Having been a complementary health professional for over 24 years, I know most of the reputable spas and health retreats in the UK and on the continent – some by name and others from having visited them in person. If I need a spot of ‘R&R’, my go-to place is Ragdale Hall as it’s just 40 minutes away from home, and it ticks all the boxes for recharging my batteries as and when required.
Grayshott Health Spa, a well-known retreat with a string of awards to its name, is located 180 miles away in Surrey so it has always been a little bit too far away for me to ‘pop in’ for a spot of pampering, but when I was contacted by Jacquie Phelan, the Sales and Marketing Director at Grayshott, to give them some feedback on one of their health programmes, I was delighted to hear that the project would involve staying for two nights and taking part in what they call their ‘Regime’ programme.
Jacquie had read an article about me and my Just For Tummies products in European Spa magazine and thought I would be the ideal person to assess their programme of intensive digestive cleansing. Grayshott is the only spa in the UK to offer this kind of bespoke programme aimed at addressing gut health – so I was obviously very keen to go and experience it for myself.
A small selection of the lunch options at Grayshott
To be perfectly honest, until Jacquie got in touch, I had no idea that Grayshott ran such a programme but they have been offering it for 3 years now. I have visited the world-famous Viva Mayr Clinic in Austria several times over the years and experienced their outstanding detox plans and holistic medical treatments as well as having the honour of training with Dr. Harald Stossier, the Medical Director. I was delighted to hear that a health spa in the UK was running a programme with similar principles to those of the Mayr – that by concentrating on healing our ‘root system’, located in our gut, we can achieve long-term overall health and wellbeing.
I had two lovely days at Grayshott. The food on the ‘Regime’ follows The Specific Carbohydrate Diet, a carb, grain and sugar-free diet that helps stabilise and balance blood sugar levels. As a result, at the end of the programme you feel and look fabulous, having lost an average 7lbs, which is a great bonus.
I stayed in a beautiful room in the original part of the old house. I think they thought I was someone famous 🙂 It had a king size four-poster bed and a bathroom with a humongous bath in it.
My table situated near the window in the dining room
I attended talks given by the very knowledgeable clinical nutritionists, Stephanie, Pippa and Elaine, and I had a wonderful, deep abdominal massage with one of their massage therapists, Frank who is blind. When I did my training with Dr. Stossier at the Viva Mayr Clinic in Austria, I was trained in manual abdominal massage techniques. It was de rigeur at the Mayr to have a daily abdominal massage with one of the physicians. Abdominal massage helps move waste products along the intestines, as well as assisting in breaking down spasms and strictures, and brings fresh blood and nutrients to the intestines, relieving bloating and abdominal cramps.
One of the things that impressed me at Grayshott was their dedication to strong naturopathic and hydrotherapy treatments, with castor oil compresses for the liver and Epsom salts baths. The ‘Regime’ is gentle but extremely effective. I could definitely feel positive results after just 2 days.
Grayshott has a team of nurses (ideal if you are recuperating from a serious illness or a recent operation), nutritionists, fitness experts and holistic therapists. The Executive Chef at Grayshott creates all the nutritious meals in conjunction with the clinical nutritionists.
Room service at Grayshott
They have all the usual facilities – indoor and outdoor pools, sauna, steam room, freezing cold plunge pool and gym, all set in 47 acres of gardens adjoining 700 acres of National Trust land where you are free to roam. It really is the perfect place to ‘get away from it all’. There is even a cinema that shows films in the evenings, or if you prefer to watch something alone in your room, there’s a library of DVDs to choose from – see images below
During my stay, I had blood tests to check my cholesterol, haemoglobin, triglycerides and liver function – all good, I’m pleased to say. They also checked my blood pressure. I had a body composition test – the less said about that, the better. I know I’ve put on weight these past two years, but now that my Tummies range has been launched, I am determined to get fitter and slimmer, not just for aesthetic reasons, but because it’s good for my health!
The drawing room at Grayshott. A wonderful place to relax and read the papers and magazines
Grayshott is a place I shall definitely be returning to and I will certainly be recommending it to my patients.
PAX INTRANTIBUS – Peace as you enter
SALUS EXEUNTIBUS – Health as you leave
Don’t miss out on this great offer!
Grayshott Health Spa have generously offered a room upgrade (worth £350) to anyone quoting ‘Just For Tummies’ when they book. Maybe it’s time to book that spa weekend? For more information see website: https://www.grayshottspa.com/home/
