Detoxing

So the weather is starting to turn, the snow is a distant memory but now summer is looming before us and despite all the resolutions we are still not looking forward to bikini time. 

Well now is the perfect time to start a detox.  As the weather is warming up it is easier to eat more healthily, setting in motion new habits which will see you right through the summer without having to resort to desperate measure of dieting the week before your holiday.  When it comes to detoxing there are several options, depending upon how strict you want to be and of course your budget, but here are seven examples of what is on offer for 2010.

The DIY Detox

If the idea of a detox sounds good, but you are pushed for time then a 'Do It Yourself' Detox could be the way forward.

The 7 Day Detox

Available on the Good to Know website:  www.goodtoknow.co.uk
This detox hails itself as kick starting the 'detoxifying process' and increasing the body's 'natural resistance to illness.' This diet detox combines low-fat food with fresh fruit and vegetables, and so is a good way to start eating more healthily and rid your body of some toxins, however it is more in the vein of a diet and relies on the body's natural detoxifying process which may need more of a kick start in order to function at optimum levels.

Thermal Mineral Detox Kit

For a more soothing Detox why not try the Kerstin Florian Thermal Mineral Detox Kit, which aims at cleansing and de-stressing the outside of your body.
The kit includes French Thermal Mineral Bath Salts, which are rich in magnesium to help promote positive overall health and relax tired muscles and joints. Thermal Mineral Bath/Shower Gel, which uses a blend of rosemary, pine, geranium and thermal minerals make the perfect pick-me-up bubble bath or invigorating daily cleanser. Finally finish off your at-home spa detox with the Thermal Mineral Remineralising Body Crème which moisturises and remineralises dry skin.  While this kit may not detox your insides, it is a prefect way to detox your skin, which contains many toxins released through the sweat glands.  The Kerstin Florian Thermal Mineral Detox Kit is £40 and available from www.kerstinflorian.co.uk

Detox in a Box

 

Detox Box is like a Red Cross Parcel to the serious detoxer!  Creative Nature has selected some of the most powerful super foods on earth, each with a different nutritional benefit, to really give your tired insides a boost before the summer.  The box contains many interesting packages including: 

New Zealand Barley Grass Powder, which contains every vitamin and mineral known to science and is therefore a highly prised multi-vitamin, and is even gluten free.
Teatox, with its gentle yet powerful ingredients such as Pau D'arco, Mullein, Red Clover and Boldo Leaves, is a serious detox tea which will help rid your body of toxins and make you feel energised and revitalised: and also tastes delicious. 
Hawaiian Spirulina Powder, one of the first photosynthetic life forms on earth 3.6 billion years ago, is now one of the most prominent herbal supplements. Spirulina boosts energy and supports cardiovascular health by lowering cholesterol and stimulating the metabolism, is also one of the richest sources of arginine, an amino acid which promotes the release of growth hormones which stimulate the body's regenerative processes.

Every product is fully labelled and preserved so as to keep as much nutritional content in as possible, whilst still having a shelf life of up to two years, and can also be purchased individually. At only £39.99 the Creative Nature 2010 Detox Box gives you a chance to sample what nature has to offer and give your body its own box of delights.  
For more details please look on the website: www.creative-nature.co.uk

As you can see these types of DIY Detox all have different benefits, and should not therefore be seen as THE way to detox but as A way which can be enhanced by combining them. For example the Kerstin Florian Thermal Mineral Detox Kit would enhance the benefits of the The Creative Nature 2010 Detox Box by helping to rid the body of the toxins and poisons which are being pushed out by the super foods.  There are also many other kinds of DIY Detox's which also deserve investigation.

 

The One Day Detox

The One Day Detox has been shown to benefit the body greatly and is perfect for those with busy lives.  

One of the most up and coming One Day Detox's is The Urban Daytox.  The Urban Daytox was created by Evie Collins as a one day retreat: a chance to escape from a busy lifestyle in order to devote some time to yourself.

Set in the peaceful, green surroundings of Barnes, London, Urban Daytox provides a beautiful space to retreat from the stresses of everyday life in order to rest, rejuvenate and re-energise in a comfortable, supportive, healing environment. The small class sizes allow the Urban Daytox team to focus on individual needs and goals, and Evie's background as a qualified pharmacist, QiYoga teacher and eco-nutrition coach means that she has experience in both the medical and holistic fields and can offer well-informed advice.

The Urban Daytox combines juice fasting, meditation, QiYoga and nutrition and wellbeing coaching in order to give the organs time to rest and rejuvenate themselves. Meals are replaced by delicious juices, which provide the body with much needed fresh nutrients whilst also filling the stomach so that you do not feel hungry, whilst the yoga concentrates on boosting the rejuvenation of the organs and spreading the goodness of the nutrients.  The nutrition and wellbeing coaching allows Evie to share her extensive knowledge with you, and help you to continue the good work you have achieved that day and make life-style changes for the better.

The Urban Daytox is a great way to help your body and your mind, and set you on a path of wellbeing. The cost of a one day wellness session is £95, with the offer of £30 off your first session currently running.  There is also a comprehensive six week course which costs £475 and provides the information and tools needed to start looking after your own health. www.urbandaytox.com

The Retreat Detox

One of the most popular detox's is the retreat detox, as it often combines fasting and yoga with pampering sessions within gorgeous hotels, with extensive spa's and grounds.

Homefield Grange's Intensive Detox/Weight Loss Programme.

Homefield Grange's seven day detox programme begins on a Monday at 12.00 noon and finishes after a delicious lunch on Friday. The week begins with a health check and induction talk, followed by daily exercise classes, talks on healthy living, weight loss and nutrition, treatments and raw food demonstrations: all set in luxury surroundings and supported by a qualified team of nutritionists and naturopaths. Additional classes include Live Blood Analysis, Food Intolerance Testing, Thai Massage and Chinese Cupping, whilst Colonic Hydrotherapy, Reflexology, use of gym and other benefits are included in the package. Prices start from £615pp double occupancy, and the programme runs 50 weeks a year. www.homefieldgrangeretreat.co.uk

The Ultimate Detox

The Ultimate Detox is a nine day Detox in which Austrian, Sabine Savisalo-Schuh introduces the Buchinger Method to the UK.  Dating back to the 1930's the Buchinger Method also propounds the health benefits of fasting combined with light exercise and total relaxation.

For 2010 The Ultimate Detox retreat is based at the New Park Manor Hotel, situated within the tranquil New Forest.  Now as well as nine days of cleansing your body, and the knowledge of how to continue with your new health regime, you can also enjoy spa treatments at the Bath House Spa which are designed to help remove the toxins that are released from your kidneys, skin, liver, and lungs, and activities such as yoga, meditation and even Nordic walking! The first two days of the cleansing process prepares your body to move onto the detox and fast. Then the next six days are spent fasting: during this time you are given juices, water, teas and buttermilk to enjoy, before participants spend another two days post fasting, and building up the body ready to continue the regime at home.  Dates for The Ultimate Detox have been confirmed as 16th- 25th March and 13th- 22nd April and prices start from £1,895pp double occupancy. www.theultimatedetox.co.uk

Something a bit more exotic

If the idea of a detox holiday sounds like your cup of tea, but you don't trust the British weather then there are many different detox retreats all over the world.

The Samui Detox resort is on the beautiful island of Koh Samui, Thailand.  They offer several different programme's including the 7-21 day Fasting & Detox Programme. The resort includes a private thatched roofed bungalow, Thai herbal steam bath's as well as access to some of the most beautiful sights in the world. If that wasn't tempting enough, the programme offers a complete body cleanse, purging the body of toxin's and poison's through kidney and bladder flushes and colonic irrigation, daily traditional thai massage, yoga classes and meditation.  Price's start from 38,500 THB per person, per week: working out as £722.17 at time of press, not including flight's. www.samuidetox.com