A reader wrote in wanting to know about substituting ingredients with the master cleanse:
I am very interested in being able to do this diet, the problem I have is that I am from Guatemala City and I have trouble knowing where I can find ingredients like organic maple syrup, sea salt and cayenne pepper. I wonder if you can use the maple syrup that we use here for the pancake made or if you can use natural honey and if you can use salt without iodine or better use some natural laxatives that we have here in my country. I know I should make it with ingredients that you recommend but as you know is not the same in all countries, I would like your advice before dieting. I hope his advice and a response to my email.
While it’s best to follow the master cleanse diet to the letter my philosophy has always been doing it mostly right is better then not doing it at all. The first thing I would suggest is trying to order the ingredients online. If that’s not an option I would recommend you use natural honey over commercial brand maple syrup which is likely loaded with preservatives and other unhealthy ingredients. Non iodine salt can be used in place of sea salt. I’ve never been to Guatemala City but I’m surprised to hear you’re having trouble finding cayenne pepper given Latin countries love of spicy food. It’s possible that it goes by another name down there, if not you could take some dried peppers an grind them up into a powder.
Good luck with the master cleanse!
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I have started my cleanse today, the cayenne pepper is very hard for me, horrible throat burn, so I have looked up an alternative which is capsules of cayenne pepper. I will get through today, but tomorrow I will not include it in my lemonade. I will take one capsule for each 8 oz lemonade mixture!! Wish me luck, I am 5'5" and I weigh 130 lbs, I don't have a lot to lose, but have tried everything under the sun. I am not big into exersizing so I hope this works! 10lbs and I would be happy!
Can I use boil water? Im also using Organic Agave Nectar you can purchase this at your local walmart.
Hello. If you are planning on doing the cleanse stay away from honey as it is actually worse for you than regular sugar. If you are diabetic you can still do the cleanse as long as you replace the Grade B 100% maple syrup with molasses the molasses supplies the necessary elements for the pancreas to produce insulin so insulin intake can be gradually reduced. For more information for diabetics look up "special instructions for diabetics on the master cleanse". Also if your not diabetic and you cannot find Grade B maple syrup you can use molasses, or freshly squeezed sugar cane juice in replace of water and syrup, or another possible but lesser replacement could be pure sorghum.
Honey must not be used at any time internally. It is manufactured from the nectar picked up from the
flowers by the bees— good enough in itself, perhaps— then predigested, vomited and stored for their own
future use with a preservative added. It is deficient in calcium and has many detrimental effects for the
human being.
According to one authority, honey is “a magical and mystical word in “Healthfoodland”. It is one of the
most over promoted, overpriced products being sold to gullible health food advocates. The great value
attributed to honey is delusive… honey is only a little less empty and more dangerous than sugar.”
Just as with alcohol, honey, being predigested, enters the blood directly, raising the sugar content very
rapidly above normal. To correct this, the pancreas must produce insulin immediately or possible death
can occur. More insulin than necessary is likely to be produced, and the blood sugar level then drops
below normal. This can produce blackout spells and even death if it goes to low. When blood sugar is
below normal, a person will feel depressed. The regular use of honey can create constant imbalances,
which in turn will adversely affect the normal function of the liver, pancreas and spleen. Hypoglycemia
and hyperglycemia are the results of the use of unbalanced sugars. The balanced sugar in maple syrup
and sugar can juice causes no dangerous side effects. Artificial, synthetic, and refined sugars have no
place in a natural diet.
I had someone ask me what they would do about the cayenne pepper as they are allergic to all peppers... is there something they can do it place of the peppers? Would they need to take some form of vitamin B and C when not taking the pepper? Please advise. Thanks!
Also, a friend of my husbands is diabetic, can he do this cleanse...
We, my family and I, just finished the 10 days, and everyone wants to know answers. We did not have any issues while on the cleanse, nor going off it... feeling great! Thanks!
I live in the Dominican Republic and want to start the Cleanse soon. Strangely enough I can't seem to find Lemons here only Lime. Would use Lime instead affect the Cleanse? Also finding the recommended water filter here is impossible and I wouldn't drink the water here and I know bottle water is not recommended. Can I boil the tap water for the Lemonade?
I have read the comment above about substituting Agave for Maple Syrup. I have Type 2 Diabetes (diet and exercise ) and high cholestrol in which I take 10 mg of Lipitor for. I am also Bipolar and take several medications for that as well . I also have hypothyroid disease and take 75 mcg of Levothyricine. I am also constipated from taking all of these meds so I take Senna-S as a laxative and stool softener (or else I wont pass a stool).
I would like to try the Master Cleanse, but I am wondering if one can take medication daily while on it? And will the Agave nectar be better for a Diabetic? Or could I substitute even another sweetener for Maple Syrup? Or is it safe for a Diabetic at all? Especially with other illnesses.
Hi my I started the lemonade diet on March 16, 2010 just to feel my way. I was going to do the quick trim but the guy at the GNC store suggested for me to use Vibrant health Organic Lemonade diet. It's ready made with every thing in it. It's an organic powder. I went looking around for the fresh ingredients but I could not find it. So I will use the organic lemonade diet powder. I have bad sinus headaches. Since being on this diet I have been having them frequently. Is that suppose to happen. I have been sleeping all day for the past 3 days. I am going to restart the diet because yesterday was the first time I read your site with the information and I brought you book master cleanse. All the information in it is very helpful. I am waiting for my new shipment to come tomorrow. I went online to the vitamin shoppe to by everything I need. Do I have to take all 3 laxative. sea salt, laxative tea and psyllium husk> The laxative cramps my stomach up really bad. Take the sea salt hasn't been bad at all. I haven't taken the psyllium husk as of yet because I just read your book and I purchase all the ingredents I need for the cleansing. These last for days was a test for me since I started before getting your book. So my total days that I will be on the master cleanse will be 14 days. Can you please advise on the sinus headaches that I have been having. I did eat collard greens so that I can take my sinus pills. I know that defeat the purpose because I am cleaning out my body. The pain was to much for me. What should I do?
I'm starting the diet tomorrow. Maple syrup's not that challenging for me, but Cayenne Pepper, I practically only know that from a game I used to play as a kid. I live in Cairo, Egypt.
One more thing: What's salt water flush in the first place? Read on a lot of websites, but can't find what that is.
Thanks,
Mary
I have been told that Agave may be substituted for the Maple Syrup. It is a low glycemic natural sweetener . Does any one know about this?
I have diabetes. Is it safe to do the cleanse? How many days can I do at a time?