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You know when you’re only wearing leggings to work because the rest of your pants are just too uncomfortable that you have definitely put on a few pounds. If you’re also aware that those extra few pounds were caused by a lot of intoxication (hey… it was my birthday recently… don’t judge!), then it’s probably the perfect time to embark on a detox!
I recently tried Downtown Detox’s 11-day nutritional cleanse, which uses the Isagenix system of Shake & Cleanse drinks and supplements. I know in Hong Kong that being on a cleanse for that long can seem like social suicide, but after my first meeting with Deborah from Downtown Detox, she assured me that I would still be able to meet my friends and maybe even have a meal or two out during the 11 days – it’s all about sensible eating and correct planning rather than going on an all-out fast!
Deborah always starts the detox programme with an initial consultation to explain what your Isagenix boxes are (trust me, it’s a pretty heavy bag you take home after your first meeting!), plus all those other need-to-know nitty-gritty details. She explained that the programme starts with two Shake Days of pre-cleansing, where you are essentially preparing your body for the detox; on these days, you have two Isagenix shakes and a 600-calorie meal, along with loads of healthy snacks. This is then followed by two days of intense cleansing, which was the element I was most nervous about; for these days, you can only drink cleanse liquids, plus eat chocolate tablets or a few healthy snacks to curb hunger pangs, and maybe some vegetable soup if you’re really hungry.
There is then another five days of pre-cleansing, before the final two days of intense cleansing. You should also take Isagenix’s Natural Accelerator pills twice a day throughout the whole 11-day programme – and before you start worrying about nasty chemicals, these pills are au natural and made from cayenne pepper, green tea, cinnamon and ginseng.
Being a major foodie who plans my day based around meals, this was quite a lot to take in! Nevertheless, I accepted the challenge and the first two days turned out to be fine; in fact, they actually felt pretty refreshing! Although the vanilla shakes tasted quite bland, Deborah came to my rescue by suggesting that I add in some frozen berries or even make it into a pina colada by adding a spoonful of coconut milk and a banana (a chocolate shake is also available). For the 600-calorie meals, there are plenty of options to choose from so I still got to enjoy my Subway wraps, just without the cheese and Chipotle sauce (not too much of a sacrifice, right?!). I normally had my second shake at night, along with some stir-fried veggies (which you can have as much of as you want!).
Then came the difficult part – the daunting two-day cleanses of basically only drinking liquids. I won’t lie, this was hard work; not because I wasn’t able to function (I was!), but just because I missed the taste of solid food. Oh well… no pain, no gain (and I did end up having the vegetable soup, just for the feeling of eating something warm!). However, waking up after completing those two days was one of the best feelings, and I felt totally refreshed, recharged and rejuvenated!
Additionally, one of the best parts of Downtown Detox is the constant support Deborah and her team provide. Every morning, I received an email prepping me for the next day, with several suggestions on what meals I could have, snack ideas and general encouragement to just keep on going. Also, if like me you do cave in one day and cheat, you can just jump back on the bandwagon and get back on the programme, without even a blink!
I’d definitely recommend Downtown Detox for on-the-go girls like me who are looking to drop a few pounds whilst also cleansing and refreshing your system; since it’s not a fast, I was able to go about my day-to-day work just fine, the programme is pretty easy to follow and the support of the Downtown team makes everything even better. At the end of the 11 days, I was 3kg lighter and back to wearing my proper pants again!
Downtown Detox’s 11-Day programme costs $2,400. If the programme is strictly adhered to, you will only need to buy an additional seven meals and healthy snacks throughout the 11 days, otherwise everything else is provided for.
For more information, call 9320 0232 or email [email protected]
