Detox? My idea of detoxing is to take a break from alcohol for a few days. But at Living Valley Springs, a health retreat tucked into the hills behind Noosa in southeast Queensland, it is much more about helping the whole body rid itself of poisons that have accumulated over many years.
Being overweight and suffering from the autoimmune thyroid disease, Hashimoto’s, I thought spending 10 days at the start of the year at a health retreat would be a great jump start to my life. But I entered the impressive gates announcing, Living Valley Springs, on January 1 with a feeling of trepidation. (I found out later, that a grateful participant had paid for the gates and the paved rounds around the complex).
Who else would be there? The ‘colonic irrigation’ treatments listed as part of the 10-day detox package on the website conjured up thoughts that were frankly terrifying. And would I be able to cope with my single room with the bathroom downstairs?
Living Valley Springs was set up in 1990 by Gary Martin and his wife Debbie with another couple who have since left to pursue other dreams. It is set in lush countryside with rolling hills, farmyards and forests just outside Kin Kin, a small village about two hours north of Brisbane.
The first thing to impress me is the surroundings. I drive up a narrow road to the single quarters at the top of the hill, about 500 metres away from the main centre. The trees tower above a swathe of grass as green as you can imagine. And tucked here and there are green and brown painted buildings with tin roofs.
I am following Giselle, Gary’s daughter, a slim young woman with long swinging dark hair wearing very high heels and a short skirt. I imagined her to be still in her teens, helping her Dad out on her holidays. But I found out later that she is married and in her early 30s with three children. Giselle installs me in a room on the corner of a building with six single rooms. The room is light and airy with large glass sliding doors and a side window looking over the hills and forest.
My first appointment is with the naturopath and I am pleased to find I’m directed to meet with Gary, the owner. If anyone can help me, it must be him. But I find out later from other participants that the other naturopaths are also excellent. Gary asks me lots of questions about my current diet, my dental health and lifestyle. I admit to my non-routine life of travelling, inconsistent exercise, drinking too much and eating out more often than not. My height is measured, I am weighed (aagh), my blood cells are analysed under a microscope and explained, and my body composition measured.
Then it’s time for lunch where I get to meet the other inmates, as we begin to call ourselves, which is not really fair as you’re free to leave and come back any time you like. You can also choose not to go for a walk at 6am every morning or to do any of the treatments, including colonic irrigation. As I’m told over the phone when I book in, everything is optional.
At my table are two couples who have been several times before. Peter and Florence are on their fifth visit and are already glowing with health and I wonder why they’re here. I estimate their ages as being in their late 60s or early 70s and I am astounded to find they are in their early 80s.
Andrew and Alicia have also been several times. “It’s just fantastic,” enthuses Andrew. “You’ll all look different by Tuesday.” When I ask him for an example, he admonishes me to wait and experience it for myself. Despite Andrew being 70, he always leads the walks in the mornings and is the fourth person to make it up to the top of Mt Cooroora, near Pomona, on the steep mountain climb on Saturday morning.
Over the course of the next few days I meet others in the program. Almost half are people who have been before and want to kick-start their health again at the beginning of a new year. Others are first timers and want to give up bad habits or lose weight. A few are trying a healthy approach to tackling chronic diseases like cancer and autoimmune disease.
Sally, a young woman with small children, is hoping the right nutrition will help her in the three-month chemo treatment she’s about to start for breast cancer. Karen first came here 10 years ago when she was dying from Ulcerative Colitis, a debilitating autoimmune disease of the gut where you can’t hold your food down and you spend most of your time on the toilet. Since doing the program, she’s been free of the disease but recent stress and a vaccination have brought back the symptoms. By the end of our program, she’s well on the road to full recovery again.
Rich and Yvonne, like me, are on their first visit here. Rich is bent over and on a walking stick and can’t sit down and has to kneel to eat his food or listen to the lectures. He also has cancer. I was surprised on the first morning walk to see Rich along, and walking towards the front of the pack. We’re all astounded when after only a few days, Rich is doing the walks without his stick and sitting on chairs for the first time in more than 25 years. This is thanks to the genius of Rod, who helps others who also have bone or muscle issues. He’s called the ‘miracle man’ by those who have tried everything else without success. Rich’s 31-year-old son has never seen his father seated and is in for surprise when he sees him next at the dinner table.
Some are struggling with various addictions. Lauren tells me that right up until the start of the program she was smoking an average 60 cigarettes a day, getting drunk at least three nights a week and consuming more than 12 cups of coffee before lunch. A few days into the program of going cold turkey she never wants to go back to the old life and, as Andrew had forewarned, is already looking different – younger, happier, fresher.
Not everyone is happy; one young woman leaves after 7 days as the program wasn’t what she’d expected. But most are delighted. “It’s been the best week of my life,” says Kelly, who has been suffering from severe depression and was only on the program because her mother had insisted. “I don’t recognise that person anymore,” she says at the graduation dinner.
And just a week into the program, people are telling me I look at least 10 years younger than I am. My cheeks are glowing, the bags under my eyes have virtually disappeared and my hair is bouncing. Before I leave, I find out that I’ve lost three kilograms; I’d much rather it was 10 kilograms but it’s not bad for 10 days.
So what are the secrets of Living Valley Spring’s success?
If you’re looking for a luxurious health retreat, then this is not it. It’s comfortable and when you do get to eat the food is great, but it’s not five-star accommodation. And while the massages, body treatments and facials are wonderful, and you’ll find yourself booking in for extras, they’re really just the icing on the sugarless cake. There’s also no yoga or Tai Chai. And while exercise is encouraged and even necessary for those living in the single quarters 500 metres up a hill, it’s only part of the answer.
Gary and the LVS team have spent more than 20 years seeking the answers to living a full and healthy life. The results are eight principles embodied in the acronym NEW START: Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunshine, Temperance, Air, Rest and Trust in divine power.
After 10 days I’m certainly primed for my own personal new start. I’ve provisioned at my local organic store for large breakfasts, smaller lunches and lighter dinners – all packed with protein and goods fats. And I’ve ordered in a set of weights so I can follow the program Mark, the LVS personal trainer, has detailed for me. I’ve also decided to stay off alcohol for the rest of January and to drink in more moderation after that.
So far, so good, but I know I will slip up now and again, especially when I am travelling. But I think I will book in for another of those colonic irrigations in a few months time. It feels so good to be clean inside and out. (7170)