Those who cheat while doing The Master Cleanse are called Master Cleanse Cheats! Or are the “Master Cleanse Cheats” those tricks that are allowable, the “hacks” if you will, the grey-area you can search for to lean on when feeling confined by the strict bounds of stanley burroughs original Master Cleanser recipe.
Well we won’t point fingers and call names here. You’re not a cheat. Or a liar. Or a thief. Sorry, movie quote (or something) slipped in there.
Rather, we’ll spin the word “Cheat” to our purposes of
There are degrees of cheating. Here are some listed in order from questionability to acceptability.
Drinking more juice
Some people think the limit is 6-12 glasses and anything less or more is cheating. Drinking more simply increases your calorie intake and you will not lose as much weight. There is actually a persoanlly dependent scale of diminishing returns, which is to say there is a magic number of drinks for where you stop losing weight that is different for everyone.
Taking ingredients separately
Obviously, taking extra lemon juice, maple syrup, or a teaspoon of cayenne won’t hurt either as they are the ingredients of your lemonade. You can also suck on the pulp of one of the lemons you use to make the juice. Try taking a small dose of maple syrup alone, just to get the sweet taste unaltered by the cayenne and the lemons. Sometimes, that can be all you need to fight off psychological cravings.
Drinking Herbal Teas
These have been inferred as OK based on strict Burroughs rules that stated “Occasionally, if one has no desire for even this, try some hot peppermint tea. It gives a clean feeling and is a wonderful tonic” –however the context of this quote provides more confusion that clarity as to whether peppermint teas, and herbal teas in general are Stanley approved. I make the argument that herbal teas are already part of the routine in the form of the herbal laxative, and that at the very least Stanley mentioned one may take peppermint tea to open the smallest crack to all my rationale to allow for any herbal tea that doesn’t have a significant medicinal effect. You have to be careful, caffeine comes to mind, but herbal teas like dandelion, or licorice root are very powerful. Then there is also the confusion of what defines a “herb”. Stick to simple innocuous teas. And double down on your cheats by adding a little maple syrup or lemon, or even cayenne pepper to make your own blends.
Substitutes for Lemons, Maple Syrup, Cayenne Pepper and other Ingredients
Yes, you can substitute certain ingredients (see why lemon, why maple, why cayenne). You can even customize your cleanse, but there are many, many outcomes possible. Some are simple. Others not so much. People want to make their cheats seemingly insignificant by saying (what if I just have some other juices too?). The answer always is, you certainly can, but then your on another form of Juice Fast, and no longer doing The Master Cleanse. Long story short, unless your a “Master” cleanser, keep your cheats to those listed on the “Master Cleanse CHEAT SHEET” and you’ll be fine. When you’re a Master Cheater, you’ll know it.
Eating “Other” Foods
Digesting any food will cause your body to be less efficient at eliminating archived waste. By eating, you’ll set of a cascade of events that is the miracle of digestion, metabolism, immunity and so much more. The Master Cleanse was designed to rest your digestive system and instruct your body to enter a new phase of being, called autophagy, which is like a “spring cleaning” for your body and cells now that it has a chance to get rid of any junk or waste material that may have built up, and repair the damage of oxidative stress. When you start eating, this phase shifts out, and you lose the wonderful, well documented science of cellular rejuvenation. That said, If you must cheat, simply take more of the ingredients included in the diet and if that won’t do, don’t break more than one law at a time. Try organic, easily digestible juices or pastes. Sometimes, I suck on half a teaspoon of peanut butter (don’t tell anyone), but be WARNED: Cheating with hard to digest complex foods will likely lead to some digestion problems, usually not serious but it can be, and it is almost always a little uncomfortable.
Chew-Spitting
Chewing and not swallowing will cause your body to begin the digestive process and secrete acids. This is bad for your stomach – so, no gum either. I admit I have been guilty of this during my 2nd attempt (both epic fails). There is also the added problem of setting gut-mind imbalances that are at the heart of eating disorders like bulimia. You might think this Master Cleanse cheat is less cheaty than actually eating other foods, and you would be what I call wrong (ish). If you’re going to eat. Commit to it. The food tease is more harmful than the food. Your body knows what to do with food. It doesn’t know what to do when food starts coming, but then doesn’t arrive.
Swallowing Other Stuff
Leading our FAQ’s is always questions about prescriptions and supplements, as well as a common trick of taking your cayenne capsule form. You should stay on your medications because because generally speaking any problems of a hard-quit of these is more problematic than staying on them. But the rest isn’t needed. Especially anything artificial that causes a digestive process to unfold. I always picture that supplement laying barren on the fields of my stomach lining while all the acids and juices and enzymes etc. descend upon this little hard, non-food-stuff.
What to do if you cheat on The Master Cleanse?
You have two choices: Quit, or keep going (duh right). But it is really that simple. Yes, you impacted your cleanse. But just as you started, you can easily just re-start. Then again if you cheated because you really aren’t ready for this, and binged out for a day or more, maybe you should re-group and try again with a fresh mental slate.
Is there a Master Cleanse Cheat Day?
With the rise in interest towards Fasting and Intermittent Fasting, many people are starting to ask about cheat days. Because of the nature of the fasted state, and being in it for a long term phase as opposed to single meal skipping, or short term 1-day fasts, you really should cheat in the sense of a Fast/Feast dynamic. BUT… that said. YOu can certainly modulate your fasted state into a Ease-Between phase, where you take Smoothies, Soups, Salads etc. in a similar fashion as to the Ease-In or Ease-Out. Depending on how long you’re been in a long-term fasted state, the longer your transition to more complex foods should be.
Juice fasting as a cheat day sounds pretty good to me!
Hey there, You have done a fantastic job. I’ll certainly digg it and in my view recommend to my friends. I’m sure they’ll be benefited from this site.
Cinnamon Stick tea with a little of the maple syrup tastes AND SMELLS like cinnamon buns, So yummy:)
Hello Mike and Everyone out there doing the cleanse :),
I have two questions. Today is day 3 of the diet for me. Yesterday was very VERY challenging for.. I had to cook dinner for my husband and mother and they wanted pasta with sausage meat sauce garlic bread and salad.. so I did pretty good but I don’t know what came over me!! I had never experienced a feeling like this before and I am so ashamed!!! :d as I was putting the food away I was staring at some of the food my husband left on his plate and as I was trying not to stare at it I took about a fork full probably less of spaghetti and sauce no meat or sausage and ate it! but now I feel absolutely horrible!!! And I am worried that I messed up the diet!! Please advise on what I should do. Is there anything I can do or should I just keep going and not do it again? .. pls help.
My second big question is I am addicted to smoking marijuana at least once a day. And I really want to quit! I am still smoking one one a day . Will the cleanse help me quit? Also, how is my smoking going to effect my diet/cleansing process, what could I do to help this? Any info would be very helpful. Thank you.
Hey Cyndi, Hang in there! I am also on day 3 also. I would not worry about the bite that you had. Just make sure that is the last time. I would slowly drink some added water throughout the day to help digest whatever you ate. Perhaps take a little walk, stretch or mild exercise (nothing to strenuous). I am not an expert but I know activity helps food break down and water helps to flush. Would anyone here suggest that she take a teaspoon of the maple syrup just once to provide some energy for the bite of food she needs to break down and for the added exercise??? (I’m not sure) That’s just what I would do. As for the hemp, if you feel you are addicted to it, then I think this cleanse may help you in more ways than one. I don’t know you, but just guessing, you may have an issue with focus or personal discipline? This cleanse may help you with goal reaching! That’s one reason why I am doing this. Personally, I would not take a drug like that kind during a cleanse because you have nothing in your system to buffer it and I would think the drug would have more impact. Also, you would want your system to focus on cleansing not reacting to another agent. Good Luck! Excuse me for preaching! Remember each day is a goal!
About the hemp…I meant to add: Some people feel that each addiction has a mental, emotional, social or even spiritual component. Think about how you feel when you want to smoke? Are you bored, anxious, upset? Identify each feeling and find a healthy habit to put in its place. Everyone has a vice so don’t feel ashamed of not reaching your goal because that can lead to more sliding. Just understand that, your making the challenge greater and harder on yourself. During this cleanse don’t sit around and be “hungry” find other things to do. When you want to smoke, you may want to journal or recite positive affirmations. Yes, it sounds new age and hokey but, if it helps you reach your goals whats so terrible about it. This is something you can do!
Hi Mike! My question is can I skip the Salt water flush and just do the laxative tea twice? The salt water really makes me bloated and uncomfortable. I begin to feel nauseated after drinking it. Salt is no match for my body.Please HELP!!!!! I need to lose weight fast before Aug5th. I’m currently 161lbs, i need to weight 130 by aug 5th. Is it possible?
Kimberly
Hi. Losing the 30 pounds is possible, but you cannot depend on just a diet. You need to get up and get moving everyday. If you do not get in a good sweat, you do not burn calories. Diet is important too. Try switching to veggie/fruit drinks after the cleanse and only eating real, whole foods. Check out the movie Fat, sick and almost dead and the paleo diet.
You need both a good diet and exercise to make it work.
On day four I was at work the whole day and did not make my lemonade. The whole day I only had water and some herbal tea and at 5:45 someone offered me some grapes. I ate 2. They were very small seedless purple grapes. I feel like if I would have had my lemonade I would not have cheated with the grapes. When I got home I made the lemonade. I feel awful about it. Have I seriously affected my progress?
I added 3 wbey protein shakes a day, mixed with water, because I normally lift weights and try to get as much protein as possible. I figured it was okay because its an easily digestible protein, and only has a gram of fat and 2g of carbs per serving. Is this okay??
I have taken a pinch of sunflower seed, litterally about 5 or 6 of them. Maybe it makes the body “less efficient” in getting rid of toxins, but one thing it does, is that it helps me “get rid of the waste” if you know what I mean… Without adding too much calories to my diet.
Works great so far. I’m on my 5th day.
does it effect me alot of i ate something the second night? what can i do?
I’m glad I read this. I’ve been craving to chew (on the 2nd day, no issues on the 1st), and was considering gum…I kinda knew the answer to this already, but it was good to be certain.
Thank you!
ahhhhhhh! 3rd day on on the cleanse..i can eat peanut butter!!!!!:)
@bella
You can’t eat peanut butter on day 3!