There are a large number of fad diets which continue to
flood our markets and minds with the promise of helping us ‘lose a stone in 2
weeks’ or ‘shed pounds fast’. They are promoted as a ‘health product’ and a
quick, nutritious alternative to simply eating healthily; but are these diets
as good for us as they claim to be? What effects do they have on our long term
health, and what are the short term side effects?
We’ve had Alli diet pills, Slimming World’s meal replacement
shakes, the Atkins and even bowel cleansing juice fasts, too often promoted by
popular public figures.
Most recently, one which seems to be extremely popular is
‘The Master Cleanse’, a diet of lemonade and maple syrup, made famous by
celebrities such as Beyoncé. I have been approached by not only clients, but
friends and even my sister claiming they are about to embark on this ‘amazing’
weight loss detox.
Having heard so much about it, I decided it was time I
researched a little further. I must say, the website does a fantastic job in
convincing it’s audience that this is not only a fantastic aid for weight loss,
but also nutritious and colon friendly.
The diet is split into 3 stages: #1 the Ease in; #2 the
Lemonade Diet & Salt Water Flush; #3 the Ease Out
Phase 1, the ‘Ease In’ lasts for just 3 days – hardly enough
time to introduce yourself to such an extreme form of dieting if you ask me! On
day one you are allowed to eat raw fruits and vegetables only (this will seem
easy to most people), on day two you must consume no solid foods and instead
drink freshly made raw fruit and veg juices; finally on day three you have a
1.5litre allowance of orange juice which you may mix with water, no other
juices or foods are to be consumed (rich in vitamin c, but not much else).
The website recommends you follow Phase 2 for 10 days, but
claims it is perfectly healthy to follow this stage for as long as 1 year!!!
This phase consists of drinking 6-12 glasses of ‘Lemonade’ and 1 litre of salt
water per day. Each glass of lemonade consists of 2 tablespoons of dark maple
syrup, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and one tenth of a teaspoon of cayenne
pepper mixed with water; I can’t even begin to imagine what that must taste
like.
The salt water flush is made from 2 teaspoons of sea salt
mixed with 1 litre of water to be drunk in one sitting. This acts as a
fast-working laxative, so it is imperative to keep a toilet nearby for up to 2
hours after drinking! Salt water is renowned for causing dehydration; hence if
you were stranded at sea, you could be surrounded by water but unable to drink.
Finally phase 3 is a reversed version of the ‘Ease In’. Day
one allows just orange juice and water, day two allows juices only and day
three allows a raw fruit and veg diet.
How anyone can follow such an extreme diet lacking in any
form of nutrients is beyond me! Low calorie diets such as this will cause
extreme side effects such as headaches, nausea and dehydration; the lack of
nutrients can cause illness and leave the person feeling week. As for the long
term effects of yo-yo dieting or starvation fasts; health issues include but
are not limited to heart disease and diabetes.
How on earth Beyoncé, who is renowned for her active
lifestyle and long dance rehearsals, existed on this product intrigues me; as
an active person myself who usually dances for 3 hrs per day, sometimes more I
could not imagine in the slightest how I would maintain my energy living off a
low-calorie drink. I had heard of trainers following their clients extreme
diets before (not usually lasting very long of course); always one for a
challenge, I decided to embark on the ‘Master Cleanse’ so that once and for
all, when I tell people how bad it is for them I can say it with confidence and
experience.
So I have made it my priority to share my experiences of
this ‘experiment’ over the 10 days; to share with people my energy levels,
daily struggles and my final thoughts after putting this product to the test.
Apprehensive isn’t even the word!!
Day 1 had me thinking “Seriously, what have I got myself
into?” It was the first day of the salt water flush and my juice-only diet,
meaning I will not (or should not) eat a solid food for the following 10 days. I
had now embarked on my experiment of drinking just water, lemon juice, maple
syrup and cayenne pepper, also known as the 'lemonade master cleanse'..
Each morning I have been, and will continue to make video
diaries of my progress. On the morning of day one I woke up not too long after
sunrise, meditated, drank the salt water and did some gentle exercises. I could
feel my stomach bubbling away, and was quite frankly petrified to experience
the results.
The whole idea of the salt water flush is to eliminate your
digestive tract of any toxins, clear hard faeces and generally 'detox'. It is
used in many complimentary health medicines, and the idea is that in the same
way salt water can be used to heal an external wound, by absorbing toxicities,
it can be used to absorb any toxins within the bowel.
I eat a very healthy and clean diet which contains many
fruits and vegetables, yet I, like a large number of people in the world suffer
from digestive problems and blocked colon; laxatives rarely help, only an increase
of fruit may ease it at times, so I was intrigued to see what affect this salt
water has on me!
Day 2 of the lemonade diet saw the side effects starting to
kick in - not good!
I had intended to share one video a day to diarise my progress,
but on day one I found myself making 5 or 6 small videos, perhaps as a subconscious
way of keeping myself motivated. It was then that I decided I would edit all
the raw footage at the end of this process to produce a short documentary on
the dangers of fad diets and extreme detoxes.
Today is ‘day 3’ of the lemonade diet, I have now gone
without food for almost 4 days (including the ease in). I feel awful – tired,
weak, exhausted.
The problem is, we have an issue here, and that issue is
vitamin deficiency. Having not had any food pass my lips for 4 days, my body is
seriously lacking in nutrients; multivitamins require solid food within the
body in order for them to be absorbed, so even as an alternative source, they
are out of the question.
Many illnesses and diseases are linked to vitamin deficiency
– even cancer! My concern with this diet is that people, who are on it, are
setting themselves up for numerous trips to the doctors. It may not make them
ill straight away, but most certainly will have a long term effect on their
health.
I always liken our bodies to cars; if you fill a petrol car
with diesel, it will break down; our bodies are exactly the same. We require
natural sources of food – fruit, vegetables, meat – if we take one of those
away or do not eat any, our body will shut down. I am desperate to eat some fruit and vegetables!
My friend claimed I am like a Polar bear; many animals go
into hibernation during the months that food is scarce; our bodies very
similarly become weak and tired if we do not eat, it is as if we are going into
hibernation mode where we need to sleep in order for our bodies to repair the
damage which we are doing to it.
It is our natural animal instinct to eat food; it is why we
have teeth, to bite and to chew. Last nigh, my fiancé was eating pistachios,
and subconsciously I picked one out the bag, cracked open the shell and popped
it in my mouth. It was only when I went to bite into it did we both realise
what I was doing. I spat it out, as I am determined to follow this diet as
strictly as possible in an attempt to prove how bad fad diets are.
I have said however, that if it gets to a point where I NEED
to eat in fear of collapsing, then I will.
It can be incredibly hard and unbelievably challenging trying to convince people that what they were told, and all they have been taught is not correct after all. Typically, we Brits are stubborn little so-and-so's, who hate to hear that we are wrong. After all, if it says it's healthy on the label, it must be! Right?... Now, bearing in mind that a bowl of Special K 99% fat free cereal contains the same levels of sugar as a fudge brownie, these cereals (and many other products) aren't as healthy as they are advertised to be.
Unfortunately, another barrier is our lack of creativity; when attempting to eat a healthy diet for the first time, we end up making the same old, bland meals day after day before eventually getting bored and going straight back to the junk - or in breakfast's case, the high sugar 'healthy' cereals.
