The Clean Program
How a self-proclaimed “non-foodie” discovered simple, good, healing foods: Total satisfaction guaranteed.
Three years ago, I was on steroids due to painful dental work gone wonky and fearing crazy side effects like acne, increased appetite, weight gain, high blood pressure, and difficulty sleeping (to name just a few). In my typical ‘can-do’ approach to life — decided to take healing into my own hands.
Averse to drugs in general (no Botox for me), I instinctively felt there was a better way. After reflecting on people whose health I admired, I picked up a book that had been collecting dust on my shelf -- Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself by Dr. Alejandro Junger.
It was a gift from my friend and client Christy Turlington Burns, whose outer and inner glow goes way beyond her incredible skin and bone structure. Every time Christy came in for a treatment, her radiance and positive energy would prompt me to ask: “How do you do it?”
Turlington’s answer, time after time, was: “The Clean Program.”
The Clean Program the go-to detox plan that wellness insiders (Think: Gwyneth Paltrow and Donna Karan) embrace. The goal of the program is to replant the good stuff (essential vitamins, minerals, good bacteria) in your stomach, while repairing the intestinal wall, calming the immune system, and replenishing the gut brain to jump start serotonin production — ultimately delivering a happier, healthier you.
In Poland, where I grew up, food is sourced locally, and I never struggled with health or weight issues. The idea of a diet comprised of organic, unprocessed foods resonates very strongly with me.
As a self described “non-foodie”, I tend to find myself not interested in complicated recipes, or cooking at all, but I was VERY interested in fixing my compromised immune system.
The book’s menus focus on a diet of pure foods like good-quality lean meats and fish, fruit, rice, beans and legumes, vegetables, greens, nuts and seeds, avocado and oils like coconut and olive — minus any gluten, dairy, processed sugar, coffee, and alcohol.
Dr. Junger’s basic rule: if you can’t pronounce it, don’t put it in your body. Stick to whole foods as much as possible; anything that looks like it does when it’s in nature, growing on the tree, bush or out of the ground, is a safe bet for being nutritious and energy-producing.
Eating within The Clean Diet’s new parameters, I dropped a dress size and the pain inside of my mouth has noticeably diminished. Motivated by looking and feeling better, I continue to follow the program to this day.
I absolutely ‘fall off the wagon’ every now and then, especially when I am traveling. My weaknesses are definitely Lady M cakes along with daily doses of espresso (which I have substituted for my signature dry cappuccinos)…What is life without some guilty pleasures?
