Wellness

It’s time to get to know the quadruplets of happiness: Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin and Endorphin. Gain control of this fun foursome and you’ll gain control of your own happiness. Here, we look at how each one of them works and recommend a way to catalyse them into action on a wellness holiday to boost your happy hormones.

Change your life in ways you may never have thought possible on The Mind Makeover Retreat™. Led by international master of mind-improvement and celebrity coach, Steve McKeown, this ground-breaking wellness retreat promotes positive mental well-being and launches this September at the luxurious Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa, in the western Algarve.

Danielle Ashley BHSc (TCM &Acu) Dip Nat, a Dr of Chinese Medicine and natural therapist practicing in Melbourne, Australia. Danielle is an avid traveller and she created Flightamins to unite her love for health with her love for travel. Flightamins offers travellers the opportunity to maximise their precious time away by maintaining optimal health with the wholefood formulation, today Danielle shares her top tips to bounce back from your next long haul flight faster, so that you can really enjoy yourself and your destination:

The days of fly and flop holidays seems to be out the window as 94% of people now seek holidays to pursue health and fitness. The Body Holiday *survey commissioned by Health and Fitness Travel, experts in tailor-made active and wellness holidays worldwide found that 85% of Brits are now willing to try a health and fitness holiday to improve their body and mind.

Buccament Bay Resort, the newest name in luxury travel to the Caribbean, is merging relaxation with the pursuit of hard core fitness goals with the launch of a Luxury Boot Camp programme.  Available from 15th May to 30th June, these fitness retreats at the all-inclusive property is crafted for travellers of all fitness levels by U.K.-based personal trainers and nutrition experts. With rates starting at £2,590pp, the exclusive package allows for a health boost and also provides effective fitness tips to take back home.

It is a common misconception that yoga is not fast-paced enough to rid you of those extra pounds. However, you don’t have to look very far to find numerous testimonies of passionate yogis who swear by yoga, declaring it an extremely effective weight-loss technique. So, although to an outsider, yoga may appear to be just a series of light stretches and deep breaths, rendering it too low intensity to be an effective way to lose weight; for those of you who have already practiced yoga, you know that this is a severe misconception.

The mind and body have an intimate bond – the way you think or feel can have a profound impact on your physical health. Your body has specific ways of responding to different emotions, often referred to as a somatic response. Turning our spotlight on stress, when upset or anxious, your body reacts congruently, telling you that something isn’t quite right. Call it evolutionary advantage; a physical manifestation waving a red flag when something inside you goes haywire. On the downside, when left uncheck, this opens us up to a number of health risks, with some more detrimental than others. Negative emotions cause negative effects in our bodies and in the same vein, good feelings and positive emotions have positive and therapeutic effects, with the potential to heal us and make us healthier and happier inside out.

Diving deeper into the topic, here, we expound on a few points to further explore the mind-body connection and it’s relation to our health.

Short of time? Try this superfood Chia Pudding recipe from Aro Ha Wellness Retreat in New Zealand, which you can whip up in no time. This indulgent pudding will fulfil sweet cravings, as the flavourful combination of coconut and spices tantalizes your taste buds. It’s also gluten-free, refined sugar-free and vegan, so makes for the perfect guilt-free sweet treat, and is ideal for breakfast, a post-workout snack, or a delicious dessert.

What is SHA Wellness Clinic and who’s it for?

SHA Wellness Clinic is an award-winning luxurious destination, ideal for anyone looking to cleanse their body & mind in gorgeous surroundings and in the hands of the best detox specialists in Europe. Their approach is based on a macrobiotic inspired cuisine, western philosophies and high-end eastern technology. During my four days at SHA, I’ve witnessed the life-changing power of these three elements combined, and how they can contribute to improve health. During my stay I met a variety of guests, some were simply looking to kick-start a balanced lifestyle while detoxifying the body, others were suffering from serious illnesses in search of healing therapies, and some with high weight-loss goals. With different lengths of stay, we all felt our intentions had been achieved and returned home feeling healthier.

What is BodyHoliday and who’s it for?

No wonder the mantra here is “Give us your body for a week and we’ll give you back your mind.” Working on our bodies whilst being kind to ourselves is an amazing way to relax the mind and bring clarity into our lives. It allows us to access our full potential and discard anything that keeps us from living life in full. This is precisely what BodyHoliday has in mind for its guests; the attention to detail, the thoughtfulness of the service and the in-house expertise make BodyHoliday not only a very special place in paradise, but also a great option for anyone looking for an all-inclusive wellness holiday to re-connect with nature, have fun and get the mind and body back on track. It’s one of the most popular wellness destinations in the world for solo travellers, but it’s equally exceptional for couples, friends and adult families. I can speak from personal experience when I say it’s exceptional for honeymooners, like my newlywed husband and I!   

What is Fusion Maia in Da Nang and who’s it for?

Fusion Maia Da Nang is Vietnam’s most unique, forward-thinking and individually oriented 5 star hotel. Since its launch in 2008, Fusion Maia has continuously promoted and embraced the idea of “it’s not a holiday, it’s a lifestyle.” It’s the first Vietnamese resort to offer the all-spa-inclusive concept, which means each of our guests has a minimum of 2 spa treatments per day; with the possibility of even more, depending on availability. It’s ideal for guests looking to de-stress, relax and kick start healthy eating habits with a touch of luxury and elegance. Yoga and Tai Chi are the core elements on Fusion Maia’s group class schedule and the atmosphere across the entire resort is very zen and peaceful.

Whether interested in immersing yourself in a foreign culture, participating in a new sport, taking an exotic adventure, enjoying a community festival, or savoring local food, this list covers events happening every month of the year right next to our many retreats spanning from the Americas to Asia. Time to mark your calendars for a relaxing trip abroad which includes an event of your liking!

Last night, Health and Fitness Travel attended the annual Condé Nast Traveller Spa Awards in London. At this prestigious event at the Four Seasons Hotel in Park Lane, Como Shambhala Estate in Bali was awarded the honour of the Best Destination Spa 2013 in the world! Condé Nast Traveller was clearly impressed with this luxury wellness resort's amazing range of daily spa treatments, holistic activities and world-class facilities.

If you and your partner are beginning the process or have already started trying for a baby, then our 5 fertility wellness holidays are a great excuse to escape on a couples healthy holiday whilst maximising your chances of conceiving. Whilst falling pregnant may happen faster for some couples than others, regardless of how long it takes, being mentally strong and healthy will steer you in good stead for the future when trying to conceive. From the stunning Portuguese coast to the beauty of the Himalayas, take time to de-stress and boost your chances of success at one of these wellness retreats ideal for a conceptionmoon.

Health and Fitness Travel attended the annual Condé Nast Traveller Spa Awards in London last night at the luxurious Bulgari Hotel in Knightsbridge. These prestigious awards are renowned for recognising the best spa holidays from all over the world and we were delighted to see two of our healthy holidays receive awards.

Join us in congratulating the winners of the 2018 Asia Spa Awards, an annual prestigious distinction for outstanding spas in the Asian region. This gives recognition and credit to the best and innovative spas and properties around the region selected through 26 categories in the luxury and leisure industry.

Join us in congratulating the winners of the 2018 Gold List Awards, Australia’s only reader-voted awards. This gives honor to the best hotels around the globe selected through various categories in the luxury and leisure space.

Searching for a mindful makeover in a dream destination? Look no further as whatever your wellness whim, create some headspace and combine mindful living with a fitness practice for the ultimate mind and body experience. From oriental palm-fringed retreats in Thailand and secluded jungle stays in Sri Lanka to beachside tropical escapes in the Caribbean and luxury hotels fit-for-royalty in Spain, our new collection of Mindful Triathlon Holidays is available in 15 stunning locations around the world, offering an ideal wellness escape for the health-conscious traveller.

Innovative cuisine by SHA Wellness Clinic, this refreshing and vibrant dish is perfect for a light lunch or summer side salad. Not simply is it pleasing on the palette, the ingredients are carefully selected for their impressive array of health benefits. Cucumbers keep you hydrated, aid weight-loss and help flush out toxins, whereas wakame helps with mineral transport in the body and the production of proteins. So, sit back, tuck in, and enjoy.

Olympia Kwitowski, Media professional and founder of Deluxe Edition, an online platform for luxury goods and services, paid a visit to New Zealand’s wellness gem at Aro Ha to experience a healthy adventure of a lifetime.