If you’re anything like me, the detox issue raises it’s monstrous head every few months, it’s like the angel of death planting itself on your shoulder, whispering sweet nothings into your ear telling you that a month of abstinence would make you feel so amazing.
So why does it always feel like a year has past after two days, your diary suddenly fills up with invites to amazing parties and restaurants? Is it Sod’s Law or just because you are in martyrdom that these events seem so fabulous?
As someone who has about zero willpower when it comes to gadding about town, I always take the wimps detox option and jet off to a favourite spa in the tropics where I have no choice except to adhere to the regime.
Well, that was until I came across BeautifulBreak Detox, a programme designed to be incorporated into your life, while you work, with a minimum of fuss. For three weeks, you have all your food and drinks provided plus five thermal wraps per week to speed up the detoxification process. It’s a no-brainer really.
How Does It Work?
The detox programme was originally devised in Germany 180 years ago and is designed to fit around your life. Ilona Wesle, BeautifulBreak MD, brought the treatment to the UK following success in German & Austrian clinics. As an introduction to the treatment, she tells me about how my body acts as a sponge to soak up the toxins from caffeine, alcohol, junk food and the environment that never have the opportunity to be flushed out properly until now. A combination of regular thermal wraps and a low-salt, low protein, high carbohydrate, vegan diet aims to give the body a rest from the daily toxic loading allowing it the chance to rejuvenate and repair itself.
The thermal wraps are the craziest thing about this programme and is certainly not my favourite part of the process. You strip and get to lie on a cold wet sheet in a pair of paper knickers. Granted the sheet is placed on two large water packs, which warms up pretty quickly, but even after wrap #15, it was still a shock to the system. You are wrapped in the sheet, have a couple more water packs placed on your stomach area and feet and then swaddled in a couple of blankets and a duvet. You are left to sweat for anything between 60-90 minutes.
The heat increases the temperature and allows the toxins to be mobilised and excreted via the skin. The heat pack on the liver area stimulates the production of growth hormone, which fast-tracks the body into fat-burning mode. Fat cells are where harmful toxins are stored when your body is unable to detoxify them, making it harder for us to shift the fat cells. By creating an environment that allows toxins to be excreted you enable your body the opportunity to burn excess fat.
Re-writing the Detox Rule Book
This detox requires that you rip up the rulebook. Gone are the gallons of water that you need to drink to flush out the toxins, no starving required. Complex carbs in the shape of beans, wholegrains such as brown rice, barley and wheat featured very heavily. As do cabbage, potatoes (yes, potatoes), tomatoes and aubergine.
It was a tough call to get my head around eating rice pudding or berry semolina for an evening meal, as well as the detox temptations for snacks. High carb foods are not a large part of my normal diet anymore. I’m also a MASSIVE fish fan. I would eat sashimi everyday of the week if I could, so being totally vegan is a real step change. But I managed to get over myself and started craving the muffin balls temptations – so much so that I became upset when I got flapjacks instead.
About 10 days in I had a mini-meltdown, suddenly unable to take the intensity of the wrap. After 80 minutes I was over feeling like an adult version of baby Jesus who’d been left in the desert. Luckily my next day was a day off – so I regrouped over my favourite dish of spinach and chickpeas and a fresh orange and mango juice. The break did me good and calmed my thoughts so by the time the next wrap swung round, I was leaping onto the bed like a gazelle, feeling like a completely new person.
Results
1) The biggest win was that I was able to leave my coffee addiction at the door and suffered zero withdrawal symptoms. I hardly craved my one-a-day ritual, either carrying my own tea bags or drinking fresh mint tea instead.
2) For the first time since the onset of winter, I was able to get out of bed, happily, at 6.30am
3) I ate significantly less than expected and I rarely felt hungry, even when the portion sizes were reduced.
4) I lost about 5.5 kgs – a welcome, but unexpected result.
The Beautifulbreak detox does ask for a significant time commitment. But what you give time-wise for the wraps, you get back in shopping and cooking time. As you are making a pledge to your health it is worth its weight in gold.
The BBD team are great motivators and you are well looked after especially if, like me, you have any wibbles. Anything I didn’t like was removed from my menu and favourites were repeated. Its straightforward, you can have a social life just take your food – people will be wanting what you’re having. And as for alcohol, after a week, wine tasted like drain cleaner so it was super easy to refuse. My kinda detox, for sure.
www.beautifulbreak.com