Bathing suit season is almost here. While it may be a little late to begin an exercise regimen and start eating right to have a rock hard body and tight buns, you’re just on time to hop onboard the slim down bandwagon. A quick and easy way to drop some pounds is by doing a lemonade detox diet. This latest fad diet from Hollywood is pretty intense and requires you to substitute every meal of the day for a special concoction you cook up right at home. Don’t be fooled, you’re not really drinking just lemonade, that title is more of a euphemism. But enough talking about the diet is, here is a simple step by step how to so you’ll be brewing up a batch in your kitchen in minutes.

1. Start with a typical eight ounce water glass from your kitchen. Fill it half way with cold water.

2. Grab a fresh lemon from the grocery store or, if you have one on hand, from your fridge. Cut it in half and squeeze each portion into your water glass. Make sure you don’t get any seeds or lemon debris into your mixture as it could make the drink go down less smoothly.

3. Here is where things get a little different from standard lemonade. Add two tablespoons of maple syrup. This provides you with calories for fuel in the form of raw sugar. This way you won’t pass out in the middle of the day from lack of nourishment.

4. After you have stirred in your maple syrup, toss in a few dashes of fresh ginger or cayenne pepper. These ingredients agitate your digestive system and speeds up the rate at which you metabolize food. Ginger will also settle your stomach and make the detox diet go a bit smoother while cayenne pepper will help you lose weight faster. The choice is yours in this instance based on what results you’re looking for and personal tastes.

5. Once you have everything tossed in, go ahead and stir it all up so all ingredients are evenly distributed.

6. Finally, fill the remainder of your glass up with another portion of cold water. Stir again. Go ahead and toss your beverage back.

The duration of a lemonade detox diet varies but typically will last between two or three weeks. Drink this mixture six to eight times per day as a meal substitute in order to receive the greatest weight loss benefits. Typical results for weight loss are around twelve to twenty pounds per session. After you have completed a detox regimen, nurse your digestive system back to good working order by starting with a liquid diet consisting of broths and soups and then slowly integrating fruits and vegetables. A word of warning, be prepared to use the bathroom a lot with this diet. A liquid diet goes through you like, well, water. Typical side effects for a lemonade detox diet include weakness, nausea and lack of energy.

Image via Wikipedia