Detox-retox: are you yo-yoing between health and hedonism?
Toni Jones tries to find the balance between her punishment and reward lifestyle CREDIT: WARREN ALLOTT
Gym? Or prosecco... CREDIT: WARREN ALLOTT--Hilary Gilbert of Boom Cycle is a fan of detox-retox
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19 MARCH 2016
It’s about putting good stuff in, not taking bad stuff out. This is the premise behind a bestselling new book, Retox, by Lauren Imparato. The 35-year-old yoga guru and wellness expert wrote Retox as an antidote to the self-righteous and strict wellbeing scene she encountered when setting up her first studio, iamyou, in New York in 2009. She believes that taking healthy to extremes, by cutting out things we love, actually does more harm than good and instead advocates “enjoying life in every way that works for body, mind and soul – whether that’s a solid sweat, a great meal, a song, or some wine with an old friend”.
In my new travel and fitness blog detox-retox.co.uk, I have defined the same word, “retox”, as the fun times we allow ourselves after dedicating time and effort to being kind to our bodies and brains. Both of these definitions, I think, play into a new trend for blending health and hedonism – “healthonism” as the cool hunters have dubbed it – and my friends and I are serious advocates of the movement.
Essentially, we like working out and we like going out, and we love the fact that the two aren’t mutually exclusive any more. It is now perfectly acceptable, I’ve noticed, to admit to having a hangover in my 6.30am Vinyasa class. A great day for me is being able to squeeze in a mindfulness session between an HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) class and happy hour. I love a “sober rave” – early morning exercise clubbing – to wake me up before work, but I also love late-night, not at all sober dancing on tables at parties or in clubs.
The trips to Ibiza that I’ve been taking for 20 years now include a brain and body detox at Formentera Yoga retreat to offset the wild nights out. The same punishment-reward patterns apply to the digital side of my life, too: although I’m a huge social media fan for both work and play, I try to squeeze in “screen-free Sundays” whenever I can.
I rationalise all this counterbalancing behaviour by telling myself that while I know it’s not particularly healthy to stay out drinking all night, surely my morning-after tonic of choice these days – aHemsley+Hemsley “Pink Liver Cleanse” smoothie – is better for me than the can of full-fat Coke and bacon butty I used to call a hangover cure?
I rationalise all this counterbalancing behaviour by telling myself that while I know it’s not particularly healthy to stay out drinking all night, surely my morning-after tonic of choice these days – aHemsley+Hemsley “Pink Liver Cleanse” smoothie – is better for me than the can of full-fat Coke and bacon butty I used to call a hangover cure?
