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Celebrities are touting the maple syrup diet, which is a type of detox diet that is also known as the Master Cleanse diet, or the lemonade diet. Essentially, you drink a mixture of water, maple syrup, lemon juice and cayenne pepper (a very small amount) for about 10 days. Without getting into the sticky issue of whether or not you are really cleansing your body, if you even need to, the diet is a way to drop a few pounds quickly, for better or worse. It works because you take in relatively few calories and a lot of liquids.
All in all, it seems to result in a relatively quick weight loss of a few pounds, but certainly neither a long term solution nor a substitute for a more traditionally healthy diet. It is great for the sales of maple syrup, though, since some stores are reporting that their sales have more than doubled in the past few months.
One woman's account of her time on the diet can be read here if you're interested in getting the daily details of the "cleanse."
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8-21-2006 @9:56AM Gary K said... People can justify this as being a "Cleanse" all they want. If people are using it to "Lose Weight" as a "Fringe Benefit" then it is a diet and a fad at that. It reminds me of the Old traveling snake oil& elixer salesmen around the turn of the century. T-Totallers would drink their "Elixers" that were about 90 proof alcohol as a "Cure for their ailments", yet, balk at drinking liquor. You can justify just about anything in your own mind. This is a B.S. fad and will be exposed in time !!!
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8-21-2006 @9:58AM nuchie said... At my Church, every year we start the new year off with a 40 (Forty) day fast, at that time we drink the Maple syrup/lemon/cayenne pepper drink. We do not fast completely on this mixture, ie Fast from 6a-6p (no solids) drink mixture as a supplement or fast on fruits/vegtables and supplement mixture for periods of"hunger". Our Church does the 40 day fast in opposed to abstaining for the 40 days of Lent.
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8-21-2006 @9:59AM EB said... I've realized that dieting, at least for myself, is about decisions . . . you have to make the right one. Most "diets" should work. However, you have to make the right decisions when it comes to eating.
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8-21-2006 @10:06AM Maria said... I completed the "lemonade diet" last month. I did it for cleansing purposes as much as to lose some weight. It was a simple, effective way to lose 10 lbs, albiet mostly water. However, the loss of just 10 lbs revived me. I felt more positive about my appearance and that motivated me to keep the weight off. I increased my exercise and kept on course. I have kept off the 10 lbs and taken off an additional 4 as a result of the exercise. I eat normally now and do indulge myself with a sweet treat or beer/wine. I am light about the whole thing but want to continue taking off the weight. I am 10 lbs from my goal of 120 lbs. I was thinking of doing the cleanse again but will wait to see what happens with the exercise and careful eating. All in all, it was not a difficult diet and I liked the taste of the lemonade.
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8-21-2006 @10:13AM elena said... i just wanted to say i enjoyed reading all of your comments!! some of them were just so funny and i needed that laugh!! i pretty much agree w/ all of your input. i'm out here in the d.r doing missionary work and life here is not about diet and excersise( although i have seen a lot of people walking for excersise lately which to me is great!!) and so the whole u.s mentality and i'm sure other countries are so focused on self. i always dieted and excersised and had issues w/ food while in the states and yet while here...its diff. life isnt about that!!! but something higher and greater...what you give away. i just think being a glutten is not good or right for your body. how will you give to others if you cant take care of yourself?? i have 3 small children...and homeschool!!! so i need to be healthy...or as healthy as poss.
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8-21-2006 @10:30AM Kitty said... Years ago, I tried this syrup cleanse. All that goes around comes around! For over 2 years, I've used a healthy, conventient cleanse product of fruit juices (similar to the Star Diet, but like I said, healthy) with Tahitian Noni juice. I can still eat very lean protein and green vegetables during the 3 day cleanse period each month. Check it out at:www.tni.com/1621.
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8-21-2006 @10:30AM Meli said... I have been using the Master Cleanse (also called the Lemonade Diet) for years now. I do it twice a year and it was given to me by a friend's personal trainer. It is not meant to be used as a diet. It is only meant to cleanse your body. If you intend to use this program as a diet then you are looking for false hope. This cleanser does make you lose weight, but you eventually gain in back in a few weeks. It gets rid of all of the toxins in the body, however, if you continue to put crap food with preservatives, hormones, etc. it will come back. If you choose to eat healthy organic food (shop on the outside of the isles at the store) you will feel you have more energy and the weight will stay off. Either way, I live by it and it keeps me healthy.
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8-21-2006 @10:44AM Tim Gallin said... I did this clense last year and one benefit that I recieved was that my cholesterol went from 214 to 119 in seven days along with 2 belt sizes. It is very radical but it did give me a new perspective about food and the portions we consume. This process with the clense can also be used as a substitute for one meal a day and could help some people that don't want to do a radical fast.
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8-21-2006 @10:45AM Laura Cook said... Don't ya just love these diets that say, consult with a doctor before you start exercising? How come they never say "be sure to consult with a doctor before you stop at your favorite fast food restaurant and supersize?" Geeze. We have the best food available in this country, and people choose junk. Amazing.
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8-21-2006 @10:50AM Carmen said... This DOES work. However, a person's goal should NOT be to lose weight. If a person goes on The Master Cleanse, the goal should be just that... to cleanse and detoxify your body. Will you naturally lose weight? Probably, especially if you're a tad overweight like Beyonce or my boyfriend. People who are thinner will see weight-loss results much less than a person who is overweight.
The Master Cleanse is a GREAT way to give your body a break from all of the harsh foods that we consume everyday. In essence, if you drink it enough like you're supposed to, you will feel lighter and have more energy. Once you get over the fact that you can't eat, you are fine.
When I did the cleanse, I was never actually hungry, to be honest. I just wanted food. The lemonade mixture doesn't taste bad, either, but you do get sick of it. This cleanse, on the whole, is really good for you, though!
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8-21-2006 @10:55AM mh said... I can understand why you would do this "diet" if for the detoxification purposes, but if you are doing it to lose weight, then stop and think for a minute. WHen you look at a jar of maple extract, the recipe for maple syrup is 1 part water, 2 parts sugar. If you do are going to do this to lose weight, which seems to be a major factor, at least chose a more balanced diet where you aren't drinking so much sugar.
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8-21-2006 @11:00AM John said... I tried one glass of that concoction once out of curiousity and saying it was vile is an understatement! If I were going to do a cleanse, I'd do a natural juice fast but not for more than 3 days.
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8-21-2006 @11:01AM theresa said... I use this combination but not for weight loss. I notice when I drink a combination of cayenne, lemon juice, and water (I never added the maple syrup), I have more energy and better digestion. I know people are using this as a quick fix "fad" but I wish they would use it in addition to lifestyle and eating changes. This has been around for decades.
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8-21-2006 @11:02AM OZ said... The Master Cleanser is a Great Cleanse as the Maple Syrup and Lemons give you your basic essential nutrients while you do it. I would not reccommend doing it longer than a few weeks but i have heard of people literally doing it for months. In my opinion this could be Bad as the body needs over the long term a more well rounded balance of nutrients for repair & Energy. Make sure you use a good Grade B syrup not found in Grocery Stores. You may want to consult a Local Health food store to get the book and ingredients. Juice fresh Lemons of Possible, Santa Cruz makes a Concentrate that works too which makes it a little easier. Go Easy on the Cayanne Pepper and add to taste. I would make a 1 Gallon Jug of Mixture and drink it all day. It is common to have Headaches and Lethargy as you begin your cleanse due to the Detoxification Process. Remember People It's all about Lifestyle, though this is a Great Cleanse and you will Lose Weight...It's more about how you feed your body daily that matters. If your Eating Fast food, Drinking Sodas and Teas with Sugar your Sure to put it on. Be Sensible in your Approach and remember it took you a little while to put it on, it's not all going to go away over night. But with a Little Daily Routine and Burning Desire to gain your best body you too will Loose that unwanted body fat!
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8-21-2006 @11:18AM Mike Papadakis said... Read old Vermont Family Medicine book said eat apples
At the time Vermonters lived longer than any one else. My grandfather had an apple orchard MacIntosh and some yellows.
He also did maple sugaring in winter
He did use Maple exclusively for sweetner and he did sweeten lemonade with Maple.
He stuck around till age 89 and Grandma did 103
Neither were overweight although they ate hearty and grandma baked a lot
Mix lemonade with maple syrup to taste
or
Maple syrup with water 1 part water and 1 part apple vinegar -enough maple to sweeten the vinegar
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8-21-2006 @11:18AM Steve Yandell said... Hi, it seems that weight management is pretty much up there with sex, politics, and religion as contro-versial and highly personal subjects. I too am struggling to lose a fair amount of extra baggage (doesn't match my wardrobe). It's gradually coming off because of a diligent walking program, making healthier choices in food and some mental changes. A couple of things I hope may be helpful to others. I, like many other people, take anti-depressants, some of which can promote weight gain. Other medications can as well. So, as many of you have no doubt read or experienced, you're not only battling the weight itself, but the meds. Secondly, and I believe of critical importance, is your self-image. If one continually sees oneself in a negative light such as "fat", "pudgy", "Shamu", etc, it's very difficult to "be" otherwise. It's the good old self-fulfilling prophecy at work, basically the power of expectations. If you hope or want something about yourself to change, but don't really believe it, it probably won't. This is why so many athletes and others utilize visualization, developing and holding a firm, positive mental picture of the results wanted. With practice and taking the right behavioral steps, results can improve dramatically. I'm neither suggesting that merely thinking thin will take off the pounds, nor that it's easy, but it's an important and basic key. In my case, I've developed a mental image of what I expect to look like when I reach my goal and it's essentially a slimmer, healthier, feeling better me. And I believe (know) I can do it. I wish the same to all of you. Good luck!
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8-21-2006 @11:26AM denise said... what exactly do you do on this maple syrup diet it does not say - as usual do you have to join something or buy something to see what this diet is
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8-21-2006 @11:35AM S. Wright said... I don't think this "cleanse" started out as a "diet" - that was the bonus. It is meant to cleanse your whole body of toxins...the MASTER CLEANSE!!
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8-21-2006 @11:36AM Alexia said... I have tried the Master Cleanser diet and it does work but if you don't watch what and how much you eat after you will put the weight back on and then some. You do feel like you are starving when you are on it unless you drink a whole lot of fluids, are never around people eating when you feel real hungry because it does not help believe me(lol) and I learned chewing gum (which was not part of the list helps me not think about food at all. I found severaal unsweet natural gums that really helped me and I lost some unwanted weight pretty fast and was still considered healthy while doing it by my dr. (oh and I should add...if you have problems like hypoglycemia it is very good to take the glucose orange tabs...at least one 2 times daily or you might pass out. My mom did that. (by learning the ahrd way. I hope this is helpful! I would also suggest asking a dr if you have health problems or concerns because this diet/cleanser may not be safe for some people.
:-)
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8-21-2006 @11:40AM Tony Morales said... Well this obviously works. It has to be something in the Maple Syrup. Hasn't anybody noticed that even Mrs Butterworth has gotten skinny? Maybe syrup will give you a face lift too.. anybody try rubbing it on your tripple chins?
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