The Maple Syrup Diet - also known as Lemon Cleansing Diet, the Lemonade Diet or the Master Cleanse - is one of those things you talk about in a whisper and wonder which masochistic soul out there actually invented it - in this case, a man by the name of Stanley Borroughs who developed it back in the 1950's. Trouble is, there are a lot of purely horrific rumors going round about this diet, half of which are probably true. It's enough to say that R&B superstar Beyonce Knowles openly admits to having used it to cut back 20 pounds in just 10 days while she was filming "Dreamgirls" - which makes it one of those guilty celebrity secrets we like to explore.

So, here it is, but be warned - it is an extremely radical weight loss solution that's not recommended for those of you seeking a natural way to cut weight, and it's only safe to use for a very short interval - somewhere between three and five or six days, or until you feel your body can't take it anymore. Also, in the first two days you'll get something called a "cleansing reaction" (which is no more than some good, old-fashioned diarrhea). Also, provided you get through it the first time, wait at least four weeks before you repeat the whole operation.

Here is how you do it. Take a one-gallon jug and pour in the following:

3 quarts of water

1 cup lemon juice

1 cup pure maple syrup (not maple flavored, real syrup) or molasses

1 teaspoon cayenne

Shake it all up and drink between 8 and 12 glasses every day.

Your body will detoxify, and you'll experience a whole range of side-effects, from aches, pains and fatigue to mental irritability. If you really want to do this thing properly and push the cleansing to the extreme, also drink a cup of laxative tea every evening. Whatever you do, however, do not go back on a normal diet as soon as you're through with your maple syrup diet. Start slow. Drink unsweetened fruit juice on the first day after stopping the diet, begin to eat soup on the second day, light foods on the third day and so on. Remember - this is a cleansing diet and not primarily intended for weight loss, but if you decide to do it nevertheless, be careful to plan ahead and do everything properly.