Coffee, cigarettes and Sangsom buckets. The life of a Bangkokian can be a lot of fun, but also notoriously unhealthy. That’s why this Songkran, I decided to go against the grain and give my liver a much-needed break. I decided to go on detox.
Detoxes, cleanses and fasts are still widely huffed at, but for every disbeliever there seems to be someone new catching on to these alternative medicines. After all, with all the sugary, processed foods we consume these days, the benefit of banishing toxins from the body is difficult to argue with.
It’s just how some of these programs claim to clean out the system that is debatable. For example, one of the most popular cleanses is known as “juice fasting.” Basically, it’s having only fruit and vegetable juices for anywhere from a few days to several weeks. But, the health benefits are unproven in juice fasts. It can lead to salt deficiency, which causes headaches and nausea.
Then there’s the “lemonade diet,” also known as a “master cleanse” or “maple syrup diet.” This one became popular when Beyonce touted its wonders, claiming to have lost 20 pounds for the movie Dreamgirls on this cleanse. The program consists of drinking nothing but a concoction made from water, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup for two weeks. According to the diet, it works by creating a calorie deficiency so that the dieter loses fat and not muscle.
Then there is a whole slew of “quickie” cleanses which can last for just a couple days.
In my case, I wasn’t looking to lose weight but rather to shake up some unhealthy eating habits. I began researching options for detoxing in Thailand and was surprised to find many companies that offer such programs. While Thailand is a hotspot for partying in neon spandex, it is also becoming a great place to get healthy.
I decided to choose a cleanse that focused on substituting meals, rather than foregoing them completely. That’s why I registered in the five-day Ayurvedic cleanse at Monte Vista Retreat Centre in Koh Phangan. The program is focused around Ayurveda, an ancient Indian healing practice. For me, all I had to hear was “three square meals a day” and I was sold.
Every day I could have a breakfast of fruit, then a meal called “kitchari” for lunch and dinner. Kitchari is a rice and mung bean paste. It had the consistency of baby food or bumpy mashed potatoes, and the taste of nothing. I was also only allowed to drink water, coconut water and a special detox tea.
I also had to take a couple daily herbs, including something called triphala, which is a powdered fruit mixture that cleans out the digestive system. This is perhaps one of the most horrible things I have ever put in my mouth. I described it at one point as tasting like the “devil’s barf.”
The first day of cleansing was the most difficult. I felt exhausted, both mentally and physically. I was also emotional and edgy from time to time. The instructors say this can happen because as toxins are leaving the body, they rise up into the brain. However, these affects were offset by dreamy daily massages, yoga and meditation classes.
After the experience, I felt great. I’m a person who takes a lot of naps, and post-detox, I was bursting with energy. I’m also much more conscious of what I eat.
There are many ways of getting healthy and detox is just one of them. Cleansing may not be for everyone, but I had a great experience.
FIND IT:
Monte Vists retreat in Koh Phangan
162/1 Nai Wok Beach, Koh Phangan, 84280, Thailand
The five-day Ayurvedic cleanse costs THB24,750 and includes accommodation
