Just when you thought the greasy ramen and the sugary Cronut of trends past would totally obliterate mankind, a new food concept has joined the bandwagon. Juicing, the process of extracting the nutrients from a vegetable or fruit through manual or mechanical means, has steadily become popular in the Philippines, a reflection of a sudden consciousness towards fitness. Restaurants like Detoxify Bar have sprung out, aiming to cater to the needs of health buffs and spreading knowledge about this healthy alternative.
Ever since Detoxify opened in Tuscany, I have been incredibly curious about it. A juice bar in McKinley Hill? Right there at Tuscany, alongside bars and dessert shops? Are you for real?
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| Very catchy. :) |
Let’s just say that Detoxify Bar is a juicing advocate—a place where people can grab a drink that would not only serve as a refreshment, but would also supply the body’s nutritional needs. They also serve a variety of healthy meals, mostly composed of salads and lean meat. Dine in as you please, or order your preferred drinks via phone and have them delivered to you every day.
They have a lineup of especially-formulated juices, designed for a specific purpose. Take for example, the Red Vegan Detox: ideal for athletes and physically-active folks. It contains apple, carrot, lemon, beet, and cucumber—ingredients than work harmoniously to boost energy and stamina. If you can’t decide from the selection of flavors, tailor a juice for yourself with the My Mashup Detox.
I loved Detoxify’s clean and bright interiors, comfortable couches on the second floor, and relaxing ambience. They have a self-service policy, so you would order the same way you do in coffee and milk tea shops.
Each bottle of juice is meant to be consumed within 24 hours—otherwise it loses its full effectivity. For a whole-day detox, you can purchase a kit composed of 5 Detox Drinks of your preferred flavor, 2 packets of tea, and a thermal bag for PhP1,350. Yes, that’s all you are allowed to intake for one day.
The juices are delicious, it was hard to believe there was no added water or sugar in them. The Red Vegan Detox has a cucumber base, its taste hogging the spotlight with carrots. The Green Vegan Detox is reminiscent of chop suey, but still drinkable. The Minty Berry tasted the best among the three I’ve tried, hinting of—you guessed it—mint and berries!
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| Chop suey, anyone? |
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| The Minty Berry is for increased focus, while the Green Vegan is for an ultimate detox. |
I ordered the Rosemary Chicken, which, like all diet food, was delicious but poorly seasoned. I just kept whispering to myself, “this is good for you” for like, fifty times. The chicken was a bit dry, but the side vegetables were yummy. The Cheesy Scrambled Egg fared no better. For PhP150, they could’ve at least served a whole tomato.
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| Rosemary Chicken, P270 |
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| Cheesy Scrambled Egg, P150 |
An hour after taking the Detox Drink, I started feeling a rustle inside my stomach. Not too disturbing as to demand a quick dash to the bathroom. When I woke up the following morning, I felt alive and refreshed (no kidding).
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| I ate an equivalent of TWO MEALS during my visit. Yes, I'm weird and PG like that! |
Detoxify Bar’s juices are delicious and, to me, seemed effective, but I have two problems with the concept they are perpetrating:
1. It seems difficult to sustain.
I'm not sure if liquefied veggies can substitute solid meals, but I know one thing: I would have to give up most of my favorite food. Steaks. Burgers. Roast beef sandwiches. Cream-based pasta dishes. Sugary drinks and desserts. And above all things, alcohol.
Perhaps you're thinking, "why the hell did you try it in the first place?" I told you, it was out of pure curiosity. The thought of purging my body of toxins and harmful stuff definitely sounds appealing. Doing it once a year for a certain period might work, but with all the junk I'm eating I'm not sure if that would be enough.
Which leads me to the next matter of concern: a healthy lifestyle. Detoxifying, like juicing, is a lifestyle. Not a fad. Not a one-time thing. Not a trial, like I did. It demands dedication. You must be prepared to give up a lot of things.
Ashamed as I am to say this, I'm not sure if I'm ready for that.
The good thing with Detoxify Bar is that they can help you slowly adjust to it (at least that's what their website says). Their staff will help you decide which product fits you and can even formulate a special program for you. Just ask them and let them know what you want. (Although to be honest, when we visited, nobody from the staff was proactively offering information.)
There will be a few side effects when taking these juices. Lightheadedness is a common one, which is actually a sign that the detox is working; it signifies the toxins are being flushed out. This effect can last for days, depending on your tolerance, or depending on your body really. Another side effect is weight loss, although I think about this one, nobody would complain.
As for me, my biggest concern is that if I transition into the healthy phase, I won't be able to bombard my Instagram followers with pictures of succulent steaks anymore!
I’d like to think I can take one bottle a day, at least just to counterbalance the steaks and the pork chops, but that seems as if I’m fooling myself. In addition, since Detoxify Bar uses organic produce, it can be quite pricey if I do it on a one-bottle-a-day basis (or hell, three a day). Which leads me to #2 below...
2. It’s fucking expensive.
If you don't have a juicer (no, the blender isn't as effective in squeezing out the nutrients), or if you have one but you're too lazy to do it yourself, then you would have to rely on shops like Detoxify Bar to do the work for you.
Which is not a bad thing, except that while you are detoxifying your body, you are also purging your wallet.
“But it’s for your health, it will be worth it,” you might argue. Right. Unfortunately, not everyone has the financial liberty to say that.
If you want to replicate these healthy juices, the first thing you need to do is buy a juicer. Then, look for organic vegetables and fruits and pick the ones most commonly used for detox: apple, cucumber, lemon, broccoli, celery, carrot. Mix and match as you please, and voila! Instant detox!
Here's what I think: if you're truly committed to be healthy, you would put extra effort into it, not just hop in your car and drive to a specialty store. But the problem lies here: technically you can't tell the exact effects of your concoction because you're not a scientist. In addition, an overused ingredient can have adverse effects, like an increase in uric acid and the like. So instead of enrolling in a nutrition class, the next best thing to do is to buy a bottle from Detoxify.
Which is not bad. Let me repeat, it's not bad. But the sad truth is that most people would choose to spend a hundred pesos on McDonald's instead of shelling out PhP220 for a bottle of liquid veggies. Does being healthy really cost this much?
I'm not sure how Detoxify can be more accessible to more people. But I think a regular employee wouldn't allot his hard-earned money for a bottle of juice priced at PhP220 (equivalent of only one meal), then spend the rest of the day staring longingly at his colleagues' cupcakes. Currently, Detoxify Bar is patronized and endorsed by a lot of celebrities and famous athletes. Perhaps it was designed especially for them?
I'm not sure how to put this mildly, but Detoxify Bar is masyadong pang-mayaman.
The Verdict
So what's my conclusion? Why spend so much time analyzing this detox thing? For me, detoxifying is good. Healthy is good. Juicing is good. Detoxify Bar is good, and very much welcome. If you have the money, good for you, go for it! If you don't, but still feel you need to, no one's stopping you. It will be a big adjustment if you transition into a healthier lifestyle, but it will all be worth it. Just be focused and determined as it will be hard to sustain, both by the body and by the piggy bank.
As for me, I have no desire revealing my poor excuses for diet plans to anyone, so I'll end this article here.
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Detoxify Bar
Tuscany Estates, Upper McKinley Road, McKinley Hill, Taguig City
(02) 942-7105/ (02) 509-3672/ 0916-2892132
Official Website: DetoxifyBar
Facebook: DetoxifyBar
Twitter: @detoxifybar
Instagram: @detoxifybar
Other branches: click here
Budget: PhP220 for a detox drink; up to PhP500 with food
Have you tried Detoxify Bar? How did you find it? What do you think about juicing in general? Blast off in the comments section below!
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Wow. I've tried this only once and I'm planning to try it again this month so this is very timely. I have to agree on both of your concerns because, like you, I believe this requires dedication. I also agree on your comment that the staff are not that proactive nor were they helpful to me (this is in their Eastwood branch). Maybe because I'm not an artista. And are we that really old? Healthy lifestyle is now an important matter. HAHAHAHA
ReplyDeleteSana mayaman ako para thrice a day ako mag detox! Haha! Thanks for dropping by Dick!
ReplyDelete