system. Part of this involves doing a "salt water flush" each day. For this, mix between 2 teaspoons and 1 tablespoon of sea salt with 1 liter of water. Drink the entire thing as quickly as possible. After about 30 minutes, the water will literally "flush" through your system, and you'll be in the bathroom a lot for the next hour. Because of this, time your salt water flush to happen when you can be near a bathroom. This part can be the toughest for some people to stomach, as the water is very salty and the result is not pleasant. If your body does not seem to be flushing out all that water, try raising or lowering the amount of salt until you get the desired effect.

Throughout the day you'll also be drinking the lemonade concoction to keep your energy levels up and help you feel full. Make a large quantity of this at the beginning of the day, so you'll have some whenever you need it. Prepare a one-quart portion with 14 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice (with as much pulp as you wish to add), 14 tablespoons maple syrup, and as much cayenne pepper as you'd like. About 1/2 teaspoon is a standard amount. Combine the ingredients with one quart of water. Drink the lemonade drink throughout the day, whenever you feel hungry. Drink as much water as you can throughout the day. The important thing is to flush the body.

You can further eliminate toxins by drinking an herbal laxative tea once a day, whenever you will be near a bathroom. The herbal tea can be a nice change from drinking the lemonade concoction all day. You can also include psyllium into your routine for further flushing.

People have different reactions to drinking lemonade for 10 days. Some people are ravenously hungry, others seem content. Some people experience a social withdrawal during this time, because suddenly they can't meet a friend for coffee or go out to dinner or do all of the other food-centered activities they're used to. Some people are shocked to find mysterious things in the toilet after 10 days of cleansing--but that's the point--to get that stuff out!

After the Cleanse

When you've finally completed the 10 days of lemonade, you could be tempted to go right out and grab a pizza. Don't do it! When you come off the cleanse, take the same steps that you took at the beginning, only backward. Drink only fresh-squeezed orange juice with maple syrup the first day, fruits, veggies and broth the second, and stay away from meat and processed foods the last day. You may feel so good from your cleanse that you don't desire those things anyway.