I’m on the master cleanse lemonade diet again! Day 12! Having fun! Or… as much fun as one can have on a fast. The lemonade diet is a cleansing fast that lasts 10 to 40 days. Originally written about in Stanley Burrough’s book, Master Cleanser, it’s an opportunity to clear the body of toxins and embark on a new adventure in life.

Toxins are those poisons we’ve picked up as we journey through modern life. If we’ve managed to avoid fluoride, car fumes, and pharmaceutical medications containing aspertame, we’ve at least got to be concerned about any radiation we’ve been ingesting ever since Fukushima blew. So self-purification is a reasonable thing to be concerned about.

This is my third experience with the master cleanse.

The first time, in 2005, I honestly didn’t know what I was doing. I managed to get the Master Cleanser book, a pre-requisite for anyone wanting to do this type of juice fasting. I read it fairly well, but not quite well enough, because I didn’t know about the daily salt water flush. Still I did well with my lemonade (made with fresh lemons and real maple syrup) and made it through ten days of fasting. Great start!

The second fast was back when I was still working at the pizza restaurant in early 2008. For some reason that fast was harder. I did the morning salt water flushes okay, but by the end of the week I was exhausted and crazed with cravings for food.

There are a lot of people who fast a lot longer. Ten days is the minimum. Apparently the first ten days clear the large intestine and the rest of whatever days you can do will involve ketosis and elimination of toxins. During ketosis the body is feeding not on glucose but on adipose tissue – fat. So weight loss is a nice side effect of this fast. During my first master cleanse I lost, as I recall, about 12 pounds. The second time I lost ten, and so far during this fast I’ve lost 9.8 pounds. Goodbye and good riddance!

I started my fast this time because an optometrist told me I have a bump on my face that could be pre-cancerous. He told me to have it checked out by a specialist. I have the doctor picked out but no health insurance! So I decided to take matters into my own hands and turn my body alkaline. The lemonade diet can do that. Lemon in the stomach turns to alkaline, and it is a great way to combat the many acidic treats this society offers. Most Americans are terribly acidic especially from meat consumption. I don’t eat meat – haven’t done so for years – so probably I wasn’t as acidic as most others, but to become thoroughly alkalinized I thought the lemonade diet is my best opportunity. Cancer cells can’t survive in an alkaline environment.

After 12 days on the master cleanse lemonade diet I feel very lemony all over! I also feel energized, healthy, and happy. The first couple days are the hardest, in my opinion, and day one especially. That’s the day you’re telling your stomach, “I’m in charge here, not you!” It is a matter of will-power over cravings.

For those with a caffeine addiction – coffee or tea – there’s another probable problem the first couple of days. Headaches! Well, I’m a tea drinker who occasionally does coffee, but had no real problem with headaches this time. A few slight twinges and that was about all.

Overall, this has been an easy master cleanse fast. Very relaxing, and peaceful, and happy. On day ten I felt a bit euphoric, actually, and at times like I was walking on air. I think that might have been partly because I was so happy to make it to day ten and not even want food anymore. This means I can continue on with my lemonade diet. I have up to thirty days free to do this. I don’t expect to make it that long – and plan to stop when my tongue turns from white to pink. That’s the indicator that toxins have been removed from the body, and it’s time to stop.