Attending Santosa’s three day detox was a treat for the mind, body and soul. It also had a great social element; being surrounded by like-minded people with the combined goal of cleansing their bodies. The morning meetings, yoga, meditations and work-out classes brought us all together so we could connect easily.
This gave me the opportunity to discover what motivated people to do a detox. I discovered the vast majority go for their spring clean; to pick their bodies up after months or years of unconscious eating. Others go to remedy various health conditions without the aid of prescribed medication – a great alternative to mainstream medicine.
However, one of the less common reasons I came across was when people detoxed just before travelling. This unique take on a detox can be quite a powerful one. It’s not enough to say ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’, it has to begin with the right step.
So why make the first step of your journey a detox? Here are some great reasons for you to do so:
1) Being in an environment you’re not used to can throw your immune system off guard, decreasing your resistance to infections.
2) When travelling, you’re exposed to unusual parasites, insect bites, viruses and bacteria which means your defence system should always be strong.
3) Getting ill on your travels can be unsettling, disrupt your journey and depending on the severity, it may cost you a fortune.
Even though we cannot avoid everything, we take precautions that decrease the likelihood of catching something. A detox is one of the strongest precautions we can take. Why? Because it completely recharges the body. It gives our bodies first line of defence the chance to function optimally by flushing the body of harmful toxins that suppress it.
How you can detox before your trip ….
Ø Start with the small things: begin your day with a cleanse drink and give your body the boost it needs. Choose from either coconut water, warm (not hot) lemon water or a wheatgrass shot to give your blood and body a complete cleanse every morning.
Ø Eat the right fruits: Hunt for fruits that are high in vitamin C to build your immune system plus clean your colon, stomach and intestines. Keep consuming pomelo, papaya and oranges to supply you with your daily Vitamin C needs.
Ø Take probiotics: doing so in the form of yogurts or even better, Kefir, will keep your digestive tract balanced. Something as simple as adding yogurt to your cereal every morning can increase the good bacteria in your gut. Doing so will help your body fight any infections that come.
Ø Travel with Calcium Bentonite Clay. Coming from volcanic ash, the clay has a negative ionic charge. This allows it to draw bacteria and toxins away from your body as these are positively charged. Add psyllium husk for the perfect cleanse drink.
Ø Load your body with green smoothies. Fresh juices is a great way of getting your veggies in a raw, untouched form. Juicing pre-digests your vegetables so all the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals can be utilized quicker. Make your main focus celery, beetroots, kale, spinach, and carrots and try to get them organic. You can add your favourite fruits to sweeten things up and don’t forget about super-food powders like matcha, spirulina and chlorella!
Ø Alternatively… book yourself into a detox centre away from the hustle and bustle of city life. If you are staying somewhere with a heavy tourist industry like Phuket, Santosa offers a peaceful retreat away from the noise. Get daily guidance from experts and gain access to top quality facilities, supplements, nourishing foods and healing classes.
Ø Eat living foods: sprouts (like sunflower and alfalfa) are nutrient powerhouses and contain a full profile of nutrients and enzymes which are easily assimilated by the body. If you want to grow your own, remember the stage at which enzymes are most active is from germination to the seventh day. During this stage, the level of enzymes are 100x more powerful then enzymes found in fruits or veg. So cut out the junk food and replace them with raw snacks and sprouts today!
Ø Remember the digital detox:
digital detox
Disconnecting can make the world of difference to your travels. We live life in subservience to our devices. When the notification goes, we are compelled to look, compelled to communicate, compelled to stay connected.
It can be pretty liberating however to switch off the phone, just for a while, and immerse yourself completely in your surroundings. When you interact with people, you do so fully. When you eat, you do so with all your attention. The big benefit of becoming disconnected is that you become more connected to what’s around you. There are also the following benefits:
Ø You won’t miss meaningful moments life blesses us with
Ø You will get a more restful sleep
Ø Research reveals disconnecting can boost creativity and help you solve problems more efficiently
Ø You’ll be surprised how much time you spend texting, ‘Facebooking’ and ‘Instagramming’. Get rid of the digital devices and get more time for doing cool and memorable things that enhance your journey.