Now that everyone has been taking their cayenne pepper shots and cooking with it, I will address how it came to find itself into my regular diet. I mentioned learning more about cayenne pepper through doing a cleanse and was met with skepticism, curiosity and acceptance. What is it? What are the benefits? The drawbacks? This is my experience.

Firstly, everyone is different. Different bodies, different goals, different mentalities. A cleanse is a personal choice, but sometimes a necessary one. There are several different types of cleanses, probably hundreds. The consensus top 3 are The Master Cleanse, Isagenix and Colonix.

I had been feeling sluggish, with several stomach problems and starting to notice it took entirely too long for me to wake in the mornings. I had chalked it up to travelling to countries in Asia and to Mexico, but the bad feelings persisted. I was recommended to attempt a cleanse. My goal was to eliminate waste from my colon, kidneys and liver. I also wanted to detoxify my body. After doing my homework I went with The Master Cleanse (or Lemonade Diet), and this is the one I recommend.

The Master Cleanse consists of the ease-in process, the lemonade diet (MINIMUM 10 ten days for the proper cleansing) and the ease-out period.

The 3 day ease-in can be skipped, but it is to prepare body and mind to not eating food for a period of time. Day 1 is a living food diet (think vegetarian), day 2 juicing, soups and broths and day 3 is only orange juice.

Now the cleanse begins. You will need cayenne pepper (which you already have), lemons, pure maple syrup, and pure water. Here is the recipe:

2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice

2 Tablespoons Rich Maple Syrup

1/10 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper Powder – or to taste (as much as you can stand)

8 ounces (250 milliliters of Pure Water)

Six to twelve glasses a day (I drank 8) and all the water you desire for a minimum of ten days. It's a simple concoction, however some things need clarification. Fresh lemons should not be straight from the fridge, enzymes are dormant in the fridge, and they are needed. Take them out the night before. The maple syrup must be grade B for cleansing purposes (the darker kind). Cayenne pepper should be around 90,000 H.U.

Now since you will not be getting the needed fiber, the other ingredients to this cleanse are a natural herbal laxative and sea salt. Take the laxative at bed time to produce a movement in the morning upon waking. You are then good to drink your mix. Remember your movements will be mostly liquid from now on.

Now for the sea salt, the SWF (salt water flush) was by far the most demanding part of this process for me.

Using 1 liter BPA Free Water Bottle and your teaspoon measure, mix a solution consisted of :

• Sea Salt - 2 teaspoons
• And Pure Water – 1 quart of warm water

Sea salt is not digestible. You know if you are ever lost at sea, you can't drink the ocean water. This solution flushes your system. I was abroad at the time, and could not find sea salt that had not been iodized, making it regular table salt ( DO NOT use regular table salt-it WON'T work), not to mention the cost of real maple syrup. So I took a substitute I found at a little drug store, epsom salt (they called it english salt). I would think the taste of sea salt would be a little better, but probably not by much. I tried slamming it, sipping it, using a straw and nothing helped me. It was terrible to choke it all down. Once it is in you, be prepared. It should kick in in about a half hour. So choose when and where you do the SWF wisely. You will be taking several trips to the porcelain throne. When you start to feel it, don't immediately rush to the toilet. Let it build a little to get a good flush.

That is the daily process. Some go as long as forty days, but 10 is the minimum. The ease-out is important to get your body ready to process food again. It is the ease-in process in reverse. Orange juice, juicing soups and broths, and living food diet.

This cleanse was amazing for me. Not many people can fast or cleanse because I believe the habit of eating food is too scary to let go of. I need to eat to live right??? The truth is, it is all mental. The pure maple syrup took care of the carbs and calories I needed while the water, lemon juice and cayenne pepper gave the vitamins and cleansing ingredients. After struggling with my habits, I willed myself to fight the food cravings and I felt amazing. I never once cheated, nibbled or tasted anything but the mixture. The toxins started coming out on day 4, some evidence could be seen by my tongue turning white. At the end I felt an amazing sense of accomplishment. My stomach problems disappeared, and I was told I had the colon of an 18 year old again. I could see the cleansing working in the mornings. I woke up in a good mood and ready to go. These were the benefits I experienced.

The biggest drawback was the lack of protein. I did lose weight, and a lot came from muscle. My body did not enter starvation mode and I stayed well hydrated, but muscle was lost along with some fat. I had enough energy to exercise, but it is not possible to gain muscle. Also, the mixture should not be prepared in advanced (loss of vitamins, cayenne will steep the mixture if it sits too long, etc...) so preparing it several times a day is a bit tedious.

To speak up and say a cleanse is not a proper diet or is not healthy is not educating yourself on the subject, like most doctors or reviewers can tend to do. Is it a proper diet? Of course not. That is why you don't do it forever. It is perfectly safe for a limited amount of time, and is almost necessary with today's fast foods and eating habits. I would not push for everyone to do a cleanse like I did for the cayenne pepper. It is a personal choice and commitment. It is not for everyone. But if you think you can do it and want to benefit from it to repair your body, you will not regret it when you reach the end. With a shot of warm water and cayenne pepper, I raise my glass, here's to your health, Maniacs.

If you read this far, here's some results of hot chicks who did the Master Cleanse (who loves ya baby?):

via www.celebritydietdoctor.com

via t0.gstatic.com