Feeling frazzled from the rush of the holiday season? Perhaps it's time for a recovery. Or are you looking to clean up your eating habits?
We'll look no further, our Shanghai detox guide has everything from healthy meal services to cleanses to meditative practices to get you back in your groove...
1. Juices and smoothies
Want to liquify your system for a fresh start? Lizzy's Smoothies (WeChat: lizzysallnatural1) offers week-long smoothie detox programs and kits, while Farmhouse juice (WeChat: Farmhousejuice) and FS Juice (FSJuice) do detox programs. Clean machine Vcleanse (VCLEANSE) has expanded from just doing juices and juice detoxes to offering a whole array of healthy bites. If you're really looking to cleanse, there's also Body Awakening that does a real back-to-the-basics deep cleanse kit with supplies like apple cider vinegar, spirulina and detox teas. Learn more about individual smoothie and juice programs here.
2. Meal prep
No time to cook, but need a healthy crunch? Rawk (WeChat: Rawk) provides meal planning for any combo of breakfast, lunch and dinner and allows you to tailor it to your goal: maintain weight, build muscle or lose some. They now have a vegetarian option too. For Vegans, new kid on the block SUCICI (WeChat: sucicidelivery) offers one week and one month vegan eating packages for RMB300 and RMB1,100, respectively. Both include gluten free lunch and dinner options. Better Bentos (WeChat; BetterBentos, located at Sprout Lifestyle), WHEAT (The-DietLab), Happy Buddha all take up residence at standing establishments, but they're also doing meal prep deliveries too with many options for those who are gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan (Happy Buddha is even doing a 21 Day Vegan Challenge, learn more by following the WeChat: HappyBuddha). Learn more about individual meal prep programs here.
Of course, there's always SproutWorks and Pure and Whole, (both with many locations across town) if you just need some veg in your life. Learn more about individual meal prep programs here.
3. Courses and classes
Sproutlifestyle has detox and 'new you' on lockdown. In the past they've done everything from no sugar challenges to detoxes to teaching your ayi how to cook healthy dishes. This month, healthy cooking classes for both you and the ayi are on the calendar if you're looking how to eat clean at home. In Mrch they'll be organizing a Detox Program and a No Sugar Program in May (both in Chinese, unless they receive enough English-speaking interest). Visit the website for the full list.
4. Float
Float away your troubles...literally. Floatasian is a new-ish experience that allows you to float in warm salt water (akin to what you'd feel like if you were in the Dead Sea). After de-robing and a quick shower, climb into sensory deprivation chamber, where you'll float for an hour. Upon first entering, music allows you to unwind and get comfortable before the lights shut off (you can turn blue lights on if you wish) and the music stops (earplugs are available to tune out all noises) so that you can meditate freely. The gravity-free experience not only reduces stress and helps relax your mind, but the salts help muscles and joints too. This originally Swedish experience is also said to help with sleep, anxiety and depression, along with a whole slew of other benefits. Plus, thanks to the salts, even after an hour in, you won't depart with water-wrinkled skin.
5. Get buried
Need to sweat it all out but don't have the energy to move? Why not try a sand bath, a natural therapy with supposed powers to improve circulation, fight headaches, combat indigestion, cure colds and more. The Benhin Floating and Sand Therapy House offers 20 minute sessions in their sand baths, which contain hot sand imported all the way from the deserts of Xinjiang that are infused with magnets and minerals. You put on a hazmat suit and are then buried neck-deep in a bath full of hot sand for 20 minutes. The uniquely bizarre experience has all the relaxing feel of a sauna, and will instantly have you sweating out of every single pore of your body. The staff come by every few minutes to rearrange the sand and serve you water through a straw (since you'll be totally immobilized under all that sand). Afterwards you can relax on a lounge chair and enjoy snacks.
6. Sweat
Why not get just a good, solid sweat? There are numerous gyms and fitness centers around town, or sample a few first. With passes like Guavapass and Move Shanghai, you can receive access to select gyms across town. Many gyms have deals going on now too so be sure to ask on specials and special packages.
7. Cleanse Your Skin
Do you know the importance of showering after a workout? If you don't rinse (with soap and water!) after a heavy sweat session, everything you just sweat out will only sit on your skin and prohibit you from receiving the full effects of detoxification. And if you use all-natural products, your bod will reap in extra benefits. Workout or not, your skin is always worthy of a little extra treatment. Natural skincare line Lalu has toxin-fighting products, like their charcoal mud mask that also help to battle pollutants. Another sudsy line we dig? Sapo Soap Works, a handmade, natural soap line, which makes for great gifts too.
Think you should be on our list? Email laurenhogan@urbanatomy.com and tell us your detox solution.
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