How many lemons per day for Master Cleanse?

Introduction

The Master Cleanse, also known as the Lemonade Diet, is a fasting diet that involves drinking 6-12 glasses per day of an electrolyte lemonade mixture for a period of 10-40 days. The lemonade consists of water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. The Master Cleanse has gained popularity over the years as a way to detox, lose weight quickly, and reset your body. But an important question for anyone considering the Master Cleanse is – how many lemons per day do you need for this diet? Let’s take a closer look at the lemon requirements for the Master Cleanse.

The Master Cleanse Lemonade Recipe

The basic recipe for the Master Cleanse lemonade is:

• 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tbsp grade B maple syrup
• 1/10 tsp cayenne pepper
• 10 oz water

You will drink 6-12 glasses of this lemonade mixture throughout the day when on the Master Cleanse diet.

Some people may modify the recipe slightly, using less maple syrup or more cayenne pepper based on taste preferences. But the basic proportions of lemon juice and maple syrup should remain the same.

How Many Lemons for 6 Glasses of Lemonade Per Day

If you are drinking the minimum required 6 glasses of lemonade per day, how many lemons will you need?

Let’s break it down:

• Each glass contains 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice.
• There are about 2-3 tbsp of juice in one medium lemon.
• So each glass requires the juice from 1 lemon.
• With 6 glasses per day, you will need approximately 6 lemons per day.

So if you are sticking to the minimum of 6 glasses of Master Cleanse lemonade per day, plan on juicing about 6 fresh lemons daily.

How Many Lemons for 12 Glasses of Lemonade Per Day

Some people double the Master Cleanse requirements to 12 glasses of lemonade per day instead of 6.

If you are drinking 12 glasses per day, here is how many lemons you will need:

• Each glass has 2 tbsp lemon juice.
• With 12 glasses you need 24 tbsp or 1 1/2 cups of lemon juice per day.
• Since each lemon yields about 2-3 tbsp juice, you will need approximately 8-12 lemons.

So at the high end of 12 glasses per day, plan for juicing about 12 fresh lemons daily.

Here is a summary of the lemon requirements:

Glasses of Lemonade Per Day	Lemons Needed Per Day
6	6 lemons
12	8-12 lemons

As you can see, lemon requirements can range quite a bit based on how strictly you follow the Master Cleanse recipe.

Tips for Juicing Lemons for the Master Cleanse

Here are some tips for juicing all those lemons required for the Master Cleanse diet:

• Roll lemons on the countertop before juicing to maximize the juice you can extract.
• Juice lemons at room temperature – juicing warm lemons yields more juice.
• Use a citrus juicer or reamer to efficiently extract the lemon juice.
• Juice lemons as needed instead of juicing all at once to retain freshness.
• Store leftover lemon juice in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Consider supplementing with pre-bottled lemon juice if juicing large quantities of fresh lemons becomes too time consuming.

With these tips, you can optimize your lemon juicing process to make the Master Cleanse diet more manageable.

The Importance of Lemon Juice in the Master Cleanse

Out of all the Master Cleanse ingredients, lemon juice is arguably the most important. Here’s why:

• Vitamin C – Lemons are packed with vitamin C, an antioxidant that supports the immune system.
• Electrolytes – The citric acid and potassium in lemon juice help provide electrolytes to prevent dehydration and keep energy up.
• pH balance – Lemon juice has an alkaline effect on the body that helps neutralize acidity and balance pH levels.
• Detoxification – Lemon juice contains compounds like citric acid that help flush out toxins from the body.

So lemon juice provides the essential vitamins, minerals, and detox power needed to get the purported benefits of the Master Cleanse. No wonder it’s the star ingredient of the lemonade mix!

Is Maple Syrup Essential in the Lemonade?

While lemon juice is critical, what about the maple syrup component of the Master Cleanse lemonade?

Maple syrup provides some benefits, including:

• Smooth, palatable flavor
• Energy from natural sugars
• Antioxidants like manganese and zinc

However, maple syrup is not as essential as the lemon juice. Some people choose to do a “lemon juice cleanse” rather than Master Cleanse, omitting the maple syrup. While not as palatable, you can still get detox benefits from lemon juice alone.

Others substitute alternatives like stevia, honey, or agave nectar for the maple syrup to make the lemonade more drinkable.

So while maple syrup adds beneficial nutrients and flavor, the lemon juice is really the key. Focus first on getting enough fresh lemon juice per day before worrying about exact maple syrup quantities.

Additional Tips for the Master Cleanse Diet

Besides counting your lemons, here are some additional tips for succeeding with the Master Cleanse diet:

• Ease into and out of the fast – don’t go straight from normal diet to only lemonade or vice versa.
• Drink plenty of additional water in addition to the lemonade to stay hydrated.
• Manage cravings for solid food with salt water flushes, herbal teas, broths.
• Get plenty of rest while fasting to allow your body to detox.
• Stop the cleanse if you feel unwell or have concerns about health impacts.

With proper preparation, adequate lemons, and smart precautions, the Master Cleanse can be an effective short term detox. Just be sure you aren’t putting your long term health at risk by fasting for too long.

Conclusion

To summarize, if you plan to attempt the Master Cleanse lemonade diet, be prepared with 6-12 fresh lemons per day depending on how strictly you follow the regimen. Carefully juicing this quantity of lemons and staying well hydrated with the lemonade and water will provide the best results. While challenging, the Master Cleanse can be an effective detox when executed properly and safely.