Test-Driving the Cleanse That Gwyneth Paltrow and Naomi Campbell Keep Coming Back To

A confession: I have a touch of antipathy toward people who cleanse and feel the need to talk about it—constantly explaining all the things they can’t do because they are on a cleanse, the dietary restrictions that come with being on a cleanse, and how good they feel after they finish a cleanse. It’s not that I begrudge friends and acquaintances the detox experience; periodically eliminating inflammatory foods and beverages to jump-start sluggish body systems is a great idea. I just don’t need to hear about every turn on your personal path to physical enlightenment.

Now. Let me tell you all about my cleanse and how great it made me feel.

I became acquainted with Dr. Alejandro Junger’s six-year-old Clean program last November over lunch with a friend whose skin was glowing while mine was . . . not. Overworked and overtired after a stressful 2015, I had been failing at the self-care targets of getting adequate exercise, eating well, and falling asleep in bed (as opposed to on the couch). My friend credited her dewy complexion—and positive attitude—to the 21-day cleanse that she was on, and that she keeps coming back to. It was her second time on the Clean program, which prescribes two mineral-rich rice protein smoothie packets a day (in the morning and at night), accompanied by one meal of cleanse-approved foods for lunch and three pills—a digestive enzyme, a berberine supplement, and a silymarin supplement—post-consumption. The clear-skinned, energetic, and slender results have made A-listers like Naomi Campbell dedicated fans.

With a staggering number of hope-in-a-juice-bottle cleanses now on the market, it’s telling that Clean has remained a big part of the conversation. Gwyneth Paltrow even invites Goop readers to follow the program along with her at the beginning of every year. “It’s classic for a reason, because it works,” says Junger. A Uruguayan-born doctor and functional medicine practitioner, he developed the program in 2001 as a way to eliminate gut-clogging, mucus-forming foods from the body in order to naturally improve energy levels, brain function, and skin quality. While weight management is a happy side effect, the Clean program, unlike many cleanses, emphasizes real food, vital nutrients, and a long-term shift toward healthy eating habits rather than a short-term shock to the system.

I ordered my own $425 kit after going full glutton on Thanksgiving. At the outset, I appreciated the twice-daily routine of blending a single packet of Cleanse Shake in Chocolate (go for the mixed kit; there is a time and a place for the Vanilla flavor) and a cup of almond or coconut milk with a handful of leafy greens, fresh or frozen fruit (no bananas, strawberries, oranges, or grapes), a tablespoon of almond butter, and a drip of coconut nectar (no processed sugar, honey, agave, or maple syrup). On particularly hungry days, I’d throw in some avocado, which creates a thick, mousselike texture.

But I didn’t really have a lot of hungry days. The smoothies were surprisingly satiating and incredibly efficient (you can shake up a packet with eight ounces of water or nut milk if you’re not blender-adjacent); finding lunch options that included lean proteins (no red meat, pork, or eggs), fresh vegetables (no nightshades or potatoes), and good-for-you grains (quinoa or brown, black, or red rice) was never a problem. (For realists with dinner plans, you can also swap your lunch meal with your evening shake.)

Making the program that much easier is the fact that there are wellness coaches available via phone or email to help with the post-cleanse “reentry process” and on days when coffee, sugar, wine, and booze sing their siren call loudest. “The hardest part is not drinking socially,” admits Hannah Bronfman, a DJ and the founder of HBFIT.com, who just completed her first Clean program and is already gearing up for another go because of the “flat tummy” and energy burst it afforded her. “I started to also understand the difference between being hungry and being thirsty,” she continues, “which is awesome, because half the time I was actually thirsty! Who knew?”

I felt similarly—not to mention lighter, happier, more alert, and less irritable. By the second week, I started skipping my daily applications of Clé de Peau concealer. That’s how good my skin looked.

I was even a little disappointed when Christmas rolled around and I ran out of shakes. But hopefully, it was just the beginning of a new year of better choices—one that has already been marked by a reunion with my herbalist. I did fall asleep on the couch last night—but not before I drank my customized herbal tincture and took my supplements.

The post Test-Driving the Cleanse That Gwyneth Paltrow and Naomi Campbell Keep Coming Back To appeared first on Vogue.