BURN, BABY, BURN!

Where does weight loss really start? Cai Mei Khoo discovers the benefits of a seven-day colon cleanse.

Be Urban Wellness offers a natural, ‘noninvasive’ seven-day colon cleanse that combines unique therapies to target the colon from all angles. At its core is a grey powder – the Intestinal Draw Formula consisting of absorptive clays, mucilaginous fibres, and activated charcoal. There are yoga sessions every alternate day, with sessions in the oxygen chamber and an abdominal massage on yoga-free days. Sounds like a breeze, or so I thought. DAY 1 Was tough as I had to go on a liquid diet. It began with a salt flush, drinking lemon juice and Epsom salts in warm water. This took a mere 15 minutes to work. My colon was probably in shock, but thanks to this jump-start it was well prepped for the days to come. DAY 2 Had to cut out meat, simple carbs, coffee, alcohol, sweets, and dairy. Lunch was green juice; the only snacks allowed were carrot sticks and hummus. Later, I felt a little ill but went ahead with my yoga session, followed by 30 minutes in the sauna. That made me sweat, eliminating even more toxins. Bedtime was at 10pm – my earliest in a long time. DAY 3 I woke up feeling much better. Director of wellness Liam Harkness told me it was simply my body getting rid of toxins. I tried the hyperbaric oxygen chamber, which floods the body with a higher concentration of oxygen and has a healing effect on the colon. It also restores general wellbeing. Then came a half-hour massage during which the therapist concentrated on the abdomen to aid peristalsis and release tension. DAYS 4 TO 6 Eating healthy is not easy when you’re out and about so the key is to prepare nutritious meals at home. I made my own nut milks, veggie smoothies, and salads. To these you can add: flax seed, aloe vera, alfalfa, and wheatgrass. I felt lighter, more energised, and on a few days, woke up before my alarm went off – a sign of improved sleep. DAY 7 In the final analysis I did lose some weight, 0.3kg of which was colonic waste. Next time, I’m aiming for 10 days. The Colon Cleanse package is priced at RM999. Be Urban Wellness, 11F, Work@Clearwater, Jalan Changkat Semantan, Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-2095 1999. www.beurbanwellness.com