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Lately I’ve been starting out every morning with a big mason jar filled with water, lemon juice and cayenne pepper. It’s kind of like the master cleanse lemonade, but with no sweetener. When I drink it, I feel like I start my day with a clearing dose of detoxifying goodness.
Lemon cayenne water is a great way to cleanse your body regularly even when you’re not “on a cleanse.”
Drinking spicy water may sound gross to you, but with the lemon, you’ll actually start loving it. I’ll admit, the first time I did it, I put way too much cayenne in there – it wasn’t pleasant! Now, I just add a pinch, and I love it.
I’ve never actually done a Master Cleanse nor do I necessarily recommend it (it seems like it would be so hard!) but there’s a reason they include the lemon and cayenne in there.
Here’s why:
Lemon juice and cayenne pepper both have anti-fungal, immune boosting, and detoxification properties.
Lemon juice is great for digestion, destroying bacteria and cleansing the system - it supports the liver and kidneys to get rid of toxins.
Cayenne pepper increases metabolism, stimulates the circulatory system, aids digestion, helps regulate blood sugar and more.
Put them together and you have a very powerful cleansing drink!
My usual:
- About 24 oz of water
- Juice from 1/2 lemon (sometimes a whole lemon)
- Pinch of cayenne (enough to feel the heat but not so spicy that it’s hard to get down)
So give it a try! It may become part of your new morning routine.
Do you have a favorite cleansing morning beverage?
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{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi! Love your blog and recipes! Just wanted to comment that if you can do a 10 juice cleanse you can do the master cleanse. You don’t have to but you could. It’s usually my go to cleanse mostly because it’s simplicity, cheapest, and really just easy to make. I however get bored on it too so I like to vary it up my own ways just as I would if I did a juice cleanse. And Yes I love lemon water and cayenne pepper!
Thanks, Elysia! I love Master Cleanse lemonade but have never been able to bring myself to do the full cleanse.
This sounds so crazy, but enough so I must give it a go – especially since I generally like spice!
yes, give it a try!
My everday morning drink is hot water with fresh lemon juice. I’m gonna try spicing it up with cayenne tomorrow
Thanks a lot!
xo
spice it up! it’s yummy.
Ok So I have done the master cleanse and lost a .lot of weight and was not hungry. However.. I got really spacy.. so this time I am trying just lemon and cayenne and water withOUT maple surup and then i eat healthy and minimal as well.. ie salad and tofu and or egg or a little checken or beans and rice. Some fruit too. My question is When doing the master cleasn they emphasize how important it is to do the salt water so you have bowel movements and get out the toxins coming out of your muscles. I am not doing that. I figured with the rufage of the salad and food i would have bowel movements and not need the salt water. i am mostly doing this to loose weight and am exercising which i can’t do ion Master cleanse necessarily. I get worried becasue diests usually have a complicated ratio for a reason ie certain amount of maple syrup for glucose etc. Tonight I think I didn’t have enough protien or sugar and got really nausious for an hour after yoga. Help.?
I don’t think you should do the cleanse without the maple syrup. I would say that the spaciness would mean that you need even more of the drink, i.e. more glucose. Carbohydrate is the only thing your brain will use for energy. hypoglycemia can cause unresponsiveness, confusion, coma, even death. blood sugar is very carefully regulated in your body and its important that you intake enough carbohydrates.
To get the benefits of cayenne pepper add a full teaspoon to the morning preparation. Pain is only temporary but the benefits of the cayenne pepper are more noticeable if you take more. A pinch is for pussies.
A pinch is just fine Rameen. I would appreciate if you would curb your filthy writing. Thanks!
I drink lemon, hot water and cayenne every morning too but I put in a tsp of organic maple syrup to sweeten it up a bit! Love it!
I usually add some cinnamon to my coffee (not really much of a cleanse if I am drinking coffee I admit) it has a lot of similar properties to Cayenne. I wonder how cinnamon lemon water would taste, probably delicious
i have been drinking this and ♥ it! I started adding cinnamon and it’s way better!
Hi my name is Sthembile Shabangu. I like your morning start beverage as I want to loose some kg. But my problem is I can’t find cayenne pepper I want to know that I can use Peri Peri instead its cayenne.
I will be glad if u can assist me regard my question.
Kindly Regard Sthembile Shabangu
Hey – I used to start my mornings with luke warm water and lemon juice or green tea – depending on my mood – I bought a bottle lemon juice that I now placed on my desk at work and add a squirt or two to my water bottle everytime I fill it…
Do you use warm or cold water for the morning drink?
I have never done the cayenne pepper with it as nowhere I can find the correct amount – I would probably put in a teaspoon meanwhile it should be the amount of a needle head (please advise)
Is a normal coffee cup (250ml) enough of this drink in the morning?
Only one cup per day – in the morning?
I’m not a big fan of using Maple Syrup but have found the Agave Nectar works wonderfully and helps to detract a little from the heat of the cayenne pepper.
Lydia, If you research how Agave is made you might reconsider. I use Maple Syrup fresh from a farm in PA. NO HFCS ever, it is a natural sugar that even hypoglycemic people like myself can use with no problems
Every morning before eating i drink the lemon cleanser. I prefer a cup of water cold or warm water a tablespoon of lemon juice or half a lemon and a dash of cayenne pepper or a dash of hot sauce tabasco. Do not over do it you wanna get used to it.
I could not believe that these little ingredients would actually help someone loss weight. My sister tried it along with a healthy diet and regular excercises OMG. She looks great, she lost weight and I’m now I am going to try it. Wish me luck everyone
Hi Patty. I would love to hear how you sister lost weight incorporating the lemon drink. I love the taste. I just do not think I can do the 10 day cleanse.
Thanks!
Try adding a dash of cinnammon to the lemon and cayenne for inflammation as well! It tastes good too.
Just started this and it actually helps wake me up a bit as opposed to coffee or tea first thing. It tastes just fine without any additives. The Master Cleanse can be bad for you, I believe. I have a friend who does it and every time he is done, he gains more weight. And his thyroid is a mess though it may not be from the cleanse, but still….Not enough calories, too much sugar every day despite the regulating properties of cayenne and the darker maple syrup. I tried it and got extremely hypoglycemic on it and don’t need to lose weight or run the risk of losing muscle mass either. I did read an article by a nutritionist that said she has had a few clients with thyroid problems who were regular Master Cleanse fasters.
I drink all kinds of flavored waters some of my favorite combos are..
Lemon basil
Orange Cucumber
Cucumber Mint
Lemon Ginger
Lime Mint
Cilantro Lemon
Fresh mint leaves in your water when you work out is the best.
I start every day with the hot water, lemon, cayenne and manuka honey. Great way for your digestive system to break the fast. Also doing the wildrose cleanse soon – have to rid the house of the final Christmas snacks, etc soon. Love hot yoga – the mint leaves in my water is a great idea!
I’ve been doing this every morning for a couple of months now. I use a few drops of hot sauce vs. the cayenne pepper. I wonder if this makes a huge difference?
I have been feeling very fatigue, n wen I started drinking cayenne pepper with lemon juice , it made a difference in my life . I would recommend anybody to use cayenne pepper , it is a natural healer to all your organs.
Day 3 for me on the Master Cleanse, LOVE the Lemon Juice and Cayenne pepper water, I too add a drop of Organic Dark Maple Syrup to lightly sweeten, I’m curious however…am I the only one tried the salt water flush prior and experienced vomiting? I’m actually doing this cleanse to jump start weight loss, and I hate that after dranking the horrible tasting salt water (has tried for past 3 days, before I could lay on my right side for the 30 mins it all comes up, the wrong end! Ugh!) I’m not getting to expel toxins and built up fecal matter hence I vomit versus having a bowel movement…any suggestions or ideas why?!
I just started a day ago with cayenne water, with the hope that I will lose some weight! I loved it, my appetite just disappeared same time and as a result I ate less. I’m hoping for the best… Can I take the mixture three times a day? Is that too much?
Ok!So i stopped smoking last November 2012
and i’ve been packing on the kilos.Am now doin
the cayenne n lemon drink with honey and its
working for me.Green tea in between feeling awesome.