Summer and Dieting

It is that time of the year again: Summer! The sun is out, the people just look happier, everywhere you turn is green (at least where I live) and I must confess I have developed a little crush on the weatherman for giving the best news: warmer days ahead. I honestly forget that there are that many people living in the same neighborhood during winter. Then summer is around the corner and everyone is out. And I must say I love it. It is so lively with so many people around, it seems like everything comes back to life: the bikers, the joggers, the skateboarders, the dog-walkers …. everyone.

Except the heat, the sun, the shorts and the spaghetti strap tops, summer is also well known for vacations. That screams :BIKINI SEASON. And it is nothing but a secret nowadays that we all want to look our best specially body-wise. I decided to jump in with the rest of the crowd and give myself the summer retreat: detoxing. All those pizzas, the spaghetti, the french fries, the sodas and the alcohol need a good wash-away.

During my life I have met a lot of people who have gone to extreme extents and pushed themselves to the limits to get in shape whether it is those abs or the hourglass figure. I myself am a huge “food consumer” and my friend refer to me. I enjoy cooking the food and most definitely eating it. But once in a while I like to give my “digestive system” a break and go easy on the food while focusing on consuming more liquids. Less than a month ago I went to lunch with my friend and when she ordered a lemonade only I must say I was quite surprised, of course considering we went out for lunch. And that is how I was formally introduced to what is known as the “Master Cleanser Detox”. The lemonade based drink with a hint of maple syrup and cayenne pepper. In three days she had already lost six pounds and as appealing as it sounded to me I was not sure whether I would be able to bring myself to doing it. However I decided I would try it.

While I was definitely not looking forward to the taste of the drink I was surprised to find that was not all that tasteless. It has the amazing taste of lemonade, the sweetness of the maple syrup followed by the tingling sensation from the cayenne pepper. I tried it for seven days and I must say I am quite fascinated by the results. I lost 10 pounds however I must admit that it was not all that easy. I I had food cravings specially in the first couple of days however the rest of the week was better. The one thing that I liked about it was that I was never really hungry.

As happy as I was with the way the detoxing proceeded I must confess that I was quite worried about any side effects. A rapid weight loss can not be all that great even though it might be just what you were looking for. But sometimes we tend to receive more than what we bargained for. With that in mind I did not start the detoxing out of nowhere. The previous week I had begun lowering my calorie intake by eating smaller portions of food and I exercised for 40 minutes instead of 30 five days a week. I felt that it prepared me better physically to face any feeling of indolence. I exercised in regular basis as usual during the detoxing process and I did not feel either more or less tired.

Fast and good results, but if you are not in a rush of losing weight, I would not suggest it. I know that we want to get there fast and easy but there are many other ways and diets followed by exercise that have proved to be useful. More exercise, less food, earlier diners, all work. I have tried them and they work. The only reason why I decided to put myself through the Master Cleanser Detox was to try if it really works. And it does however it does not remain my first choice to losing weight.

For those who might be interested in trying it, I will accompany this article with the recipe for the lemonade:

1. 2 L of water

2. 3 freshly squeezed lemons (preferably organic)

3. 1 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper

4. ~ 8 spoons of maple syrup

Mix them all well and drink the lemonade about 4-5 times a day. Remember to take slow steps rather than just waking up one morning and deciding you will not eating anything after last night’s dinner but rather drink a spicy lemonade. Enjoy the summer!