Hooked On Beauty New Review: What is the Clean Program & Do Cleanses Work?

[Hooked On Beauty]

I first head about Dr. Alejandro Junger's Clean program HERE on a
Goop.com newsletter from Gwyneth Paltrow who interviewed Dr. Junger
just after she completed her 3 weeks on the plan. It was interesting
to me because she's not overweight, and she wasn't wanting to starve
herself, she just wanted to ditch some sluggishness and awaken her
digestion which she did while also losing a few extra pounds she'd
gained- an added bonus. She ate and nourished her body the whole time
so she could continue to exercise and be an active mommy. Clean was
allowing her system a much needed rest. Of course the byproduct of the
cleanse is weight loss, but it isn't its first priority, its first
priority is better health. The kind of health that you can feel
throughout your entire body, that radiates out of your pores in a way
that's visible to you and those around you. I was sold. I reached out
to Clean*, got out my blender and went for it.

I have to say first that I didn't believe in doing cleanses. I'd heard
about the master cleanse and other fasts and my impression was that
this just something people did to lose weight quickly, which is why my
friends gave me the hardest time when I announced to them that I'd be
doing Clean's program so I could review it here for you. My admittedly
slight frame wasn't exactly what would come to mind when you'd think
about who should be dong a cleanse, and I didn't want to lose weight,
but I'm always interested in better health. After all, why are we
buying expensive creams and getting all dolled up if we're just
filling our bodies with junk and making ourselves sick?

How Clean Came to be and How it Works

Clean was born because of Dr. Junger's own health decline after
medical school. He eventually found a two week juice fast that quickly
restored his health and shaved off 15 pounds and about 10 years
according to friends. He was determined to combine the juice-only
results with science-proven supplements and nutrition to help with
detoxification so our bodies can release the junk we store up that
leads to all kinds of illnesses. He found that when our organs become
overwhelmed they can't detoxify which causes inflammation,
malfunction, and the collapse of our systems. When our bodies are
focused on digestion, they aren't detoxifying. Giving that constant
digestion a break allows for the body to heal itself naturally, repair
damage, and restore functionality. A huge benefit unique to the
program are its nutrients specifically designed to promote gut repair
which is where 80% of our immune tissues live, a starting point for
many illnesses.

What to Expect on a Clean Cleanse

Just the term 'cleanse' sounds so elitist and unappealing, but the
people at Clean are some of the nicest and approachable around. They
believe so strongly in helping people achieve better health that they
make themselves available throughout your entire journey should you
need them for anything. They also have a huge online community forum
where you can share recipes, read journal entries and watch videos
from other people doing Clean.

I have to admit that I was really nervous that first morning of the
program. I'd never been on a diet of any kind, so putting rules around
my eating was really scary. I took the supplements that accompany the
cleanse, 4 of the 5 you take 3 times daily when you eat: Clear 1, a
digestive support, Clear 2, herbs that support your immune system and
help with the detoxification, Ease for enzyme-based digestion support,
Balance to regulate your blood sugar, and Encourage, a super probiotic
to calm irritable bowels and bring your intestinal flora back in
balance. I made a yummy smoothie using a scoop of Nourish, a rice
protein and vitamin packed meal replacement formula with Move, a fiber
blend, along with some frozen blueberries, almond butter, and almond
milk (there are a ton of variations in making the smoothies, that's
just what I did.) I traded off using the vanilla and chocolate
flavored Nourish (which were both surprisingly tasty) since you're
having a smoothie every morning and night, I liked having that flavor
variety.

Lunch is when you eat. You make food excluding the few things on their
Elimination Diet, a guide to help you choose the least allergy and
mucus producing foods. This guide alone led me down a path to figure
out what foods weren't working for me. I made batches of soups ahead
of time that I enjoyed for several days with salads. I also did a lot
of brown rice or quinoa with steamed veggies. I'm a vegetarian, so
this was pretty close to a typical lunch and I felt comfortable eating
a complete yet light meal. I felt great after and could return to work
clear headed and ready to go. Preparation is key, so plan out your
meals ahead of time so they can be made quickly.

After the first few days, you develop a pattern and it gets easier.
I'm the type of person who needs to chew to feel full so even though
the smoothie filled me up, my mind wanted something more. This
eventually faded away even though I did snack a few times in between
meals (totally allowed) on fruit or nuts for a little nibble. I also
loved the lightness from having a liquid dinner. I didn't feel like a
blob at night just waiting for the time to pass so I could go to bed.
I realized that I may have been eating too lightly in the afternoon
which caused me to eat more at night and feel heavy, another habit
I've since changed.

Jenny, a Clean Wellness Counselor was to relax, listen to my body, and
be patient with myself. Why did it take a stranger to give me
permission to nap once in a while, something I'm pretty stubborn about
doing because it feels like such a waste of precious, productive
time..?

What I learned from Clean

For me, the program ended up being a big learning experience. When I
finished, I was inspired to continue better health and to listen to
what my body is telling me, especially when it's begging me to slow
down. I also found out a whole new community of people like Dhrumil
and Philip over at WeLikeItRaw.com, a site that inspires me daily with
the guys' passion for life and care for others. These two have a fun
and unique approach to health and living, and they're such great
friends that Philip made Dhru this touching video as a birthday gift
which included all of his friends giving their sweet birthday wishes
(note to self, do that for someone!). I was beginning to understand
that being patient and kind to your body and yourself as Jenny had
encouraged, can trickle into an awakening to how I viewed others and
approached life. I know it sounds a little out there, but I felt a
shift, a re-focus and not just with food but with where I wanted to
put my energy in life. Things just seemed a lot clearer all of a
sudden.

So if you're wondering what can happen in just a few weeks when you do
the Clean Program, I guess the answer is... anything. Will you lose
weight? Yes. Will you feel better? Probably. Will you be able to see
an improvement in your skin? Definitely. But, will you get more out of
the time beyond just shedding inches and drinking smoothies? I really
hope so. I know I did



* Full disclosure: I sent Clean an email after reading about it asking
if I could review the line so they mailed a kit for me to try free of
charge. I didn't promise a positive review or anything at all
actually, I simply told them I wanted to review a cleanse for my
readers who have been asking about the benefits of cleansing for the
skin.


For external links to the information provided in this post, please go
directly to http://www.hookedonbeauty.com/2010/11/what-is-clean-program-do-cleanses-work.html