In a way, I don’t have too much to report. Living on nothing but lemonade with maple syrup and pepper for 6 days has not been as miserable as many predicted it would be. On the other hand, it has not led to a newfound clarity or the spiritual nirvana others predicted. In other words, I don’t feel like much has changed.

The diet has not been that hard to keep and my willpower has not really been tested. I am constantly a little hungry, but not so hungry that it is distracting. I was rather light headed and a bit dizzy for the past few days, but this too seems to have subsided especially since I amped the maple syrup dosage to two thirds the recommended dose (up from half) and drink a table spoon of maple syrup if I feel too light headed.

I have found a few ways to make the diet much easier. I substituted the lemons for limes which I found have much more taste. I really hated the taste of the cayenne pepper and decreased the dose of that and now really like the drink (I would love it if it had no cayenne pepper at all).

On a daily basis, I drink around 2-3 liters of the lemonade (half a gallon to three quarters of a gallon) (8 to 12 250 ml glasses). I also drink about a liter of water. I always drank 3-4 liters per day so this is not exceptional. I can’t be bothered to prepare the drink every time I am thirsty or hungry so I prepare a 4 liter (a bit more than a gallon) pitcher in the morning and carry around a two liter bottle with me during the day. To prepare the lemonade for 4 liters, the dosage that works best for me is as follows:

• Squeeze 8 lemons or lime with a juicer
• Put 24 table spoons of maple syrup (32 is the recommended dose, but that tasted too sweet and 16 left me too dizzy
• Put half a tea spoon of cayenne pepper (the “correct” does would be one and a half a tea spoon)
• Fill the rest of the pitcher with tap water

That’s it! I don’t feel very different physically and was able to play tennis without difficulty. I don’t think I look very different, but according to the scale, I have been losing around two pounds per day and am now 10 pounds lighter than when I started. I am sure a lot of that is water weight I will regain once I start eating normally again.

I assume a lot of the benefits of the cleanse come from completely avoiding alcohol, caffeine and junk food, while becoming well hydrated rather than the elimination of “toxins”, but regardless of how it works, as long as it works, I can’t complain.

Some people got disgusted by food while on the diet, but I can tell you there is no chance of that happening to me. I looked in envy while my friends were eating delicious looking grilled tuna steaks, pear and gorgonzola salads and a huge selection of amazing looking fruits. The amazing smell of super thin crust truffle and mushroom pizza and barbequed cheeseburgers and hotdogs also left my mouth watering. After 6 days of the bland monotony of the lemonade, I cherish the thought of giving my palate sensory diversity.

To avoid losing too much weight or becoming unhealthy, I will probably stop my cleanse after 10 or 11 days, this Monday or Tuesday, and slowly transition to fruits, soups and salads before making my way to more consistent food. As I am in Buenos Aires, I am looking forward to my first grilled lomo next Thursday or Friday!