Stress overdose? Try a spa ‘detox’ program
MENTION the word “detox” and Britney Spears is apt to come to mind, accompanied by images of her checking in and out (and in and out) of rehab. For many, though, the excesses in our lives are more mundane than drugs or alcohol but almost as unhealthful -- too much junk food or caffeine, too little exercise and too much stress.
Addressing people’s need to right mental and physical wrongs, destination spas have developed detox programs, although they aren’t always labeled as such. (In fact, some spa operators wince at the label.) Instead, the programs are called “Metamorphosis” or “Rejuvenation.”
Detox programs (which include any transition from unhealthful to healthful habits) are among the top 10 spa trends for 2007, according to SpaFinder, a New York-based marketing company.
That may mean one or two weeks at a spa -- and away from home base. Getting out of your day-to-day environment -- and out of your comfort zone -- also is crucial to dumping bad habits.
“Simply being away from a toxic environment, or one in which you are failing, can be helpful,” says Frederic Luskin, a psychologist in Redwood City, Calif. “If the spa teaches you positive skills and you are with other people who give you support, those two qualities make it more likely you will come back with a different way of being in the world.”
The spa environment -- a chef, a massage, beautiful surroundings -- can make easing into healthful habits less onerous.
Spas offering detox programs have their own spin. Among the options:
Chopra Center for Well Being
at LaCosta Resort and Spa
(888) 736-6895, www.chopra.com.
The website bills “Perfect Health” as a wellness program to teach you how to bring balance into your routine and ease “emotional turbulence.” The emphasis during the five-day program is on stress reduction, meditation, healthful vegetarian eating and the ancient Indian healing system called ayurveda.
Nutrition counseling, instruction in sleep routines and meditation, yoga, daily massages and colonic cleansing are part of the package. Cost: $2,975 and up, not including lodging, which is available at LaCosta or other nearby hotels.
Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa
(800) 327-4914, www.pritikin.com, Aventura, Fla.
Guests arriving at Pritikin often are concerned about health issues, says Dr. Sam Sugar, director of the spa’s sleep program. They may want to learn how to eat more healthfully. The program emphasizes exercise, stress reduction and the Pritikin Eating Plan, with plenty of whole grains, vegetables and fruits, modest amounts of nonfat dairy foods, one serving of animal protein a day and low salt and fat intake. Cost: $3,500 and up per person per week, double occupancy.
Red Mountain Spa
(800) 407-3002, www.redmountainspa.com,
St. George, Utah.
The “Detoxification Week” offered several times a year focuses on banishing “toxic buildup” in the body -- pesticides and other foreign substances in the environment and in our food -- as well as stress management and improved nutrition. “We don’t promote it as a weight-loss program, but it’s often a side benefit,” says Brad Crump, a chiropractor who oversees the program. Besides nutritional consultations, guests can try acupuncture and participate in yoga classes, daily hikes and healthful cooking classes. Cost: $2,410 and up per person, double occupancy.
Lake Austin Spa Resort
Austin, Texas, (800) 847-5637, www.lakeaustin.com
The one-week “Metamorphosis” is billed as “a gentle detoxification program.” The focus, says staff dietitian Terry Shaw, is on detoxing from sugar and other simple carbohydrates, caffeine and sodas, artificial sweeteners, information overload and chronic stress. Guests are encouraged to kick most bad-diet habits cold turkey, she says, with some exceptions. A java junkie, for instance, might ease the withdrawal headache with a bit of green tea. Cost: $4,075 and up per person, double occupancy.
The results of these programs vary, of course. Spa-goers should ask whether there is any kind of “relapse prevention program,” says Luskin, the Redwood City psychologist. Increasingly, spas are developing follow-up programs to check up on guests. And, at the very least, you can always enlist someone at home to be your support.