Journalist Dagmar, 34, sought a much-needed reset after months of remote work, mounting stress, excessive sugar, and endless cappuccinos. She gifted herself an eight-day detox: juices only.
I stare at the 'wine glass' brimming with apple-beet juice—my full meal for the next eight days. I swallow hard. Though I'm choosing this and have attempted a detox week before (it didn't go well), I quietly pray for better results this time. At least the setting is perfect.
Read also: 'Recipe:detox drink with apple, pineapple and orange'
During the pandemic, I completed a juice fast at Vitalisé in Portugal's Algarve—an ultimate act of self-care in uncertain times. As a journalist with prior detox experience post-burnout, I craved this reset. Not just from home-office life imprinting my chair on my body, but from sugar and cappuccinos becoming daily staples.
This eight-day reset promises relief from sugar cravings. Friends know I'm resilient and thrive on challenges, so I earned thumbs-up, not skepticism. I sipped my first juice in a pristine white villa amid a lush garden. Seven other women joined; most chose the milder fast, but one and I went hardcore with juices only.
Vitalisé advises pre-detox tapering: guests receive detailed guides with nutrition tips, recipes, and prep advice. Cut caffeine, alcohol, animal products, wheat, sugar, and sodas a week ahead; shift to fruits, veggies, and naturals in the final 7-3 days. I skipped it for true cold turkey. Proof? The day before: cake lunch, Magnum post-pasta salad, gin & tonic with chips—'last chances.'
Was this wise? Read the full story in the November issue of Santé, out now.
