As promised, I just returned from a restorative retreat with new ideas and heaps of energy to move the molehills (no longer mountains) ahead. By grace I was able to take a few days away and get back to grips with the fundamentals of a good life: a healthy mind in a healthy body on a healthy planet. For this I have to thank my phenomenal support network at home, as well as the remarkable team at Hoogland Health Hydro who restored me to life.
6. What (and Whether) to Eat
This post highlights Hoogland Hydro's philosophy, which added a new angle to my existing views on natural health. These principles can be applied anywhere, but this hydro is an especially magical place to take them on, thanks to its uniquely natural surroundings, people with heart, mineral-rich groundwater, peaceful ambience and, of course, therapeutic facilities.
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| Image: One of Hoogland's magical pools via Wealthwise Magazine |
About Hoogland Hydro
Hoogland Hydro, about an hour away from both Pretoria and Johannesburg, is situated in the Schurveberg, an area where the rugged hills have preserved nature from urban encroachment. The hills bristle with indigenous plant life, and visitors to the hydro often see animals like eland, hartebeest, Blue Wildebeest, baboons and monkeys. In fact, when my temporary neighbours left their sliding door open, they found their fruit basket raided by baboons.
Being a hydro, the main attraction is water therapy, ranging from the jet pool to jacuzzis (one outdoors!), saunas, steam baths, Turkish baths, sitz baths and warm and cold pools. Hoogland's water, rich in calcium and magnesium, is also bottled for drinking, and is abundantly available everywhere on site. Another attraction is bodywork and massage therapies, which run the gamut from traditional massages to rare, emerging techniques and beauty treatments. Tasty, wholefood buffets, including a 24 hour fruit buffet, are included with accommodation, as is daily health monitoring by a medical nursing sister. Guided nature walks are presented every morning and evening, and evening lectures are open to all guests.
In its heyday, Hoogland Hydro was known for a stringent and unyielding regimen, usually beginning with monitored fasting, followed by a raw food diet, in conjunction with therapies. Today this is still an option, though guests are free to choose a level of commitment to suit their needs. However, a five step detoxification process is advocated throughout the hydro. The rest of this post will briefly look at each of the five steps, as well as a sixth: what to eat (or not). In themselves, the steps are not revolutionary, but their sequenced combination provided me with quite a revelation, and an inside-out glow to prove it. It's hardly rocket science, but the new perspective is definitely worth a try.
1. Exercise
The first step of the detoxification process, exercise, not only gets the heart and lungs working, but mobilizes toxins lodged deep in the tissues. It also encourages the release of endorphins, the brain's feel-good messengers, which are a priceless ally. At Hoogland there are many options for exercise: guided nature walks every morning and evening, stretch and aqua aerobics classes, swimming, various disciplines presented by a personal trainer, and of course independent exercise. I also often opted for pre-dawn yoga in my room with the sliding doors wide open, or on the expansive lawn.
2. Body Work and Massage
The second step is to dislodge any further toxins, and induce relaxation, through body work and massage. An array of traditional and modern massage therapies are on offer throughout the day. Water massage facilities – the jet pool and jacuzzis – are available 24 hours for those middle-of-the-night energy bursts. I enjoyed a massage every day – Swedish, aromatherapy, Indian head massage – and hit the jet pools or jacuzzi frequently. A whole new bodywork experience, though, was aquassage, where I found my body afloat in a warm, shoulder-depth pool, untangled and spun through sensory-deprived space for a blissful hour of pure serenity. A rare find, highly recommended.
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| Image: American Cyclopaedia |
3. Heat and Sweat
In the third step, dislodged toxins are moved out of the body with heat and sweat. The heat treatments are intense, and can be quite a test of endurance, but they are enormously effective. The sauna is an old favourite of mine, but I especially enjoyed the Turkish steam bath, which is enhanced with a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil to clear the airways. After a few days of steaming, all visitors have a radiant glow that distinguishes them from new arrivals, and steam is definitely a major reason for this.
4. Cold
Having released toxins and opened the pores, the fourth step brings the process to a chilly close. This closes the pores and puts the release of new toxins on hold. A bracing shower is also an undeniable return to reality after the lazy comfort of treatments and heat.
5. Rest
The fifth step is a firm favourite of mine, and one that should be practised at least daily: rest. It is a shame that in a stressed and overworked world, it is easy to get so tangled up in worries that even sleep is not restful. After the exertion of exercise, massage, heat and then cold, languor rather than fatigue takes a seductive hold. This is one step I never skimped on, enjoying lazy naps on deck chairs, or on the pristine whiter-than-white linen in my room... easy to implement anywhere.
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| Image: Rooibos tea via steelsmithealth |
Today, diet is no longer formally included in the general advice provided to all guests at Hoogland, although it has formed a key part of the hydro's work. All guests have access to the 24 hour fresh fruit buffet, as well as three delicious, wholesome buffet meals per day. There are also abundant supplies of Hoogland's magnesium-rich mineral water, and many flavours of rooibos tea, one of South Africa's health staples. During my stay, I merrily indulged in all these delights whenever I felt the need, and definitely felt more energetic after the initial adjustment. It struck me that there were no real “temptations”: I brought along dates and pumpkin seeds in case of starvation, but really didn't need them.
However, some of the great success stories at Hoogland have involved strictly supervised fasting in combination with the five steps introduced above. The resident physician and owner has penned two books on the subject of the nature cure, in which he advocates dietary habits that support good health. In many ways his advice is not as radical as expected: his main strategy is to pay heed to biofeedback, especially hunger signals, and to eat food in its most natural form as far as possible. Ultimately he advises one day of water fasting every week, as well as longer fasts on a seasonal or biannual basis, or supervised fasts when there is a health crisis. This is an area well worth looking into, especially for chronic medical conditions not alleviated by allopathic medicine.
The weekly fast is an idea that resonates with me, and I have designated Mondays as herbal tea fast days. Yesterday was my first, and I was stunned to see how much I got done in the time that others cook, eat and clear up! From Sunday evening to Tuesday morning leaves a 32 hour period without solid food, and I found it very refreshing. As for the rest of the week, I am very keen to maintain a high-raw, wholefood based, red meat-free diet. In my humble opinion, truly delectable, occasional indulgences are also very good for body, mind and soul, and I intend to make the most of them when the occasion arises. As far as I am concerned, my homemade ice cream, chocolate or fudge are all superfoods - in small doses.
And that makes five plus one little steps to more serene and healthful living. The hydro experience recharged me at a level no ordinary holiday could, and I have every intention of maintaining the benefits as I return to reality. That is the ongoing challenge, and it is where the true gold lies.
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