The new year has many people wondering how to reset their body and mind from this holiday's vices. These Chicago businesses have made it easy for anyone to take the first step.
Chicago's weather doesn't do its residents any favors when it comes to health and wellness resolutions at the start of the new year, since the city is usually fighting snow or sleet and the sun sets early in the evening. But these local companies are committed to making it easy for anyone looking to detox and start 2016 on the right path.
The cleanses at Owen + Alchemy, located in the Logan Square neighborhood, function as a natural reboot for the body, enhancing the absorption of nutrients and helping eliminate toxins in the system, according to the owners, Anne Owen and chef Jared Van Camp, who teamed up with the renowned Raby Institute for Integrative Nutrition at Northwestern to create their line. The team at Owen + Alchemy can help a customer choose between a Juice Cleanse or Juice + Food Cleanse (from $75; available for delivery and pick-up); sign you up for one of their many wellness workshops; and even arrange tours and tastings to help you enhance your wellness goals.
Snap Kitchen is one of the newest healthy takeaway concepts and has recently opened seven locations in the city and surrounding suburbs. In addition to cold-pressed juices, it offers heat-and-eat meals like ginger glazed salmon and quinoa "friend rice," and can cater to all dietary restrictions, from Paleo to gluten-free and vegan.
Try their 21-Day Commit program (it also offers a Three-Day Quick Start for anyone not ready for the full three weeks). You work with the Snap Kitchen team to determine how many calories should be in your daily diet, and they prepare three meals a day within that caloric goal. It's an easy way to get back on track, especially after the holidays (call for pricing).
Sometimes all you need is some rest and relaxation from the holiday's hustle and bustle. If that's the remedy for you, then The Langham's Chuan Spa might have just what you need.
William Wesley Myers, director of the Chuan Spa, conveniently located off the Magnificent Mile, appreciates ginger for its versatility. It acts as a detoxifier and has anti-inflammatory properties that help relieve pain, so the spa has developed several treatments around this miracle root. He recommends guests begin by enjoying a ginger tea and some ginger snap cookies before their Of The Orient: Ginger Renewal treatment, which includes a full-body exfoliation using the fragrant herb (from $275). After a day at this luxe location, your year ahead will look healthy indeed.
