From the Master Cleanse to the all-juice fasts, detox diets are as popular as the celebrities that swear by them. So when uber-star Gwyneth Paltrow discussed how her 3-week Clean detox diet created by Dr. Alejandro Junger, who has also authored a book by the same name, many of us put down our glasses of cayenne pepper, maple syrup and lemon water and listened.
A health devotee in addition to being a mother, wife, actress, and writer for her very own GOOP blog, Gwyneth used this 3-week detoxification to get rid of a few extra pounds and lighten up all around. After 21 days of sipping raw juices and gently noshing on watercress, miso soup and raspberry and rice milk smoothies, the Academy Award-winning actress professed to feeling “pure, happy and much lighter.”
The brain’s and creativity behind Clean is Dr. Junger, a New York City-based internal medicine doctor who after moving to the Big Apple as a resident from his native Uruguay developed irritable bowel syndrome and depression. Disenchanted by many of the modern-day treatments he turned to alternative and holistic forms of healing to treat his condition. In his book Clean, he discusses how cleanses have been around thousands of years, but much of their knowledge and practice has gotten lost over generations. Given our current toxic environment, Dr. Junger’s Clean programs put our detoxification systems on full speed, while supporting our bodies to maximize their effectiveness.
Unlike many cleanses, which require that you eat close to nothing and consume a number of fiber-rich supplements that can lead to some serious and uncomfortable tummy troubles and potential electrolyte imbalances, the Clean detox program has you eating food or drinking a smoothie or juice five times a day. The Clean Program eases digestion by providing two liquid meals a day and a solid one in between, eliminating allergenic and mucus-forming food, which frees up even more energy, says Dr. Junger.
In addition, Gwyneth maintained a regular yoga and fitness schedule while also abstaining from alcohol, sugar, caffeine, grains, gluten, soy, dairy, meat or anything processed. Although she didn’t reveal precisely how many pounds she lost during the three-week program, she followed the well-outlined plan with strict adherence, never caving in to a nibble of this or that.
Here is the complete review of Dr. Junger’s Clean detox program.