Detox Diets: Martha’s Vineyard vs. Master Cleanse

Taking part in a detox diet is a great way to lose some quick pounds and cleanse your entire body of toxins and unprocessed foods. Detoxing has quickly become a popular service and treatment at spas around the country, but it's relatively easy to adopt a detox diet plan of your own. The Martha's Vineyard detox and Master Cleanse are two recent additions to the lineup of diet plans on the market, and both offer a number of suggestions for making detoxing easy. If you're looking for a way to jumpstart your metabolism and get started on a new eating plan for the season, consider the pros and cons of both the Martha's Vineyard and the Master Cleanse outlined here.

About the Martha's Vineyard Detox Diet

The Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox promises '21 pounds in 21 days,' and although most of this will simply be water weight, it can make a significant difference to your overall appearance. The program is outlined in the book: 21 Pounds in 21 Days: The Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox by Dr. Roni DeLux, and encourages a complete wellness program along with recipes, menus, and exercises that focus on longevity. The detox plan encourages plenty of juices and smoothes; you'll find many recipes structured around vitamin-rich juices, using a vegetable press or juicer, and eating as many fresh foods as possible. The book has also been released with an introductory nutritional supplement package; this covers a 9-day maintenance package with an inner cleansing solution, protein for weight maintenance, and green/berry/vegetable drinks to get you started. The diet's key benefits include:

• Allowing you to try a variety of nutritious foods, including fresh fruits, raw vegetables, and fresh smoothies daily

• Giving your body a chance to detoxify naturally by eliminating processed and junk foods, even on a temporary basis

• No starvation: the body receives energy from nutritious ‘cocktails' and drink mixes

• Healthy blood sugar levels because you are constantly fueling your body with vital nutrients

• Daily average cost of about $12

Bottom line: although you may not lose exactly 21 pounds in 21 days with the Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox, you will clean out your body of unprocessed food, waste, and toxins. When you introduce fresh and raw foods into your daily diet, the body naturally moves towards a healthy elimination process; this can help improve your metabolism over time, and turn you toward healthier food choices after just a few weeks.

About the Master Cleanse Diet

The Master Cleanse diet is one of the most well-known detox plans, dating back to the early 1900s as a way to lose weight quickly with the power of fresh lemon. Fresh lemon juice is a natural detoxifying agent, and is used heavily in the Master Cleanse diet as a way to boost the detox process first thing in the morning. The cleanse requires consuming no solid food; cleansers can drink a cup of laxative tea and other herbal concoctions to increase toxin elimination, but food is limited for the first ten days. Raw food is allowed on the diet program, and Peter Glickman's book, Lose Weight, Have More Energy, Be Happier in 10 Days outlines the principle so the Master Cleanse diet in detail. This program promises:

• Increased energy

• Nourishing cells with vital nutrients

• Improved metabolism

• Improved digestion and elimination processes

• Removal of poisons, toxic buildup, and waste from the body

Bottom line: This diet program can be difficult to stick with, especially since raw foods are the only allowable food options for the first ten days. Most people will feel incredibly tired during the first few days as the body starts the detox; other side effects of the program include headaches, nausea, and abdominal discomfort.