Detox. It's a word that carries so much hope -- and so much fear. Detox the smart way and you're in for clearer skin, more energy, and a smaller number on the scale. Detox drastically (Master Cleanse, anyone?) and you're likely to do more harm than good. But with so many detox plans out there, and so much conflicting evidence on the effectiveness of each, how's a girl to choose the cleanse that's right for her?

To get that answer, my co-worker Sarah suggested a few of us Total Beauty editors follow different detox diets and write about our experiences. And when the idea was a go, I was on the assignment like white on rice. Full disclosure: I'm not a detox newbie. I've tried a couple detox plans in the past and think of them like an old friend you can always count on for a kick in the booty when you need one.

And boy, do I need one right now. Lots of work, not enough time to shop for (and prepare) healthy foods, and a jam-packed social calendar has caused me to rely on caffeine, sugary snacks, and takeout dinners more frequently than I care to admit. I'm hoping "Crazy, Sexy Diet" -- a detox created by cancer survivor Kris Carr -- will lure me back to my healthy-living ways (and OK, get my skin glowing and tighten my tush while I'm at it).

Here's the low-down on this detox: It's a low-fat, vegan diet that includes skads of whole organic foods, low-glycemic fruits, raw veggies, and lean vegetarian sources of protein (think beans and tofu) to balance your body's pH and rid your body of toxins. The plan includes drinking a green juice every morning and ideally, another one every afternoon.

The author, Kris Carr, has a fascinating story: In 2003, she was diagnosed with an extremely rare --and inoperable -- cancer. No surgery. No chemo. No cure.

"Second and third opinions, along with endless hours at the University of Google, followed," Carr says. "I quickly learned that illness was a business, and if I wanted to successfully navigate hurricane cancer, I needed to take my emotions out of it." So she kissed her dreams of making it big on Broadway good-bye and started learning everything she could about the factors she could control when it came to managing -- and possibly even reversing -- her cancer. She found that overhauling her diet (essentially, eating by the rules of this detox year-round) was her best shot at getting better.

Eight years later, Carr's cancer is in remission. Just as impressive? The girl is the picture of health. I had a chance to meet her a few months ago and can tell you first-hand, this lady has got it going on. Her skin is clear. The whites of her eyes couldn't be whiter. She literally bounces into a room with a ton of happy-making energy.

If Carr kicked cancer by following this plan, surely I can do it for 21 days in order to drop a few pounds and get clearer skin.

Like any good detox, Carr recommends I slowly wean myself off foods that are off-limits on her plan: caffeine, wheat, dairy, sugar, alcohol, eggs, and meat. Ideally, I'd take a couple weeks to slowly cut these foods out of my diet so that Day 1 of my detox isn't so shocking -- both physically and emotionally.

I mostly followed the prep period of this plan but to be honest, if you're starting out with a relatively healthy diet -- and you're not totally addicted to caffeine -- you can jump right into Carr's 21-day "adventure cleanse" (as she likes to call it in her book) without a whole lot of prep work. Some things I do recommend you get in place before you start:

• Buy a juicer. And take the scary-looking thing out of the box so you can test 'er out. When it comes to juicers, you've got a few options, which I'll go into in more detail later.

• Rid your pantry of junk. Is it heartbreaking to toss all of that delicious food? You bet. But I'm telling you -- if those chocolate covered raisins are in your pantry, and the frozen pizza is sitting on the shelf in your freezer, you will reach for them in a moment of weakness. And those moments of weakness will happen.

• Stock your pantry with "Crazy, Sexy, Diet" staples. You'll get handy lists of foods, as well as recipes, in the book. But here's the rundown of the staples that will get me through this detox: brown rice cakes, almond butter, agave nectar, steel cut oatmeal, organic nuts, organic raisins, avocados, every kind of organic vegetable and fruit you can imagine, tofu, and tempeh.

Weight: 147 pounds
Wrinkles: 69th percentile
Pores: 73rd percentile
UV Spots: 17th percentile
Red Areas: 46th percentile

To get a sense of my skin health and overall well-being before embarking on the "Crazy, Sexy Diet," I visit the Murad Inclusive Health Spa for a skin evaluation. (I'll have them check me again the end of this 21-day detox, in case you're curious about the beauty benefits of this cleanse.)

Murad esthetician Lori Cahitas checks my hydration levels, along with wrinkles and pore size (both indicators of skin hydration), sun damage, redness, and more. While I feel OK about my percentiles on the wrinkles and pore size front -- I'm in my 30s, so being in the 70th percentile on both felt about right to me -- I'm horrified by my UV spots. I'm fair-skinned (my mom was born in Ireland) and spent the summers of my youth on the beach, so that number makes me nervous about my chances of getting skin cancer. My sobering UV percentile is making me even more excited to start this detox, which I'm considering my prevent-cancer plan thanks to Carr's amazing story.

It's Day 1 of my "Crazy, Sexy, Diet" detox and I'm feeling pumped. After my appointment at Murad, it's obvious that my sun damaged, dehydrated skin can use a little love. And I have to admit to being a little disappointed by that number on the scale. My happy weight is about 135, so I'm 10 pounds too heavy for my liking. Drunk on daydreams of my svelter, sexier self, I don't even flinch as I drive by my go-to coffee shop on my way to work, where on most mornings I order a large chai.

Instead, I make a pitstop at Mrs. Winston's, a little organic grocery store right next to my office, and head straight for the juice bar. While the berry smoothie is practically calling to me, I order a make-your-own juice with the following ingredients: romaine, spinach, celery, cucumbers, and apple. Yep, you read that right. The plan is to drink my veggies this morning -- and every morning for the next 21 days -- and when I stroll into work with a 24-ounce compostable cup of green juice, the reactions are priceless. "Ewwww," cry Anna and Sharon. "Does that actually taste not disgusting?" says Alexis. And my favorite: "Well that looks ... toxic," mutters Kirsten as she strolls past my desk, Starbuck's cup in hand.