When Beyonce stepped out as the role of the slender Deena Jones in the 2006 movie "Dreamgirls", she was 20 pounds lighter and looking better than ever. In an interview with Oprah, Beyonce admitted that she used the Master Cleanse diet to drop the excess weight.. "The Master Cleanser", developed by Stanley Burroughs in the 1940's, details a liquid diet "fast" that is said to promote weight loss and overall health through dieting and detoxification. TIf you Google "Master Cleanse" you will find that there are many different variations of the fast. Here is my own adaptation that I have found to be both easy to follow and effective.

The fasting period usually ranges from 1 week to 4 weeks at a time, but I recommend that you start with one week for your first cleanse, and then two weeks for your next cleanses. I would not exceed two weeks.

Each morning you will prepare the majority of your day's calories in the ingredients listed above. I use a 64 ounce Thermos-like container called the Bubba Keg, but you can use whatever works best for you. Combine the lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper, and then add 24 - 40 ounces of water. This will dilute the mixture, making it taste more like lemonade, and less like a syrup (this will be enough for one day). Sip the mixture over the course of the day, especially when you start to feel hungry. Make sure to continue to drink additional water throughout the day.

Choose one meal per day to include the solid food component (vegetables only). I prefer lunchtime, but you can try whatever works best for you. Steam 1 - 1.5 cups vegetables (green beans, carrots, medley, etc.). Green Giant makes great pre-packaged single serving frozen vegetable medleys, but you'll want to avoid anything will sauces because it could add to your cravings rather than quenching them.

During the cleansing period, your body will need assistance in making...uh, regular deposits. Once each day, you will want to drink either an herbal laxative tea or a sea salt combo (see directions below). I prefer to do this at night, but you will want to schedule it around your daily agenda. Both methods work pretty quickly, and you will want to be within close range of a toilet. It can begin working in as soon as a half hour, and the "sessions" can last up to a couple of hours (though it will be less as you gradually work solid foods out of your system).

Some variations suggest that you "ease in" to the diet to help your body adjust to the "fast", but since this version does not entirely remove solid foods, you shouldn't need to. Easing out, however, is essential. At the end of each cleanse, your body will need help readjusting to regular foods and eating habits. During the first day of the easing out process, you will want to introduce a vegetable juice to your diet (either in place of or in addition to the lemonade mixture). If you don't have the time/patience to juice your own vegetables, V-8 will work just fine. For the next day, you can add whole fruits and vegetables back into your diet (still avoiding meats). Since this version never completely removes solid food, 2 days should be enough to ease out of the Master Cleanse.