While the Maple Syrup Diet implies eating nothing but maple syrup, the weight-loss program involves more than consuming a sweet, sticky substance. Designed by Stanley Burroughs in 1941, the diet – also referred to as the lemonade diet or the master cleanse diet – aims to cleanse the body of toxins and promote healthy eating patterns. Under the program, a person drinks a mixture consisting of lemons, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper for at least 10 days while avoiding solid food. The Maple Syrup Diet can be used as a method to lose weight quickly.
Besides a method of shedding pounds, Burroughs designed the diet with the purpose of purifying the kidneys and digestive system, and relieving the body of congestion. He discovered that when maple syrup was combined with lemons, it formed a cleansing and loosening agent. Burroughs also promoted the method as a detox diet where a person could eliminate the desire for drugs, alcohol, and tobacco after following the plan.
A person on the Maple Syrup Diet will need to drink at least six glasses of a specially made mixture. The recipe calls for adding 2 ounces (about 59.14 ml) of fresh lemon juice, 2 ounces of grade B maple syrup (about 59.16 ml), and 1/4 teaspoon (about 1.23 ml) of cayenne pepper with 2 cups (about .47 l) of purified water. After mixing all the ingredients, the recipe makes two servings. The Maple Syrup Diet requires consuming approximately 10 servings daily.
In addition to the lemon mixture, a follower of the Maple Syrup Diet is encouraged to consume a saltwater flush in the morning to eliminate the body’s toxins. The flush combines 2 tablespoons (about 29.6 ml) of sea salt with 1 quart (about .95 l) of warm water. In the evening, a dieter may want to drink a cup of an herbal laxative tea. The tea promotes bowel movements since no solid food is being consumed during the diet.
Under the Maple Syrup Diet, a person may be able to lose a pound (about .45 kg) a day by following the regimen because of the low-calorie intake. When a follower of the program wants to come off the diet, he or she gradually starts eating solid foods again. Being a radical change in eating habits, a person following the Maple Syrup Diet may experience hunger pangs, diarrhea, queasiness, vomiting, or dizziness. Before engaging in the Maple Syrup Diet, a person may want to consult with a physician.