Feeling sluggish and slow, irritable and grumpy all the time? A detox retreat or detox holiday could be the fastest way for you to remedy many of the everyday niggling health concerns.
The wellness detox is steadily gaining popularity and becoming a trend.
Hooked on this current wellness trend, celebrities such as Madonna, Naomi Campbell, the Beckhams, Kylie Minogue and Demi Moore have been choosing to spend long hot days in havens dedicated to transforming the body and the mind.
They pick secluded, Instagram-friendly, picture-perfect resorts where detoxing from their everyday, hectic lives isn’t just possible but a requirement.
Here you’ll receive personalised treatments and health advice, benefit from a specific diet, and renew your spiritual connection with yoga and meditation.
To help detox they do tailored diets, yoga, pilates and fun fitness activities along with mindfulness coaching.
Victoria Beckham recently visited the Lanserhof Tegernsee health retreat for a week’s detox, where she drank moon water, enjoyed cycle rides through mountains and adopted clean eating.
The luxurious former holiday hotel she checked into is described on its website as being the best out there and "has been setting standards in modern medicine based on the FX Mayr philosophy for more than 30 years".
The idea is that a poor diet is the root of most modern ailments and health concerns, and the most important route to good health is through the gut.
The former Spice Girl posted a picture of her daily vitamins, which included a Skinade drink sachet, a packet of tablets and a sachet of Omnibiotic, to encourage the well-being of the digestive system, particularly when travelling.
The owner of Detox International Southern Africa, Wendy Greenway, said wellness retreats were aimed at relaxing and rejuvenating the mind, the body and the soul.
“There are many people who live fast-paced lives and experience overwhelming amounts of stress. They often treat themselves to a week of quiet time by attending a wellness retreat. Other clients are sufferers of chronic conditions who find relief after a retreat,” she said.
According to Healing Holidays, there are benefits of a detox retreat as opposed to a detox that is done at home; those on a retreat tend to be a lot more committed and likely to stick out the whole detox.
“On a detox retreat you tend to be in an environment free from temptations, and often with other people on a detox; this creates a supportive environment that's sure to keep you motivated and on track.”
It doesn’t come cheap, but if you can’t afford a holiday, there’s no need to feel left out. Taking regular breaks from technology in order to reconnect with the real world around can be as good as a holiday.
Back in 2015, Ed Sheeran decided to take a break from social media and took one step towards a digital detox.
The singer claimed he was living his life through his devices, telling his fans: “I find myself seeing the world through my screen and not my eyes,” which promoted a break from his phone, emails and all social media.
In South Africa, actress Mona Skejana took time off social media after losing her child. She said she wanted to focus on dealing with the loss.
Taking time out from the daily stresses is important, whether it is by going to a retreat or deleting the social media apps on your cellphone and your tablet for a few weeks.