Stress overdose? Try a spa `detox' program

MENTION the word "detox" and Britney Spears is apt to come to mind, accompanied by images of her checking in and out (and in and out) of rehab. For many, though, the excesses in our lives are more mundane than drugs or alcohol but almost as unhealthful -- too much junk food or caffeine, too little exercise and too much stress.

Addressing people's need to right mental and physical wrongs, destination spas have developed detox programs, although they aren't always labeled as such. (In fact, some spa operators wince at the label.) Instead, the programs are called "Metamorphosis" or "Rejuvenation."

Detox programs (which include any transition from unhealthful to healthful habits) are among the top 10 spa trends for 2007, according to SpaFinder, a New York-based marketing company.

That may mean one or two weeks at a spa -- and away from home base. Getting out of your day-to-day environment -- and out of your comfort zone -- also is crucial to dumping bad habits.

"Simply being away from a toxic environment, or one in which you are failing, can be helpful," says Frederic Luskin, a psychologist in Redwood City, Calif. "If the spa teaches you positive skills and you are with other people who give you support, those two qualities make it more likely you will come back with a different way of being in the world."

The spa environment -- a chef, a massage, beautiful surroundings -- can make easing into healthful habits less onerous.

Spas offering detox programs have their own spin. Among the options:

Chopra Center for Well Being

at LaCosta Resort and Spa

\o7(888) 736-6895, www.chopra.com.

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The website bills "Perfect Health" as a wellness program to teach you how to bring balance into your routine and ease "emotional turbulence." The emphasis during the five-day program is on stress reduction, meditation, healthful vegetarian eating and the ancient Indian healing system called ayurveda.

Nutrition counseling, instruction in sleep routines and meditation, yoga, daily massages and colonic cleansing are part of the package. Cost: $2,975 and up, not including lodging, which is available at LaCosta or other nearby hotels.

Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa

\o7(800) 327-4914, www.pritikin.com, Aventura, Fla.