Listen to your feeling. What does it tell you? If you enjoyed Christmas and New Year - and honestly, who hasn't? - chances are he's begging for a break.
Gut health has never been more topical. The numbers alone are startling. The 100 trillion bacteria currently in your gut weigh about as much as your brain, and can have an equally big impact on your current well-being.
After all, that's where 70 percent of your immune system is located. Imbalances between these good and bad bacteria have been linked not only to IBS, bloating, fatigue and low mood, but also to neurological, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
Those at the extreme end of this scale will know how miserable it can be when things don't work as they should, but we could undoubtedly all benefit from improving our gut health.
No wonder the market for it is exploding. The number of supplements, workshops and now even holidays is increasing. But many of these new retreats are terribly expensive and some are certainly not set up by experts. So which supposedly gut-friendly breaks actually stand a chance of helping your microbiome heal, without destroying your wallet?
Britain
Goodwood Gut Health Program Trial Day, West Sussex
Goodwood's Gut Health Program, designed by clinical nutritionist Stephanie Moore, is the gold standard in microbiome and metabolism management. Over five nights in the country house hotel, your body composition will be analyzed, your stomach massaged, your body brushed and your normal diet examined by a nutritionist, while a program of gut-friendly meals is served up by chefs. The premise is that virtually every aspect of your health - from energy regulation, weight management and immune response to stress resilience and sleep - requires a robust and balanced gut.
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Still. If you're finding it hard to stomach the £2,225 price tag, there's a cheaper solution available. The Gut Health Taster Day walks you through the basics in one day, including a body brushing treatment, abdominal massage, skin microbiome facial and a three-course, gut-friendly, locally sourced lunch. Then you can roll into the health club for steaming, swimming and stretching.
Hawarden Estate, North Wales
Is there a more idyllic place to soothe your mind and gut feelings than the Hawarden Estate - 3,500 hectares of ancient woodland, rural parkland, a beautiful lake and a medieval castle? The ultra-modern revival now includes beautiful and characterful holiday homes, an award-winning farm shop, wood-fired saunas and hot tubs in the walled garden and a genuine, expert focus on wellness.
The Walled Garden School has an ongoing program of masterclasses in massage, yoga and more, while guests can also book a class in gut health and nutrition from local wellness and nutrition expert Emma Garland (aka the 'Good Food Yogi'). The lessons are tailor-made - Emma talks to each group and tailors each lesson to their specific requirements. However, expect a hands-on focus on increasing plant diversity and fiber in your diet, as well as sampling some fermented foods - key factors for promoting good gut health, boosting your microbiome and improving your immune system.
Gut reset retreat, Cheshire
Clarissa Lenherr, founder of the Harley Street clinic of the same name, is one of Britain's leading nutritionists. Her retreats, in a country house with indoor pool, cinema room and 30 acres to explore, are aimed squarely at those seeking help with digestive complaints and bloating. Participants receive three nutritious meals a day, are guided through relaxing meditations and gong baths, learn healing yoga sequences and participate in nutrition workshops.
Europe
Amchara Gozo, Malta
Amchara's retreats in Gozo are something of an insider secret ("a beautiful location and run by highly trained nutritionists," says leading nutritionist Samantha Bloom). The surroundings are beautiful, all towering palms, blue skies, honeyed stones and a sparkling swimming pool. The sixteen apartments are also quite glitzy (designed by Sadie Frost, who has been a regular for a decade or more).
Yet the approach is far from superficial. Personalized health screenings, diet programs that include juices, soups, broths and supplements, daily raw food demos, nutrition talks and yoga classes are all standard. Treatments ranging from reflexology to reiki, as well as more in-depth health examinations, can be booked as extras. Can't travel that far? Amchara started in Somerset, where they still hold regular retreats, at a fractionally lower price.
Mind-Body-Food retreat, Dalaman, Turkey
Nutritional therapy practitioner and intuitive eating coach Sarah Grant's approach uses the latest research to help clients build a stress-free, sustainable relationship with their bodies and diet. Her retreats, taught with yoga teacher Emily Perrier, take place just outside the picturesque fishing village of Kalkan, in a small resort that flows into the azure sea in a tangle of beautiful terraces.
Over five nights (or eight, if you fancy a longer retreat), Grant will lead daily meditations and workshops focused on intuitive nutrition, while offering you a carefully curated menu of local and largely vegetarian meals designed to nourish your gut . Perrier, meanwhile, leads two rebalancing yoga classes every day, overlooking the ocean. Once you get home, meet with both women in person via Zoom to make sure you stick to new habits.
The beautiful underbelly residence, Mallorca, Spain
Nutritionist Hannah Richards has an impressive resume. She is the founder of London's The Gut Clinic (and author of the book of the same name), was previously a nutritionist at Petersham Nurseries and co-leads Move Three Sixty, a gym and holistic health clinic in Hampstead.
Her retreats in Mallorca are given in collaboration with yoga and reiki therapist Jenni Enigk. The food is organic, seasonal and largely, but not exclusively, plant-based. Days are spent on yoga, reiki and meditation. There are masterclasses on gut health, cooking workshops, nature walks and breathwork classes. In your spare time you can book naturopathic nutritional consultations, brahma massages and more at an additional cost. Or completely free: siestas and swimming in the sea in the sun.
Oceano, Tenerife Spain
This retreat isn't exactly cheap, but it is good value for money. Hidden from tourists, in the lush mountains of the northeast coast, Oceano is not only a destination for nature lovers, but also for the world-famous fasting method FX Mayr.
The dedicated FX Mayr Center is based on the belief that overall health depends on the health of your gut. Booking a 10-day detox program is like checking your body in for a full service. A doctor will examine you and draw up a personalized diet plan for the duration. There follows a rigorous process of lymphatic drainage, therapeutic massage, seawater baths, yoga classes and - be warned - colon hydrotherapy.
