You want me to put the coffee where?!

It always amazes me that people spend a fortune on their car every year to make sure it’s in peak condition but they only spend a fraction of that cost on their own engine; their body. You can always get a new car if it’s a dud but you can’t get a new body.

I love a good detox challenge as much as the next person, so I have been going to health retreats for years. Like most people, I’m really dedicated at the start and get inspired to make all the healthy changes. I swap to sea salt, really watch the preservatives and colours, eat more fruit and veggies and feel really amazing. But then slowly I slide back into old habits and the alcohol creeps back in and the naughty little treats… But at least I’ve given my body a little holiday.

 Off to a great start!

I discovered yoga when I was 40 and since then have focused mainly on yoga retreats, which works really well for me. I had heard from a yoga friend of mine of a retreat in Ko Samui, which is where I am now writing this blog. The main reason for coming here is that they do the type of yoga I love which is Ashtanga. Looking online, they had a detox program, which I thought would be amazing for not only myself but also my husband Jeff.

And then things took an unexpected turn…

Upon arrival the place was beautiful. Nothing flashy; just earthy – as you would imagine a yoga retreat to look. The program manager was flustered and a bit over it, as she just had a big group in and clearly she was done. She started our orientation and she explained what the detox would include. My assumptions were freshly squeezed juice every day with lots of tropical fruit, which the Asian islands are famous for (and where I will get some inspiration for our new range). Instead she gave me a bag with a water bottle in it and an enema bag…

It then dawned on me that it was that type of detox and I really should pay more attention to the small print... 

Mmmmm… what have I done and will my husband ever forgive me?

We then watched this dodgy video on how to use your enema bag in the mornings. But there was some good and bad news for this detox. The good news was that you could still have a coffee in the morning. In fact, they encourage you to have 1.5 litres of coffee! The bad news was that you did not take it orally…

 Mmmmm… I think again; will my husband ever forgive me?

Luckily for me and my marriage, our approach to life is take everything with an open mind, so we went ahead with the program to see what we thought of the results.

 Because you may be eating, I will not go into details, but needless to say it was an interesting experience! Doing a detox in a place like this, which is custom-built, is the only way to go. The masseurs are very good and they give great tummy massages – which does send you into a false sense of relaxation for when you go and get your colon cleaned by the professional, a beautiful gentle Thai lady, with a tube that look far too big for the purpose, if you know what I mean! Let’s just say we are now very good friends…

What’s it all for anyway?

Whether you go on a hard-core detox, go to a luxury health retreat or just go and see at nutritionist, the most important thing I have learned is that all the hard work in business and life is worth nothing if you don’t have your health. 

A young body can cope with an enormous amount of abuse and repair relatively well. But when you start heading into your 40s and 50s, this is when the small decisions you make every day actually dictate how you will feel and how well you will be in your later years.

For myself, I don’t want to wait until I get a cancer or other health scare before I start being conscious of how I eat and how well I take care of my body. I’m happy to spend a bit more on a tune-up of my body so I can be around to actually enjoy the fruits of my hard work instead of spending my older years at the doctor’s.

But I do have this one piece of advice for you. Whatever you do, if you’re going on a detox retreat, please make sure you read the fine print!

Be sure to view my blog at janineallis.com for more articles.