(CBS) 

MASTER CLEANSE

This is what many people think of when they picture a cleansing diet. It was actually developed in the 1940s, and popularized by a book in the 1970s.

For a minimum of 10 days, you drink only a lemonade mixture: organic grade B maple syrup, fresh-squeezed lemon or lime juice, and cayenne pepper added to spring, distilled, or purified (NOT fluoridated) water. (RECIPE: Two tablespoons of Grade A maple syrup, juice of half a lemon, 1/10 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and a quart of spring water). Once back to a regular diet, continue with the lemonade for breakfast. Once back to a regular diet, you include only small amounts of meat and no milk products, which supposedly may produce mucus and hinder digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Not surprisingly, Glassman does NOT like this diet. She points out that it contains no protein, vitamins (except C) or minerals. In other words, you are starving your body. She says you are guaranteed to gain weight after going off of the plan.

21 LBS IN 21 DAYS

This is essentialy a liquid diet that dictates only taking in 1,000 calories a day. Every two hours you drink a designated liquid. By day's end you've consumed 40-48 ounces of water, 32-40 ounces of herbal tea, 16 ounces of vegetable-based soup, and 32 ounces of either a green drink made from vegetables, vegetable juice, or a berry drink. There are no foods to chew because the goal is to "rest the gastrointestinal tract." It's suggested that you take vitamin, mineral and antioxident supplements during the cleanse.

While Glassman says this diet does offer some good suggestions on how to reduce or eliminate high-fat, high-calorie processed foods from a diet, she points out that it's quite difficult to maintain. And again, there's no scientific evidence to prove the diet actually cleanses your system.

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