by Chrissy Iley
I’d heard amazing things about Simply Healing, a detox retreat and cathedral of weight loss. It had been voted queen of retreats by several glossy magazines and Vivien Kay, who runs it, is a celebrated all round healer in the mystical and practical sense of the word.
When it got to the day before my retreat, which was specifically aimed at hormone rebalancing for perimenopausal and menopausal women I’d not done any of the things I was advise to prepare with, which was to eat lightly and to drink no coffee or any other caffeine.
Drinking no coffee was not only foreign to me it was impossible. I couldn’t wake up in the morning, have the power of speech, without at least three cappuccinos, strong ones. I decided not to worry about it, instead wondered how I would survive on juice and psyllium husks only.
Simply Healing is a Georgian house set in lush Sussex countryside. We are encouraged to go through walks in the woods. Once inside there’s an overwhelming comforting smell of sage. The rooms are cosy and well appointed and first off there was a green juice followed by a consultation and a checking of my sugar levels.
The menopause balance juice detox plan with specific juices – some of which are delicious, potassium broths, body treatments, hypnotherapy and colonic therapy is set to target issues especially associated with hormone imbalance. Vivien has had great results with fertility and menopause symptoms, unexplained weight gain, mood swings and flushes.
The detoxes are incredibly popular. Vivien has had all kinds of celebrities frequenting her hallways. It is one of those highly sought after places because of the incredible results. Not just for the time you are there but the detox seems to reprogramme your body into continuing to improve.
We were a group of seven. One lady I found out afterwards was experiencing up to ten sopping flushes a day and within six days they had reduced to two.
The days seem action packed. The abdominal sacral massage that I had to rebalance internal organs was extremely powerful. There were lots of massages: lymphatic and detoxing. I was wrapped in milk and honey, exfoliated, I had reflexology and colon therapy. I’d had colon therapy before and found it extremely painful because I’m bloaty and gassy. If you have one session straight after another it becomes less painful and more effective.
The incredible thing that surprised me is I wasn’t really hungry. The juices are every few hours and at the end of the day a broth. Sure you yearn for something to crunch but I wasn’t really yearning for sugar. On day two the detox was making me extremely nauseous. I threw up a couple of times. I was yearning for caffeine. Vivien made me a special potion involving ginger and Manuka honey, because I also had a terrible cough, and the nausea subsided.
Downstairs I could see women shrinking, visibly. One lady must have lost about 12lbs in six days. When you leave your body feels so pure you don’t want to go back to your old ways, you want to eat juices forever. I did in fact by a juicer and also a chi machine which you lie your feet on and it rebalances the energy in your body and moves the fat around.
The lady with intense sweats is in touch with me and has lost a further 15lbs. every one of the group is doing well. You automatically bond with these women because what you go through with them is emotional. You talk about what is emotional eating and why. Everyone left regenerated, refreshed and ready for a new chapter.
Six days of this detox costs £2,055. Expensive yes. But it will change your life.
Simplyhealingcentre.com. Tel: 01403 822117.