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

by Alejandro Junger

“The Clean program works….The wisdom and information contained in this book is deeply helpful and life changing.” —Gwyneth Paltrow

As featured on Goop.com!

From Alejandro Junger, Eastern medicine specialist, cardiologist, and head of the Integrative Medicine program at Lenox Hill Hospital (as well as a doctor at New York City’s renowned Eleven Eleven Wellness Center), comes the New York Times bestseller, Clean —a medically-proven program that teaches how to remove toxins, rejuvenate our bodies, and restore our natural health.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Food, Self Help, Nutrition, Fitness, Science

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

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 reflected as irritable bowel syndrome and depression. Becoming a patient of the system he was practicing was such a shock, that it started a journey to search for an alternative solution to his health problems.

His findings are the subject of his first book, Clean. In it, Dr. Junger describes how he became aware of the toxicity of our planet. He also explains how detoxification and cleansing have been around for thousands of years, but knowledge about them has been lost at at time when it is more important than ever before. Most importantly, Clean is a manual for readers to learn how to turn our detoxification systems on full speed, while supporting our bodies to maximize their effectiveness.

He lives in Los Angeles with his three children.

Reviews

[Stephanie *Eff your feelings* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back in March I met up with a couple of good friends, Kevin and Kristie (Kristie, I have known for almost 30 years) at a restaurant called The B Spot. Fantastic! Check out the menu....

During dinner Kristie mentioned that they had just finished this cleanse from this book, Clean, for the second time. They explained, in short, what it was. You eliminate certain foods from your diet, stuff that can cause inflammation and allergic reactions. Then during a three week period you have a liquid meal in the morning, a smoothie, a full lunch (of stuff you can eat) and a liquid meal for dinner (juice, or a soup). That's it.

Easy right? I didn't think I would be able to do it. It sounded perfectly awful. No caffeine (what, no coffee?). No alcohol, that's right, you heard me. I had friends "LOL" me when they heard I was going to attempt it.

Thanks guys.

But I decided that I was going to read the book and try this cleanse. Sure I might fail on the second day, but I had never tried anything like this before and I thought "what could it hurt?"

I surprised myself! I did three days of the elimination diet first (eating normally, but only the foods you can eat on the cleanse), and then I made it right through to the very end and it wasn't a struggle at all. I don't know how it happened.

I noticed a lot of changes for the better.

I lost weight. 7 lbs on the first three days of the elimination diet alone. 15 lbs in all.

My blood pressure normalized....it ran a bit high.

My moods balanced. I have a bit of an anxiety/depression issue, that went away. Huh.

I gained energy and was able to wake up easier.

Lots of good things. Now that I'm done, I'm sticking with the smoothies in the morning, cause they are yummy. No processed or fast food, because I don't want it.

Some things that I noticed when I brought back foods that were off limits. Coffee, it didn't taste good and I didn't finish it. I noticed that later in the day I was feeling anxiety for no good reason. Huh.

Sugar... I ran into a friend who works at the Starbucks at Kroger, she was raving about things that were on Starbucks secret menu (I didn't know they had one, I guess because it's a secret) and insisted on making something for me that was supposed to taste like a Werther's candy. Not to be rude, I took it, tasted it and it felt like someone punched me in the face. Terrible!! Too damn sweet. I said it was fantastic (lied) and threw the rest out as soon as I could.

I'm sure I would have liked it just fine before doing this cleanse. That's how much sugar we are eating, so much we don't even notice anymore. I had read in Salt, Sugar, Fat that big food would test kids by adding sugar to cereal until they said it was too sweet, and the formula they would use would be the one directly before "too sweet". And they would do this test every so often, and the sweet tolerance would steadily increase over time. So, I'm staying away from the sugar.

Alcohol? Not a problem, so I'll keep it, until I do this again in a year.....

************

I just finished re-reading this in preservation to do a second cleanse starting on Monday. After all the crap I (as everyone tends to) ate over the holidays, I'm actually looking forward to it. Is that weird?

A thought crossed my mind as I re-read Clean, I realized I haven't had a major cold or any other illness since I did this cleanse back in April (and working with the public, I would get sick often).

Huh.

I don't know if the two things have anything to do with each other but I find it to be interesting.

[Jenn(ifer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Immediate disqualification for its association with GOOP.com.

Just kidding. Sort of. I thought this book was a huge eye opener in terms of all of the crazy toxins we are consuming whether we want to or not. Even if we eat the healthiest local organic foods, we are still being bombarded with toxins from the air we breathe, the water we shower in, the lotions and cosmetics and sunscreens we put on our skin. Even our clothing is toxic! It's downright depressing.

Once I got past the part about how I am poisoning my body on a daily basis, once I got to the "meat" of the book -- The Clean System -- I'd had enough. Sure, sounds great -- cut out everything from your diet you like, have two liquid and one solid meals a day, take a bunch of expensive supplements -- no problem. By a blender, a juicer, a 3 weeks supply of the purest bottled water on the market (or invest in a $300 water filtration system for your home). It's easy! Anyone can do it.

Just ask Gwyneth Paltrow.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 health problems that are often misdiagnosed. The book is full of amazing stories of people who have cured chronic disease and other health problems by adopting a diet that allows their digestive system to rest and their detoxification system to kick into action. Even problems that seem unrelated to diet, such as seasonal allergies, are often resolved by eliminating certain foods.

I highly recommend this book and encourage everyone to think differently about what they are putting into their bodies. It saddens me to see other reviewers stating that Dr. Junger's advice is unrealistic. Are three weeks of healthy eating really that much to ask in return for improved health, more energy, weight loss, and the resolution of chronic health problems?

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 predicated on making a drastic short-term change. What happens the rest of your life? To be fair, he does discuss doing it once a year, and supposed effect for many people of not wanting to go all the way back to prior eating habits, but still the main emphasis is on heroically getting thru the 3 weeks.

2. It has in common with most bunk the inclusion of a checklist of common, vague symptoms that are said to indicate the need for the program -- overweight? puffy? fatigued? joint problems? etc. etc. etc. -- sure enough, everyone needs my plan.

3. plenty of anecdotes of dramatic improvement, celebrity testimonials, author's own experience recounted at some length.

4. but no controlled studies. Makes the excuse that big pharma won't fund trials of natural abundantly available substances such as most vegetables. That's fine, but it is possible to get studies funded on nutrition interventions -- Ornish's work is a good example

5. Lots of upselling -- you could prepare liquid meals to these incredibly exacting specifications, but of course if you prefer you can go buy the powder mix at my website.....and if it's all too complicated, you can engage my personal consultation services.

[megHan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the luxury of reading this book after my mother did. I say luxury because she marked with sticky notes all the "important" stuff, so I didn't have to read through all the tedious information that people who write diet and healthy eating books put in i.e. their personal story, a definition of the word fat, the kudos they get from the people who have tried their way of doing things and succeeded. I just read the important parts and checked out the recipes. This does not mean that I didn't read most of the book because this guy was smart and didn't put in a lot of filler. He explained things so that anyone could understand, plus made you feel very motivated about what you were going to embark on. Reading this book - it was the first time I ever REALLY looked at what I am putting in my mouth and before even beginning I would think "Nah, I don't really want to eat that." There is a website that gives you a lot of the information and a second book as well. There are also other websites that give you information based on the Clean program. I highly recommend the book and the program to anyone who is interested in not only losing weight, but becoming a healthier person who just feels amazing. (He does provide on his website the option of purchasing the smoothie mixes, but we bought a juicer at Walmart and between that and our blender - with watermelon, cantaloupe, mangos, blueberries and cucumbers - we have made some really good flavored drinks - no milk, sweetener, etc required.),

My story: I am overweight but not by a huge amount. Enough that I'm not telling a whole bunch of strangers how much that scale screams at me, though. Because of mine and my mother's schedules (we are roommates and, as you know, it is a lot easier to do these kinds of things when everyone in the house is on the same page) - I work during the day at a Learning Center and she is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist who works home-health - we don't have the option of eating a large meal for lunch so, after reading some reviews online about what other people are doing, we chose to keep our meals in the evening and have the smoothies for breakfast and lunch. I also have an apple or some veggies at lunch as well. We have been doing this for 2 weeks now and I have lost over 15 pounds. I also feel fantastic. This past Friday was a horrible morning (nothing went right) so I was unable to make my smoothies and the whole day I kept thinking about how much I wanted that smoothie. Donuts, sodas, takeout - none of that even appeals to me anymore. That's HUGE. Trust me. I'm the kind of person who could order Chinese food every day.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life-changing, a real eye opener. I can now finally put my finger on everything that's wrong with traditional medicine today. These are the doctors of the 21st century.

[Destiny · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 did not continue to the third week as recommended because I was craving real food again. I have been juicing and making smoothies part time since the official detox. My biggest complaint is that many of the recipes contained obscure, expensive, and unusual ingredients. I usually left these out and the recipes turned out ok. The fruit based smoothies and butternut squash soups were good, but without a juicer the vegetable based soups/smoothies were pretty hideous. Also, there were some instructions left out. They stated for you to peel a butternut squash. If you can do that you are a better person than I am. I had to cook it to get the rind off. Also I found the squash did not blend well and tasted bad when not cooked. Overall I found this book to be helpful and one of the better detox books I have read.

[Zo · Rating 2 out of 5]

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, nutrition, and physical health or disease. Also, I found his efforts to explain the science behind his approach or perspective quite fluffy at times and on occasion, rather misleading; however, I should disclose that I'm a medical student so my standards may be a bit more rigorous than most and I may be implicitly biased by the Western biomedical framework I'm actively being inculcated into. I appreciate his attempts to make the physiology and pathology more accessible, however, I think that if you're encouraging people to make aggressive lifestyle changes by fasting and replacing entire meals with juices, etc, you owe it to the public to be as thorough, evidence-based, and honest as possible.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 concoctions). So what happened as a result of reading this book and trying the 21 day cleanse? I can honestly say that I never felt better...I had more energy than ever..It jumpstarted some much needed changes in diet etc. that I'm still adhering to today. Some niggly health issues(Headaches/migraines for example)have been alleviated and/or minimized as a result of these changes in diet/lifestyle
The great thing about this program is that they offer different plans (options) re: the cleanse. I DID NOT purchase the supplements (In my opinion they were $$$ and not neccessary)
You can also chk out short video that explains the program:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WFLYN...

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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, then you've never suffered much. Lucky you. For the rest of us, who are sick and tired of being sick and tired, READ THIS. I dare you to walk away the same person.

P.S. I did dock this book a star because I think Dr. Junger could have done a better job of explaining what kind of symptoms we might go through when we change our diets. I also would have appreciated more tips on how to integrate these radically new habits into our lives. It hasn't been easy to change cold turkey, but I envision myself healthy and well for the first time in my life, and it gives me the motivation to keep going.

[Kassin · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 you are into nutrition and the green movement; pretty revolutionary if you're curious about the next best phase for human health.

P.S. I give 5 stars to this new SF food chain: http://www.dailycandy.com/san_francis... . Keep your fingers crossed that one opens near you.

P.P.S. I have a feeling this is going to be an equally good read: The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick - And What We Can Do About It by Robyn O’Brien

[Maxine Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was able to take quite a few things away from this and I will hopefully implement them into my diet and life. Things like 12 hrs between dinner and breakfast and having a liquid dinner to help aid digestion, adding vitamins and probiotics as well. I'm also going to do a lot more research on the topics introduced in the book, like toxicity and gut health. So I have got some things from it.
My biggest gripe was that throughout the first half of the book he was saying "studies have shown" or "reports state" and then giving us supposed information without referencing anything, which for me really undermines his credibility. I could say that research shows sharks and lions are reproducing at an alarming rate, without referencing anything and while that is obviously ridiculous, it's exactly what he is doing. I think that could be dangerous, some people could just blindly believe everything he says and not do their own research. He is a Dr, he should know better and reference that stuff.. also it reads like an infomercial script for a massive chunk of it.

[Krissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband and I did the clean detox about a month ago. Neither of us had previous detox experience. We did not buy the kit (I didn’t find it too heavily advertised as others have said), but we did utilize the clean website. We made it the full 3 weeks. At the end I didn’t feel amazing, but I have to admit I felt pretty darn good. It eliminated about 90% of my IBS. I lost about 8lbs, my husband lost around 22lbs. Some of the recipes felt like fear factor: detox edition. But we loved the almond smoothie and green juice (I even had green juice today for breakfast). The book was very informative, and I found myself really trusting the source. Only negatives were it was a bit repetitive and long winded at times. Also the chapter that details every toxin you come across in an average day. It’s supposed to be a selling point to do clean, but I felt a little like locking myself in a bubble after that.

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 metabolism!!! There was no warning about what would happen if you returned to your regular diet (which is by no means out of control). So in my bitterness, I rate this a 2.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you don't want to know how good you feel when you don't eat sugar, wheat, dairy, caffeine, soy, corn, nightshades, and much more, then don't read this book and don't do this clease! We followed the cleanse in this book for 3 weeks and it changed the way I interact with food emotionally, physically, and mentally. And I admit, not always for the better! But, we will definitely do this cleanse again and I am currently integrating some of the aspects of the diet into my every day food life. Highly recommended if you can make the committment!

[Carola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Si bien es un tanto repetitivo, entrega información que me resulta útil y que aplicaré en mi vida.

Mi nuevo lema es: intestino sano, vida sana ✨🙏🏽😌

[Katinka · Rating 1 out of 5]

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 never do one for this detox because it will undermine them. Obviously, as it is the miracle cure for everything.

Only one small part of about 10 pages in the middle tells you a bit about how the detox works, the rest you gotta go find on his website, where you can register for free, so no reason to buy the book. The rest is just a load of boring bullshit.

I'm currently in the middle of week 2 of this detox and I must say it's not difficult to do, but I'm not seeing any results.
They highly assume that everyone starting this detox has a typical American diet: eating gross fast food every single day for every single meal. I myself didn't even have to make that many changes in my food pattern to do this detox.
I do have to say that although the writer says he simplifies food for you by making a list of dos and donts, and that you won't have to worry about food so much. However, since I started this detox I've been more focussed on food than I've ever been. You constantly have to keep in mind which foods are allowed and which aren't.

So conclusion: awful book, don't do the detox, it's not worth it.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 these toxins from our food - toxins like pesticides, steroids, chemically created foods. The process that cells go through to rid the body of these toxins creates byproducts like mucus and that creates inflammation. There have been links between people with increased inflammation and cancer. Logically that makes sense to me. The rest of the book discusses prepping for a cleanse and the actual clean diet regime. Of all the books I have read on detoxification – this was by far the best and seemed the safest. I am even considering purchasing it as a reference guide to which foods are more suited to decreasing inflammation. If the cleanse movement is something that has caught your attention, I would definitely pick up this book to educate yourself on one method of doing. Obviously, don’t make any major changes to your diet or exercise regime without consulting your physician. (Apparently, webmd.com does not count as a physician – so keep that in mind.)

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful read that I got through quite quickly. I will be keeping this book as a reference as well. I am fortunate enough to have a natural health physician that I had been working with who facilitates this cleanse, herself. This was how I first learned of Dr Junger's program. Upon the recommendation of her assistant, I picked-up this book to learn more. I was immediately drawn to it. I have now successfully completed the entire program and feel better than ever... and I didn't even feel badly off to begin with. I just have a better sense of well being than I did before and a much better grasp of what substances make my body feel both well and ill. I found that getting through the program was not as difficult as some of the stories in the book described (ex: the only detox symptoms I had were 2 days of a mild headache and a sore throat one day), but I already admitted that I did not have any glaring problems to begin with and everyone's experience will be different. All in all, I cannot recommend this book (and the program, itself) highly enough. Even if you have no intention of doing the program, reading the book will get you thinking about your life and the decisions you are making. This is not a book for those who want to live life with their head stuck in the sand or never being told they are wrong, as it makes you actually think AND calls into question the decisions you've been making over the years.

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. Finally someone that understands the environmental toxins we are exposed to and more importantly what we can do to help our bodies fight against them. Doctors do not have much knowledge on nutrition and continue to ignore the science proving toxins are making us sick. It is a breath of fresh air to see this cardiologist apply critical thinking and investigate health problems beyond the West mindset. We live in a world today that our grandparents did not grow up in, thousands of toxins have been introduced in the last thirty years and we can no longer ignore them. Many people are living far less years than the average life expectancy and your average American will know what they will die of about 10 years in advance of their death. It is time for serious change and it starts with knowledge. Read this book for yourself and send copies to friends and family. If you suffer from chronic illness or if you are looking for a way to prevent illness this is the book for you. I love the recipes and the energy smoothie is my favorite. Small book, easy read, and life saving information.

[Robert Van · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I do agree with most of the viewpoints laid out in this book, it is hampered by several issues:

1) Endless bombardment of anecdotal success stories and repetitive naming of all the toxins we are exposed to in our daily lives, before even getting to the main point - his Clean program.
2) Although many of the points put forward regarding the bad of dairy products, red meats and cooked veggies (as opposed to raw), are shared with many other books on the subject, the author fails to include proper references where he got his info from (studies etc.)
3) Junger nicely lays out the various detox programs that exist and acknowledges their strengths and weaknesses. As expected, his own program comes out as 'best'. Too bad no studies are cited on his own program, and he gives a pretty lame excuse as to hy no scientific studies have been performed.
4) Most of all, the book is just not that well-written, in my opinion. Verbose but with repetitive language, not flowing very nicely.

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

1- The author is a cardiologist, which, in my mind, doesn't give him the credibility to write about the intestines and the digestive system. It would have been better if it had been written by a team of experts including at least a gastroenterologist and a nutritionist.
2- He doesn't cite ANYTHING! As a man of science, he should know you must always cite your sources! There isn't any sources as to studies or anything to support what he's writing. At the beginning he says he got his information from self-help books. Not the most credible sort of writing... There isn't even a bibliography at the end of the book!!! Shocking!
3- He presents his program, which is officially untested (no studies, etc.), as a panacea for most common diseases of the western world (obesity, diabetes, heart conditions, headaches, uneven skin, diarrhea, constipation, allergies, arthritis, depression, insomnia, etc.). When it seems too good to be true, it usually is.
Disappointing.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn't a bad book, and I think people who follow Dr Junger's advice can see many benefits. Nevertheless, one has to wade through a bunch of bullshit before getting to the "plan." Lots of anecdotal evidence, which sound good, but aren't particularly convincing.

I've not done the full cleanse, but I adopted a lot of what Junger's plan entails a few years ago when I started eating a mostly Paleo diet. It's not rocket science to cut out the sugars, refined carbs, and processed food, as a way of restoring health and vigor. I lost about 20 pounds during this time, also by exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, meditating, and limiting my intake of electronic devices.

If you want to read all the stuff I thought was unnecessary, then you will enjoy this. I'm not sure about the practicality of eliminating a lot of the "toxins" in our household environment, but it couldn't hurt.

[Gregj · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 juices and soups) and one solid meal at lunch. 12 hours between dinner and breakfast accelerate the bodies ability to detox. As a sufferer from gout, (possibly from too much lead) I am definitely going to give this a try.

[Michaele Menges · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars actually. This book has a LOT of really good information. I highly recommend it. Many modern diseases can be prevented or reversed with nutrition. More than half of all American deaths are from cancer and heart disease. "If you do what most American's do, how can you expect anything different?" Do yourself a huge favor and read this book. I actually listened to the audiobook read by the author and he has a really lovely reading voice so if you get a chance, that would be an option.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book brought me high, knocked me down, spit me out and lifted me back up. This was the the dieter's version of Dante's Divine Comedy. Within one month the cycle went like this: Phase 1: inspiration, commitment, determination - 5 star rating on Goodreads, Phase 2: acute headaches, indigestion, vomiting - demotion to 2 star rating on GoodReads, Phase 3: continued self-flagellation, punishment ... and redemption. Loose pants. A few belt notches. Lean, hungry look. Better sleep. Sharper focus. More productivity - back up to 4 star rating on GoodReads (just 1 star short of my Phase 1 rating of 5 stars)

The book is quite persuasive, highlighting the importance dietary health and good eating habits. The author offers a lot of medical jargon, nutritional advice and experience. The case studies of those who successfully detoxed are compelling, especially when they are reported by a medical doctor citing reams of scientific evidence. So I drank the Kool Aid or more specifically, the morning juice shake. And the nightly soups.

It was not easy adhering to the diet during a full week of 9-5 meetings with my largest client, who liked to dine well. Several restaurants were challenging but no one objected to taking my share of the sourdough bread. Not many restaurants have decaffeinated organic tea. It was rather enjoyable to have a nice hearty soup for dinner even though it was not a prelude to any subsequent course.

This book should come with a warning. This program is not for everyone. It can backfire. There can be painful side effects. In my case, it was not the hunger pangs one associates with strict diets. I had not plunged into actual cleanse program but instead followed the precautionary Elimination Diet. Two days into it an acute migraine took hold that was later joined by the dry heaves and vomiting.

The author casually advises us to stay the course and let headaches and other effects run their course without medication. Two days of severe pains and discomfort convinced me this program was the dietary equivalent of chemotherapy. I gave up and spent the third day recovering with an involuntary fast.

Perhaps my own system had become too polluted with caffeine, alcohol, gluten, dairy and red meat over the years and was not ready for the purge. My wife closely followed the recipes and regimen for the first two days but refused to join me. You can fill in the epilogue. The wife won that round... as she usually does.

The only consolations were 1. I stocked up on lots of healthy foods, greens and fruit a few days before covid-19 panic shoppers started clearing the shelves, 2. The elimination worked and I lost about 4 pounds, primarily due to my inability to hold anything down for 1 day, and 3. We didn’t buy the expensive customised meal package the book promoted.

For those who swear by this book, I truly wish I could have had your experience and results.

Postscript 1: Despite the above ordeal I remained on the diet for another week as I write this. Weight has dropped, skin tone has improved and no hunger pangs. But that migraine and the retching were stiff, jarring welcomes.

Postscript 2: After 3 weeks the payoffs are starting to appear. My warning above remains. If your body has a lot of toxins and stuff to be purged (as mine did with coffee, red wine, spiced rum, dairy, sweets, desserts, meat, gluten, bar food, snacks and other junk prior to the diet), you better brace yourself. Your biology will resemble a Rage Against the Machine mosh pit. I have read about addicts who go "cold turkey" and fortunately never had to undergo that process; but my experience after 2 days on this diet gave me a hint. So reader be ready. This book can be literally no pain, no gain.

[alisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with the sentiment of all the toxins in our environment, but could have been condensed to 50 pages plus recipes.

[Laura✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A straightforward guide to cleaning up your diet and habits. While I have yet to commit to the full 21 day detox, I have adopted some of the habits into my daily routine with good results.