By Julia Szabo
“My line of work has given me exposure to some of the most intelligent and fascinating people—people who change the world,” says Maureen Stapleton, a Coldwell Banker Mason Morse global luxury real estate specialist based in Aspen/Snowmass. She isn’t bragging; she is being thankful for her dynamic clientele. Three years ago, one such client turned friend asked if Stapleton might be interested in traveling to an Arizona resort to do a [medically supervised] water cleanse together, for mutual support. Not quite ready to follow her friend’s full seven-day program, but intrigued by the potential health benefits of ingesting only water (while practicing meditation and doing light exercise), Stapleton committed to a shorter fast: “I agreed to drink water only for three days, while checking my blood pressure, blood oxygen and heart rate throughout the process,” she recalls. “The second day was the hardest!”
Going through six or seven glass liter bottles of spring water each day had unexpectedly positive results. “By the third day, I felt amazing: My mind felt so clear, I felt so light, like something really great was happening to me,” says Stapleton. “At that point, I said, I’m going to try for five days!” Staying calm and relaxed was key. Both travelers did light stretching and yoga, and enjoyed daily spa treatments. On day five, Stapleton decided to join her friend for the full seven-day fast. “The minute after seven days were up, I said, ‘I’m done.’” Careful to break their fast in a healthy manner, the duo slowly transitioned back to eating solid food. “We went to a restaurant and ordered bone broth. I also had some fresh papaya—which tasted so incredibly sweet! It was unbelievable how different things tasted.” After that, unhealthy foods (notably, packaged items) lost their appeal; a craving for nutritious liquid led Stapleton to purchase a juicer. These days, her favorite breakfast is a green blend of cucumber, spinach, ginger, lemon and celery: “I’m so addicted to my green juice in the morning!” she says.
Since that epic first fast, Stapleton has completed four more, and the natural high she’s felt after each one has impacted every aspect of her life: “It put me on a path of being really healthy. Now, in addition to hiking, I do the Lagree Method on the Megaformer—it’s like Pilates, but with a challenging twist.” The regimen also whetted her appetite for adventure: “I have traveled more this year than I have in the past 10 years: a spa stay in Switzerland, paddleboarding on Kauai, hiking in Croatia, digging my feet in the sand of Mexico, and I’m not usually a beach girl.”
The thirst for exciting experiences has positively impacted business, too. “Last year was my best year ever in Aspen real estate,” she adds, while getting ready to depart for a stay in St. Barts. “I closed well over $100 million in sales last year (2021), and this year looks to be equal…maybe better, with two career-best top-dollar sales in 2022. I can’t say this is all because of the water cleansing—but it has definitely empowered me to live my healthiest life.”