Maple syrup is for pancakes, not weight loss
You may have heard about a combination of syrup, lemon juice and spices that Beyonce used to lose over 20 pounds in a couple of weeks. It sounds like something used for a detox type of short-term fast. Lemon juice has been used as a type of body cleanser (I think) for years, if not decades. The other fasts I've heard about use fruit juice as one of the only calorie containing foods...which is similar to maple syrup in that they both contain mostly easy to absorb carbohydrate calories.
This is not anything I've researched or done personally, but I would imagine that there is quite a big difference between doing a 3 day body cleanse or detox fast and a two week "diet" with quick weight loss in mind. I do not recommend quick weight loss schemes as a rule, nor do I agree with going through extreme measures that might trigger eating disorders or that promote obsession. It's safe to say that losing 20 pounds in two weeks qualifies as quick weight loss (we generally can only lose 2 pounds of body fat a week at best, so more than that could be other stuff that we only lose temporarily like water and glycogen stores in muscle and liver.) Only drinking a liquid of a type of syrup and lemon juice for two weeks is definitely an "extreme" measure.
It sounds like Beyonce felt she had to lose weight for a movie she was doing and that's just plain sad. She looks amazing just as she is! Without climbing on my soap box for a tirade about weight obsession in our culture, I personally think... the maple syrup is better off on pancakes and the lemon is best served in a cup of green tea!
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Spotting Fad Diets, Celebrity Diets
Technorati Tags: beyonce, faddiets, celebritydiets, weightloss, maplesyrupdiet
This is not anything I've researched or done personally, but I would imagine that there is quite a big difference between doing a 3 day body cleanse or detox fast and a two week "diet" with quick weight loss in mind. I do not recommend quick weight loss schemes as a rule, nor do I agree with going through extreme measures that might trigger eating disorders or that promote obsession. It's safe to say that losing 20 pounds in two weeks qualifies as quick weight loss (we generally can only lose 2 pounds of body fat a week at best, so more than that could be other stuff that we only lose temporarily like water and glycogen stores in muscle and liver.) Only drinking a liquid of a type of syrup and lemon juice for two weeks is definitely an "extreme" measure.
It sounds like Beyonce felt she had to lose weight for a movie she was doing and that's just plain sad. She looks amazing just as she is! Without climbing on my soap box for a tirade about weight obsession in our culture, I personally think... the maple syrup is better off on pancakes and the lemon is best served in a cup of green tea!
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Spotting Fad Diets, Celebrity Diets
Technorati Tags: beyonce, faddiets, celebritydiets, weightloss, maplesyrupdiet
35 Comments:
I read that Beyonce has also stated that she does NOT recommend this diet for anyone. She gained the weight back immediately after the movie, when she went back to eating properly. She said if a person wants to lose weight to do it with healthy eating and exercise.
So glad to hear she is back to her beautiful healthy self!
what about the weight control vitamins (1-a-day)? Are they safe? What is in them to help you control your weight?
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Shows Beyonce has more willpower than smarts... Loosing weight is best NOT done by the crash diet.
I have lost 15 lbs. over 6 months and that is about all anyone should be able to expect.
My secret: eathing healtier: (Almost)No breads only whole grain rice and an apple everyday, but even at that mostly low carbs focusing on fresh vegatables and meat. I just improved MY diet. I didnt adopt anyone elses diet.
That liquid diet (Re: Beyonce) was actually developed by Stanley Burroughs --I don't know his background-- and it's called The Master Cleanse. The full cleanse also includes a saline (saltwater) mixture plus herbal teas; that's in addition to the lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, water mixture. The maple syrup is to keep up your energy...it supplies glucose.
P. S. Although "The Master Cleanse" has been around for quite a long time I'm NOT saying it's healthy.
If you actually read abotu it, you see Beyonce gained the weight back by "...[eating] waffles, fried chicken, cheeseburgers, french fries, everything I could find."
If she maintained a healthy diet, weight wouldn't be an issue.
oh common if yu really need to loose weight fast in the interim this diet rocks after you lost the weight you can then start eating healthy .beyonce did it she is fine she wasnt sick or anything so whats the fuss
inTouch reported that she drank protein shakes, not that concoction.
I'm not even sure why this article is here if it hasn't even been researched, as stated IN the article.
I think the point has been sorely missed here. This is NOT a diet program, it's very simply a cleanse. You go through this fast in order to rid your body of harmful toxins, then once complete you should maintain a healthy diet by sticking with mostly organic foods and staying away from processed junk. Exercise is key as well. So if you're just looking for a way to lose wait, this is only part of the process, not the solution.
For those serious about considering this cleanse, I'd recommend looking elsewhere for advice, as this doctor hasn't exactly done any legwork here.
i agree...WAY off the mark here people...do some research, jeeze!
This is a CLEANSE not a diet, it's original purpose was NOT to lose weight, although that is an added bonus for some. It's a great way to detox your system, and give your body new starting ground for a healthy diet. How could anyone actually believe this writer who clearly didn't research fully the Master Cleanse or didn't even bother to try it? Since when did we start taking advice from unexperienced people unable to practice what they preach? This has provided health benefits to many over the past century. So Beyonce misused it, that's separate from the credibility of Stanley Burrough's work. People need to stop being hypocrits and stop finding trendy celebrities who binge on fried foods to justify their own unhealthy behaviors.
I'm starting the Master Cleanse this Saturday and I am excited. I can't wait to get rid of all the stuck crap in my intestines.
I am a survivor of the Master Cleanse. YAY!! I did the 10 day fast drinking only water and organic homemade lemonade and took Cayenne capsules. I have a fluid retention problem and lost 20 pounds with the cleanse. I DID NOT gain back ANY weight after finishing the cleanse. It cleaned my body so that I could start fresh with better foods. I am now in my 4th day of doing another cleanse. I had gradually started eating bread (my weakness) and started getting some more swelling and that is why I'm doing another cleanse. I feel great! It is NOT a crash diet. It is ONLY for cleaning out your body so that when you DO start eating healthy your body will more easily absorb nutrients from the foods you put into it.
I have done a LOT of research in trying to find solutions to my fluid problem and this is the ONLY thing that has helped me thus far. The syrup that is used is NOT pancake syrup. It is organic, grade B maple syrup which has ALL the minerals and glucose your body needs during the cleanse. You should read about it at mastercleanse.com
It could help you, too.
I want to thank everyone for there helpful comments. I have been sick alot and need something that works to clean out my system and give me a fresh start. I want to say that my cousin had hard swollen glands for 2 years that would not go away they were as hard as a rock. She went to several doctors...several medications and nothing worked. She went on this cleanse and within a week the swelling was gone. It was built up toxins in her body that needed to be cleaned out. I am starting this on friday and am so excited to finally feel back to normal again...even better!!!
I did the "lemonade diet" for 10 days as a body cleansing and purification process... not to lose weigh. I did lose 8 lbs though. I was experiencing joint pain in fingers, knees elbows. Those tend to be the areas that toxins build up and cause pain (arthritis?). After 3 days I began to get the shakes and thought that was because my blood sugar level. But after research I found that it was the toxins that had been released from my joints and passing through my system. I took bentonite which is an absorbant that collected the toxins and the "shakes" subsided. The actual purification energized me be beyond belief... after all, toxins from our "normal" diet surely slow our body down trying to process them. The lemon provides needed nutrients, the maple syrup stabilizes blood sugar levels, the cayenne breaks up mucous deposits in our g.i. tract. Weight loss require lifestyle changes... exercise and controlling calorie intake. Purification should be done periodically to eliminate the toxins that our body cannot process. It worked for me.
As someone who "regularly" cleanses (3 times per year), I can definitely recommend the Master Cleanser otherwise called the Lemonade Diet. I have read Mr. Burroughs' book and I can attest to the fact that this really cleanses the system! Naturally if you are only drinking liquids you would lose weight but the health benefits are astounding! I felt wonderful, my skin looked better, my energy level was great and I lost weight on the 10-day fast. I use it to help me sort out my eating habits so I try whole grain, more vegetables and fruits etc. It is a great way to begin a change to healthy eating.
Yeah, you should really do research on a topic before you write negative comments about it. I am currently on my 5th day of the master cleanse and I'm feeling awesome! The first three days were rough, but the last two have been a breeze. Four months ago I began having tingling in my arms and hands and my fingers would swell up and was unable to wear my wedding ring. Since I have started the cleanse I have no pain or tingling and my wedding ring fits perfect. My skin has also cleared up tremendously. My Dad first told me about the cleanse. Before the cleanse my Dad was on several different medications for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, acid reflux, and allergies. Before the master cleanse he had his cholesterol checked and it was 232. While on the master cleanse he went off all of his meds. Just a couple weeks after going off the cleanse he had his cholesterol checked again and it was 128. He feels great and is still off all of his medications. He did lose 18 lbs on the cleanse, but he did not do it for the weight loss. He did the cleanse so he could feel healthy again without taking medications the rest of his life.
like the last bunch of posters, I've had very positive results from the CLEANSE. I had high cholesterol and fatty liver (not sure of the medical term) after growing up on soda, junk food and fast foods. I weighed 237lbs at 5'10, at the VERY young age of 21. I had heard of the cleanse from a friend, read experiences and journals from other people who did the cleanse and decided it was worth a try. 2 weeks including the waning period (don't want to jump right into it), lost 5lbs (water weight, gained it back) during the whole experience, but noticed that my eating habits changed. I actually CRAVED vegetables and fresh foods. I did another cleanse 6 months later, a month before my annual checkup, and totally shocked my doctor with a drastic improvement. Cholesterol levels were normal, liver was back to health, I had lost 30lbs over the course of the year. I'm planning my 3rd cleanse come June. And remember folks, it's not maple flavored sugar syrup, it's grade B maple syrup so all the nutrients and natural sugars are intact. Slowly get your body off and then on solid foods with vegetable soups and fresh juices in order to prevent shock to your system. Follow the cleanse correctly, listen to your body, you will feel great!
I am starting the cleanse in two days and I am wondering if anyone has any helpful hints for me or if you can tell me what to expect in the ten days of fasting. Thanks!!
I am on my 3rd day of the Master Cleanse an i feel pretty good. I still find myself about to eat thing with out thinking about it, not b/c i 'm hungry but b/c it's just around. that is a habit i am looking forward to breaking. it's working out so far
I am on day six of the cleanse and this has been one of the best weeks of my life. Mental clarity and physical energy levels are at an all-time high. I have cleaned out the pipes and percieve this cleanse as a great starting point for an improved diet focusing on our real allies. My criticism of the author is profound on several levels, but I think I will play limbo and flex to her level of authorship and research: "You stink."
Beyonce only did the cleanse for the movie. She did not want any of herself to show in the movie. (Her thick,defined,and tones curves.) She did not want to look completely like her normal self for the character she was portraying. Although I am a lady myself, I must say the girl if fine and she aint (yeah I said aint) about to loose or want to loose any of what she got.
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can someone clarify something for me please. This lemonade is the ONLY thing you ingest for 10 days...or it's in addition to healthy meals. Pure liquid and ONLY liquid for 10 days?
Read about the master cleanse.
Decide for yourself.
You've heard of 'Google', right?
Use the tools at your disposal, rather than just posting bulletins here and waiting for someone to talk you through it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_Cleanse
i am wondering do you eat anything while doing the detox. I've been ill and this detox was suggested to me for 2-3 days. Do i eat or do i just drink water and lemonade mixture. Please advise
I tried the Master Cleanse and after 4 days I developed the worst migraine in the history of man, and it completely threw off my bowel movement cycle, as well as my digestion process in general.. on the 4th day my migraine was so intense that I could not even bear people whispering in my presence.. I couldn't bear any light or sound sources, I vomited and passed out.. though what was there really to throw back up except a tablespoon of maple syrup and that lemon mixture. I quit after the 5th day, and my friend kept on.. I lost weight (about 5 pounds in 5 days), and gained it back normally over the ensuing weeks. I did it with a friend and she lost about 15 pounds in 10 days but then gained 20 back over the following month. It was the most awful experience of my life.
This is a horrible thing to do to your body, I know from personal experience, and if you really want to fast, just drink natural juices (homemade, with ground flaxseed for extra nutrition).. FOR ONE DAY not 21 days. Even so fasting is not for everyone, especially if you have low blood sugar or problems like tachycardia or gastrointestinal problems..
You can fast in a healthy way, one day a week.. but fasting is not meant for dieting, it is for self-control and to establish a regimen. You will appreciate your meals more, eat them more slowly, and enjoy your food a whole lot more as well. In that process, one might realize that s/he needs smaller portions than once thought, and hence some weight loss might occur, but it is not direcly due to the fasting. It's all in your head, in your determination to eat healthier.
The way I lost some weight was I added a tablespoon of ground flaxseed 2x a day in a small amount of yogurt. It helps regulate digestion and is chock full of beneficial antioxidants. It is a supplement and I eat normally through the day, though I highly limit fried foods.. I save the cheating day for the weekend. And do like the French do, if you love bread, eat it! But WITHOUT butter or jellies/jams.
It's versions of fasting like this which give it such a bad reputation.
Fasting has to be done properly: i.e., by intaking fruit and vegetable juices free from artificial sugars, tea, LOTS of water, and doing hydrocolonics (enemas, yeah it's gross but for fasting more than a day or two it's essential, otherwise how would those toxins you're trying to expel get out of your body?). OF COURSE you'll experience negative effects by plain starvation, which is essentially what this fad diet is.
I myself have personally fasted in this manner for about two weeks, and I lost a good twenty pounds. I did mild exercise as well, and graduated myself off of the fast by having an apple the first day, yogurt and an apple the second, soup yogart and an apple the third, and so forth---NOT BINGING ON CHEESEBURGERS!
It took me a good year and an unhealthy holiday season to gain it back. If I had maintained a healthy diet, I probably wouldn't have.
So in short, based upon personal experience, I find that fasting done properly does a lot of good. My regimen was based off of a book by Pavo Airola.
My wife and I are currently on day seven of the master cleanser. Before we started I was low on energy and slightly depressed. Now I am clear minded and energetic. I feel generally happy. The first three days were the most difficult. On the fourth day I felt great and didn't crave food as much. I didn't start this cleanse to loose weight, but I have lost 7 pounds in 7 days. I don't care if I gain it back. I feel great and believe that I have done a good thing for my body.
This author, Elaine, is as mis-informed about the Master Cleanse as Beyonce. It's not a diet, but a body cleansing to cleanse your body of the toxins we're exposed to every day. All it takes is one high profile celebrity like Beyonce mis-using this cleanse to start the shrill stream of criticism flowing for a natural practice that has helped many thousands for many yeas.
My wife and I have done the Master Cleanse at least 15 times with great results. All the lumps and bumps on me heal up and we re-introduce foods slowly to our system as we come off. By doing this, we learn what foods we do well with and which ones we don't. Don't do this to lose weight, but to heal and allow your body to shed toxins.
Anyone heard of the placebo effect? I'm an internal medicine doctor and I specialize in metabolism and endocrinology. The body rids itself of "toxins" best when you eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of water, and get an adequate amount of fiber. Thats the way the body was designed. To say that you get all of the nutrients you need from these basic ingredients is rubbish. First of all, there is absolutely no protein in any of these ingredients, no protein means lowered immunoglubulin, means lowered immune system. Sudden decrease in caloric intake results in lowered metabolic rate, breakdown of muscle tissue, and a plethora of other adverse conditions in the body. Whether it's done for weightloss, or to rid these so called "toxins" from your body, it's not effective and will end up lowering your immune system and slowing your metaboilism in the end.
I've done the Master Cleanse 2 times in the last 12 months. The first time for 10 days, I lost 12 pounds and felt better than I ever have mentally, and physically. The second time, I did 5 days and lost 9 pounds. I don't do it to loose weight, but to rid my body of toxins and it really works! The person who posted that got bad migraines probably normally drinks caffene and the sudden shock to his system caused the migraines. I only felt a slight headache (I don't drink any caffene)and that went away after day 2. It is empowering to know that food doesn't control me, that I control it! Everyone always complinemts me on how great my skin looks while on a cleanse, they say I glow! And I must, because I feel that great on the inside too!!
I too am a doctor of internal medicine, and I do reccomen the Mater Cleanse as a healthy way to start a healthy lifestyle...DO NOT use this as a reducing diet. You must break this fast gradually and start eating healthy. I do thisnk colon cleanse are very important. Overuse of laxitives is dangerous , but a ten to even twenty days is not detrimental to one's health..at alll!
I think that even those that say that they have tried this cleanse should research it further. It is not just plain maple syrup either. It has to be a second or third tap as well. The salt water acts as a natural laxitive. The teas that you drink also must be natural laxitive teas. Also, if you get the original book about it, it also states that for proper cleansing, you should try to stay on the master cleanse for 40 days... not 10. AND there is a proper way to stop taking the cleanse as well. Liquid broths etc. And you do get terrible sick when you are taking it. Such as headakes that you CANNOT take anything for. Also, it is highly reccomened that you do a intensive colon and parasite cleanse before you start the master cleanse, as it is designed to remove toxins. The maple syrup only feed the parasites in your body, as they love sugars.
Also... to the docotrs that posted that this is not a good thing to do to your body... I am sure that all of the prescriptions that you prescribe are so much better. This is not a "fast" it is a toxin cleanse.
MBM... if you could have made it through a few more days, the headakes would have gone away, and you would have felt like a totally different person at the end. Perhaps you should try a parasite cleanse and a colon cleanse (not at the same time) first. That should help the head ake to not be so intense. Vomiting is a natural way also to cleanse the body of toxins as well as parasites.
The first parasite cleanses that I took made me so sick and vomiting. But trust me... it is worth it in the end. Also, as far as having to bowel movements, you need to research a little bit more (not to lecture) before you start something like this. Because you are not putting any solids into your body, it is hard for your bowels to function. Therefore, you NEED to take a herbal laxitive tea everynight and about every other day to every 3 days drink salt water. As much as you can get into you. If you make it with luke warm water, it is best, as cold or hot will make you vomit. And it is not pleasent in the first place, and you will have to fight to get it down. Did your friend that put the weight on maintain a proper green diet and did she go off of the cleanse properly? Because if not, you can really make yourself ill and you can put on weight.
If anyone is considering this cleanse, please look into it as much as you can. And to the people that are asking if they can eat, the answer is NO. Definatly not. You can become ill if you do. You can (if absolutly necissary) drink NATURAL soup broths.
J Whitely
Natural Health Practitioner
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