Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body's Natural Ability to Heal Itself

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Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body's Natural Ability to Heal Itself

3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 · rating details · 1,199 ratings · 235 reviews

How many of us can honestly say we do not suffer from at least one of the following: Colds or viruses each year Allergies or hay fever Extra pounds that won't come off Restless nights Recurrent indigestion, constipation, or irritable bowel syndrome Itchy skin, acne, or any other troubling skin condition Depression, anxiety, or frequent fatigue

If you were to seek medical ad...more How many of us can honestly say we do not suffer from at least one of the following: Colds or viruses each year Allergies or hay fever Extra pounds that won't come off Restless nights Recurrent indigestion, constipation, or irritable bowel syndrome Itchy skin, acne, or any other troubling skin condition Depression, anxiety, or frequent fatigue

If you were to seek medical advice for any of the above, you would likely be prescribed pills, topical lotions, injections, or even surgery. Such treatments are used to manage the symptoms and do not address the root of the problem. Too often, doctors treat these common ailments as inevitable costs of living a modern life. The result is a patchwork approach to health care that has become the norm.

In "Clean," a New York City cardiologist and a leader in the field of integrative medicine, Dr. Alejandro Junger offers a major medical breakthrough. Dr. Junger argues that the majority of these common ailments are the direct result of toxic buildup in our systems accumulated through the course of our daily lives. 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. The toxins are everywhere, but "Clean" offers a solution.

"Clean" is an M.D.'s program that provides all the tools necessary to support and reactivate our detoxification system to its fullest capabilities, and can be easily incorporated into a busy schedule. The effect is transformative: nagging health problems will suddenly disappear, extra weight will drop away, and for the first time in our lives we will experience what it truly means to feel healthy.

Every day spent on the Clean program is a major step in healing not just the symptom but the root of the problem, effectively and simply. Dr. Junger's life-changing program restores what rightfully belongs to you--your health, vitality, and peace of mind.(less)

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published May 12th 2009 by HarperOne (first published 2009)

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Dec 10, 2011 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: health-nutrition, permanent-collection

This book completely changed the way I think about food -- and I already eat a pretty healthy diet. Dr. Junger provides some eye-opening information on how the standard American diet -- full of processed foods, fast foods, and other unhealthy items -- puts our bodies into a constant state of inflammation as it tries to fight off the dangerous chemicals and artificial ingredients we are consuming. As a result, the body can never fully enter into detoxification mode, and we are left with a host of...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Kimberly rated it 5 of 5 stars

I don't know what motivated me to pick this book up while browsing the newer reads my local library. Maybe it was my gut sending a signal to my brain, wanting a more conscious diet - rather than "Whatever is around that seems decent enough to eat".

This is not a "Personal Trainer to _____ writes a get thin quick book." Dr. Junger is a cardiologist who, after facing a bout of depression, decided to be more "open" about the facets of treatment for the human body. Through his studies in India and Ca...more I don't know what motivated me to pick this book up while browsing the newer reads my local library. Maybe it was my gut sending a signal to my brain, wanting a more conscious diet - rather than "Whatever is around that seems decent enough to eat".

This is not a "Personal Trainer to _____ writes a get thin quick book." Dr. Junger is a cardiologist who, after facing a bout of depression, decided to be more "open" about the facets of treatment for the human body. Through his studies in India and California, he - along with his partner at We Care, has developed an easily accessible, clear and promising way for your body to clean itself. His process is through preplanning food meals, self preparation, conscious eating, a little bit of Ayurveda and a lot of self love and self respect.

Rather than forcing the reader to consider the Clean cleanse as a lifelong dogma, Dr. Junger instead focuses on seeing the cleanse as a temporary baby step, one week as a time. He promises that you don't need to exclude everything on his list of "No Exclude These Foods" from the elimination diet. Instead, you can reintroduce them as a process of feeling out your body's reaction, after your body has reached its post cleanse optimal processing stage.

Yes, this book pretty much takes the stance of "everything in life is toxic, plan accordingly." However, I enjoyed the detail that Dr. Junger writes about the intestines, the gut brain, suggested supliments, the process of digestion and his case studies. Also refreshing was his breakdown of various other cleanses under "The Spectrum of Cleansing". Reading his analysis and comparisons of Water Fasting, The Master Cleanse, juice fasting, blended fasting, raw food, etc, was educational and interesting.

I feel the most valuable gift of this book, besides the fascinating look at the magic that is the human body's digestive track, is the recipes that are included in the book and on the program's website. As stated before, the recipes (which include free range / organic fish, pork and chicken as well as recipes for vegetarians) are accessible and look delicious.

With my own modifications (including water with 2 tsp of ACV, salad with Bragg's amino acid), I'm excited to embark and complete the program.

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Jul 15, 2012 Leslie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: health, self-help

If you've ever suffered from any health condition, big or small, this book will change your life. It is, at least, starting to change mine. I've been battling chronic, debilitating conditions my entire life and no one has ever been able to help me or offer me any answers.

Although this may look like just another detox fad, it's not. It's a whole new way of approaching wellness. It reveals the holes in Western medicine, and illuminates the path to true wellness. If you think that sounds like fluff...more

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Mar 03, 2012 David rated it 2 of 5 stars

describes fairly severe 3-week program (one solid meal/day -- no dairy, wheat, peanut butter, coffee, alcohol, sugar.........) aimed at removing toxins and restoring your gut's ability to do so more effectively.

I'm not a nutritionist so I wouldn't presume to evaluate all his claims about toxins, alkalinity of foods, etc., and some of his associated commentary about inflammation and heart disease is definitely on track from what I do know. But........

1. I'm very skeptical of any eating plan predi...more

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 02, 2011 Sue rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read about this book (author's premise and program)in Outside magazine last December.
(chk out article bv author Christopher Keyes:
http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/...
I was intrigued. So I ended up reading the book. Most (not all!) of what the author discusses and/or proposes for better health MADE SENSE. I actually did the 21 day cleanse (NO THIS IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL FAD CLEANSE OR FAST where you end up starving yourself and/or feeling lightheaded. No cayenne pepper/molasses/et al concoctio...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Tara rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is the Cleanse that my husband and I used to jump-start or new eating philosophy. The book is clear and well -written. It is very easy to follow and has all that one needs to do the cleanse and make important dietary changes. We decided to do a cleanse because my hasband was having joint pain frequently and we were convinced that it is diet related.As the Clean Program has you eliminate all known allergens from your diet, it was a good choice for us, as during the reintroduction pahse,...more This book is the Cleanse that my husband and I used to jump-start or new eating philosophy. The book is clear and well -written. It is very easy to follow and has all that one needs to do the cleanse and make important dietary changes. We decided to do a cleanse because my hasband was having joint pain frequently and we were convinced that it is diet related.As the Clean Program has you eliminate all known allergens from your diet, it was a good choice for us, as during the reintroduction pahse, post cleanse we were able to learn exaclty what food impacted my husband. The idea behind this cleanse is to allow your body the space and time and seasonal eating to optimize your body's natural detox function. The cleanse made sense for us, but it is a commitment. While I cook the majority of our meals, I had to cook ALL of them and it took me to a whole new level of meal planning! So here are the basics: 2 weeks of 3 meals a day eating from the Elimination diet. After that 2 week period, 21 days of a liquid breakfast(fresh fruit smoothies and fresh vegetables juices from the eleimnation diet) a complete lunch and a soup for dinner- all items used to create meals are from the elimination diet. While doing this, you also take 2tbs of olive oil each night, take a probiotic, antimicrobial and a liver support (if you are not already). You also allow your body 12 hours between your last meal of the day and your first of the following day- to optimize your body's natrual detox. After completing the 21 days you begin to slowly introduce items that you have avoided to see if you have an allergy. The results for us were amazing! We slept amazingly, our bodies were defintily in synch- our skin and hair looked amazing and as a by product, we both lost weight. We learned that my husband has a severe reaction to starches and have eleminiated most high starch foods. It has changed our relationship with food, made us healthier and energetic and greatly impacted our eating. We continue to have liquid breakfasts except on weekends, and we tend to have soups for dinner still. This program actually changed our lives and if you can make the commitment and feel the need to shake-up your sluggish system and re-energize- I highly recommend it!
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Sep 16, 2011 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I picked up this book at the library after reading that it is the new fad cleanse program a la the Master Cleanse and the Martha Vineyard diet. This book actually made a lot of sense. The early chapters focus on the “science” of why the body needs to detoxify. I put “science” in quotations because I don’t have the inclination to figure out if what the authors claim is true. True or not – some of the claims make sense. For instance, the author explains how our cells aren’t meant to deal with all...more

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Jul 28, 2010 Destiny rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this book while looking for a way to detox and lose weight fast. The majority of the book discusses his theories about detoxing based on his experiences. He states himself that there is no real scientific evidence because no one can get funding to research fruits and vegetables. Overall i felt his theories were pretty logical and believable.I lost 7 pounds over 2 weeks on his plan. Despite being hungry the first week things actually got better the second week and I felt pretty good. I di...more

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Aug 05, 2009 Kassin rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Health nutters

Recommended to Kassin by: Gwyneth Paltrow - no joke!

Any nutrition book that gets me to put down the madeleines and stop drinking coffee (3 days and counting!) automatically deserves a fourth star. I don't have the willpower to follow this program to the letter, but I certainly got the message. This book drives the point home about just how many bad things we are putting in our bodies, through our air, water, and food, and how it's starting to become a toxic epidemic for humans in the same way toxins are polluting the earth. Pretty interesting if...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Roxie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I don't usually read this type of book because I typically feel that self-help and dietary manuals are depressingly easy to divide into one of two camps: they're filled with snake oil and "miracle" cures or they're regurgitated common sense.

This book leans more towards the second category, with only a dash of snake oil on top, except that it seems the advice inside isn't really common sense anymore even if it should be. In general, the book offers a lot of tough love.

The point is, what we eat ef...more

1 like · like · see review

May 08, 2013 Katinka rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dislikes

Your typical American bullshit. I can't even put this book on my non-fiction shelf, that's how bad it is.

If you want to read one really loooooong infomercial about how thousands of people miraculously cured from diseases such as cancer, heart disease and so on, then this is a book for you. There is not ONE single reference to any scientific study or anything whatsoever. The author defends this by saying scientific studies cost so much money only pharmaceutical companies can do them and they will...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Chiazotam rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this book more than I did, however, the author spends WAY too much time sharing unnecessary vignettes about supposed success stories before elucidating his central point or main topic of interest--the Clean Diet--itself. The result: you feel as if you're being forced to sit through a seemingly ceaseless infomercial, instead of enjoying a book on functional or integrative medicine that ventures to say something new about the intersection of psychological wellbeing, nutriti...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Isabella Tugman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Incredible book. I HIGHLY recommend it. Learn how to feed your body so that it can heal itself.

I could relate to this book quite a bit, because I grew up eating poorly and getting sick all the time. I was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (an autoimmune disease) when I was 14, and then in college I found out I was allergic to pretty much every food out there. This led to my experimentation with diet: I've tried being vegan, eating raw, cutting out gluten and a million other things...a...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Giuliana rated it 4 of 5 stars

I followed the clean elimination diet, and thought it was excellent. Avoiding acid-causing foods makes a lot of sense to me. It is strict, though, you have to avoid dairy, eggs, gluten, sugar, bananas, peanuts, strawberries, evening shade veggies like tomatoes and eggplant, alcohol, caffeine, and chocolate, for example. On the plus side, you get to have agave, coconut, mangoes, avocados, and almond milk. I plan on doing the cleanse in the spring/summer, and just try to stick to the elimination d...more

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May 23, 2012 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

Okay, so there were a few flaws in this book. Why did I still give it 5 stars then?

It is obvious that he is a doctor, and not a writer. The book was a bit repetitive, and sometimes included a few snippets that it could have done without. However, he wrote this book based on his personal experiences, his patients, and as a doctor. I think when you take the information he has given you, it makes the whole book worthwhile. It was so interesting and informative to read. It just all made sense. I bou...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Rachel Jacobs rated it 4 of 5 stars

I picked up Clean to do Dr. Junger's 21 day cleanse. There is a wealth of information to help you get through the cleanse and numerous suggestions on how to make it as effective as possible (such as drinking a tablespoon of olive oil if you happen to get constipated).

There are recipes and suggestions for each meal so that if you don't want to put a lot of thought into your meals you don't have to (as Dr. Junger has done the work for you).

As someone who is just starting out the cleanse process I...more

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May 23, 2012 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: health

As in all books of this type, Junger describes the toxic state of our bodies/environment today and insists on a detox regimen as the cure - no surprise there, so just skim that section if you've already read several of these. After experimenting with various cleanses himself, he developed the "Clean" program to give adherents a jumpstart on detox. He basically cuts out any and all foods that cause sensitivity/inflammation (from dairy to wheat to strawberries...) and advises one solid and two liq...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Alison rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a really interesting book, if a little extreme. The author is a cardiologist who has developed a detox program to rid your body of toxins which, according to his theory, are the reason why we suffer from a myriad of health problems -- everything from heart disease to osteoporosis to allergies to general "puffiness". Toxins exist everywhere -- in the food we eat, the water we drink, the clothes we wear, and the air we breathe. Our best defense against all these toxins is to make our body...more

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Jan 08, 2010 Rebecca Miller rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is an amazing book.East meets West in the realm of healing.Written by a cardiologist who had a body/soul/ health breakdown from living in NYC and enduring the fast paced, STRESS filled life of learning to become a cardiologist......kind of ridiculous right> I have a friend who is a PA and does 2 open heart surgeries a day sometimes for 12 days in a row and thats considered normal!!!! Thats enough work to stress anyone out and put strain on your heart. Hes tired!!! Anyway......back to my...more

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Feb 16, 2011 abatage rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

I haven't finished my own detox program yet, but I am already feeling much better and have lost a little weight and all that good stuff. I am generally apprehensive about books like this, because every nutritionist I have ever spoken with has no problem listing off all the terrible things that certain "fasting" diets do to your body. Most of the time it's due to the fact that many diets remove a bunch of things from your system, but do nothing to replenish those much needed vitamins, minerals, e...more

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May 29, 2011 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I went raw, for the most part, a month ago and my allergies are almost entirely gone. This book discusses the ways in which toxicity affects our bodies. It guides the reader on an elimination diet ( which should eliminate allergens) and then a cleanse. I have not yet done this cleanse, but i am intrigued and the information in the book is helpful in terms of understanding how the body is affected by what we put in it. Particularly interesting to me was the breakdown of how our immune system reac...more

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Jul 09, 2011 Belann rated it 3 of 5 stars

Junger spent nearly 3/4 of the book explaining why it is necessary to cleanse. He made a very convincing case, but of course the concept is centuries old. Fasting or nearly fasting is purifying. It gives the intestines a much needed rest and helps the mind with clarity as well. He recommends a rather moderate fast with two liquid meals a day--breakfast and dinner, and one solid meal at lunch. You do this for 3 weeks. The meals, liquid and solid, are made with power foods (recipes given). He main...more

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Jan 31, 2011 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was an interesting read. I had first heard about the book through Outside magazine's new year's issue. The editor had tried the program for 3 weeks and reported his personal recount of how he did on it. Since I occasionally feel quite fatigued after exercise, I thought I'd at least give this a read.

Having read through it, I decided to start the program. I just wrapped it up this past Friday.

All in all, I think it was a very feasible and viable program. I don't know if I really felt more ene...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Gregj rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book made a lot of sense to me. Very well written and motivational, and an easy read as well. It is definitely time to start thinking about how our typical American diet is effecting our bodies, not to mention all the toxins in our homes and environment. Our bodies couldn't have adapted to all these toxins so quickly. This is where the detox steps in. The author encourages you to adopt his "fast" for 21 days. The fast is made up of two liquid meals a day (vegetables and fruit smoothies and...more

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Oct 01, 2011 Joan rated it 4 of 5 stars

There's a 3-week detox diet here that actually sounds manageable if you're ready to do all the food preparation. But in addition there's a hugely readable and fascinating account of the body's digestive system and natural detoxification system. And it shows you simple ways to get out of the way and let your body do its natural healing and drive to good health. One "simple" tool - take a 12-hour break from putting anything in your body other than water, i.e. stop eating after dinner. Junger says...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Steven Gilbert rated it 5 of 5 stars

I woke up this morning thinking of this book. Not sure why, other than it's August and with August begins another round of birthdays for my wife and I, which are difficult to ignore when both your children and aging body are there to remind you. Junger's book came to us a couple of years ago during what was—and still is—a difficult time, a time when toxins it seemed had truly taken over.

I won't waste space here saying how, but will leave that to a post, originally written for my blog, Without E...more

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Jun 11, 2011 Goodworth1 rated it 5 of 5 stars

While I'm no health nut and have never picked up a book on any sort of diet, something about a magazine review for this book intrigued me and I read it. First of all, the book itself isn't that great. A whole lot of 'we're killing ourselves' with our diet and lifestyle type of stuff. Also, it's the same thing over and over and over again and I got to the point I was just skimming. BUT, I think the actual program and diet are quite brilliant. I did the 'cleanse' which was very sensible and I felt...more

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Sep 21, 2010 Jackie rated it 2 of 5 stars

After I read this book, I would have rated this a 5. It has some great information pertaining to health and wellness, even if you don't want to do a detox. But then I followed the program. I did the detox for 2 weeks and followed it to a tee. It was killer! The purpose wasn't to lose pounds, but to just clean my body, hence the name Clean. But I lost three pounds, returned to eating regularly, and gained 10. And exercising regularly, I gained another pound. The dumb detox screwed up my metabolis...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm not sure I should rate this book just yet (I have read it, but certainly haven't 'done' it). Most of the book seems to make sense, and although I know some think this 'clean' sounds extreme, compared to some of the books I've read, it actually sounds fairly reasonable.

That being said, I joked to my husband - 'I am 100 pages into this book, feeling that I am now afraid to eat, afraid to drink, and afraid to take a shower!'.

Maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but after pointing out how toxic ever...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Lauren rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is exactly what I needed to fully understand what it means to be healthy and why it is good to BE healthy. With a wonderful introduction section explaining what toxins are, how they enter our bodies, and why it is necessary to eliminate them, I was persuaded that this Clean detox program would restore my body to its natural state.

Through an elimination diet and then a two week cleanse, I've been following the food restrictions and nutrient guidelines. After the first few days, I felt...more

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About Alejandro Junger

Dr. Alejandro Junger was born in Uruguay. He graduated from medical school there in 1990 and moved to New York City for his postgraduate training. He completed three years of training in Internal Medicine at NYU Downtown Hospital and three more years of fellowship in Cardiovascular Diseases at Lenox Hill Hospital.

His drastic change in lifestyle and diet from his move to New York City soon reflecte...more

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