T
echnically a fasting programme would be nothing but water, but it can include food, raw juices and broths depending on the
goals and condition of the person. The main benefit is that it gives the body
a chance to clean itself out. If done well, the body will be able to alkalise itself (most of us are overly acidic) which helps get rid of aches, pains and that foggy brain feeling. I recommend seven to 10 days maximum
for a fast. If you know how fasting works on your body, longer is possible, but I’d rather people repeated it more frequently than do it for excessively long periods. For regular fasting programmes, spas
need a great nutritionist or naturopath to orientate and monitor clients, and nurses on standby for any issues, such as side effects or withdrawal symptoms. I definitely don’t recommend putting in fasting programmes with no oversight, even though it’s basically safe and easy, because people will always manage to do the wrong thing to excess. Be flexible with your programme. Food costs are nothing, so don’t refuse requests
for food unnecessarily. Ensure F&B staff all get to try the fast and train them in what it is, why people do it and how to encourage them, and to flag up problems to the key people monitoring guests’ progress. After a three- to four-day adjustment period, when people lose the caffeine withdrawal headache and hunger, most people start to feel great. They feel lighter, think clearer, realise they have a freedom from food and more time in the day as they’re not slothing about digesting. Fasting ideally is a stepping stone to
feeling better, which needs to be continued on through a great regular diet, rather than bingeing and going back to fasting again. The worst misconception about short-
term fasting is that it helps weight loss, and if you promote it as such your guests will only be disappointed. In detox/fasting,
we want to lower metabolism, whereas in weight loss we want to maximise it. So to be successful, detox/fasting needs to do the opposite to the body than what we want to achieve with weight loss. Trying to achieve both these goals during a week- long retreat is physiologically impractical. I think fasting will continue to grow
in popularity and become more acces- sible, especially at medical centres. In Thailand there’s been a big move from the medical profession to offer these kind of programmes that used to be the domain of complementary therapy practitioners.
Nieuwenhuizen has been running wellness programmes in Asia for over 20 years. He specialises in nutrition and customised supplement therapy. Details:
www.thewellnessdirector.com
I think fasting will continue to grow in popularity and become more
accessible, especially at medical centres. In Thailand there’s been a big move from the medical profession to offer these kinds of programmes
F
asting is one of the only scientif- ically-proven ways to live longer and possibly without associated age-related diseases too.
When you stop absorbing food through
your digestive system, the body switches to the consumption of its own reserves, mostly fats. The cells enter a self-repair mode, which when taken care of properly – with a balance between exercise, rest and self-reflection – can lead to positive metabolic and neuro-hormonal regenera- tion, as well as mood-enhancing effects. Small amounts of juices and broths
make the fasting experience more pleasant and easy to adhere to, as well as providing extra vitamins and minerals. The positive effects don’t seem diminished when compared to water fasting, but wellbeing and compliance are enhanced. At Buchinger, the doctor decides with
the client if fasting is needed or if a sup- plemented fasting or a calorie-restricted, plant-based, organic diet is better.
Jeff Nieuwenhuizen Naturopathic practitioner
Francoise Wilhelmi de Toledo
Managing director and medical director, Buchinger Wilhelmi Clinics, Germany and Spain
Clients must be healthy physically and
emotionally to be able to fast [for short periods] without medical supervision. If they’re under any drug treatment it’s mandatory to be under the guidance of a physician specialised in fasting, to adapt the dosages accordingly. We offer a whole fasting process; a
smooth transition of two to three days of fasting, and a progressive refeeding period of three to four days. Our packages are 10 days, two weeks, or three weeks and 5-10 per cent of our guests stay longer. Guests are given the opportunity to
learn how to cook and eat differently, how to relax and which exercise suits them best. Mindfulness meditation is also offered.
Spa Business 4 2014 ©Cybertrek 2014 Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital We train our staff constantly. All the
therapists have to fast themselves at least once when they start their jobs. Most of them do it regularly. To enter a totally protected mode of
fasting, a specialised facility with professional guidance is the right place to go. You need a medical structure, but also beautiful natural surroundings and your staff must radiate both professionalism and a special, loving spirit.
The Buchinger Clinics in Germany and Spain offer Otto Buchinger’s (1878-1966) fasting method, which has been in practice for more than six decades. Details:
www.buchinger-wilhelmi.com
51
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118