Be it caramel popcorn at the movies, café sit-downs, wedding biryani galore or unlimited vacation treats, the hot summer months are made for snacking. But with August fast approaching, everyone is gearing up to drop the pounds and shed their stubborn tans. With the Ultimate Detox Plan, it is possible to do just that from the comfort of your own home. The brainchild of fitness experts Salina Taqi and Fuzzy Faruque, the Ultimate Detox Plan helps to rejuvenate the body, reduce fatigue, refresh the mind and brighten the skin with the latest trend in weight loss - juicing.

A detox, short for detoxification, is the removal of toxic and unhealthy substances from the body. A detox cleanse involves cutting out sugar, salt, red meat and caffeine from your diet for a brief period of time. This helps to boost energy levels, kick-start the metabolism and improve overall general health. To establish and uphold a healthier lifestyle, Taqi swears by detox juicing. Having undergone her first detox while she was training to become a yoga instructor in Singapore, she has incorporated thick green juices packed with plenty of vegetables, vitamins and enzymes into her daily diet. In 2014, she launched the Ultimate Detox Plan, a cleansing regimen involving fresh juices that aims to flood the body with essential nutrients and strengthen the immune system.

The detox plan involves one to seven-day cleanses. Each day, the client drinks seven different juices, including a metabolism booster, an energy booster, a cleanser and a hydrator. "By having only raw fruits and vegetables, you are able to give your digestive tract a rest and cut all the junk from your intestines. While the detox regime doesn’t lead to weight loss itself, except to decrease water bloating, it prepares your body for it," says Taqi.

Filled with lots of greens like kale, spinach, celery and parsley, the detox jumpstarts weight loss by reducing water retention, killing unhealthy cravings and shrinking the appetite. It promotes a healthier lifestyle by forcing one to let go of junk such as processed food and sugar and unhealthy habits such as smoking. Produced with a cold-juice presser and completely preservative-free, the juices are made to hold the essence of the produce and yet taste delicious and fresh. This has helped make the detox cleanse highly successful -Umair Tabani, Maliha Aziz and Sukaina T. Jaffer have been spotted around town with their juice bottles in tow, determined to remain healthy despite their hectic lives and busy work days.

"The juices are absorbed directly into the blood stream, without getting broken down, hence you are feeding yourself a concentrated amount of vitamins and minerals and get a dose of instant energy and vitality," explains Taqi. According to her, the ingredients consist not only of fresh fruits and vegetables but also superfoods such as turmeric, ginger, flax seeds and cayenne pepper, all of which are known for their powerful cleansing and curative properties.

But as more and more people jump on the juicing bandwagon, some find it difficult to complete the detox. Prolonged headaches, overall bodily weakness and caffeine-withdrawals make the detox less popular for those who cannot go without solid food in their diet. For others, the transition from the detox back to their normal protein diet is too rocky a road to reap any long-lasting benefits. Taqi, however, says that for people who find it difficult to get by on only juices, the detox plan can be made flexible. "The idea is to make the detox work for you," she insists. "Our aim is to promote a healthy lifestyle and give our clients a sense of well-being and being rigid won’t achieve that."

Herself a new mother and currently breast-feeding, Taqi says that she has incorporated porridge with almond milk and salads etc. into her diet to increase her caloric intake. "The plan can be tailored around a person’s specific health requirements and one can easily include salads and soups etc."

Despite its drawbacks, most people agree that incorporating vegetable-rich juices in their diet ultimately helps them feel cleansed, light and replenished. So, to feel fit, healthy and happy - get juicing!