May 2014: Clean Living for Beauty, from the Inside Out

We draw a light-hearted comparison between celebrity approaches to health and beauty in our May and upcoming June GlobalCultureBlog℠. Gwyneth Paltrow’s enthusiasm for Dr. Junger’s Clean Program reflects a global trend for simple, natural beauty that starts from within. In June, ModelPeople’s global Millennial City Correspondents look at fast-fitness and surface glamor, as epitomized by Madonna (and her new HCF gym in Berlin).

Urban Detox
In Tokyo, Puchi danjiki (small fasting) advocates a plant-based diet for one-to-six days a month, while detoxifying magma yoga is practiced on heated lava stone plates from Mount Fuji, and detox masks made of black pearl are believed to clear the skin from city pollution. In Sao Paulo, high class organic beef keeps the traditional weekend barbecue clean.

Gut Instinct
In San Francisco, raw fermented food and beverages- like sauerkraut and kombucha (now on-tap at WholeFoods)- have supplanted yogurt as the means to promote gut health via probiotics. Near London, Grayshott health spa runs a seven-day health regime, incorporating fermented foods at every meal, claiming that “if your gut is not working properly, neither is anything else”.

Vegan Inside & Out
In South Africa, vegan pop-up dining establishment Forage to Feast promotes raw, regional and organic food, while leading skincare line Esse is accredited by the Vegan Society. Berlin, home to Europe’s first vegan supermarket chain, Veganz, now has vegan fast food outlets Vöner (kebabs) and Yellow Sunshine (burgers).

Ancient and Modern
In Milan, Ti Amo Italia cosmetic have Mediterranean-inspired, all-natural ingredients and even dog shampoo is organic! In South Africa, consumers seek local remedies like Devil’s Claw and Baobab Tree. In Delhi, modern Millennials returning home from working or studying abroad have embraced ancient Vedic tradition in cosmetics, fitness and even diet.

Healthy Addictions
Londoners put out cigarette butts and head over to Vapor Cafés to puff on an assortment of flavored vapor smoke. Parisians almost unthinkably put down their smokes, and instead pick up e-cigarettes.

Clean Living à la Paltrow may embrace traditional values but it’s anything but boring! Watch our video on San Francisco's Fitmob below to learn more about the group finess trend: