Lemonade Diet

Introduction: Lemonade Diet

The Lemonade Diet is a diet built around on one liquid food - a special recipe of lemons or limes, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and water. This is a liquid fast and for the duration of the fast, all foods are banned except the lemonade recipe. Dieters use the Lemonade for various length of time, from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. The intent of the Lemonade diet is not weight loss but to cleanse the body of toxins and allegedly help improve many conditions. There is also a warning against using the Lemonade Diet for people who are pregnant or nursing.

There is no evidence that the Lemonade Diet or other diets that claim to detoxify or cleanse the body are any better at cleansing the system than the body's own organs. The Lemonade Diet juice fast is extremely low in calories, but supposedly provides some guidance about healthy lifestyles. That information and more specifics about the diet are only available by purchasing the book, The Master Cleanser. The Lemonade diet warns that, like other fasting diets, it may slow down the body's metabolism (calorie burning ability), a result of the starvation effects that severe calorie restriction puts on the body. Because of this, dieters tend to regain the weight they lost, often even more than the weight they lost. This diet can also result in nutritional deficiencies, electrolyte imbalances, and ketoacidosis, a condition in which extreme calorie and/or carbohydrate lead to dangerously high levels of acids called ketones that build up in the blood and can poison the body. In addition, initial weight loss is generally due to fluid loss, not fat loss. As with any diet plan, optimal results for health and weight loss and control are achieved when a well balanced diet plan that encourages gradual weight loss is combined with a sensible exercise program and healthy lifestyle changes. All diets have the potential to be harmful for some people, so consultation with a health care provider before starting a diet plan and exercise program is recommended.

Lemonade Diet: Other Names

Other names for this diet (Lemonade Diet) include:

Master Cleanse Lemonade Diet
Lemonade Fast

Lemonade Diet: Similar Diets

Other diets similar to Lemonade Diet include:

Liquid fast
Detox diet
Cleansing diet
Hollywood 48 Hour Miracle Diet

Conditions Associated with Lemonade Diet

Conditions associated with Lemonade Diet include:

An alleged need to detoxify the body
Not recommended for weight loss

Foods Excluded Or Restricted From Lemonade Diet

The following foods may be restricted or excluded from Lemonade Diet:

All foods other than the Lemonade Diet lemonade recipe

Foods Focused On For Lemonade Diet

The following foods may be focused on as part of Lemonade Diet:

Lemons
Limes
Maple syrup
Cayenne pepper
Water
Laxative tea
Saline washes

Lemonade Diet: Potential Risks Or Complications

The following are potential risks or complications of the diet (Lemonade Diet):

Nutritional deficiencies
Potentially dangerous electrolyte imbalances
Osteoporosis due to a lack of calcium in diet
Ketoacidosis may result from extreme calorie and/or carbohydrate restricted diets, which can lead to dangerously high levels of acids called ketones that build up in the blood and can poison the body
Kidney damage
Weight loss diets are not recommended for pregnant or nursing women
Rebound weight gain after rapid weight loss
Low blood pressure, dizziness, weakness, fainting after rapid weight loss
Not recommended for people with diabetes and other medical conditions