Ingredients in Lemonade Diet

About the Lemonade Diet

The Lemonade Diet is a 'cleanse' or 'fast' diet. The only foods allowed whilst following the regime is lemonade made from fresh lemons, purified water, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. In addition to this drink the only other beverages consumed are an herbal laxative tea, salt water flush and peppermint tea. No additional foods are consumed whilst on this diet.

It is recommended that the Lemonade Diet is followed for 10 days. During this time, supporters claim that the body will cleanse itself and many of the unwanted build-ups of impurities and toxins will be eliminated from the body. In addition, because there is limited nutritional value to the diet, the body will burn energy from stored fat, resulting in weight loss.

It is possible to buy kits or ready-made drinks. However, all the ingredients in Lemonade Diet are readily available and easy to buy from local stores, therefore this lemonade is straightforward to prepare at home.

The Lemonade

There are different recipes available to make the lemonade, however they work on the basic principle of two tablespoons of lemon juice and maple syrup combined with about 1/10th tablespoon of cayenne pepper added to water to make a glass of lemonade. Two tablespoons of lemon juice will equate to about half a lemon.

Information about the Ingredients in Lemonade Diet

Lemons: Fresh lemons are recommended with this regime, although lemon juice could be used as a replacement if fresh lemons are not available.

Fresh lemons are widely available in most areas and are easy to juice, either by hand or using an electronic juicer. Lemons are also high in vitamin C (which amongst other things is said to be good for the digestive system) and low in calories.

Purified Water: Purified water is stated as a requirement of the Lemonade Diet. The water being purified means that the body does not become further contaminated with any minerals or other ingredients such as fluoride which can appear in drinking water.

Maple Syrup: Grade B maple syrup is used within the Lemonade Diet. Grade B maple syrup is darker and has a more robust taste than grade A maple syrup and has about the same calories as white cane sugar. However, it contains significant amounts of potassium and calcium. Maple syrup is also said to be a good source of 3 essential elements - calcium, iron and thiamine.

Cayenne Pepper: Cayenne pepper is an important ingredient in the Lemonade Diet as it is said to help break up and eliminate waste elements from the body, acting as a cleanser for the digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems.

Other ingredients in Lemonade Diet: A laxative tea is taken throughout the diet. This is because the diet itself contains no fiber, therefore a laxative needs to be taken, which along with the salt flush will help move waste through the body. These is a standard procedure with most fasting or cleansing regimes and generally a herbal tea is used.

Tips

• As with any new diet or health regime, consult with your doctor or nutritionist before embarking on a strict diet.
• Research the subject and make sure that you are well informed about any diet before considering such a restrictive regime.
• Buy lemons freshly so they don’t dry out or lose their nutrients.
• Consider organic ingredients.
• Don’t substitute ingredients – the ingredients in the Lemonade Diet have been carefully determined and therefore substituting a different ingredient may alter the effectiveness of the diet.