SHA Wellness Clinic: What's Hot
March 10thSPAIN
One positive legacy of the pandemic is that our health and wellbeing has become more important than ever before – from leaders of governments to people at home, there is a huge demand for trusted ways to prioritise and enhance medical and physical health. As a global pioneer of integrated medical and holistic wellness and as one of Europe’s leading medical resorts, SHA Wellness Clinic and its team of certified experts are at the forefront of the field and in a perfect position to predict the trends that are currently pioneering the health and wellness space. With expertise in everything from nutrition and fitness to psychology and mindfulness, the SHA team are on a mission to ensure their guests have the the tools to create happier bodies and lifestyles for the way we want to live now.
GIVE YOUR GUT NEW LIFE
For a healthier digestive system and a happier life
New for 2021 and in response to findings that one third of the Western population suffer from digestive issues, SHA has launched a dedicated Gut Health programme. This brand new programme has been developed to reset and maintain the correct functioning of the digestive system, complementing SHA’s Detox programme by eliminating toxins simultaneously. Heading up this new programme is Dr. Amina Alani who has over fifteen years’ experience specialising in Psychoneuroimmunology, Neuroscience, Sports Medicine & Nutrition. SHA tapped Dr. Alani for her extensive experience in Psychoneuroimmunology, as well as anti-aging therapies for patients subjected to physiological stress or diseases that accelerate cellular aging. Dr. Alani has carefully framed the Gut Health programme with SHA’s signature 360º approach to prevention, targeting digestive disorders caused by an imbalance of microbiota, as well as psychological issues that impact gut health. A detailed review of the intestinal tract is the first step in this programme, assessing the level of dysbiosis and inflammation, the presence of heavy metals and other issues that provide an insight into digestive health. SHA’s team of multi-disciplinary experts then prescribe guests with a tailored selection of medical treatments, natural therapies and a nutrition plan to improve the immune, neuroendocrine and emotional system.
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Dr. Ámina Alani, Head of the Gut Health Unit at SHA explains ‘The many bacteria we have throughout our bodies are often good for our health. Those found in the intestinal tract not only help digest food but work throughout the body and provide benefits for our physical and mental health. Our digestive system is interconnected with the rest of our body including the central nervous system and the immune system which means that a healthy gut is symbiotic to a healthy body.’
REPAIR AND RENEW YOUR BODY
For a post-lockdown transformation from the inside-out
SHA Wellness Clinic has for many years been committed to detailed and long-lasting results that are personalised to each individual. There has been a growing demand for this bespoke approach as more and more people have come to realise that the manifestation of specific diseases and illness are unique in the body of each person. Regenerative Medicine (more commonly known as stem cell therapy) has long been the talk of the scientific community who believe that through genomic testing, individuals are able to better understand their DNA sequence and chromosome structure, realise any predisposition they may have to illnesses, diseases or ailments and put into place any necessary preventative care methods. In its simplest form, the practice repairs and substitutes damaged cells and tissues and organs for ones that function better.
Regenerative Medicine has been known to treat and improve the effects of many pathologies in all areas of medicine including dermatology orthopedics, traumatology and sports medicine. Illnesses which have been greatly improved include diabetes, degenerative osteoarthritis, alopecia amongst many more. The practice improves the overall health and wellbeing of the body strengthening its defense mechanisms and immune system.
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: ‘SHA has an advanced laboratory for genetic and genomic studies, from telomere analysis to all types of biomarkers. The analysis of the results of the genetic tests allows the correct application of the necessary therapies and treatments for each individual, including the most advanced treatments with stem cells and new biological active ingredients that are precursors of these and come from highly effective embryonic extracts for anti-ageing treatments, orthopaedic treatments, or treatments for erectile dysfunction, among others, with the aim of regenerating tissues and improving the structures of the organism. It also has autologous plasma therapy for both anti-ageing and therapeutic purposes. The objective of stem cell treatment is to regenerate tissues and organs. This means that by infiltrating them into the injured structures, such as a joint, they are fixed at the site of the injury. By signaling and stimulating the surrounding tissue cells, as well as by cell replication, they produce new cells and new tissue.’
WORK WELL
To create a happier life and balance hybrid working in 2021 and beyond
The team at SHA Wellness Clinic are dedicated to the idea that it is never too late to start living a healthy life. As working from home has become the new norm, many people have found it hard to adapt to this changed way of life and still maintain a healthy work life and balance. Dr Bruno Ribeiro who heads up SHA Wellness Clinic’s Cognitive Development and Brain Stimulation unit has pulled together his top five expert tips to staying healthy and productive at home:
- Create separate spaces for work and leisure
Creating boundaries gives balance and perspective and ensuring that one doesn’t become overwhelmed as physical boundaries disintegrate
- Organise a work routine
Organisation is key to leading a healthy life with minimal stress and encourages more necessary time for relaxation and leisure
- Maintain regular mealtimes
Ensuring that you are eating nourishing food in a consistent schedule not only ensures that we maintain a healthy weight but and regulates our metabolism and digestive systems
- Be physically active in the morning or afternoon
Moving the body promotes both physical and mental wellbeing getting endorphins pumping through the body and pushing us through those long working weeks from our kitchen tables
- Maintain regular contact with family and friends
A study by the University of Harvard found that those who maintained regular contact with friends and family lived healthier and happier lives. Checking in with a loved one through WhatsApp or Zoom still creates a sense of community and togetherness through tougher times
For those needing to break away from it once and for all, SHA have developed a work from hotel package offering travellers the chance to stay on property dedicating their leisure time to their health and wellbeing with treatments, therapies and consultations with the expert team.
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Professor Bruno Ribeiro explains: ‘I recently read a study published by the American Journal of Health Promotion which delved into the link between teleworking and employee health. The data showed that those who had the option of working remotely, even for a few hours a month, had reduced symptoms of stress and depression. Findings showed that employees feel a sense of control and flexibility when working in less stressful environments. Not only that, but the study warned that people who did not telework were at higher risk of obesity, physical inactivity, and alcohol and tobacco abuse than groups who could telework even part-time.’
EAT INTUITIVELY AND MINDFULLY
To embrace new eating habits and transform your relationship with food
It is no great revelation that healthy food nourishes the body, boosting overall wellbeing from the outside in. However, it is not just what we are eating but the way we feel about our food and the emotional associations we make with it, that also has a huge effect on our health. The team at SHA advise following the practices of mindful eating – this holistic viewpoint ensures that we are not only watchful about what we eat but also transforms our relationship with food focusing on the how and why of eating.
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Psychologist, Dr Laura Enciso explains ‘When we are fully aware of the act of eating, we will perform better digestions and have correct assimilation of the food. We will also be able to burn the right calories better, and all this will have an impact on our weight. We will be aware of whether we are eating out of physical hunger or emotional hunger.’
BOOST YOUR IMMUNITY
To get yourself in fighting form
Having a strong and healthy immune system is a wellbeing essential. There are many ways that we can ensure our body’s personal defense mechanisms are in tip top shape including an active lifestyle, healthy nutrition, reducing stress and upping our Vitamin D intake. In response to a global growing interest in immunology, the team at SHA have curated a dedicated booster which can be added to any programme for those looking to up their game in ensuring that their bodies are in fighting shape. Through a joint study of medical treatments and natural therapies, SHA has strategically developed this booster to restore and stimulate the body’s natural immune responses, with the goal of enabling the body to be in the best condition for defeating inevitable threat to one’s overall health in both the long and short term. The booster includes stem cell therapy, ozone therapy and an infrared heat session amongst other innovative treatments.
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Healthy Nutrition expert, Melanie Waxman explains: ‘From age to type of diet, rest and sleep, physical activity and mental stability – there are so many external and internal factors that can have a negative effect on our immune systems. The common modern-day lifestyle is constantly testing our Immune System with diets rich in ultra-processed products and meat, lack of time for exercise and extended times of stress that keep our bodies in a pro-inflammatory state and therefore more prone to disease. At SHA, we feel that prevention is key, and our aim is to strengthen the building blocks of innate immunity of our guests, which plays a key role in dealing with pathogens (organisms that cause disease) quickly and effectively.’