Vitamin C
Heat-sensitive. Cooked vegetables can keep anywhere from almost none to most of their vitamin C, depending on the method; boiling tends to lose the most. Eating vegetables raw avoids these cooking losses. 4
The Raw Fasting-Mimicking Cleanse · Rawai, Phuket
Raw Food,
Reborn
The Raw Fasting-Mimicking Cleanse. Raw vegan cuisine, fasting-mimicking principles and warm Thai soups, in balance.
- 5 days
- Included in your stay
- Raw vegan
What it is
A raw food detox in Thailand
The Raw Fasting-Mimicking Cleanse is a five-day raw vegan cleanse at Phuket Cleanse, a wellness, fitness and detox retreat in Rawai, Phuket, Thailand.
- Creative raw vegan cuisine
- Following the principles of the fasting-mimicking diet
- Every raw meal paired with a warm, gently spiced soup or herbal tea
- Included in the all-inclusive price
Our story
Where Phuket Cleanse began
From 2011 to 2017, Phuket Cleanse was a fully raw vegan retreat. Back then we used to say we could make almost any food raw. In all that time, we only found two we couldn't:
the croissant, and the great British Yorkshire pudding.
Since then our kitchen has grown, first to vegan cuisine and later to pescatarian options. Now we are bringing raw food back, combined with what we have learned since: our famous soups and the science of fasting-mimicking. This season, our raw vegan menu is back.
2011
We open in Rawai as a fully raw vegan retreat.
2017 on
Our kitchen grows to vegan cuisine, and later to pescatarian options.
This season
Raw returns, balanced with warm soups and fasting-mimicking principles.
On the menu
Raw, but never boring
Raw pizza
Crisp seed and vegetable bases, bright toppings.
Spiralised vegetable “spaghetti”
Courgette noodles with fresh, raw sauces.
Raw tacos
Purple cabbage and avocado, folded fresh.
Raw Thai curries and soups
Thai herbs, coconut and lime, never boiled.
Fresh, colourful salads
Pomegranate, greens, herbs and seeds.
A warm soup or herbal tea
Served with every raw meal.
Fasting-mimicking
What is the fasting-mimicking diet?
The fasting-mimicking diet was developed by Dr Valter Longo at the University of Southern California. It is a five-day, plant-based eating plan designed to give the body many of the benefits of fasting while still allowing food.
- Plant-based
- Lower in caloriesIn Longo's published version, about 1,100 calories on day one and 700–800 on days two to five
- Low in protein and sugar
- Rich in healthy plant fats, such as nuts, seeds and olives
Research note: in a study published in Science Translational Medicine (2017), people who completed three monthly five-day cycles saw lower body weight, body fat and blood pressure. That study used Longo's own formulated plan; our raw cleanse follows the same principles but has not itself been studied.
Our Raw Fasting-Mimicking Cleanse follows these principles using raw vegan cuisine. Raw fruit and vegetables are high in water and fibre and naturally low in calories, so they fit fasting-mimicking principles beautifully.
Why raw
Why raw? The food science
Some nutrients are at their best raw.
Broccoli and sulforaphane
In one small study, raw broccoli delivered about ten times more sulforaphane than cooked broccoli, and it was absorbed faster. Heat switches off myrosinase, the plant enzyme that makes it. 2
Garlic
Crushing raw garlic releases an enzyme that forms allicin. In lab research, even a few minutes of heat reduced garlic's beneficial compounds. 3
Water from food
Most fruits and vegetables are 80–95% water. Food normally supplies about 20–30% of our daily water. 6
Gentle on the heat
High-heat cooking such as grilling, roasting and frying creates compounds, such as advanced glycation end products, that raw food contains far less of. 5
Asian traditions
Raw, balanced the Asian way
In Thailand's heat, raw food is naturally cooling. But Asia's great healing traditions all teach that digestion needs warmth.
AyurvedaAgni
Thai medicineParinamachi, the digestive fire
Chinese dietary therapyProtecting spleen and stomach
That is why every raw meal on our cleanse comes with a warm, gently spiced soup or herbal tea, made with Thai herbs such as ginger, galangal and lemongrass. Cooling and warming, raw and cooked, in balance.
The people
The people behind your raw cleanse
Co-founder & Cleanse Designer
Melanie Procter
Melanie's raw food roots go back to San Francisco, where she worked at Organica, one of the pioneering raw food restaurants, alongside chef Juliano and Cara Brotman. It was the heart of the raw food movement, long before raw energy balls and raw desserts were in cafés around the world. In 2011 she co-founded Phuket Cleanse as a fully raw vegan retreat, and in 2014 she trained at the Matthew Kenney Culinary Academy.
Vegan Master Chef
Mukesh Chand
Mukesh has created raw and healing food at Phuket Cleanse since 2013, after around eight years cooking in kitchens in India and Thailand.
- Raw cuisine
- Plant-based cooking
- Multi-ethnic cuisine
Included
Included in your stay
The Raw Fasting-Mimicking Cleanse, like all our cleanse options, is included in the all-inclusive price.
- All cleanse options
- Accommodation
- Full class schedule
- Recovery facilities
- Massages, per your stay
FAQ
Raw cleanse questions
Is Phuket Cleanse a raw food retreat?
Phuket Cleanse was fully raw vegan from 2011 to 2017. Today we offer vegan and pescatarian cuisine, and our five-day Raw Fasting-Mimicking Cleanse for guests who want a raw food detox in Thailand.
How long is the raw cleanse?
Five days, following the structure of the fasting-mimicking diet.
Is it included in the price?
Yes. All cleanse options are included.
Will I be hungry?
The cleanse is lower in calories by design, but raw food is high in water and fibre, and every meal comes with a warm soup or tea. Many guests find it more satisfying than they expected.
Can I exercise during the raw cleanse?
Yes. Listen to your body and choose gentler classes on days when your energy dips.
Why do you serve warm soup with raw food?
Asian healing traditions, including Ayurveda, Thai traditional medicine and Chinese dietary therapy, teach that digestion needs warmth. Some nutrients are also better absorbed when gently cooked.
Is the cleanse right for everyone?
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have diabetes or another medical condition, take regular medication, or have a history of eating disorders, please check with your doctor before you come and tell our team, so we can suggest the right option. Guests under 18 should not fast.
Sources
- Wei M. et al. (2017). Fasting-mimicking diet and markers/risk factors for aging, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Science Translational Medicine. Read the paper
- Vermeulen M. et al. (2008). Bioavailability and kinetics of sulforaphane in humans after consumption of cooked versus raw broccoli. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Read the paper
- Cavagnaro P.F., Galmarini C.R. et al. (2007). Effect of cooking on garlic (Allium sativum L.) antiplatelet activity and thiosulfinates content. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Read the paper
- Lee S. et al. (2018). Effect of different cooking methods on the content of vitamins and true retention in selected vegetables. Food Science and Biotechnology. Read the paper
- Uribarri J. et al. (2010). Advanced glycation end products in foods and a practical guide to their reduction in the diet. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Read the paper
- EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (2010). Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for water. EFSA Journal. Read the paper
These studies describe research findings, not results of our cleanse. Every body is different, and results vary.
