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Lemonade Immune Defense System: Master Cleanser Diet

Tracy Boyd

          I have heard the story: When life gives you lemons make lemonade. I will tell you how to do that, literally, but will also discuss how lemons give life. I always encourage people to eat lemons with the first sign of a cold or to treat one. Sometimes, you can knock this cold out before it sets in. I do it all of the time. All of the time! I get responses like, lemon takes the enamel off your teeth. Then I think of preservatives that destroy our bodies as we consume them. I also consider where a cold might lead us. Lemon is a fruit! It contains riches for living. I have eaten lemons for years and my teeth are fine. I have been known to dive into them or eat them for sport. I say the benefits far exceed the risks of my losing enamel. During different seasons, I have been in environments where people are suffering with the common cold. While they are coughing and taking care of themselves, after a while, I start to feel my body fade and consequently, I get the symptoms of a cold. I quickly grab one or two lemons for the day and drink up while eating the pulp. More than not, the cold does not kick in. Lemons, to me are sweet, to others they are sour. That might be one of the reason why it is often said life is bittersweet.

          A new research discovery was presented at an annual meeting of the American Urological Association in Atlanta, GA, which suggests that lemon juice could help prevent kidney stones (Tasty treatment, 2006). This study suggests that lemon juice prevents crystal formation in urine by stimulating the body to produce urinary citrate. One hundred patients were prescribed lemonade therapy to treat calcium oxalate kidney stones. Nearly two-thirds of patients drank about 32 ounces of low-sugar or low-calorie lemonade or pure lemon juice for 40 months. The other patients used lemonade with a drug that helps prevent the formation of kidney stones by making urine less acidic. The patients that used lemonade therapy had a more significant increase in urine volume, which further decreases the chances for kidney stones. Both an increase urinary citrate and urine volume was present in all patients after reviewing medical records. Findings from a similar study were reported at the conference concerning 12 patients with hypocitrauria (low levels of urinary cirtate) who had similar results.

          The life sustaining power of lemons dates back to the early 19th Century when the British naval ships carried lemon juice to eliminate scurvy. The Admiralty ordered all seaman to drink a daily dose of lemon juice known as anti-scorbutics. Barker (1992) quotes a commander William Parry of an Arctic expedition (1821-1823): ‘To increase our ordinary issue of anti-scorbutics (lemon juice), liberal as it already was, . . .’ (Parry, 1824). One officer died from scurvy during the expedition; he was the one that did not prefer the lemon juice as treatment. Lemons have antioxidant power that help prevent disease.

          Lately, I have used a lemon detox, which is also called lemonade (there is no bitter taste here) or I go on a lemonade diet, which consists of:

          Two tablespoons of juice from a real lemon only. It needs to be a real measuring spoon or utensil, not a shallow one in the kitchen (it is often not an accurate tablespoon.) Basically, half of a medium size lemon has about two tablespoons in it, so juice a whole lemon and save some for later.

          You can add two tablespoons of 100% pure maple syrup, grade B. Organic is always good. It must be refrigerated after being opened because there are no preservatives.

          About 1/10 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, it is necessary because it breaks up mucus, builds the blood and adds vitamins B and C. If you are using this recipe for fresh squeezed lemonade, just leave out the cayenne pepper.

          When pursuing a full 10-40 day detox using lemonade without any food, drink as many as 6-12 cups a day, but you will not get hungry if you drink this in place of food because there are enough minerals and vitamins to sustain you. I did 10 full days myself with no food, other than the pulp squeezed into the glass from the fresh lemon, which is permitted. You may also use a little lemon rind because there are other essentials in the peeling. This is actually the recipe from the book, The Master Cleanser also known as The Lemonade Diet. You do lose between 1 to 2 pounds a day when also drinking a laxative tea each night before going to bed and again in the morning when you awake. The laxative is necessary because you are not eating food and you need to eliminate toxins from the body. I lost over 20 pounds; my goal was to lose 10. I eventually and slowly put the 10 pounds back on my body by eating healthy foods. I am satisfied with my weight now and plan to stay where I am. I did do another 3 day detox once for cleansing purposes. Also, when detoxing, you should drink some mint or peppermint tea as needed while on this diet with no food to neutralize your breath because toxins actually smell as they are leaving your body. You may also drink water.

This is very important

          After 10 days or more without food, you cannot immediately eat food when you break your fast. It could have fatal results. You need to prepare your digestive system by drinking orange juice. Drink fresh orange juice for 1-2 days periodically throughout the day when ending the diet. I prepared my digestive system by drinking orange juice for one day. After at least one day of orange juice, eat vegetable soup with no meat. After the second or third day of this regime, you may eat food again, but be mindful that you have just cleansed your body : ) Further, there is no need to prepare for weakness because you might have more energy than usual when on the lemonade diet because your digestive system gets a break. It does not need the extra energy that it normally uses to digest meat and other solid foods you consume. So, all of that energy goes to you. You can even exercise. I did. These are all suggestions and recommendations for your health, but not being prescribed.

Here is a summary of the reported benefits of The Master Cleanser by Stanley Burroughs (1976):

This is what maple syrup contains, which makes it vital to use and perceivable to understand why the body is sustained without food: minerals include sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, cooper, phosphorus, sulfur and silicon; vitamins include A, B1, B2, B6, C and panthothenic acid (B5).

Lemons and limes have the richest source of vitamins and minerals of any foods known to man, according to Burroughs (1976). The lemon cleanses and loosens. Lemon and syrup combined add potassium to strengthen and energize the heart, while chlorine cleanses the blood plasma, silicon aids the thyroid for deeper breathing and there is a bunch of other reported benefits.

On a personal note: One of the dental hygienists that I converse with explained that she is friends with a couple who partake in this diet twice a year to keep diabetes away and it works.

References:

Barker, J. A. (1992). Lind and Limeys part 2. On limes, lemons and guinea-pigs:
          Scurvey in the 19th century. Journal of Biological Education 26(2), 123-
          129.

Tasty treatment for kidney stones. (2006). Nursing, 36(8), 35-35.