Book Review – Clean by Alejandro Junger, M.D.

One of my goals this year is to eat healthier.  To that end, I have watched Food, Inc., eliminated most fast food, and planted a garden (I even ate a salad with lettuce from my garden for the first time!).

I am not only looking for ways to eat healthier, but also to live healthier.  I have had some digestive issues that have remained somewhat unresolved (although much better), and as I was doing research on the levels of toxins, I was astonished.  Really.  Pretty much everything around us in our homes, foods that we eat (except organic), environmental toxins, cleaning products, personal care products…all have a high level of toxins present.  Some are obvious, some are sneaky.

So, I have begun to make small changes.  First, switching from chemical based cleaners to antibacterial microfiber cleaning cloths from Norwex and their line of enzyme-based and natural cleaners.  Next, switching to natural personal care products (also from Norwex) because what we put on our skin is absorbed and affects our bodies just as much as the food we eat (think of all the topical cream medications…).  And lastly, eliminating toxins from my food sources.

It was the later (as well as a recommendation from a friend, and several “hints” from God) that brought me to the book Clean by Alejandro Junger, M.D. I’ve just finished the book on a recent trip and must say that they information contained inside was extremely revealing (and scary)!  So much of the book made sense in light of my health and how I am personally feeling.  Lots of scientific evidence is included backing up what information is presented.

Here’s the cliff notes version and what I plan to do about it…

Our bodies are constantly being bombarded with toxins – on our foods, in our homes and workplaces, and from the environment.  As I mentioned above, almost everything has something toxic in it.  These are substances that are proven to be toxic just by themselves.  But, we are exposed to multiple things at the same time.  These toxins can interact with each other to make even more of a toxic problem.

God created our bodies with all the necessary mechanisms to “detox” ourselves and rid our bodies of toxins as they enter.  The problem lies with the fact that we are overloading the system.  Our bodies are so busy detoxing 24/7 that the systems never get to rest (and more than likely are behind on the toxic buildup).  So, toxins start to accumulate and then present themselves as health problems and diseases.  You could view this as your body trying to send you a signal to stop the toxin intake.

This is where detoxing comes in.  A detox is a specific time where you reduce the toxic load on your body.  By eating organic foods, as well as foods more in their natural or raw state, or those that are easily digested, your body can stop spending so much time on digestion (one of the highest energy consuming activities we do, and unfortunately, we overfeed our bodies on top of the toxins we are taking in too – so kind of a double whammy), and instead focus on healing and ridding the body of toxins.

The Clean Program is designed to be somewhat of a mild detox, complete with the ability to function fully in normal every day life, instead of “shocking” your system with a deep, intense detox (which can affect your ability to function fully).  The first few days are spent easing in to the detox by following an elimination diet.  That would be eliminating all possible allergen foods from your diet – this alone starts to ease up on your body.  Then, you enter a 21 day detox, where you are still using foods from the elimination diet, but now you have a liquid meal for breakfast and dinner, and a normal meal for lunch, with a 12 hour waiting period between eating dinner and breakfast to allow your body to enter a detox mode.  It’s also recommended that you take supplements along the way to support your body in rebuilding the body’s natural flora (that is pretty much in a shambles because of toxic overload at the beginning).

This results in your system getting cleaned out and tuned up to function optimally.  It also allows you to find out potential allergies to foods by reintroducing them one at a time after the detox.  Allowing your body to detox this way gives you kind of a “fresh slate”.  The book is full of testimonies of lives changed, bodies healed, diseases reversed – all because the body was given the ability to detox.

What will I do?

Starting tomorrow, I am starting an elimination diet.  Since my diet is not so great to begin with, I am planning on following the elimination diet for longer than the book recommends before starting the 21 day cleanse (this is also due to a business function smack dab in the middle of the next few weeks, which may be a bit more challenging if I were in the middle of my cleanse.).  Then, I’ll follow the 21 day cleanse and detox program.

It’s going to be a challenge (especially since I have 2 cases of soda in my laundry room that I will not be able to drink for the next 6 weeks or so!), but the detox cleanse can only help – it’s not a far out way of eating – just a healthier one.

I’ll keep you posted on my journey.

To your success,

Dr. Laura

P.S.  Do yourself a favor – get educated – get the book Clean by Alejandro Junger, M.D.

P.P.S.  Gwyneth Paltrow’s web site GOOP also has some great information.

This post is part of Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist