It is not uncommon for a person at a health clinic to begin by spending two or three days fasting, or semi-fasting. On a fast, you are allowed only water and lemon juice; on a semi-fast, you are also allowed fruit.
Many people experience unpleasant side effects during a fast, such as headaches, feelings of weakness and dizziness, and slight nausea. These feelings do no lasting harm and usually disappear after 48 hours.
After fasting, you usually follow a gentle diet of fresh, simple foods, such as fruit, vegetables, honey, yoghurt, wheat germ, and small amounts of lean meat, chicken or fish. A lot of health farms grow their own organic vegetables.
No diet is compulsory and you can eat other things, as long as they are available at the health farm. Some people, after all, need to gain not lose weight, and their needs are taken into consideration.
Refined or processed foods are off the menu.
A TYPICAL DIET FOR THE FIRST THREE DAYS
DAY 1
Breakfast
Hot water and lemon, lightly stewed fruit, Yoghurt with Bran and Honey,
Lunch
Home-made vegetable soup, fresh fruit, hot water and lemon,
Dinner
Fresh fruit, Yoghurt, Wheat germ, Honey, hot water and lemon
DAY 2
Breakfast
Hot water and lemon, fresh fruit, Yoghurt, Bran, Honey,
Lunch
Fresh salad, lightly stewed fruit, Yoghurt, Wheat germ, Honey, hot water and lemon
Dinner
Home-made vegetable soup, fresh fruit, Yoghurt, Wheat germ, Honey, hot water and lemon
DAY 3
Breakfast
Hot wafer and lemon, lightly stewed fruit Yoghurt, Bran, Honey
Lunch
Home-made vegetable soup, baked potato & knob of butter, fresh fruit, hot water and lemon
Dinner
Grilled lean meat, chicken or fish, lightly cooked fresh vegetables, lightly stewed fruit, Yoghurt, Wheat germ, Honey.
Massage
Most Hospital &health care facilities flooring include massage as an essential part of their treatment program. It is especially recommended for releasing tension particularly valuable if you are prone to stress stimulating the circulation and encouraging the elimination of toxins through the skin.
There are various methods of massage that may be on offer during your stay at a health farm. These include:
A Jacuzzi is a strong, deep type of massage taken in a special bath, during which the body is bombarded with jets of water. Specially recommended for those with arthritis and rheumatism.
A Neuromuscular massage is a deep fingertip massage, aimed at specific motor points of the muscles, to relieve muscular tension.
Shiatsu is similar to neuromuscular massage, except that pressure is applied to points running along energy channels, or meridians, rather than to muscles. The aim of the Shiatsu massage is to restore the flow of energy along the meridians.