The Master Cleanser, a book originally published in 1976 by Stanley Burroughs, provides us with the following recipe for his classic “detox lemonade”:

2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice (approx. 1/2 lemon)
2 Tbsp genuine maple syrup (not maple flavored sugar syrup)
1/10 Tsp cayenne pepper (red pepper) or to taste
Water, medium hot (spring or purified water)

Combine the juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper in a 10 oz. glass and fill with medium hot water.

He later specifies that cold water is OK too, although with my understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine, I can’t imagine why. But I can’t be bothered to heat up the water, so I take my lemonade at room temperature. If medium hot is OK, and cold is OK, then why not room temp?

Also, in my present New Year’s detox I’m using limes rather than lemons, and I find it takes just less than one whole lime to make 2 Tbsp of juice. These are regular-sized limes, not key limes.

The recommended dose is 6-12 glasses a day, but there are other components of the cleanse that are important as well. If you’re interested, I highly recommend reading The Master Cleanser in its entirety.

Related posts:

1. The Master Cleanse
2. The Master Cleanse: Day 13
3. The Master Cleanse: Day 3