STOP PRESS Watch my interview with Helena Cavan on Feel Good Factor TV Sat 28th Nov 2020
If you are want to rejuvenate and kick start your way to better health then don’t miss out on the options from the beautiful juice and raw food detox retreat based in the Cotswolds – The Milestone Detox
Here’s a previous review:
A weekend of juicing, rejuvenation and bliss..
For the last few years I’ve been lucky enough to head off to a juice retreat in Portugal, but this year for various reasons, I just can’t afford the time. My batteries however – still need a recharge! I was delighted to experience somewhere closer to home that is still definitely a ‘re-treat’.
The Milestone Detox is a boutique juice and raw food detox retreat company based in the Cotswolds.
Helena and her husband Jonathan went to experience Juice Detox Retreats in the UK, came back, compared notes and said… “We can do this WAY better!”
They did huge amounts of research and created a unique programme that is holistic, great value, and all-inclusive with beautiful accommodation.
They pride themselves on offering services which are transformational to body, soul and spirit, and Helena is an expert on all things holistic not least the importance of good hydration.
They offer a range of detoxes and raw food programmes ranging from 2 days to 7 days. I arrived feeling literally burnt out on a Friday afternoon and left just two days later feeling lighter, happier and with my mojo back!
This isn’t just a juice retreat, they also offer raw food weekends and a whole host of information and inspiration around food and nutrition. Their priority was to discover suppliers of locally grown organic produce to supplement what is grown in their own garden to make the most highly energized juices they possibly can – they found a wholesale organic farm 3 miles away.
I’m very used to juice retreats of course, but even those who were drinking juices for the first time were pleasantly surprised that the juices tasted so good, and the programme is worked out in such a way that you don’t feel hungry. Juicing allows the digestive system to rest from processing fibre and other solid food, which in turn creates the optimum environment for the body to detoxify, heal and lose weight without
depriving your body of nutrition. The morning begins with a mug of hot water and lemon juice being brought to you in bed (luxury!) along with a shot glass of Aloe Vera, around an hour later the first juice is served along with a shot of fresh organic wheat grass juice grown on the premises.
If you’re wondering how you spend your days, don’t worry, there are beautiful long Cotswold Way walks on offer, the opportunity to have massages, use the infrared sauna (so relaxing), there are Pilates sessions, you can use The Power Plate and the Rebounder (mini trampoline) and experience the Chi Machine (a fabulous wobbly experience), and the relaxing and healing PEMF matt session, I’m not going to attempt to describe it, you just have to experience it! You’re encouraged look after your skin naturally too, in addition to providing some lovely samples of natural skincare Helena offers a Bentonite clay mask, or a Wheatgrass mask, (yep I really did look like Shrek) and you can experience a hair detox, and of course chill out in the gorgeous lounge reading some of the inspirational books on offer
I’ve rarely slept so well as I slept in the lovely Cotswold stone house, Helena places earthing sheets on the beds, the wi-fi is turned off at night, and by your bed is a jug of Grander Water.
Helena really is passionate about hydration and believes there’s practically an epidemic of not drinking enough pure water in the western world, (watch this space for news of Helena’s forthcoming book). When you arrive she weighs and measures you, and checks body fat and hydration levels, incredibly in just 48 hours, though I didn’t lose inches, I did lose 2 pounds, reduced my body fat and increased my hydration levels. They have seen some amazing results with people losing up to 15 pounds across 7 days and needing tighter clothes to go home in!
But the emphasis is not on weight loss, it’s on health and well-being and Helena offers an in-depth workshop where she goes through a whole host of tips for great nutrition, she recommends and sells some of the great organic products she uses, teaches you how to whizz up almond milk, make a raw cacao dessert, and gives ideas for totally healthy vegan meals, and that’s just on the Juice Detox retreats, I’ve yet to experience the raw food retreat but I’m guessing it’s comprehensive and if the raw choccy treats were anything to go on, the food will be delicious!
Colonic hydrotherapy is an important part of the process, as is lymphatic drainage massage and Helena has secured excellent therapists, after your treatment you can relax in the wonderful Infrared Sauna listening to sounds of your choice.
I left feeling ‘whole’ again, in such a short space of time I had been pampered nurtured and ‘fed’ both physically and mentally. I came away buzzing with ideas for recipes and simple tweaks I could make to my lifestyle for the better. I bought a Grander Water jug (read up on Grander Water its fascinating), some supplements, recommended products and even a box of fresh organic vegatables. I’m booked again in three months. Lets face it the good habits will slip back a bit but the good news is it’s only a short distance and no flying involved to re-boot back to health.