SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - Body cleanses seem to be the rage right now in eliminating toxins and losing weight. But are they safe? Do they really work? One of the most well known is The Master Cleanser Diet or Lemonade Diet. It's been around since 1941, but it's back and more popular than ever.

Hollywood stars such as Beyonce Knowles and Denzel Washington have publicly stated they've used the diet to lose weight for movies.

ABC 4 takes a closer look at the diet fad that refuses to fade and what Utahns think of the cleanse.

Entertainer and impressionist Jason Hewlett has battled obesity his entire life. Hewlett decided to fix his body issues for good after a fan told him "No one wants to see a fat Michael Jackson."

“And I was so beaten up by that, I went on every single diet I could try,” says Hewlett.

Hewlett’s mom suggested he try the Lemonade Diet. “And I thought, ok, it's time to cleanse myself, not just try to lose weight, really a lifestyle change,” he recalls.

Master Cleanse kits are available on-line or as Hewlett discovered, it's cheaper to research the diet and buy the fresh lemons, pure maple syrup and cayenne pepper at the grocery store.

The point is to drink 8 to 10 cups of the lemonade and nothing more each day for 10 days. But that is what concerns many dieticians.

“On a good day, you're probably getting about 500 calories. Short term you will lose weight, you'll probably lose a lot of water weight. Long term it's not healthy. Obviously our bodies are designed to acquire and assimilate a lot of different vitamins and minerals from a lot of different sources,” explains Rachel Jones, Instructor at the University of Utah, Masters in Nutrition and Registered Dietician.

Jones says it's better to cleanse your body with good, whole foods. She advises to skip fast and processed foods and instead eat fruits, vegetables and the right amount of protein.

“I would encourage people to gravitate towards what's most beneficial for your body instead of going towards extreme measures because there tends to be a rebound effect. Yo-yo dieting is not beneficial for your body,” states Jones.

But advocates of the diet say the goal is not to lose weight - it's to rid the body of impurities and negative mental attitudes. “Emotionally I started to feel like I could conquer myself and all of my urges and needs. Spiritually I started to see my path in life, where I was going and what I was really made of. It was really a life altering experience doing the lemon cleanse, as corny as that sounds,” explains Hewlett.

He says weight loss was a by-product for him. He lost about 20 pounds in 10 days. “But if that's you're only reason for going on it, you're not going to stay on it. There's no way,” Hewlett adds.

Many people who have tried the diet say it's hard. All you can consume is the lemonade and water. Plus each morning the diet calls for a salt water flush.

“You do get rid of a lot of waste, I mean an incredible amount. I'll give you one bit of information, don't not be near a bathroom. That is very important,” says Hewlett.

Jones states, “You're feeling pretty crappy overall. You are purging your intestines. There are better, safer, nicer ways to do that to your body.”

Hewlett admits he felt horrible the first day of the diet, but once he got past day three, the rest was a breeze. “I tell people all the time about it. And I tell them to be very careful, but it can change your life if you do it correctly.”

ABC 4 has received dozens of e-mails from people who have had great experiences with The Lemonade Diet, but some of the side-effects they mention are headaches, lack of energy and flu-like symptoms.

If you feel that this may be something you want to try, it's a good idea to check with your doctor first.

For more information about The Lemonade Diet go to: www.thelemonadediet.com; www.therawfoodsite.com/mastercleanse.htm; www.mastercleansesecrets.com; or www.themastercleanse.org.

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