The Best Liquid Diet

Vanderbilt University has done research and studies concerning weight loss through liquid diets and found that they can be employed to improve health conditions. Normal dieting results in slow, but steady, weight loss which indirectly can decrease health risks. But because most liquid diets consist of a daily intake of 400 to 600 calories, and the average American needs an intake of 1,800 calories, it is a method of losing weight that should be reserved for only those at serious risk of health. The following are some liquid diets that aren't too detrimental to one's health.

The Master Cleanse

The first, the Master Cleanse, is the most popular of all liquid diets today.

This liquid diet consists of mixing together 14 tablespoons of lemon Juice, 14 tablespoons of maple syrup, teaspoon cayenne pepper and two liters of water. This is your drink for the entire day. Take the two liters of lemon Juice and whenever you feel a pang of hunger, drink a cup of it and then chase it with some water. You can drink as much water as you like. This will give your stomach the illusion of being full while cleansing your palette, throat and stomach of the lemon, pepper and maple syrup.

In the evening, you're going to do what's known as the Salt Water Flush. Be within a few minutes of a restroom as your bowels will be ready to empty once you drink this solution. Mix in a full tablespoon of salt with a liter of warm water. Chug the entire contents. You should have to go to the bathroom within 30 minutes.

Not only does this help you lose weight, but the pepper and maple syrup, in addition to the warm salt water, helps to clean your stomach and intestines of any toxins left in there. You will start to feel lighter within two days of the Master Cleanse, as well as very dizzy. Don't worry. Your mind will begin to sharpen by day five or six. Don't try this diet for longer than 14 days.

Fruit & Vegetable Juice Fast

JuiceFasting.org, a website providing information on juice- and liquid-only diets, said a juice fast is the best balance between nutrition, health sustainment and weight loss.

In order to do a juice fast properly, you will need a juicer to cut up your fruits. This is to make sure that you are drinking natural juices and not juice loaded with concentrates and unnatural sugar. And you can also put more than fruits into the juicer. Tomato juice is loaded with antioxidants. Carrot juice has an incredible amount of Vitamin A. One cup of spinach juice has up to 500 percent of the amount of iron you'll need for the day.

Foods not included to be eaten during a Juice Fast include all animal flesh of any kind (fish included), eggs and dairy products. Honey is allowed in small doses for sweetening purposes. Try and stay away from artificial sweeteners as the point of a fast is for your body to get rid of toxins, not put more in.

The following Juice Fast is intended for two weeks and for beginners to the fasting process:

For breakfast everyday, juice up four tomatoes. Add a little hot sauce to the tomato juice(it's just like a Bloody Mary) and eat some almond paste (almonds are loaded with antioxidants and protein).

For lunch, put enough carrots in a juicer to get a full glass. With that, eat a cup of plain yogurt. Nothing solid should be in the yogurt.

For dinner, drink fruit juice. Pick fruits with low acidic levels to help your stomach while you sleep. Low acidic foods include apples, bananas and carrots.