"maple syrup diet" news and stories

So now that the Christmas cookies are almost gone, do you have any ideas about how you're going to make that New Year's resolution for a slimmer, healthier you into a reality? How about sprinkling charcoal over your food? Or better yet, strap on a silicone "Power Balance" bracelet to curb cravings?

Perhaps there's no better proof of a celebrity culture gone awry than when an untold number of people are convinced that diets and health regimens like these, which sound crazy at face value, are actually good for you when they're promoted by a bold-faced name. Just toss Naomi Campbell onto a couch across from Oprah Winfrey, throwing around words like "cleansing" and "detoxification," and voila! You've got a trove of supermodel-wannabes trying to subsist for two-week stretches on nothing but maple syrup, lemon and pepper. (Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, above, are also fans of the "maple syrup" diet that Beyoncé attributed to her weight loss.)

What doesn't often make it into the tabloids are the voices of actual health experts trying to debunk these mostly outlandish claims. That doesn't stop groups like the British-based nonprofit Sense About Science from trying, reports Reuters. Once again this year, SAS has released its list of some of the craziest diets promoted by celebrities this year and responses to them from credible experts.

Take Naomi Campbell's assertion to Oprah last May that "it's good just to cleanse your body once in a while."

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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