Michael Jackson survived on juice diet

Thursday, 30 July 2009

Michael Jackson "didn't want to eat food".

The late pop icon - who died of a suspected cardiac arrest on June 25 - existed on a liquid-based diet in the months leading up to his death as he didn't like consuming solid substances, his former nutritionist Cherilyn Lee has alleged.

Cherilyn told 'E! News': "His whole thing was that he didn't really want to eat food. He loved caffeine-laced drinks. He also loved trail mix, and once a month he had to have fried chicken."

The nutritionist worked with Michael from January to April this year, and claims Michael was desperate to find ways of increasing his energy levels ahead of the 50-date comeback he was due to stage in London from July.

She explained: "When I met him, he said, 'Well, you know I'm feeling tired. I'm getting ready for the concerts. I would love to have as much energy as possible, so what can I do with my diet and nutrition?'

"I put him on a diet of juice and smoothies to meet the needs of a couple things that were slightly out of bounds."

Cherilyn admits Michael did start eating a more substantial diet once she had stopped working with him - he added granola to his food intake - and insists his eating habits did not impact on his children Prince Michael I, 12, Paris, 11, and seven-year-old Prince Michael II.

She said: "They had structure. They sat down and had dinner together at night. Even though he'd say a lot of times, 'I'm not hungry,' this is what he wanted to do. He was a prime example of a very good father."

She claims it was in April that Michael first asked her for Propofol- also known as Diprivan - to help him sleep.

Although the events leading up to the 50-year-old singer's death remain unknown, it has been reported he may have been injected with the anaesthetic - used to put surgery patients to sleep in hospital - in the hours before his death.

Cherilyn said: "What he tried to do was reassure me by saying, 'I will be safe... I will be safe just as long as someone monitors me.'

"He said, 'I'm tired of taking things to try to help me to sleep and I want to go to sleep right away. I don't want to wait for hours. I want to be knocked out.' Those were his words, 'I want to be knocked out and go to sleep.' "

Meanwhile, authorities have searched another doctor's clinic in relation to the singer's death.

Coroner Assistant Chief Ed Winter was spotted going into the clinic of Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Lawrence Koplin on Wednesday (29.07.09), and later said he was looking for Michael's medical records.

The Las Vegas home of Dr. Conrad Murray - Michael's personal physician who was with him when he died - was searched on Tuesday (28.07.09), with his clinic in Houston, Texas, raided last week.

It has also been claimed the results of Michael's autopsy will not be released this week. They are expected to be made available next week.