An important part of what you take home from your wellbeing holiday is knowledge. Understanding what you should be eating, as well as what you shouldn’t, is crucial to the success of your holiday once you have returned home. Its no exaggeration to say that a detox holiday can be life changing. Every one of our programmes includes an initial wellness consultation with the in-house nutritionist. It’s their job to take you case history and analyse your diet, your exercise regime and your general lifestyle. You don’t have to be Einstein to realise that most of us try to do far too much and spread ourselves to thinly. This means we don’t have time to actually enjoy what we do. Your counsellor will help you to see the changes you need to make. This is relatively easy to do when you’re overseas in a totally different environment.

Whilst in an exotic destination such as Thailand, you will have access to a range of different foods not so common at home. The nutritionist will guide you through the types of foods you should follow and make it simple for you. A look at the menus on offer from hotels such as Absolute Sanctuary tells you all you need to know.

When I was in Thailand, I was surprised at how easily it was able to switch to a vegetarian diet, and thoroughly enjoy it. As it was part of my programme it was easy to pick what I wanted. As a result of my detox programme, I realised that I naturally moved towards a “fishetarian” diet with fish and vegetables at the heart of it.

So, to get to the original question – is all detox food delicious? The answer is no, not straight away. And that’s because our western palates are trained on take away sandwiches, pizzas and many foods high in fat, sugar and salt. Like any improvement you make, once it becomes a habit you will start to see enormous benefits. Your taste buds will start to appreciate the more delicate tastes of herbs and spices rather than saturated fats. Many of us will have spent many years eating an awful diet and as with any big change, you need to be determined. The hotels staff will show you how and in just a few weeks you will start to enjoy real organic food.

When you book a healthy holiday, along with the quality of the bed you get, the most important factor is the food you eat. Upgrading the quality of the food you put into your body, to healthy fresh food, is paramount to the success of your programme. Organic, fresh food is vital and if you have to buy it as an extra when you get there, because your cheaper holiday was on half board basis, you can easily pay hundreds of pounds more.

As a wellbeing travel specialist, we know our hotels and resorts as our staff have actually been there and experienced them personally. They can not only tell you about the facilities at the hotel, but also the varieties and choices of foods and drinks available. And, of course, we have tried and tested the treatments, from relaxing, soothing massage to the pleasures(!) of colonic irrigation.

One last word of warning. Always, Always, ensure that you book your package – and by this I mean accommodation and airfare – with a Tour Operator licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). This will ensure that in the event of the tour operator going out of business, you will get back to the UK safely. Amazingly, some budget airlines still do not offer this safety net. The travel trade in general has been lobbying the government for many years to ensure we all compete on level terms and offer the paying client what they deserve – full protection of their travel details.

Here’s the nutritional angle: detox drinks can contain a mixture of psyllium fibre (for bulk) and bentonite clay with water and fresh fruit juice. Psyllium fibre helps to bulk up unwanted contents of your colon and bentonite clay absorbs toxins allowing them to pass easily. The drinks are a main component of each detoxification program as they contain the safe and necessary ingredients to assist the body in ridding itself of harmful chemicals and substances.

You might be appalled at the thought of one of these drinks replacing your breakfast – I certainly was. Of all the changes I was to make in a week long detox programme, “missing breakfast” as my inner voice told me, would be very difficult. I could not have been more wrong. At Absolute Sanctuary, each morning you choose between Watermelon, Coconut or Pineapple as the base ingredient, to which all of the good stuff (above) is added. It has the same effect as my (back at home) favourite Porridge Oats with Blueberries. It fills you up and keeps you satisfied for at least two to three hours. In fact, as you taste buds improve, along with your desire to eat tasty, organic foods you may, as I did, find your self replacing other meals with a delicious detox drink.

Getting out of our everyday environments and into a place of tranquillity and nurturing can be the catalyst you need to achieve optimum health. “You are what you eat” – yes it may be a cliché but it’s true – and it’s also what you “assimilate and eliminate”.  Therefore, the weight loss programme is carefully tailored to your specific requirements as defined by your Nutritional Consultation and Biophysical Evaluation. You are unique in terms of biochemical individuality, you have your individual rate of absorption, assimilation and your specific dietary needs.  You will leave knowing how to manage your weight in a healthy long-lasting way based on continuous care and a healthy diet to maintain balance.

The Longevity Resort is located in the charming village of Monchique, just 15 minutes from the Algarve’s two main cities, Portimao and Silves, and its best beaches at Alvor and Rocha. Situated some 500 metres above sea level, The Longevity Wellness Resort is a luxurious eco-friendly Algarve holiday resort has a unique and integrated wellness and health approach. Longevity’s Medical Spa offers an extensive range of treatments in three different areas: Beauty and Rejuvenation, Health and Longevity, Wellness and Relaxation. Other facilities include a restaurant, five bars, outdoor pools, indoor heated pool, fitness centre, multi-purpose room, sports &wWellness bar, health & convenience shop, meditation room & deck.

Accommodation at Longevity is in spacious, elegant and fully fitted suites (one-bedroom apartments) and not hotel rooms – offering more space from 60 sqm to 90 sqm. All apartments have an en-suite bathroom with private WC and direct access to the terrace, living room with kitchenette, 2nd WC with walk-in shower. The Balconies have private gardens with outdoor furniture, fantastic mountain and coastal views.

PRICES START AT £2,275 FOR SEVEN NIGHTS ON THE LONGEVITY ESSENTIAL WEIGHT MANAGEMENT PACKAGE and includes scheduled flights, transfers, seven nights twin share accommodation and FULL BOARD spa cuisine meals every day.

The following treatments are included:

1  Preventative Medicine ConsultationLongevity Wellness Resort Portugal
1  Nutritional Consultation
2  Biophysical Evaluations
2  Pressotherapies
2  Personal Training Sessions
2  Skin Brushing Sessions
2  Detox Ocean Baths
1  Cellutox Aroma Ocean Wrap
1  Body Sculpting
3  Longevity Massage Rituals Group Wellness Activities – including Dance and Pilates classes
Daily Morning Hikes
Access to other group classes that include AquaFit and Fitball Dance.

Two of our staff, Astra and Lesley, visited Longevity in November 2011 and are ideally placed to give you a very honest appraisal of what you can expect. To read their personal accounts, click here.

But if your home life includes going out at least twice a week (assuming it includes alcohol consumption along the way) your holiday can easily become just a more intense version of this. Many of us will have come back from a holiday feeling we need another one to get over it.

So most of us probably need to improve our health and the older you get the more apparent it becomes and at some stage, probably somewhere between 30 and 35, we start to think that holidays should be just that, a break from the norm. In these times of austerity, many people have very demanding jobs and work more hours than we did 10 years ago. Now, more than ever, we need to look after ourselves. Government statistics show people are living longer, so being healthy becomes even more important.

Very few people actually like dieting. Stating the obvious? Yes – but that’s why so few people succeed. Changing your lifestyle suddenly one day whilst all around you remains the same, is practically impossible.  In order to make real, lasting changes you need a different perspective.  The best way to achieve this perspective is to change your surroundings, at least for a few days. This will immensely improve your chance of implementing healthy changes.

Taking a healthy holiday not only gives your body a break from its every day abuse, but gives you the head space to think about what you need to do.  A healthy break, even as little as 4 or 5 days, can be enough to kick start your healthy approach to life.  Travelling to a completely different environment is a great catalyst for success.  An overseas destination, particularly one that includes sea or air passage raises your spirits and prepares you mentally for change.

Immersing yourself in a different culture opens the mind to accept new ideas and its much easier to see the healthy benefits. Some people want to get fit, some want to loose weight and some want to rejuvenate and improve their general health. I felt the need to kick start my body’s metabolism from constant sluggishness and lethargy so I chose a one week long detox programme.  My trip to Thailand was just such an experience.

So why not give some serious thought about improving your health. A healthy holidays provides the opportunity for an instant fix and can sow the seeds for future health improvement.  If you spare a week to do this – 5 days off and two weekends either side – you actually have nine days to visit somewhere special and reinvent your life!

We offer a range of holidays at specialist health resorts. If like me, you can see the benefits of a detox, we have several to choose from click here.  If you feel that an active holiday, based around fitness training is for you click here.  Yoga and Pilates are also a great way to improve mood and fitness, click here.  Or maybe you feel that a more gentle change is for you.  Many of our programmes includes a wellness consultation designed to teach you what you can do to improve your health whilst experiencing some of the treatments and activities whilst you are there - click here.

Take a look at out testimonial pages to see our personal experiences.

WELLBEING HOLIDAYS offers a range of healthy holidays. If you are unsure of what might suit you please contact us on 01622 608275 or by e-mail at reservations@wellbeingholidays.co.uk

Whilst offering a range of healthy holidays options, Absolute Sanctuary’s Detox programmes are one of their signature specialities. The detox treatments are consistent, but you can choose what sort of food you want depending on how “serious” you are. Most people would go for the Vegetarian Detox giving you the chance to select almost anything from their healthy menu including cooked vegetables. For those wanting to sample “mild fasting combined with fresh, raw foods meals”, then the Living Food Detox is for them. And for the “dedicated”, they offer The Ultimate Detox – a programme “consisting of a structured fasting and colon hydrotherapy course, suited for those who wish to experience instant weight loss. Dramatic results guaranteed!”.

For both complete beginners, and the more experienced, the detox courses start with an in-depth initial wellness consultation. This assesses your overall health and lifestyle habits and forms the basis of the advice offered throughout the course right up to your Final Detox Consultation with take-home guidelines. The therapists are very experienced and perform their tasks very professionally but always with a genuine smile.

If, like me, the thought of starting your day with a detox drink instead of a (healthy) breakfast would leave you hungry, you will be surprised. Once you realise what you head is trying to tell you, you quickly adapt to a healthy diet. Eating healthily is as much about controlling your thoughts as the food you actually eat. And being in a new environment where care and advice is immediately at hand makes all the difference. When I undertook their 7 day Signature Detox Programme, complete with daily colonic hydrotherapy!, I was very nervous – not about the treatments but the lack food! – as I perceived it. However, I was never hungry and found the whole experience changed my attitude towards food. And yes, I will do it again – soon.

In our own surroundings, finding the inspiration to get healthy can be almost impossible. Listed below are some of the benefits that you can achieve by following a detox programme for just a few days. At Absolute Sanctuary in Koh Samui, Thailand, we offer detox courses designed to give you the chance to get away from the daily grind and rejuvenate yourself.

Some of the benefits of a detox course:

• Safe and effective weight loss:  as toxin levels decrease and the body becomes more chemically balanced your metabolic rate increases and by the second day of your detox you can feel your biochemistry normalizing and your excess weight dropping off naturally.
• Clearer and more radiant skin:  as toxins are flushed out of your body, your pores become unblocked and your skin breathes better causing your face to glow.
• Improved blood circulation.
• Improved energy levels:  as your metabolic rate improves and hormones stabilise your energy levels will naturally improve.
• Healthier digestion and improved regularity of bowel movements:  as you undergo our cleanse, your body’s ability to absorb and process nutrients and speed up your elimination system. You will be amazed at how flat your belly is and how calm it feels after your detox.

Brighter eyes:  dark circles under the eyes and bloodshot eyes are a sign of toxicity. As toxins gets eliminated from your body, your eyes will naturally go white and brighten. By day 2 of your detox you will find your eyes shining.

The wellness consultation is your health history. You will be weighed, measured, and asked many questions about your lifestyle, diet, exercise routines and your health in  general.  This gives a snapshot of exactly where you are now and how treatments can be combined for maximum effect.

Colon Hydrotherapy is, without doubt, the therapy that causes the most interest above all others. On a 7 day Signature Detox Programme at Absolute Sanctuary, you will receive a daily treatment.  Its main purpose is to free up the colon of old impacted waste, built up gas and mucous in the gut. It is a simple process that cleanses the colon via the rectum using a series of infusions of warm, filtered water.  The water dislodges impacted matter and is released gently throughout the session.  The session usually lasts about one hour.

A Detox Massage is an excellent, optional, treatment specifically designed to relax the body in order to encourage the process of elimination by massaging your large intestine/stomach area.

What you eat and drink is the most important aspect of any detox.  On this detox course, you combine detox drinks, nutritional supplements and coconut juices with a modified diet of light vegetarian meals.  You can also have unlimited Soup broths.  This may all sound rather drastic but, in effect, all you are doing is clearing out the toxins that have, over a number of years, accumulated in your body …. replacing it with healthy food.

Whichever way you choose to “clean yourself up”, the basic elements of eating more nutritious food, drinking enough water and getting more exercise will have a beneficial effect.  An internet connection allows you to access a vast number of different diet plans, lifestyle changes, exercise regimes and general advice. Googling the word “detox” shows millions of results.

The research is the easy part.  Finding the willpower and inspiration to be more healthy is another matter entirely! That’s why travelling to a place, far from your everyday life and the fast food outlets and microwave meals everywhere, allows you the mental space to think clearly about what you need to do.

This rationale proved correct when I travelled to Thailand and stayed at Absolute Sanctuary, the Wellness Resort in Koh Samui. I undertook their 7 days Signature Detox Programme and followed the “Living Foods” option. You can read my testimonial here, but for now let’s just say it worked.  I felt incredible. I had much more energy and my concentration levels improved.  I also lost 5 kilos in the process.

You can of course try a detox at home but if, like me, you’re the type of person who feels that being in new surroundings would bring you most benefits then take a look at what Absolute Sanctuary can offer.

• Prevent and revert the degenerative processes
• Restore the energy levels
• Improve the metabolism
• Reinforce the immune system
• Reduce stress
• Improve physical and mental performance
• Obtain maximum quality life

Longevity Essential Wellness is the first step towards this concept and is the basis and foundation of Longevity Medical Spa.

What’s included …

•     7 nights accommodation in a spacious suite
•     Nutrition and fitness plan
•     Meal plan according to profile during the stay (up to 5 meals a day)
•     Access to the gym and wet areas of the spa *
•     Access to the daily activities of the Longevity Vitality Plan **
•     Wireless internet in public areas and wired access in the suites
•     Medical spa programme, including:
•     2 Preventative Medicine Consultations
•     1 Nutrition Consultation
•     1 Biochemistry Basic Evaluation
•     2 Biophysical Evaluations (initial and final)
•     1 Osteopathic Evaluation
•     2 Anti Oxidant Rebalancing Therapies (IV)
•     1 Personal Training Session
•     2 Oxygen Therapies (inhalation)
•     1 Longevity Body Scrub with Sea Salts and Citrus
•     1 Detox Ocean Bath
•     1 Under Rain Massage
•     1 Fountain of Youth Face Massage
•     2 Longevity Relaxing Massage Rituals
•     Return transfers
•     Return flights to Faro

* Access to the Longevity Medical Spa is only allowed for 16 years old and over.
** Access to the activities is only allowed for 16 years old and over

Prices from £2,574 per person, including flights (based on twin room sharing).

 WE’VE BEEN THERE !!!

TESTIMONIALS – Click here to read what OUR STAFF said about their stay