Eating a healthy, balanced diet is one of the most important things you can do to protect your health and an important part of your wellbeing. Therefore healthy food is an important part of the wellness programs we offer. All the hotels and retreats we work with offer a healthy diet, yet we haven chosen 4 different approaches to explain a bit more about what a healthy diet is and can offer. Although in a different way, they all have 4 things in common:
- You should sit down and mindfully enjoy your meals
- You should chew slowly
- Concentrate on your food, do not get distracted
- the use of fresh ingredients
So let´s start our tour! First of all, let’s travel to Murcia and have a look at:
Balneario de Archena
The Spa Hotel & Resort Balneario de Archena focuses very much on the Mediterranean Diet which is abundant in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and olive oil. It also features fish and poultry in preference to red meat. It is said to be one of the healthiest diets in the world. Research suggests that following a Mediterranean diet can improve weight loss, give better control of blood sugar levels and reduces the risk of depression, reduces inflammation and may reduce the risks of heart attack, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.
The most important healthy eating principles of the Mediterranean Diet:
- Eat fresh seasonal produce. Aim for 5-10 portions of fruits and vegetables, raw and cooked, per day. Choose a colourful range of vegetables to get a complete spectrum of antioxidants and vitamins.
- Avoid refined carbs as they lack nutrients. Whole grains are best; have four small portions of whole-wheat bread, or try a pasta made from quinoa or legumes.
- Eat more protein from skinless chicken and turkey, fish, beans, nuts and other plants. By displacing red meat, you’ll lower your saturated-fat intake. Aim to eat fish of any kind—except for fried, of course—twice a week. Fatty fish, such as salmon or tuna are especially good choices.
- Replace butter and margarine with olive oil as the main source of fat.
- Slow down and sit down at the table to savour what you’re eating. Not only will you enjoy your company and your food, eating slowly allows you to tune in to your body’s hunger and fullness signals.
We continue our trip to the beautiful Canary Island of Tenerife:
Oceano Health & Spa Hotel
At Oceano Hotel you will be able to kick start a healthier lifestyle by doing a Mayr Cure. This cure is based on the discovery that the basis for good health comes through an optimal functioning of our intestine. The goal of the Mayr cure is to improve health through digestive detoxification. Also, if you want to change unhealthy habits it can be a good motivator.
The most important reasons for a Detox holiday:
- Reset your body and mind.
- You will return feeling lighter in body, clearer in mind and more energised.
- By removing tea, coffee, alcohol, processed food, meat, dairy etc. from your diet you will be allowing your internal system such as the colon, pancreas, liver, kidneys etc. to both cleanse and rest, meaning when you return, they will be much more effective.
- Your external body will also start to cleanse with clearer eyes, softer skin, fuller hair as just some of the great positive effects.
- On a detox holiday you can rest/sleep whenever your body requires it.
- You will relax your mind by focusing on you and give yourself important love, care and attention. In addition, Yoga and meditation are also helpful for detoxing the mind.
- You will come back motivated to implement a healthier lifestyle in your daily routine and to follow the eating patterns you have learned, e.g., chew, taste and savour mindfully the ingredients; no distraction is allowed while eating – mindful eating is the key not to overeat.
Now let’s go towards the Spanish/French border, in the peaceful hills of Sant Climent de Sescebes in Catalonia, we found this little paradise:
Sharanam Yoga & Counselling Retreat
At the Sharanam Retreat you will be delighted by the delicacies that chef Doby prepares for you. He is very passionate about cooking fresh, healthy and mostly vegetarian food using local organic ingredients, with lots of herbs and spices. Fresh fruit smoothies, home-baked bread, home-made marmalade’s, hummus and tapas are among the daily delights.
Eating principles by Aleid & Doby:
- Source fresh and local produce.
- Eat gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free food.
- Try to avoid meat.
- The ingredients of our meals influences our wellbeing.
Our last stop has a spectacular location with stunning views over the Mediterranean Sea:
Ayurveda Resort Port Salvi
For more than 20 years Port Salvi Ayurveda Resort has been offering their guests a delicious Mediterranean and healthy Ayurvedic diet using a mix of seasonal ingredients from the Mediterranean diet combined with traditional ingredients from India to complement their programs and Ayurvedic cures.
The most important healthy eating principles of Ayurveda:
- Cook fresh food every day and eat it the same day.
- Do not sit down to eat if you are feeling angry, stressed out, sad or anxious.
- Eat at regular times of the day and don´t leave it too late (not later than 20:30/21:00h).
- Do not do any other activity while eating like reading or watching TV/mobile phone.
- Do not rush when you eat, take your time to chew carefully.
- Do not eat until you feel full, leave a third of the stomach free to facilitate digestion.
- For dinner avoid raw foods, legumes or animal protein, this meal should be the lightest of the day.
- Drink water, juices and infusions at room temperature as much as possible. Avoid drinks during meals.
Wherever you choose to go, we at SIS are happy to aSISt you find your perfect Healthy Holiday 
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