Just for the weekend: Lucknam Park, Bath

A great way to break unhealthy eating habits is to step outside our normal routine and Lucknam Park, near Bath, is a beautiful place to do it. A spectacular mile-long avenue of trees sweeps you through lush green parkland to the front door of the hotel so you arrive relaxed. I was there for the Purity retreat, ready to listen to the informative discussion on detoxing hosted by Katie Sheen of Soul Nutrition.

Interesting fact: our liver needs protein for the detox process to happen, which is why we often suffer crashing headaches on pure juice fasts. Good news; this isn’t a spartan detox and after a challenging Pilates class, we headed to the Brasserie for a delicious lunch with Katie on hand to scan the menu without any dieting hype. I spent the afternoon enjoying the pool and spa area (the Japanese salt sauna is bliss) before my one-to-one with Katie.

I’d already filled out a questionnaire so we could brainstorm how to improve my on-the-run eating habits, which cause my energy levels to flag horrendously. I'm always fine in the morning as I have a set breakfast routine, but once I'm at meetings, or start writing, I quickly flag, get hungry and need to grab coffee and quick fixes (usually carbs) which sets me on blood sugar spike, resulting in the inevitable sluggish slump. Better for me to eat three good meals a day.

Dinner was refreshingly guilt-free, and we indulged in the not-too-sweet chocolate, nut and red berry torte, actually on the Healthy menu! After a sound night’s sleep, we whizzed up delicious juices, fresh soup, and tasty lentil dahl with Lucknam’s Michelin-starred chef, Hrishikesh Desai.

Brought up in a yoga loving family in Pune, India (birthplace of BKS Iyengar, a founding father of modern yoga), Hrishikesh understands tasty food and good nutrition. After a delicious late lunch on the results of the morning’s cookery lesson, I left satisfied and inspired to eat well. Katie’s doable plan solved my minor wheat and dairy intolerences, and her email follow-ups have kept me on track. 

Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa offers Classic Rooms from £260 per night based on two adults sharing on a room-only basis, including use of the spa facilities. Visit lucknampark.co.uk for details on the next retreat with Katie Sheen and for Mindful Cookery Courses. For information about Katie Sheen, visit soulnutrition.org