Robert S. Morgan: Here’s My New Year’s Detox (And No, It’s Not a Juice Cleanse)

We often start the new year with resolutions to change and do things differently. It’s a time to renew and restart.

This year my intention is detox – but not only in the traditional and physical way. I want to detox practices in my life that are not serving my wellness: mind, body and spirit. Essentially what this year’s “detox” will consist of is removing choices that prevent self-love.

This year I’m detoxing from: lack of sleep, lack of balanced meals and lack of “me time”

That is, I’m bringing in more self-love.

Detox Retreat & Spa Weekend with Ti Sana

In order to set this year’s intention off on the right foot, I started my self-love intention with my New Year’s Eve celebration just outside of Milan at the beautiful Detox Retreat & Spa, Ti Sana. Not only did I take part in self-love activities (hello massage, green juice and sauna time), but I also took a lot of naps.

The detox was not just a physical one, it was also a mental one. I also tried to stay off my phone and social media for the weekend as well – with the exception of a few snapchats stories (find me under snap.kate if you hang there).

Beautiful Ti Sana was built in 1711 and boasts several saunas (including an infrared) as well as a full menu of beauty and detox treatments. The food is right on detox point – you won’t find sugars, salt, or dairy on the menu. You can ask for soy and gluten free options as well.

TI Sana Detox

The amenities were beautiful, and the scientific approach they took to detoxing was quite interesting. You start your stay with a full exploration of your body’s status: how it responds to stress, how your breathing rate reflects your health and a host of other tests. There are colonics, deep tissue massages, tai chi and HIIT workouts. It’s a full package of detoxing for the mind and body.

Fresh Pressed Juices

Detoxing from unbalanced meals: including missed breakfasts. Last year was so busy that I also started letting balanced breakfasts fall to the wayside during the weekday. This year, I intend to start my days off (even the busiest ones) with my favourite weekday breakfasts of choice: juices and smoothies.

One of my favourite green juice recipes?

Kale
Apple
Celery
Ginger
Turmeric
Grapefruit
Spinach

Oil Body Massage with Erbaviva’s Embrace Oil

Self love, for me, is also about slow mornings. There is no better way to show yourself some body positive love, than a self-massage post bath or shower. These days I’m absolutely loving Erbaviva’s Embrace Body Oil.

In my (humble) opinion, Jasmine oil has to be one of the most divine scents offered by our mother earth. This citrusy noted body oil is blended with organic sunflower, jojoba and almond oils for an absolutely beautiful not-too-greasy-texture.

TI Sana Detox

I spend a few minutes in the morning massaging my body with Erbaviva’s Embrace, and have been spending extra time on the acupressure points above my ankles on the inside of my legs. Take a moment to press there and see if it feels tender for you. This area is a very important point for women, especially related to our hormones and reproductive organs. *Warning, do not do this if you are pregnant, as this point is also used to induce labour.

Morning Oil Pulling with Cocosa

A bit more detox, but this time more in the physical sense is my oil pulling regimen. Since November I have been traveling a lot, and haven’t spent much time at home. This year I want to come back to my oil pulling method, with my favourite raw and organic coconut oil from Cocosa (if you’re based in Norway, you’ll find this brand in almost any natural health food store).

Want to know why I oil pull? I’ve actually written a long post on it here, so you can check that out!

Detox Deodorant with The Takesumi Detox by Kaia Naturals

And then there is the deodorant detox. I’ve been a long time user of baking soda based deodorants, but I was intrigued by Takesumi’s detox bamboo charcoal deodorant. Kaia Naturals uses bamboo charcoal, which regulates humidity and cleanses the sweat glands of bacteria, thus eliminating odor. How? Well, activated charcoal has a porous surface that acts like magnet towards both bacteria and toxins, drawing them out.

Ta-keh-su-mee, known as bamboo charcoal, is a time-honoured Japanese secret for odor control and detoxification. Further, the usage of saccharomyces ferment (a bacterial enzyme) neutralizes odor naturally. Getting on the detox deodorant bandwagon requires your commitment to a 4 week armpit detox. By the end of week four you should be odor free (I am).

While the deodorant itself is black, it goes on clear and leaves no yellow stains on your clothing, and its odour protection power lasts to around 8-12 hours (depending on how your day is going). Further, it’s non sticky. Grab yourself a stick, and let me know how it goes in the comments below!

Rahua Detox & Renewal Hair Treatment

Starting the new year with some love for my locks, I’m testing out Rahua’s Detox & Renewal Hair Treatment. Rahua’s two-part ritual delivers a beautiful way to detox the locks. The treatment combines an oil blend mixed into a creamy detoxifying base that is then massaged into the hair and scalp to loosen and remove synthetic product buildup and environmental debris.

Here’s how:
Step 1 – Prepare
Start with a Detox Base Jar and add half bottle of Detox Oil, mix.

Step 2 – Apply Treatment
On wet or dry hair apply Detox Treatment to scalp and hair from roots to ends.

Step 3 – Massage, Comb & Leave
Massage Detox Treatment into the scalp and comb hair with a wide-tooth comb. Leave in for 20-30 minutes.

Step 4 – Rinse and Style
Shampoo and Condition as normal

rahua hair detox kit The star ingredients: Rahua-ungurahua, which helps to fortify any weak areas on the hair shaft, while also nourishing and regenerating the scalp and hair follicles. Sacha Inchi, which is rich in omega-3 lipids and antioxidants, helping to restore the hair’s moisture and Buriti, which is high in essential fatty acids and carotenoids and acts as therapy for the scalp.