It’s called Beyonce’s Diet – the drastic method singer Beyonce Knowles used to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks for her starring role in the move Dreamgirls.
It actually isn’t Beyonce’s diet at all – she used the Master Cleanse diet devised way back in 1941 by New York alternative health advocate Stanley Burroughs. Sometimes called the lemonade diet, the Burroughs’ program is a 10-day liquid detox designed to rid the body of harmful substances that accumulate through poor diet.
Because one of the byproducts of this diet is rapid weight loss, it’s become a favourite way for Hollywood stars to lose weight fast before they face the cameras.
As Beyonce explained in an interview with the BBC, her Dreamgirls character Dina performed in the 1960s when models like Twiggy were popular. “I knew Dina would have been thin then. So even though I really love eating, it was necessary to lose weight really fast because we shot Dina at 16 and Dina at 36, two weeks apart,” Beyonce says.
“My nutritionist suggested the only way to do that was the fast,” Beyonce said.
While Beyonce achieved spectacular results, you need to be cautious before you rush out and buy the lemons, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and purified water that are used for the Master Cleanse.
First, a liquid-only diet is psychologically very tough and even Beyonce says she couldn’t have done it if she hadn’t got the motivation of a movie to prepare for.
Second, while a detox can really help restore vitality and clear up skin problems, eating no food for 10 days is very unnatural.
Third, it’s fine to lose weight fast, but keeping it off will require a change in lifestyle. Think balanced diet and regular exercise.
