How to Get Rid of a Headache on the Master Cleanse Diet

The Master Cleanse is a detoxification diet that requires avoiding all food and stimulants for 10 days. Instead, dieters subsist on a combination of fresh lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper, combined with a daily herbal laxative and salt water flush. Although the Master Cleanse website attributes headaches to caffeine withdraw and other detox symptoms, no studies have been performed on the specific reactions to Master Cleanse diet 2. Due to the laxative elements of the cleanse, your headache may also be a symptom of dehydration, and you may need to drink extra water to replenish your fluids.

Locate the area of your head where the pain is most intense and gently rub that spot with your fingers. Perform small, clockwise rubbing motions with your fingerprints to provide short-term relief.

What Causes Headaches in Detox Diets?

Learn More

Cut a lemon and add the fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of sea salt to a glass of spring water. Stir the contents and sip over a period of five to 10 minutes. If needed, refill the glass and add more lemon juice and sea salt to help replenish your fluids and electrolytes. Drink at least 64 ounces of water each day during the fast.

Sit in a comfortable position on a chair or cushion and close your eyes. Keep your spine straight as you breathe deeply through your nose, allowing your stomach to press outward in a diaphragmatic breathing technique. Relax your neck and jaw each time you exhale, visualizing your tension exiting as you continue to relax. “Yoga Journal” recommends this pranayama breathing technique for alleviating the symptoms of headaches 6.

What Foods Can I Eat When on the Lemon, Cayenne & Pepper Detox Diet?

Learn More

Swallow one aspirin pill and chase it with water. Avoid strenuous physical activities and take time to lie down and relax anytime you begin to feel a headache. Continue following the recommended lemonade diet to sustain your intake of calories and carbohydrates, which may reduce the symptoms of headaches caused by hunger cravings.

Tips

Since lemon juice and sea salt are allowed on the diet, adding them to your drinking water can help replenish your electrolytes without breaking the rules of the fast. Take aspirin only if the pain is so great that it impairs your ability to function normally. Unfortunately, headaches caused by caffeine withdrawal may only subside after consuming caffeinated products, which are prohibited on the diet.

Warnings

Talk to your doctor before engaging in any detoxification diet to reduce your chances of malnutrition and dehydration. If your headache symptoms persist and seem to worsen over a period of days, stop the diet and seek immediate medical attention.