Top 10 Summer Detoxes in Hong Kong

Panicking over that upcoming junk trip? Not sure if your bikini body is safe to grace the beaches and pools of Hong Kong? Finding our hot and humid summer simply too sweltering to workout in? Well, worry no more! We’ve rounded up our top ten summer detoxes in Hong Kong that should have you dropping a few pounds, cleansing your body of nasties and feeling recharged, rejuvenated and ready-to-go in no time.

 

JUICE CLEANSES

Delicious freshly-pressed juices, packed with nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables, delivered direct to your door – a short-term juice cleanse could be just what you need to get refreshed and reinvigorated for summer. Simply pick the level and duration of cleanse depending on your needs and previous cleansing experience… and then let these guys do all the hard work for you juicing all those ingredients!

Punch Detox

Juice cleanses have taken the world by storm, and Hong Kong’s very own Punch Detox (the first company to bring the concept to the 852!) does it right – fresh delicious juices delivered direct to your door, with simple instructions and encouraging emails of support and advice throughout. All you need to do is give up food for three days… and reap the benefits!

By ingesting only tasty, organic and easy-to-digest juices, not only are you eliminating all the bad stuff from your diet (farewell MSG-laden lunches and over-indulgent processed foods), but you’re also giving your body a bit of a break from digesting solid foods – so your body ditches the toxins, clears out imbalances and refreshes, recharges and re-energises your system. We put Punch to the test and felt lighter, brighter and healthier in no time… in short, we totally got our bounce back (and we may now be addicted to a couple of their yummy juices too)! Check out our full review here for all the deets.

A 6-pack juice (of your choice) costs $600; Punch Detox’s 3-Day Juice Cleanse costs $1680, including delivery. For more information, see the Punch Detox website or email [email protected]

Genie Concept

The two founders of Genie Concept are probably the best advert for their cleanses – both Melanie and Cara do their detoxes regularly and are absolutely gorgeous (total girl crush alert!).

Genie cleanses last from one to six days – you can either opt for their juice cleanse, which includes six of their delicious freshly-pressed juices, raw smoothies, soups and raw nut milk per day, some natural supplements and a Genie Bible to help you along the way; or their new raw food cleanse, where you get three meals, two snacks and two drinks a day. The theory behind both is the same – nutrient-packed raw ingredients, stuffed full of minerals and vitamins that your body can digest easily. The result? Higher energy, radiant skin, and a general improvement in your health and wellbeing – we’re in! Check out our full review here.

Juice cleanses start from $600 (the 3-day cleanse costs $1700), raw food cleanses from $680 – either delivered to your home or picked up from their store in Sheung Wan; for more information, see the Genie Concept website, call 2803 0369 or email [email protected]  

Be-Juiced

The newest juice cleanse company on the block, Be-Juiced offers one, three or six day cleanses that maximise nutrition and minimise calories. Having worked with a team of nutritionists to come up with the best possible combinations of flavours and ingredients, the usual blend of fruit and veggie juices are all present, freshly pressed in HK and arriving at your door in neat cool bags – and thanks to their stylish bottle design and tongue-in-cheek names, Be-Juiced has quickly become the juice cleanse of choice for all the cool kids in town!

Be-Juiced cleanses start from $600 (the 3-day cleanse costs $1580) including delivery; for more details, see the Be-Juiced website, call 3693 4550 or email [email protected]

 

DETOXES

All juiced out? There’s a whole range of nutritional detoxes on the market, and here are just a few of the hottest programmes out there right now.

Downtown Detox

Downtown Detox works on the Isagenix system of cleansing shakes that provide optimum nutrition for your body, minus the calories. ‘Downtown Divas’ Jennifer (the company’s founder), and Deborah (a Downtown success-story-turned-detox-coach!) stress that this is not a fast, and that results are achieved by abiding with their sensible and measured high-protein plan.

Alternating Nourishing Days, where you drink protein smoothies, plus eat a healthy meal and regular snacks, with Cleansing Days where you drink special detox juice but still snack (healthily!) throughout the day, the fully-supported plan can be followed for 6, 11 or even (gulp!) 30 days, depending on exactly what you are looking to achieve and your lifestyle. The aim here is not only to lose weight, but to kick-start a healthier lifestyle in the long term, including beating those 3pm sugar cravings, aiding good digestion and even balancing hormones. Check out our full review here for the Sassy verdict!

The 11-Day programme costs $2400; for more information, see the Downtown Detox website, call 9320 0232 or email [email protected]

iDetox

For a detox programme that encompasses not just your wobbly bits but your whole lifestyle, iDetox is an all-encompassing one-stop system that will have mind, body and spirit all singing from the same hymn sheet in no time at all!

The 9 or 15-day Urban Detox super-food programmes are available in public or private groups or as a one-on-one session, all of which include a full rundown of the programme and a health assessment. You’ll then be provided with detox products to supplement your own healthy fruit and veg, along with a full manual explaining how it all works. If you want to go a little more in-depth, a Nutrition and Lifestyle Consultation with holistic nutrition coach Anita will get the whole family embracing better eating habits for the long term.

If the extra weight you’re carrying is more emotional than physical, the Emotional Detox and Stress Management service can help to make positive behavioural changes, many of which will impact on health. Add to that the Practical Aromatherapy tuition and you are ready to take holistic health into your own hands.

A 15-day private detox is $3980; the group programme is $2900. For more information on all programmes, see the iDetox website, call 3904 1072 or email [email protected]

IMI 10 Day Detox

IMI’s 10 Day Detox for Busy People is a supervised clinical programme for those who want to get serious about kicking their bad habits. Whether it’s managing food addictions, getting ready to start a family or reducing allergies, this comprehensive detox is guided by a naturopath, and promises to leave you lighter and healthier at the end without the sickness and hunger that can sometimes be associated with these types of programme.

Kicking off your 10 days with a pre-cleanse followed by a liver flush (don’t stray too far from the toilet!), you’ll ease into two intense detox days before gradually re-introducing regular foods to your diet, by which time you should have a reduced appetite and be making more sensible food choices. Sessions run regularly throughout the year and include an introductory talk, along with supportive workshops if you need a bit of hand-holding along the way.

IMI group detox is $3800; personal sessions are also available; see the IMI website or call 2523 7121 for more details.

Forever Living Clean Nine

Forever Living’s Clean Nine is a 9-day plan where you are cleansed of harmful chemicals along with (brace yourself!) built-up waste matter, which can account for a drop of up to 7lbs, and that’s before you take into consideration any additional fat burned during the programme! Scary… and pretty ick too!

The first couple of days require willpower as you’ll be drinking only shakes, plus downing regular shots of cleansing and nourishing aloe gel to get your metabolism moving in the right direction. Perhaps not as fun as tequila, but with 7-14lbs of weight loss on offer at the end of this programme, these shooters are definitely more bikini-friendly! After that, you’ll add a 600-calorie meal plus nutritional supplements to supress hunger and provide essential nutrients for the remainder of your detox. Bingo wings, be gone!

The Forever Living Clean 9 detox is $1400 and you can find out more on their Facebook page.

 

EATING PLANS

Surviving on smoothies and supplements not really your thing? Check out a few of these carefully controlled eating plans instead to drop a few pounds…

Cambridge Weight Plan

The great thing about the Cambridge Weight Plan is its flexibility. After a one-on-one consultation with one of their advisers, you can figure out what works best for you – whether that’s a quick fix plan where you stick solely to Cambridge’s nutritious shakes, porridges and soups, chocolate bars and other drinks for a fixed number of days, or simply incorporate their range into your diet to replace certain meals. The Cambridge Weight Plan can also become a way of life; by supplementing a healthy diet with their products, it’s an effective way to maintain your weight in the long term.

However, for dropping a few pounds for that impending junk trip, the Quick Fix plan is probably your best bet. Check out our full review of the experience here – and Sabrina tells us that their mint chocolate shake is divine!

For more information, check out the Cambridge Weight Plan website, call 2525 7165 or email [email protected]

Eat Right

The Eat Right Programme is hassle-free healthy food made easy – perfect for us hectic Hong Kongers who don’t have the time to hunt supermarkets for nutritious home-cooked meals or scour food packets to calorie count! Eat Right tailor-makes healthy but delicious menus especially for you based on a professional body analysis, lifestyle assessment, your personal preferences and any dietary requirements (hate rocket? Eat Right will remember not to include it in their recipes!), coming up with meals that provide the ideal number of calories and balance of ingredients for your needs. Their plans are also fully flexible, and the team will come up with a plan that works for your schedule.

Meals are delivered direct to your door twice a day for the ultimate convenience… it’s basically like hiring your own personal chef!

Find out more information on the Eat Right website, call 6197 5820 or email [email protected].

The 5:2 Diet

If you prefer the idea of a long term eating plan that’s more a way of life than a short-term fix, the 5:2 Diet could be for you. Originating in Britain, this now-global phenomenon has been credited with promoting weight loss, achieving a reduction in cholesterol and balancing blood sugar, leading to a decreased risk of diabetes. Unlike many seemingly ‘miracle’ diets, this one has even had (cautious) interest from the UK National Health Service.

The intermittent fasting regime, whereby you eat relatively normally for 5 days each week, then restrict food on 2 non-consecutive days, allows a meagre 500 calories for women or 600 calories for men on ‘fast’ days. The key to success with this diet is the fact that throughout the rest of the week you get to eat normally, reducing the likelihood of giving in to temptation, as you’re never more than a day away from that cake you’re craving. Sounds too good to be true? Average weight loss works out to around 1lb per week, and there is growing suggestion that those who practice calorie restriction diets can live longer… even more of an incentive than a new bikini!

Find out more about the 5:2 diet at the official Fast Diet website.

So whether it’s juice, shakes, fasting, super-foods, or salads, there’s a weight loss option available to suit everyone – regardless of whether you’re ditching dress sizes, aspiring to a long-term healthier lifestyle, or you’re simply in need of a pre-beach quick-fix to lose some wobble this summer!

We’d love to hear your feedback on any of the programmes featured – and if you have an amazing detox we should know about, please leave your comments below!