Take a Juicy Reboot

A week, living on juice? Yes, just freshly extracted, cold-pressed juice. Live Gorge spent seven days at Jason Vale’s Juicy Oasis in the Portuguese mountains and emerges lighter, brighter and more focused 

Sometimes the only way to move forward is to retreat, reads the oversized white mantra on the wall. I’ve just checked into Juicy Oasis – a boutique luxury wellness retreat in rural Portugal. And having taken a quick tour around the grounds, I can already feel my mind and body start to decompress.   

Firstly there’s the setting; it’s nature as its absolute finest. Nestled up in the mountains overlooking the tranquil waters of the Zêzere River, it’s beyond peaceful. You’re just an hour and a half out of Lisbon, but it’s a stark contrast. The mountain roads on the climb up to Juicy Oasis are rugged and dusty, fringed by a thick forest of eucalyptus and pine trees. Every few minutes you catch a glimpse of the Zêzere’s shimmering waterscape. It’s vaguely reminiscent of rural Australia (so much so that I keep expecting to see koalas chowing-down). You really do start to feel a world away from your deluged inbox, incessant whatsapp ‘pings’ and frenetic meeting schedule. (and that’s before your first juice). 

Secondly, there’s the level of luxury. And we don’t mean ostentatious glitz here. Instead you’ll find a pared-back, minimal aesthetic that keeps you the right side of zen. Everything is meticulously polished, the bedlinen impossibly soft and plush sunloungers and oversized neon orange beanbags are plumped up and perfectly positioned for impromptu poolside flopping. You can tell that you’ll be well looked after here. And frankly, for a juicing detox virgin, that’s reassuring. 

“You’re on the most indulgent holiday you’ve ever been on. And are here one hundred per cent to look after your body and make a change. There’s no pressure to do anything, it’s your holiday,” our Retreat Manager and ‘Juice Master’ Hannah (Mitchell) brightly assures us on our first morning. 

And that really is part of the appeal. Unlike other bootcamp style holidays, Juicy Oasis is flexible and lets you set your own agenda. Nothing is compulsory, so you won’t have a pumped-up PT hollering at you to drop and give him thirty burpees at 6.30am. It’s totally up to you to decide exactly what you do and when. Sure, there’s activities laid on from 7.30 am until 8pm in the evening (with a three and a half hour chill time window in the afternoon) but it’s up to you how much you dip in or out. 

But, in true Live Gorge spirit I decide to embrace all the activities and try everything on offer at least once. My days start with meditation and yoga at around 7.30am. It’s an early up time considering I’m on holiday, but it’s so worth it. 

Victoria (Adams), our yoga teacher for the week, is without doubt one of the most inspiring, spiritual and warm yogis that I’ve ever met. She also injects all her sessions with music (something I’ve not experienced before bar the standard chimes and gong) and it works. Some of the songs are familiar, many unrecognizable, but all calming and lyrically beautiful, and for many of us bizarrely emotional. (yes more than a handful of my fellow Juicy O guests admitted to shedding a few tears on our mats). 

But, despite this, Victoria’s yoga classes are uplifting and positive. The meditation is such a soulful way to start the day and charges your body with the energy and emotional reserve that it rarely has time to fill up on pre-office/tube/ the school run back home. After that the sessions progress to more dynamic vinyasa flow yoga (and as someone who practices at home I really enjoy this more challenging start to my morning).  

The studio overlooks a flourishing grapevine (yes there were days where I longed for solid food and indulged in a clandestine few). The view of the sun coming up on the horizon as you finish your early morning practice is magical. And you leave chatting in hushed tones to your fellow classmates, feeling addictively serene.  

Post-yoga it’s time for ‘power greens’- a shot of land and aquatic based algae ( aka spirulina’s more hardcore older sister). It’s a “powerhouse of nutrition”, and “liquid engineering for your body”, Hannah explains, and contains a cocktail of nature’s most nutritionally dense and cleansing green superfoods. These include chlorella, probiotics, spirulina, alfalfa, flax seeds and echinacea.  It’s hardly Claridges cocktail- list-worthy, but easy to neck if you line up some of the fresh cucumber and lemon infused water straight after. Some mornings there’s also a shot of fresh ginger to put away, too. Bonus. 

Then it’s time to explore the surrounding area and set off on a hike for a few hours. Walks vary in terrain and distance from just a few km up to 11Km on the penultimate day. We visit the local fresh water spring,  circle the banks of the river and visit the ancient local town, Dornes. This is a fantastic time to take in the stunning vistas, but also to chat to your fellow Juicy O residents and cement some lasting friendships. And there were so many great characters and inspiring stories to hear.

Back at Juicy Oasis HQ, ‘breakfast’ juices are served at 10.30 am. The recipes in the morning (and evening) are blended with a little avocado or banana to give them a more smoothie like texture. Having, put ourselves in the “fat burning zone”, according to Hannah, with just our power greens to fuel our morning activities so far, you are pretty ready for Juice 1. 

And what do they taste like? Well, actually surprisingly good. There was only one juice I wasn’t a fan of (The Blood Builder- red’s clearly not my colour, and a rethink on the name would help) but the rest are easy to drink. 

Most importantly there’s enough of them. We’re not talking the standard Press or Juicebaby size here, no it’s more along the proportions of an old school milkshake. Relief again to us juicing detox virgins. Spanning a bold spectrum of colours, they range from my favourites from the green family (see the recipe for the Green Superfood below) to the bright honey hues of the Banana Zinger and the earthy ruby tones of the Juice Master’s Marathon Smoothie. 

From our four juices a day we are not only absorbing the nutrients from over 12 fruit and vegetables, we are “feeding ourselves on a cellular level.” (to quote both Jason Vale himself and our resident Juice Master, Hannah). Essentially, that means that all our cells are receiving the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients they need direct and can be absorbed immediately. All the juices are alkaline-forming foods, which help your body stop craving the more toxic, acid forming foods. 

Post- juice 1, there’s a morning fitness session with our retreat PT, Lee (Cooper). Some days this is spinning, some core training, others circuits for 30-45 minutes. Lee is super positive, personable and is very mindful of all the ability levels in our group. She radiates health and vitality and also being a yoga teacher incorporates many of the postures into her core and abdominal classes. 

Temperatures at the Juicy Oasis during my week there hit the 40°C mark, so the classes aren’t amped up to maximum high voltage, but you can certainly feel them working you in all the right places.

After fitness, it’s time for another yoga session before ‘lunchtime’ juice 2 is served at 1.30pm. 

Between 1.30 and 4.30pm, you can kick back and do whatever you want. Most of us spend time soaking up some Vitamin D on the daybeds or seeking shade in the palm trees surrounding the pool. It’s needed downtime and a real luxury to have time to chat, read, swim or catch a few zzzz’s.

At 4.30pm, its time for Juice 3, before the afternoon’s activities begin. There’s another fitness session, (sometimes aqua, other days circuits), before rebounding. 

Rebounding is a Juicy Oasis signature activity and works as part of the overall detox to stimulate the lymph and help with the elimination of toxins. It’s basically thirty minutes of bouncing on a mini trampoline. 

Lee teaches us a series of moves with an infectious joyful smile on her face, all set to a high impact playlist. Despite occasionally feeling somewhat shaky (particularly in the first few days when your body feels most of the detox symptoms) it’s a real laugh. And it’s proven to release positive endorphins. 

Once the rebounding is over, its time to bring out the big guns, on the volleyball court. Competitive at times, but still a lot of fun, it’s a mix of abilities and ages. I dip my toe in once before realizing that, no I wasn’t born to compete with the Brazilian volleyball goddesses on Copacabana beach, but I gave it a shot. 

From the volleyball court, it’s time to head back to the tranquility and peace of the yoga studio. For this session, Victoria slows the pace right down, setting you up for a relaxing evening. There’s more music, blankets to ‘tuck you in’ and calming incense burning. Bliss. 

At 8pm, it’s time to take stock, chat and find out what’s on the agenda for the next day over juice 4.  Various wellness and juicing related documentaries are shown every evening in the cosy cinema. If you don’t fancy that then there’s the lure of the Eden Spa- the sublime on-site haven that offers an extensive range of both holistic and beauty-led treatments. Choose from a wide treatment menu spanning colonic hydrotherapy to Deep Tissue Massage, Indian Head or the signature Juicy Oasis Rainforest Bliss. 

The Rainforest Bliss Experience lives up to its euphoric name. Fusing a Vichy Shower (an overhead shower that softly blasts your body with seven jets as you lie down) with a relaxing full body massage, it's one of the standout treatments to try.

And if you don’t have a treatment booked, grab yourself one of the Pukka herbal teas from the Juicy Café and go bob about in the jacuzzi before curling up in one of the hanging cocoons. We guarantee you’ll be snoozing in nano seconds.  

To be brutally honest, I do feel hungry during my Juicy Oasis stay, but only at certain times of the day. Going to bed is hard, as there’s a temptation to dream of frankly anything solid (and after a conversation with two of my new Juicy O friends I start to obsess over sushi, sashimi and tempura). But as the days go on, your body gets used to just juice, you immerse yourself in the activities and start to feel happier, brighter and lighter in your own skin.     

Sure, this is a luxury retreat and the details and aesthetics are slick, but it’s not pretentious, so there’s no need for poolside posing. And you get a sense that everyone is here for a reason; be it illness, stress, or emotional difficulties. It’s a place that feels nurturing, natural and easy to be in.

Cleansing your mind of the daily clutter is so liberating. All you think of is what classes am I going to do today? What juice is this? What will I read by the pool later? (I really got into Oprah Winfrey’s What I know for Sure) which was left in my room from the retreat library. And then you drift off to the Eden Spa for a blissful massage. 

My juicy high came when I returned to London. My skin glowed, my body felt slimmer and my clothes considerably looser. Jason Vale actually markets this retreat as one where you can lose 7lbs in 7 days, but I’m not a fan of scales and obsessing over weight. 

Most importantly I felt incredible; charged with energy, vitality and confidence. Like I’d really been given a juicy reboot. I didn’t want caffeine for two weeks, my mocha habit is now broken, and I continued (and continue nearly a month later) to crave green juice how I’d craved Minuty rosé all summer long.  Thank you Jason Vale, respect. I’m off to buy a juicer. 

Green Superfood Juice

• 2 Golden Delicious Apples
• 3 cm chunk broccoli stem
• ½ stick of celery
• ¼ medium cucumber
• 1 large handful spinach
• ¼ unwaxed lemon
• 1 cm chunk fresh root ginger
• I small handful ice cubes

For more information visit juicyoasis.com. Prices start from £820 per person per week for a twin/double eco pod or £875 per person per week for a shared room.