My experience with the renowned ‘Lemon Detox’ programme.
Developed over sixty years ago by the naturopath, Stanley Burroughs, ‘The Lemon Detox‘ claims to be perfect for those wishing to boost their health, shed pounds or both. While it’s scientifically proven that fasting intermittently is good for our health, the Lemon Detox method alleges to provide the body with the essential nutrients during fasting while simultaneously warding off hunger and retaining energy levels.
Benefits include:
- Weight loss
- Improved skin
- Better sleep
- Increased vitality
- Improved digestion
- Breaking of negative dietary and lifestyle habits
- Reduced appetite
- Cleansed body and mind
With all the hype, most recently when Beyonce cited the programme as her way of shedding the pounds for her role in ‘Dreamgirls’, I decided to give the detox a try. For optimum results, 7-10 days is the recommended length of time to detox, however, I was informed that 5 days is a great starting point so I opted to be a little easier on myself and went for the shorter alternative (totally not a cop out!).
Day 1:
Ok, so they say that the first day is the easiest of the programme and I’d have to agree. There’s enough food still in your system to stave off any major hunger pangs and other than a few sidewards thoughts about devouring a bar of chocolate I actually found it pretty bearable. By the end of the day, I was quite confident that this was going to be a walk in the park. Little did I know…
Day 2:
Waking up on day two, it was evident from the moment I got up that things were going to be a little trickier than the day before. I was desperate for my morning coffee and leaving the house without eating any breakfast felt a little strange, but I was determined and persevered. Other than an afternoon filled with hunger pangs, it was still proving easier than I’d thought it was going to be and I was actually feeling quite energetic come evening time.
Day 3:
Day three was, by far, the most difficult of the entire programme. I was really beginning to miss the taste of food and sitting in front of the television made the cravings unbearable, but I was too far in at this stage – no giving up! Thankfully, the lemon, syrup and cayenne pepper concoction that you solely rely on was beginning to taste a lot more bearable – dare I say, good! I suppose that’d happen when it’s literally all your allowed to consume for 5 days straight.
Day 4:
The morning of day 4 was definitely the day that I felt I had ‘come over the hump’ so to speak. I no longer felt those unbearable hunger pangs, in fact, I felt none at all. What you really begin to notice is how much time thinking about food, making food and eating food really takes up in your life; there’s a strange sense of liberation with only having one thing to consume every day. The end was in sight, and the benefits we’re finally starting to show!
Day 5:
By the time my last day came, I was full of energy. My colleagues in the office still couldn’t believe that no solid food had passed my lips in over five days, and – to be honest, neither could I. I felt lighter, more energetic and certainly more alert than I’d felt in a long time.I was half tempted to continue and go the full 7-10, but my birthday conveniently fell the day after and I didn’t fancy going to dinner and sipping from my bottle all evening – I went to sleep that night and I had never been so excited for breakfast in my life.
I was half tempted to continue and go the full 7-10, but my birthday conveniently fell the day after and I didn’t fancy going to dinner and sipping from my bottle all evening – I went to sleep that night and I had never been so excited for breakfast in my life.
Conclusion:
If there was one word that summed up my preconceived notion of ‘The Lemon Detox’, ‘sceptical’ would be the one. We’ve all heard of these crazy crash diets and in many ways, Beyonce promoting the detox as her method of dropping pounds brought more of a ‘wacky Hollywood fad’ notion to the name than anything else. Honestly, I couldn’t have been more wrong; I felt full of energy, my mind was clear and I’d even dropped a few pounds along the way.
While I’d imagined myself having a massive binge come the end of it all, if anything it went the other direction; I was craving healthy, good foods and I wanted to maintain the healthy momentum and avoid ruining the perfect foundation I’d created for a healthier lifestyle. Overall, I was impressed and I would definitely give it a second try, perhaps for the full 10 days so I can really experience the full benefits the detox has to offer.
For full details on how to go about doing the detox yourself visit LemonDetox.com, they’ve also recently added a supporting section where you can sign up for free yoga classes and mindfulness tips and tricks from leading experts, straight into your inbox which you can check out here.
