The Best Retreats For Gut Health

Maintaining a healthy gut is very important for maintaining optimal health levels. The gut works diligently to metabolise necessary nutrients and eliminate dangerous toxins. A healthy gut also keeps our mind sharp, energy levels high, and immune system strong. It is interesting to note that 70% of our immune system actually resides in the gut. If we have poor gut health then we might experience depression, inflammatory issues, arthritis, poor energy levels, thyroid problems, bloating, weight gain or brain fog.

We are fortunate at Healing Holidays to be working with some great Spas and Retreats, who offer tailor-made programmes designed to help you optimise the health of your gut. Read on to find out more.

THE MAYR CLINICS

Detox retreats come in many forms - juice fasts, macrobiotic programmes, raw vegan cleanses - but if you are looking to effect lasting change, the Mayr Cure is a refreshing, non-faddish approach to long-term good health and wellness. Named after the Austrian scientist Franz Xavier Mayr, its philosophy holds that digestive health is key and that many health disorders and illnesses originate in the gut – spanning everything from depression and mood disorders, to deep-rooted inflammatory conditions.

As Europe's leading spa and wellness experts, Healing Holidays are thrilled to exclusively partner with some of the world’s very best Mayr Clinics – which is testament to how seriously we take our role as the Mayr experts. We offer a range of Mayr options to suit all exacting requirements; Lanserhof Tegernsee and Lanserhof Lans, for when only the height of luxury will cut it, the VIVAMAYR Altaussee or VIVAMAYR Maria Worth, when pared-back style lakeside is what’s needed, Park Igls, when small and intimate is the order of the day or, for those who want a hit of sunshine by the sea, it has to be OCEANO Health Spa Hotel on the island of Tenerife.

CHIVA SOM, THAILAND

Nestled amongst acres of lush tropical gardens in Hua Hin, a mere two hours by road from Bangkok, Chiva-Som is the Grande Dame of destination spas which has been purging and cleansing its guests for over 25 years, and which still remains triumphantly at the top of its game.

An internationally-recognised wellbeing sanctuary and a world-class specialist in every area of health and wellness, it gives a full-stack approach to maximising physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. It does not get better than this. There is an encyclopaedic range of spa and alternative treatments on offer, including some of the very best massages you will ever experience. The activity roster is just as impressive with Tai Chi, Pilates, meditation, Thai boxing, Zumba, AquaBox and several different types of Yoga all available. They also have a wellness programme that is specifically for those who are looking to improve their gut health. Available over five or seven nights, it is led by Chiva-Som’s nutrition team who have designed a detox system with natural nutrients, probiotics and fibre to restore the integrity of your digestive function. The programme also includes detoxifying abdominal massage, probiotic-infused colonics, and Pranayama breathing sessions that help to promote a feeling of lightness and relaxation.

AYURVEDIC RETREATS

Based on an ancient & sacred Hindu practice that can be traced back over five millennia, Ayurveda translates as "science of life".

In Ayurveda, the root of all disease begins in the gut. When one dosha is out of balance (Vata (colon), pitta (small intestines), or Kapha (stomach)), the first signs and symptoms of imbalance arise in the corresponding organ. From there, if not addressed, imbalances travel through the bloodstream to the most vulnerable organs in the body and take root, causing disease, or dis-ease — a state of being less than our highest and most optimal level.

At Healing Holidays, we have partnered with the very best Ayurvedic retreats in class across India at places like Vana, Soukya and Ananda In The Himalayas and also closer to home in Europe at places like Ayurveda Resort Mandira in Austria and Ayurveda Parkschlosschen in Germany, so you can regain your balance and optimise your health through Yoga, meditation, Pranayama and Ayurvedic nutrition and treatments.
 

LEFAY RESORT & SPA LAGO DI GARA, ITALY

Set high on a hill overlooking Lake Garda, there are few Spas in the world that can boast a setting more beautiful than Lefay Resort & SPA Lago Di Garda – but it is not just the location that draws people here, rather Lefay’s unique wellness method, which seamlessly blends Classical Chinese Medicine with modern Western scientific research. You come here for energy-rebalancing treatments and vitality-boosting therapies like cupping and moxibustion, all under the expert supervision of Dr Carlo Barbieri. Lefay has recently introduced a brand new programme called Immune System & Gut Health, which through the combination of a personalised nutrition plan, exercise and a range of carefully chosen treatments, including acupuncture aims to restore the balance and proper functioning of the digestive system to help improve the state of your gut microbiota thereby strengthening your immune system and improving your overall physical and mental health.

GRAND RESORT BAD RAGAZ, SWITZERLAND

Switzerland is home to some of the finest medical spas in the world and the most cutting-edge medical techniques. Set against an imposing Alpine backdrop, in the heart of Heidiland, lies the state-of-the-art medical wellness centre of Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, which has always been ahead of the game when it comes to optimising the health of its guests. So whether you want a full body MOT, to detox or to address a specific health issue like your gut with their My Microbiome programme, Bad Ragaz and its army of medical experts is the perfect place for you to do just that.