I’ll be honest, the words ‘detox plan’ have always scared me a little. They evoke images of extreme deprivation, starvation and some sort of judgemental boot camp-style scenario that’s designed to make me feel bad about my (usually) wine-happy, sometimes-over-indulged, slightly-gluttonous-but-otherwise-happy existence.
Before embarking on my four-day detox plan at Zafiro Palace Palamanova I’m sure, that like a lot of people, I was not sure what ‘detox’ actually meant. It’s become such a commercialised and oft peddled catch-all to describe any sort of rigorous (read *miserable*) food and fitness plan.
It was with this slightly befuddled, mostly sceptical and definitely curious mindset that I embarked on my first ever detox journey.
DETOX: THE ZAFIRO WAY
Cue my arrival at the stunning Zafiro Palace Palmanova in Palma Majorca- a five-star luxurious haven nestled amongst the craggy Majorcan mountains and overlooking the breathtakingly perfect azure waters of the Balearic sea. Located just 15 minutes from Palma airport, the facilities include a stunning spa, SEVEN swimming pools (two of them being indoor) and five-themed restaurants for you to indulge your every culinary whim. But I’m not here to do that.
I’m here on a detox programme which is described as a ‘Complete inner cleanup: A comprehensive program to get rid of harmful or superfluous elements your body has stored away. Exactly what I need as I’m pretty sure I am carrying more than my fair share of ‘harmful and superfluous’ elements. This should be interesting…
I’ve booked into the four-day detox programme (typically it’s a week or two week-long programme). Four days is just the right amount of time for a detox novice like myself to dip their toes into uncharted waters. A little peek into a window into wellness, if you like.
DETOX DOESN’T HAVE TO BE HELL
The programme that’s been shared with me prior to my arrival is an interesting mix of activities which include a nutritional consultation, detox wrap, detox massage, personal training, life detox session and pressotherapy.
I kick off my first day with a nutritional consultation held with one of the resort’s resident nutrition and wellness coaches, Alex. It’s a relaxed affair, something I realised underpins the general approach at Zafiro Palace, and Alex is warm and welcoming and doesn’t, to my relief, turn up in a white lab coat carrying a clipboard.
Aside from asking basic questions such as age, overall health and eating habits, the consultation is not concerned with scientifically dissecting every bad habit and food I may have indulged in. It’s a much more holistic approach, which believes that these four pillars determine your overall well-being : nutrition, health, sleep and hydration.
The approach to nutrition at Zafiro Palace is that if you eat well, your body will naturally detox, your liver and kidneys being your two main filters for achieving this. I also learn that the liver cleans the body between 11pm and 3am (who knew!), and that its best to be tucked up and snoozing during this time to give it time to do its work uninterrupted, especially avoiding consuming too much sugar and alcohol which can damage the liver. Goodbye late night cocktails and takeaways!
Alex is keen to emphasise that I shouldn’t suddenly cut out certain foods, but rather, introduce new ones and then phase out or eat less of the old ones. So, for example, if like me you love cheese and rely on it as a source of calcium, you can slowly begin to substitute some of that with sesame seeds and broccoli which are also packed with calcium but have none of the fat.
It’s a practical and achievable approach, one that has focus on taking it back to basics by focusing on cooking fresher food (more enzymes and minerals), using good quality products and eating more whole and unprocessed foods.
My consultations with Eduardo, who heads up the wellness programme, follows a similar pattern, with him stressing that The Zen Life Detox programme is there to provide a kick-start and road map to a better way of living. They see detox as a process, there is no magic “red pill”, just patience, good habits and a measured approach. Drastic weight loss is not something they recommend, (music to my ears) as this creates an imbalance and is a short sighted approach to what should be a long-term goal.
DETOX IS HEALTHY AND BUT CAN AlSO BE ENJOYABLE
Over the four-day detox programme, I joyfully indulge in a refreshing detox wrap and a detox massage which leaves me virtually unable to move I’m THAT relaxed. My first ever Life detox session includes an introduction to Do In yoga (pronounced “doy- in”), which focuses on the energy of your organs and on mental and physical fitness, calisthenics and stretching. I have an eye-opening ‘mindfulness’ coaching session on the beach and I discover pressotherapy – a treatment that promotes lymphatic drainage by using air pressure on different parts of the body.
I find the compression and decompression treatment (when I am ensconced in what looks like a space suit) soothing, so much so, I end up squeezing in an extra session before I leave. Probably not the brightest idea given the number of trips to the loo I have to make after the treatment! It’s drainage in the literal sense.
A highlight is the session in the spa pool which involves being cradled and rocked back and forth in the water, which turns out to be a lot more relaxing than I ever imagined it would be, once I get past my fear of drowning.
The food is a prescribed daily menu which is a combination of a macrobiotic and Mediterranean diet with prescribed therapeutic teas served at 11am and 5pm every day. I’m pleasantly surprised by the mostly-vegetarian fare that I’m served. Simple yet delicious, with dishes such as freshly-made asparagus soup, chickpeas with okra and turmeric, tofu with onions and courgette being just some of the dishes that I can easily replicate once I get back home. I find that I don’t miss meat at all, which is a huge mental shift for a shameless carnivore like me.
THE OUTCOME
By the time I come to the end of my detox adventure, I’m a little bit sad to be leaving Zafiro Palmanova. I’ve become accustomed to the exceptional level of personal care and attention from the resident experts. It’s been an eye-opening experience of a detox. The big takeaway for me is that detox is not just about eliminating toxins from our bodies but also about filtering out harmful and superfluous elements wherever they occur in our lives- whether that’s our thoughts, habits or our behaviour patterns.
When I return home a few of my colleagues comment on how ‘rested’ I look. Pretty gratifying considering I’ve only been away for four days. I feel rested too, which for me tends to be more of a mental than physical state. Proof perhaps that the Zafiro Palace Palmanova ethos of Zen Body and Zen Mind are not only interconnected but are actually interdependent, and when you achieve that balance that’s when you’ve truly detoxed.
Wellness detox programmes at zafirohotels.com
