The Clean Diet: Newest Celebrity Fad?

It’s no secret that celebrities feel the pressure to look beautiful, to be thin and smart and the best at what they do. Many mere mortals share that trait, and both groups often jump in headfirst to diets and weight loss programs outside the standard norm. It’s considered newsworthy to highlight the latest fast and diet trend, particularly in products that lack any celebrity endorsement.

While Jenny Craig has its Valerie Bertinelli, Nutrisystem has Marie Osmond, and Jennifer Hudson is touting Weight Watchers, there are hundreds of diet systems that lack star power, and will work all the angles to garner publicity. Two weeks ago Master Cleanse jumped on the bandwagon when Demi Moore mentioned trying the liquid-only detxing cleanse. (Trying being the operative word as she admittedly lasted less than a week on the program.) This week it’s the Clean diet that is making news, again with Ms. Moore providing the buzz. (Although in all fairness Gwyneth Paltrow has endorsed this product in the past and Debra Messing and Mariska Hargitay have used the program.)

Clean: Remove, Restore, Rejuvenate is the brainchild of Dr. Alejandro Junger, a New York City cardiologist and practitioner of integrative medicine. This  21-day detox program is designed to remove toxic chemicals that have invaded the body. According to Clean literature,  “As the toxicity of modern life increases and disrupts our systems on a daily basis, bombarding us through our standard American diet and chemical-filled environments, our ability to handle the load hasn’t accelerated at the same rapid pace.” Hence, the Clean detox system to the rescue.

The Clean program has a cost of $350, which includes everything you need for the three-week program except for your daily lunch meal. The kit includes brown-rice based shake powders that contain “nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients,” fiber powder, probiotics, herbal antimicrobials (used to treat gut bacteria), and an herbal supplement.

Ordering the Clean kit allows you to join the Clean community online where there are educational videos and forums. During the 21-day program you use the products to make one shake in the morning and one shake in the evening. You also take supplements that are supplied. You get one meal per day, best eaten at mid-day. In addition to eating these three meals, there are specific guidelines for the detox program: