The Blurb:
Chewton Glen (a WLL favourite), which is located in the New Forest, Hampshire, consistently adds to its long list of awards in both the hotel and spa categories. The hotel has partnered up with The Balance Clinic in Chelsea to offer a one-day mini cleanse and a three-day residential cleanse treatment in their luxurious surroundings.
The Balance Clinic is the UK’s largest colonic hydrotherapy practice, founded by celeb-favourite Amanda Griggs. The nutritionally balanced, five-juices-per-day-only cleanse, with a broth served to the room at bedtime, combines with complimentary treatments and supplements to facilitate the cleansing process.
The Process:
Day 1
In the introduction notes I received a few days prior, I was instructed not to eat anything on day one, just to have hot water and lemon on waking; so I arrived at The Chewton Glen at noon, ravenous. The first juice of the day surprisingly made the hunger pains vanish. During the afternoon I settled into my huge suite and hid the complementary champagne, chocolates and fruit in the fridge to avoid temptation.
My first treatment took place late afternoon; a colonic. After an initial consultation with Amanda I felt as at ease as I would do with an old friend. She seemed to instinctively know where needed most attention in my abdominal area and was able to quickly draw accurate insights about my diet and lifestyle, including my intolerance to lactose. I joined an evening yoga/meditation taught by Mary, whose soothing voice and manner quickly sent me towards nirvana. After drinking my broth, a light miso-type soup, I had a blissful night’s sleep.
Day 2
I started with a very early morning invigorating walk to the beach followed by leisure time. The detox wrap (involving a very scientific-looking space-suit and shoes) and the lymphatic massage followed in the afternoon. I lost a lot of water during the wrap, which is a sign of fluid retention and toxins leaving the body and became exhausted at this stage. After taking part in a Tai Chi class (just the silk reeling part can take years to master) I retired.
Day 3
The final and most intense treatment was a second colonic. Afterwards, I luckily made it up the flight of stairs to the designated bathroom in time; a highly embarrassing situation was avoided.
Guidance notes for the following week were given and I left with the remaining two juices to finish the detox at home. Putting on my coat (which I’d noticed was tight while in Rome the week before) I had at least two spare inches around the waist.
The Spa:
Pure indulgence and a top choice for spa aficionados: all facilities are fabulous. I especially enjoyed spending time in the crystal steam room and the hydrotherapy pool. I even braved the outdoor whirlpool. The spa uniquely offers Linda Meredith and Ila treatments and a wide range of spa day journeys.
The Result:
I found the intensity of the detox particularly challenging and felt lethargic for days following. I was surprised that as soon as I did start to feel hungry, it was ‘juice time’ so never actually felt I was going without. The delicious smells of food wafting were difficult to resist, so I spent much time in my suite. Overall I feel lighter, and that I achieved in three days, the equivalent to one month’s dedicated gym training. My skin glowed during and for a few weeks after the treatment, but temporary under-eye dark circles appeared due to the extra work on the lymph system and liver. I was delighted to discover I was able (for the first time) to comfortably fit into my j-brand super skinny jeans I had bought in NYC over one year ago.
Considering the high quality treatments, expertise and high standard of accommodation included, I felt this actually offered good value for money and the ideal setting for pure escapism from London. I would do this again but would definitely plan a few days of down time after and maybe even cheat a bit.
