THE RETREAT

When Gwyneth Paltrow needed supersonic legs for the premiere of Iron Man, she headed to the Leg School at the Capri Palace Hotel & Spa in Italy to follow Professor Francesco Canonaco's famous week long patented anti cellulite course. The professor, whose academic background is in nephrology (the study of kidneys) and paediatrics, was first inspired almost 30 years ago when he saw how young breastfeeling mothers were particularly badly affected. 'The main cause of cellulite is hormonal imbalances and circulatory failure,' he says. His cures are highly effective and designed to kickstart your metabolism and improve lipolysis (the process that turns fats into fatty acids, which dissipate through the lymph). Expect to find yourself wading through the cold mineral enriched waters of a Kneipp vascular bath, performing gymnastics in a thalassotherapy pool, being wrapped in detoxifying bandages or, best of all, enjoying plenty of lymph drainage massages. The professor also prescribes his own patented cream, which contains aminophylline, a fatreducing ingredient, and horse chestnut, which promotes blood circulation.