For automating Jezebels suggestions you might use something like:

Sub ScratchMacro()
Dim myString As String
Dim oStoryRng As Word.Range
Dim i As Long

myString = ActiveDocument.FullName
ActiveDocument.Close wdSaveChanges
Documents.Open FileName:=myString
For i = ActiveDocument.Tables.Count To 1 Step -1
 ActiveDocument.Tables(i).Delete
Next
For Each oStoryRng In ActiveDocument.StoryRanges
 Do Until (oStoryRng Is Nothing)
   With oStoryRng.Find
     .ClearFormatting
     .Replacement.ClearFormatting
     .Text = "\{*\}"
     .Replacement.Text = ""
     .MatchWildcards = True
     .Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
   End With
   Set oStoryRng = oStoryRng.NextStoryRange
 Loop
Next
MsgBox ActiveDocument.ComputeStatistics(wdStatisticWords)
ActiveDocument.Close wdDoNotSaveChanges
Documents.Open FileName:=myString
End Sub