Natural High: End of Season Detox
Feeling all clubbed out? Where to go in Ibiza this autumn to cleanse yourself of summer’s sins.
SUMMER in Ibiza is synonymous with decadence and excess; coming to the island and not overindulging is like going to the beach and not taking off your shoes. By September Ibiza is teeming with strung-out pleasure-seekers – shorter on brain cells and sapped of spirit. Yet for all of the inebriated debauchery there are many healthy alternatives: retreats to escape the madness; detoxification treatments to restore the body’s balance; yin to align the yang.
With winter looming and daylight dwindling autumn is the perfect time to harvest those nutritional reserves; to purify the polluted body and give it the clean slate it desperately deserves. Detoxing needn’t mean going cold turkey Trainspotting-style, nor is it about lame attempts at forgoing life’s naughtiest pleasures – like filling alcohol voids with cake. Autumn detoxification is about setting the body up for a healthy change of season by kick-starting its natural cleansing system, leaving it revitalised, realigned and reborn.
At Santa Eulalia’s MWellness spa and fitness centre, new managers Kelly Morgan and James Davis are promoting a juice cleanse programme that can be completed in three or seven days. But it’s not about starvation; it’s about addressing the body’s PH balance with five freshly prepared alkalising juices per day (providing up to 2,000 calories, the recommended daily allowance for an average woman).
“We’re not trying to cut down the calories,” says Morgan. “It’s more about getting the right juices to work to flush out toxins. We recommend the seven-day detox because it takes three days for your body to get into proper deep cleansing, but we’ve got the three-day option there because it’s quite hard.”
Specially designed for party-goers and Ibiza’s music industry, the MWellness detox programme is all about stabilising an overly acidic body – and clubbers are a key culprits. “They’re drinking a lot, they’re upsetting their sleeping patterns, they’re probably not eating that well, and so all of those things build up toxins in the body.”
DJs Sasha and Sarah Main are both taking the plunge, while DC10 pioneer Charlie Chester has already detoxed twice this year and several times last season.
“I was in a right mess after the opening weekend last May,” Chester says. “I decided to do a juice detox here at M Wellness in Santa Eulalia. You have five juices a day, as well as water and green tea, plus an hour of cardio and weight training every morning when you go to pick up your juice. I lost seven kilograms in a week and it really sorted out my skin and my head. It’s brilliant! I’ve done it five times since.”
Regular detoxer Sasha sees it as a way of resetting his system “after a very hard three months on the road”. He says: “Living this life as a DJ takes its toll through heavy travelling and parties, so it’s a good way to reboot. If you’re living an extreme lifestyle, or work in these long touring and party scene environments, then I recommend it to anyone.”
DJ Dave Lubin recently completed the seven-day programme and lost eight kilograms. “I found it easier than I thought due to there being something to drink every three hours,” he says. “I would definitely recommend it, not just for weight loss but for overall wellbeing and detoxing the body – especially for those who burn the candle at both ends on our island!”
The MWellness plan includes 10 combinations of juices – all surprisingly substantial and tasty – like the Super Green: a mix of apple, pineapple, cucumber, wheatgrass, Spirulina, probiotic, avocado and lime.
The juice detox can be combined with a fitness programme to boost energy levels and eliminate toxins, or treatments like the universal contour wrap which uses sea clay and bandages to draw toxins out.
“Most detoxers find day three the most challenging hurdle,” says Morgan. “They can either feel really tired or they can start to feel really emotional. After day three you start to feel a lot better. Some people lose weight. By day four you can see their eyes are really clear, the hair, skin, nails, everything is feeling and looking a lot better.”
MWellness has also created a Disco Diet plan targeting those who go clubbing regularly. “The reality is we know they’re going to drink, so we look at what are the best choices that they can make when they’re out drinking; they’re tips and tricks that you can apply.”
Elsewhere on the island, Ibiza Retreats is offering a Post Party Purification and Pampering retreat led by wellness consultant Larah Davis to recover from the dance floor and recoil from the daily grind. Set amidst Atzaro’s tranquil orange groves, this three-day mind, body and spirit rejuvenation programme aims to re-balance the body and restore energy in combination with soothing treatments, wholefood and morning yoga.
Also taking place this autumn is Energy Week Ibiza; wisely scheduled right after the closing parties. “The idea is that people can enjoy a nice week which gives them opportunity to get back to themselves after a heavy summer,” says organiser Rica Diestel. “There will be yoga and Qi Gong classes, meditations, workshops on healing, dance, self-development, coachings, treatments for the body, healthy food and much, much more!”
First published on I Voice, Ibiza, September 2011.
© Abbey Stirling