Many wellness retreats now offer detoxification or cleanse programs. Here’s what you need to know.

The sun is rising, and the city of Singapore is just starting to stir as I savour each sip of a cold-pressed juice of beetroot, apple, turmeric, and ginger.

Dubbed the ‘Blood Builder’, this earthy juice with a hint of sweetness can be ordered off the menu at COMO Cuisine, the main in-house restaurant at COMO Metropolitan Singapore.

But the Blood Builder also pays a starring role in the new four-day, three-night Cleanse Menus from COMO Shambhala Kitchen.

These menus are newly available to guests of COMO Shambhala Metropolitan Singapore, as well as Como Shambhala Estate in Bali.

New multi-day Cleanse Menus

Cleanse or (more commonly) ‘detox’ programs are health regimens designed to help the body eliminate toxins, improve digestion, and promote a sense of overall well-being.

They often include specialised diets, fasting, herbal treatments, and holistic therapies.

The goal is to give hard-working organs like the liver, kidneys, and digestive tract a chance to take a breather, and recover from the stresses and strain of modern living.

On a recent visit to the Lion City, I sat down with Will Daniels, general manager of COMO Shambhala.

Will helped develop COMO Shambhala’s Cleanse Menus in conjunction with Amanda Gale, COMO Group’s lead development chef, and Eve Persak, consultant nutritionist for COMO Shambhala.

“Your liver does the majority of what’s called detoxification, which means taking out metabolites which are going to be toxic to your body, and then excreting them,” Will explains.

The program takes stress off your gastrointestinal system and optimises the liver to do its job, he adds.

Two ways to cleanse

COMO Shambhala’s new four-day, three-night cleanse menus give guests two options – the Beginner Cleanse and the Advanced Cleanse menu.

The Beginner Cleanse is for first-timers, or for guests who plan to remain more active while completing the program.

It combines modest portions of nutritious meals (like salads, cauliflower steak, or cauliflower rice) with a range of soups, juices, and broths.

During the day, when the digestive system is most active, dishes feature a mix of fresh or raw ingredients — like yoghurts, mueslis with nuts and seeds, salads, and grain bowls.

In the evening, the focus shifts to warm soups and stews as digestion powers down, and guests prepare for the transition into sleep.

Sample dishes in the Beginner Cleanse menu include a breakfast ‘Club’ sandwich served with crushed avocado, tomato, cucumber, parsley, and lemon, served on top of a flaxseed cracker.

Lunch dishes include warm roasted pumpkin accompanied by a beetroot and baby carrot salad with leafy greens, citrus dressing, and spiced nuts and seeds.

Mid-afternoon, guests consume a cold-pressed juice made of cucumber, celery, fennel, apple, ginger, lemon, and kale, which is formulated to optimise the function of the lymphatic system.

In the evening, guests dine on a supercharged sea vegetable soup featuring mushrooms, broccolini, kale, ginger, spring onions, and nori sprinkle – plus, if desired, an extra serving of protein in the form of herb poached chicken or citrus scented salmon baked en papillote.

Advanced cleansing regimens

The COMO Shambhala Advanced Cleanse is a more intensive cleanse that relies on liquids and purees only, including juice extractions, smoothies, yoghurts, and soups.

Sample dishes in the Advanced Cleanse menu include a breakfast ‘Blood Builder’ juice.

For lunch, there’s a juice of cucumber, parsley, celery, fennel, and mint, served with a vegetable stew loaded with zucchini, pumpkin, cherry tomatoes and kale.

‘Afternoon tea’ features a turmeric and lemongrass bone broth which replenishes amino acids and supports a healthy gut.

For dinner, the ‘Green Goddess’ soup is packed with antioxidants from a blend of broccoli, zucchini, kale, and basil, and supports liver function.

Packages at COMO Shambhala Singapore include three nights’ accommodation, a 60-minute consultation, four movement classes, two 60-minute hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessions, and two InBody assessments (non-invasive body composition analyses).

Guests also receive a breathwork card and post-cleanse tips to sustain healthy habits at home.

Healthy hotel dining

I’m not in town long enough to participate in the full Cleanse package.

Instead, I head into COMO Cuisine, the in-house restaurant, to see what’s on offer.

Located on the second floor, COMO Cuisine rocks an industrial warehouse vibe, which is brightened with zany colour and softened with fresh flower arrangements.

A peek at the menus confirms this lifestyle hotel’s health-conscious orientation.

I order from the all-day dining menu, which meanders from crowd-pleasing share plates to noodles to burgers to curries to char-grilled meat and vegetables.

The first thing to arrive is a refreshing watermelon, cucumber and mint juice, followed by a chargrilled squid salad comprised of spicy green mango, cashew and herbs, with a red chilli dressing.

Served on a banana leaf bed, it’s a mix of clean, sweet and sour Asian flavours, sans the oily sauces.

Next comes a lobster roll stuffed with lashings of cubed tomato and cucumber, a green salad with a deliciously lemony dressing, and a small portion of truffled chips.

For dessert, I opt for the pandan crepes stuffed with coconut Chantilly cream, served alongside fresh mango cheeks and coconut sorbet.

I’m feeling (reasonably) virtuous afterwards, but if you’re keen to kick things up a notch, there’s also the option to order from the COMO Shambhala Kitchen menu, which offers a stripped-back range of even cleaner, leaner dishes.

These include seasonal vegetable minestrone, steamed fish served with a fragrant hot and sour lemongrass broth, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and brown rice, and grilled lamb cutlets or chicken accompanied by freekeh, grape, celery and walnut salad, tahini, and yoghurt sauce.

For room service one night, I ordered the powerhouse salad, a formidable mix of chopped broccoli, cauliflower, kale, quinoa, mint, dried cranberries and almonds.

The ginger miso dressing lent a welcome punch of flavour to dish some might see as spartan.

COMO Cuisine is also open for a buffet breakfast, with limited a la carte options. Here, there are Western classics like French toast and eggs benedict, as well as Eastern favourites like prawn laksa and nasi goreng.

Other restaurants located within COMO Metropolitan Singapore include the Korean style steakhouse COTE Singapore and Cédric Grolet’s first patisserie in Asia.

Resetting taste expectations

Programs like this give over-indulged bodies an opportunity for what Will calls “a complete digestive reset”.

Persak adds that people become used to a certain threshold of sugars and processed ingredients in their diet because of the daily choices they make.

“The process of a liquid cleanse invites guests to reset their taste expectations and sustain healthy eating habits even after the program has concluded,” she says.

Both the Beginner and Cleanse menus are carefully curated to enrich depleted bodies with nutrients.

They reduce inflammation and physiological stresses, facilitate cellular repair, and nourish the internal systems involved in detoxification.

“The cleanse encourages the removal of existing impurities by the liver, lymphatic system, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract,” Persak says.

Dishes eliminate common allergens, such as egg, dairy, wheat, gluten, soy, and shellfish, as well as legumes (beans, lentils, and peas) which, although healthy, require more digestive effort.

Vegetables are the most common ingredient in the range of cold-pressed juices.

A reduction in sugars help to improve glycaemic (blood sugar) stability, which boosts energy levels, mood, focus, appetite, and complexion, she adds.

Artificial additives such as thickeners, emulsifiers, preservatives, colourings and flavourings are also avoided, as they may irritate the gut lining, disrupt the microbiome, or disrupt metabolism.

Other global retreats with detoxification programs

Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat, Gold Coast, Australia

Gwinganna offers seven-night detox retreat which focussed on adrenal restoration, gut health and liver function. It is particularly sought-after by those who have overdone it during holiday periods by indulging in less nutritious meals and increased alcohol and caffeine consumption.

To read more about Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat, read my full review.

Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary, Koh Samui, Thailand

Nestled on a tropical hillside, Kamalaya offers detox programs which combine Eastern and Western practices. Three detox programs are on offer, from introductory, to basic, to comprehensive. Even the introductory programs (over 3-5 nights) include massages, lymphatic drainage and other treatments.

SHA Wellness Clinic, Alicante, Spain

SHA’s renowned detox programs start at 7 nights and blend modern medicine with ancient techniques. Inclusions range from a personalised food and health plan to natural therapies and technological treatments focussed on weight reduction and elimination of body toxins.

Euphoria Retreat, Mystras, Greece

The Wellbeing Detox program at Euphoria Retreat is all about ‘living lighter’. Guests receive a personalised meal plan and a broad mix of spa treatments including infrared sauna, body wraps, and cupping massage to support the body’s natural detoxification process.

Clinique La Prairie, Montreux, Switzerland

Clinique La Prairie’s ‘Master Detox’ program combines DNA diagnostics, an anti-inflammatory diet, personalised nutrition and re-energising wellness treatments, and cellular science. Tests include a heavy metal screening and blood tests to detect and correct any vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Zulal Wellness Resort, Khasooma, Qatar

Zulal offers a range of personalised programs, including the Cleanse and Revive retreat. Designed to support guests’ natural detoxification process, it includes wellness meals, cleansing treatments, soothing therapies, mindfulness practices, and more.

To read more about Zulal Wellness Resort, read my full review.