Buchinger Wilhelmi, Überlingen, Germany is top 7’s pick as the best spa for fasting
Fasting may be the latest buzzword in the world of wellbeing, but when it comes to therapeutic spas that delve deep into its science, Buchinger Wilhelmi on the shores of Lake Constance, is the original and best (and still run by the Buchinger family).
Developed more than a century ago by German physician Otto Buchinger, a WWI naval doctor who cured his own rheumatoid arthritis by drinking only water for three weeks after conventional medicines failed, the Buchinger therapeutic fasting method has become a staple for individuals wanting an annual ‘tune-up’ and reset.
Otto is widely acknowledged as being the first doctor to document the effect of fasting on the body. Research since then has proven that just three days of fasting can rejuvenate the immune system, triggering the production of new white blood cells and alleviating the symptoms of inflammatory conditions like diabetes, arthritis and autoimmune diseases.
Try the medically-supervised 10 day 250 calorie-a-day fast which includes a comprehensive schedule of massages and treatments, complete with regular medical checks and weigh-ins. There’s a lot of thin broths, juices and herbal tea involved.
Alternatively there are shorter stays (seven or three days) for the time poor in search of recuperation and regeneration, which give a taste of the resort, but without the therapeutic fasting and offering organic gourmet meals instead.
There’s no luxury hotel spa per se – instead, Buchinger Wilhelmi is centred around two main medical complexes in its stunningly landscaped grounds, staffed by its doctors and nurses, along with numerous treatment rooms where guests can book everything from osteopathy, physiotherapy and shiatsu massage, to Chinese abdominal massage Chi Nei Tsang and body wraps.
There’s also a heated outdoor swimming pool and free exercise sessions as well as daily guided hikes, personal trainers, life coaches and meditation sessions to distract you from your hunger pangs, which they promise will eventually give way to renewed energy levels and that you’ll leave with a serious spring in your step as well as several kilos lighter.
What to take: Outdoor hiking kit, fitness gear, swimwear and athleisure for lounging. And splash out on some Desmond & Dempsey PJs – you may be sleeping more hours than not!
Switch off and read . . .The Laurels Of Lake Constance by Marie Chaix, a profoundly moving novel about the years leading up to WWII.