DIGESTIVE HEALTH
CASE STUDY: GUT HEALTH AT GRAYSHOTT The operator’s view
T
he Grayshott Health regime launched in January 2013
in response to a growing demand from visitors to experience more than just pampering. They wanted take-home health benefits. The seven-day
programme is offered every week of the year and typically has eight to 16 participants at a time – some come from as far afi eld as Kuwait and the US. A basic package starts
at £1,500 (US$2,500, €1,800) for the week. Jackie Phelan, Grayshott
Spa’s marketing director, says: “We often get compared to the Mayr clinic, but only because so few places look at
Clients often lose 5-6lbs a week on Grayshott’s gut health plan
digestion. Our programme is unique to us.” The health protocol
was devised by the spa’s director of natural therapies, Elaine Williams, and resident clinical nutritionist Stephanie Moore. “We have all kinds of people on the regime, from type 2 diabetics to those who want to lose weight, as well as many others who have digestive issues like IBS, diverticulitis, infl ammatory bowel disease,
acid refl ux and bloating,” says Moore. “It’s also great for people who are highly stressed, as digestion often suffers when stressed.” She continues: “I call everyone from the regime two weeks after their stay and I get
such encouraging feedback, like ‘it
Stephanie Moore
changed my life’ and ‘it’s the best money I’ve ever spent’. We teach people how to eat well for life, and how to support their bodies rather than exhaust them.
“It wasn’t designed as a weight-loss
programme, but 95 per cent of people lose impressive amounts of
weight – often 5–6lbs in a week.”
First person experience:
Julie Cramer
“If participants truly act on all the advice they absorb over seven days, I believe it can be a life-changing regime” The most notable element for me was
We were all surprised to fi nd the food W
e were a mixed bunch gathered at Grayshott Spa to experience the gut health regime: 16 of
us, with ages ranging from 30s to 80s, all female apart from one man with his wife. One lady, a type 2 diabetic, was trying to avoid more medication, while another wanted to take better care of herself after nursing her elderly mother. Two ladies were returnees, delighted with the results they’d experienced the previous year. Food, and the removal of certain
food groups, is a major part of the programme: complex carbohydrates such as grains, dairy and starchy vegetables are out, as they require a lot of digestive energy. As is sugar, which we’re told feeds undesirable pathogens in the gut and must be avoided.
– served in a sunny conservatory – was mouth-wateringly delicious. Each meal started with some digestive aperitifs of sauerkraut and herbal bitters to get the stomach juices fl owing, while lunch ended with the taking of probiotics to improve gut fl ora. In between, who could complain about piquillo pepper and spinach omelette for breakfast, carrot and coconut soup with Thai spiced chicken breast and salad for lunch, and Barbary duck with salsify and hazelnut crumble for dinner? Portions were small and controlled,
so in the fi rst few days I felt the edge of hunger before each meal, but at least this made the semi-fasting days less of a shock. On Mondays and Fridays, breakfast is skipped, the group have lunch together and a bowl of broth is served in rooms in the evening. The regime also includes a personal
health consultation, with blood and body composition analysis, a nutritional therapy session, abdominal massage, a hydrotherapy bath, and castor oil compresses to aid detoxifi cation.
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the very comprehensive range of daily talks delivered by resident nutritionists and visiting lecturers, who were always available after the sessions and during lunch to answer further questions. They covered topics like stress management, which fats and carbohydrates to eat and which to avoid, and the healing nature of deep breathing. None of the talks were dumbed down, but instead delivered the latest scientifi c thinking on diet and health, combined with loads of practical tips to try out at home. If participants act on all the advice
they absorb over seven days, I believe it can be a life-altering regime. I personally arrived home feeling very rested, armed with fresh knowledge and new healthy eating resolutions, my skin was glowing and I’d dropped three pounds. ●
This feature fi rst appeared in Spa Business issue 2 2014, p60
September 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
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