If life in the Metropolis makes you stressed, why not run away and start life again? Helen Feebeek did it. For two weeks she disappeared to Portugal and came back different - less stressed, more free and full of new ideas. How did she do it?

Once as usual, I was sitting at my work table really tired stressed and uninspired. The night before, with my friends I had drunk lots of alcohol and smoked too many cigarettes I really felt I didn't have to the will to start my weeks work.

By chance while I was browsing the internet I found the Moinhos - Velhos site. "The place for solitude, reflection, intellectual and spiritual rejuvenation". The community there are vegetarians and the ethos is healthily eating supplemented with vitamins minerals and healthy juice drinks.

Moinhos Velhos is a health resort situated in the Algave Mountains and is on the site of an old mill. It has been run for 15yrs by a married couple from Norway. Apart from the healthy eating they offer their guests different alternative medical procedures from acupuncture to aromatherapy. 'It looks like something I need'!! I think to myself, I will manage to give up smoking (this time for good). Ill have rest and accumulate enough energy for a stressful life in Moscow, but before I booked the program several months passed.

I have never before traveled without my husband and sons and now I feel guilty. However they insist on the journey, and I'm very glad that I did - it was one of the best holidays I have ever had in my life.

Day 1

I should have several days before, stopped smoking, drinking alcohol and eaten less meat. I did quite the reverse in fact. On the plane I had several glasses wine and 3 or 4 cigarettes. I arrived late at night and felt horrible, but when at 7 am I was woken up I knew that I would start a new life. The night before I saw nothing and in the morning everything nicely surprised me. Guests all living in white rustic houses in the green valley. I go to the main house and the first thing they offer me is Lemon tea. All the guests are women (later I learn that men come sometimes). Rebeka - young English - specialist in Acupuncture and curator of our group, tells us, that in the morning before meditation we cannot speak, to welcome each other other with an embrace and to stay in silence and equilibrium. I'm unwilling to embrace other women and think that I will try to stay alone. I don't want to be close with anybody. At 8 am we go to the yoga temple, a building with glass walls and a magnificent view. Chandra our yoga teacher starts with meditation. I can't concentrate my mind is moving all over the place. It's difficult to do yoga, but when your legs and back are stretched it's a very nice feeling. At 10 am we have our first litre of orange juice. The table is nicely layed as if for a good breakfast. Before we have our juice we need to join hands and say "Om" I feel ill at ease and imagine the faces of my boys how they would laugh to see me now. During the breakfast we have bentonite clay, different vitamins and minerals for intestinal cleaning. Rebeka explains how to clean intestines twice per day, you have to sit on a seat and through a hose receive 6 litres of water (clysmatic). I'm terrified, but in several days I'm reading a book during the procedure. At 1 O'Clock - the second litre of fruit juice. After I feel tired and sleepy until 4 O'Clock juice (1 litre of carrot juice). For supper - vegetable soup. During evening meditation. I feel tired but I'm happy that I'm here.

Day 2

In the morning I have the results from a hair sample I gave for analysis. They have found a lot of toxins, bowl polyps and inherited liver disease, apparently my body remembers it! I'm surrounded by such nice people that I can't say I don't believe in all this nonsence. Otherwise I have some amazing treatments. Today rebeka is doing acupuncture, she is very talented. I'm totally relaxed and when she finishes I feel full of energy.

Day 3

I'm started to like intestinal cleaning and I'm horrified by what I see - lots of mucus and foul looking stuff that I've had in my body. I feel better for loosing it. Funny enough in the group we are talking about this stuff!! I would never discuss this kind of thing with anyone least of all with people I don't know. I'm getting used to all the juices and I never feel hungry.

Day 4

Today we are going to the beach. Its our first time, we are going out and we feel like students on the bus joking, singing and having fun. I start to feel that I like these people with whom I didn't want to have any contact with at first. There is a striptease artist from Amsterdam, an actress from London, a hippy from New York (she eats raw vegetables), a mother with a daughter from Bulgaria and a Mexican, living like me in Moscow. We are diving together in the big waves of the Atlantic Ocean and feeling happy drinking juices on the beach. Nobody is running to the bar for a sandwich.

Day 5

When I get up and leave my room in the morning a little drunk and as if I've been taking drugs. I see the colours and the beauty flowers clearly. I can feel the cleanness and purity of the air, the birdsong so sweet. We don't need a lot for happiness. Before meditation we are doing 'pranahama' (breath training). I will use it when I'm stressed and it looks like I can do the meditation now. I can stop time and not think about the future or past. Instead of Yoga we do Qigong (Chinese martial art) with John a young British guy. I love it. I also have another therapy with him and he discovers that my back is not very straight and he corrects it by pressing lightly on the affected arrears. It's a nice feeling.

Day 6

Hear the days are very long. You are awake early have your treatments and your juices 4 times a day. It starts to make me feel tired. Today I'm having only half a jug of carrot juice. It's strange but I don't want anything sweet. I think only about healthy food. It's my turn to help with the juicing. In the evening when nobody can see me, I steal a carrot from the soup. I become really full. We are always speaking about food. I'm told that cooked, frozen or conserved food loses all its nutrients and doesn't give us any energy. The source of energy is only found in fresh foods.

Day 7

Tonight - party. Everybody has to dance, sing, and tell stories. Together with Gaby the Mexican who lives in Moscow we are writing words for the "Kalinka" melody. We have a lovely evening. I have never had so much fun without any alcohol, cigarettes and food. They say we are the exception to the rule as people in other groups quarrel because fasting makes you want to blow.

Day 8

I've lost 2 kg. I didn't come here for that but I feel better. Women who have a bigger weight problem are loosing a lot more. But everyone agrees it was not the reason for coming here. Every day I go for a walk to the top of the hill to call home as my mobile phone doesn't work in the valley. I really miss my boys, but it seems that they are ok without me. Every day their father is buying them pizza or McDonalds, He kids me saying they are only having broccoli and carrots.

Day 9

We are going to Largos the nearest town to get some sourveniers. Passing near restaurants I can see how they are eating meat and fish freely but it doesn't really bother me. Its strange how your body becomes adjusted to just taking in Juices. I don't want anything else. I notice I'm getting cold faster maybe I'm losing weight too fast.

Day 10

Today at 1 am we are having a "Movement for health" class. John touches my arm with his right hand and with his left is doing strange movements in the air. He looks strange and tells me he is investigating the activity of my muscles and can discover any muscle that has become blocked. To reduce the muscle blockage he is preparing a mixture from flower essences. Well it will not do any harm and I have never felt so good before

Day 11

I'm walking in the mountains and understand that I'm singing. Second half of the day I spend in the library. There are a lot of books on Astrology, Health food and numerology. I like to discuss it with other people and I'm surprised how easy it is to be with other people. But I feel I have to go home I'm in good form and I really want to se my boys.
We will have normal food tomorrow !!!!!

Day 12

We are starting to eat normal food. For breakfast we have mountains of fruits. My eyes are bigger than my belly. 1 apple and I'm full. At lunch I'm eating salad and in the evening soup with pieces of potatoes and tomatoes. It feels as if my stomach has become as small as a nut as several spoonfuls is enough for me.

Day 13

Today is the last day. I feel really full of energy and in a fantastic mood. They explain to us how to continue breaking the fast. They tell us "Any fool can do fasting, but it's a wise person who breaks it" I don't have to worry about it. I eat nothing on the plane and my avocado is enough. But I think never again will I eat carrot juice.

One month later.

In Portugal I loose 3kg and didn't put it back on. I eat like other people, only more healthy. Less bread and alcohol, no meat and coffee and most importantly no cigarettes. It's impossible not to have frozen or conserved food in Moscow, but I'm trying where it's possible to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. At least 1 hour a day I'm doing yoga and I know that I can't no do it. Meditation a problem with 3 kids in the house. Finally I want to say that thankfully after fasting I've become more relaxed and patient.