Re: Do you have to be a certain age.

I doubt if a thirteen year old would be harmed by doing The Master Cleanse for a week to ten days, but as already discussed, I'm not sure a girl that young will fully grasp the cleansing aspect. I wonder if it might not be better to start a program of a cleansing fast, MC, juice, veggie broth, or a single fruit diet are all possibilities, done for only one weekend a month until the teen is older. This method would provide some gentle detox and help the young person gain discipline over eating, yet would not adversely affect their metabolism or nutritional needs.

The main focus should be on learning to eat a healthy Diet despite the constant temptations of junk food. Remember that all the fasting and cleansing in the world will do little good for anyone if they insist on eating the Standard American Diet (SAD)between cleanses.

I began experimenting with fasting at age sixteen. I did not do it wisely and suffered wild flucuations in weight. This preoccupation with fasting and out of control emotional eating also led to a brief bout of bulemia. While short cleansing fasts may be of some benefit for teens, I think it would be best to keep them short and concentrate on developing the right eating habits at their age. Tweet