The Szish Dish: Red Carpet Boot Camp Diary

Feb. 16, 2007— -- Before I tell you about the next two rounds of Red Carpet Boot Camp, I want to make good on my promise to give you the scoop on the master cleanse fast.

I learned about the cleanse from an article in the Sunday Dec. 10, 2006, New York Times. Lola Ogunnaike, a frequent guest on ABC News Now, detailed this detox diet that was created in the late 1940s by nutritionist Stanley Burroughs.

(For the complete back story, track down Ogunnaike's article in the archives or snag a copy of Burroughs' book, published in the late 1970s, "The Master Cleanser." I recommend learning more about the cleanse before embarking on it, because it's the safe and responsible thing to do.)

But, of course, if you need instant gratification and are desperate for the answer to "Does it work?" just keep reading.

I road-tested the master cleanse pre-Golden Globes for about six days (Burroughs recommends keeping it up for 10 to 12), and the results were incredible. All those meddlesome bulges and hard-to-lose pounds seemed to melt away. I actually felt waiflike.

To prepare for the Oscars, I resolved to do the cleanse for the recommended duration. To be honest, it's not that bad. You're on a liquid diet for nearly two weeks, but it makes you look good and feel good. So if you like being svelte and having boundless energy, this fast is worth it. I highly recommend it, based on my personal results.

Here's the recipe:

8 ounces of purified water

2 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/10 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Blend and drink 6 to 12 servings per day for 10 to 12 days. Burroughs suggests starting the day with sea salt dissolved in water and ending it with an herbal detoxifying tea.

If my personal experience doesn't inspire you, then perhaps Beyoncé's will. As noted in Ogunnaike's article, on "Oprah," Beyoncé admitted she shed a whopping 20 pounds on the fast for her role in "Dreamgirls."

So, drink up! This is boot camp, after all.

Day 2

Armed with two water bottles filled with my "magic juice," I set out to visit Dr. Doris Day, one of the most respected and celebrity cosmetic dermatologists in the United States. She shares some of her wisdom in the March issue of Allure magazine, on newsstands now.

Day gave me a series of collagen-boosting, wrinkle-busting, skin-brightening treatments (check out the video for all the details), and she even made me feel comfortable enough to try the big "B" -- yup, Botox. In her words, I was a Botox virgin. But because of the way she described the procedure, I felt ready for my maiden voyage. Day uses tiny, delicate doses of the stuff that simply relax facial muscles and delay the appearance of wrinkles. The effects last four to six months.

I can tell you this: It didn't hurt -- just little pinches. The needle was supertiny. The only sensation I felt afterward was one of relaxation. I have no deadened nerves. I have no numbness. My face still moves naturally. To look at me, there are no visible signs I had it done. Will I do it again? I'm not sure. My personal jury is still out on injectables.

But, I certainly understand the procedure better than I did before, and I also now realize how important it is to have a highly trained, expert dermatologist administer the treatment. Almost anyone can give you Botox, but you shouldn't get Botox from just anyone.

The full effects of the Botox, laser treatment, microdermabrasion and gentle waves light therapy will be evident in about a week or so, just in time for the Oscars, of course.

Day warns against getting treatments such as Restylane injections too close to a big event, as these types of procedures take a while to "settle," and may result in an unnatural appearance. In other words, it will look like you "had something done." And, remember, the whole point is to look natural.

For more information on Day, and to check out her newest book, "Forget The Facelift," which is filled with skin care advice, nutrition tips and even recipes, visit www.myclearskin.com.

Day 3

Still drinking the magic juice and still loving it, I head downtown to meet up with Tracie Martyn, facialist to the stars. Her clients include Madonna, Sandra Bullock, Susan Sarandon and Jennifer Aniston, to name a few.

While I was waiting in the lounge area, Oscar nominee Kate Winslet emerged from the treatment room looking fresh faced and gorgeous, without an ounce of makeup.

(See? The Szish Dish knows where to go. I promised you a behind-the-scenes look at what the celebrities do leading up to the Oscars, and we've already run into one of this year's nominees!)

We chatted for a few minutes, and Winslet can't say enough about Martyn's resculpting facials, which she swears by. She says not only do they make her skin glow, they also make her feel incredibly confident while walking the red carpet.

Winslet reminded me she has two small children, something I'd forgotten by how flawless and youthful she looks, and added that Martyn's facials make her look like she's had hours and hours of sleep, even if she hasn't.

I'm already sold, but I'm eager to see the results for myself.

Martyn, a beautiful, angelic-looking woman with sky-high cheekbones and eyes the color of the Caribbean ushers me into her white-washed treatment room. After seeing the fireplace, the chandeliers and the fresh flowers, I immediately congratulate myself on signing up for boot camp. This is glamorous!

I lie down on the treatment table, which is soft and warm and laden with pillows, and I'm so relaxed that I don't even flinch when Martyn explains she uses electric currents to do her facials.

She shows me some bizarre futuristic-looking prongs attached to wires, hooked up to a purple machine with all sorts of buttons and monitors. I have a momentary desire to flee, but then I remembered how amazing and relaxed Kate Winslet looked, and I settled down for the ride.

Not only has Martyn customized these electrodes to produce instant face-lifting treatments, but her partner, Marius, a nutritionist, has created an entire line of exclusive Tracie Martyn products that regularly sell out at Barneys and Bergdorf Goodman in New York.

Martyn uses a series of her products -- a purifying facial cleanser with amla extract, which is an Indian berry with high levels of vitamin C, a gentle exfoliant made with pineapple enzymes, a firming serum packed with antioxidants, and another gel-like substance she calls an activator, rich in pentapeptides. She uses this with mild microdermabrasion and electric currents to deliver a luxurious and incredibly effective facial.

In about an hour, those long-lost cheekbones reappear, and the jawline once again becomes angular. Martyn is so confident with the results, she handed me a mirror, after being only half-finished, so I could see the contrast of before and after with my own eyes. The immediate and significant transformation I saw was remarkable.

Martyn offers similar treatments for the body, which significantly diminish cellulite and loose skin, and she has a photo album full of before and after pictures to prove it.

I leave Martyn's tranquil Manhattan salon feeling like a million bucks -- and admittedly, even feeling like a celebrity. Of course, there are no paparazzi waiting for me outside, but believe it or not, there is an empty taxi cab that seems to magically appear out of nowhere. Considering the fact that it's snowing and it's rush hour, I am convinced some of Martyn's stardust has rubbed off on me.

If you want to experience some of Tracie Martyn's magic at home, check out her Web site at www.traciemartyn.com.

And that's a wrap on Day 3 of Red Carpet Boot Camp. Keep drinking your juice, and I'll see you tomorrow, when I get a get-fit-quick plan from a personal trainer.