Highwood Health Lifestyle Retreat.  Doctor-Supervised Natural Live-in Therapy
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Obesity. Highwood's Approach.

Testimonial: This is a testimony we have on file for public release from a man named Tim. It is completely unabridged. "At 44, I arrived at Highwood checking in at ~160 kg - a result of 25 years of abuse of my body through lack of exercise and poor diet. Serious health problems had emerged - alarmingly high blood pressure 178/98, 3 excruciatingly  painful gout attacks over the previous month and I developed sleep apnoea (severe interrupted sleep). I chose Highwood to jumpstart a healthier lifestyle and to learn health and nutritional principles that will assist me to make healthier life choices in future.

"I didn't know what to expect at Highwood. How much weight would I lose? Could I adjust to their diet or would I suffer 'hunger pangs', longing for the bad foods I used to eat?

" My fears were groundless, I was well looked after. The program took care of most of my needs - education through lectures, healthy foods from the kitchen, hydrotherapy and massages. All of these played a part in putting me on the road to good health. I'm sure the other big factor was exercise. I decided on nature walks around the centre with my mother (also attending the program) - I believe that what you get out of a program like this is proportional to what you put into it. So I put in a lot on our walks. I needed to take frequent breaks at first, panting up every hill, sore feet, I even slipped on a small piece of wood, skinning my knee as my full weight made contact with the hard clay. But I persisted, returning to the centre exhausted after every walk (2-3 per day). After the 19 days I was delighted with the results:

"(1) Blood pressure 130-140/88 (I can control my bp through natural means)

"(2) Weight 141 kg - roughly 1kg lost per day!

"(3) No gout - all signs of swelling disappeared (no medication used)

"Needless to say I left the centre in high spirits. I'd like to thank all the staff at Highwood for helping me start a better life"

Note: The amount of weight that Tim lost is not the normal amount recommended at Highwood. His was an exceptional case.

Details of Treatment: Tim's testimony pretty much covers the main treatment approach at Highwood. Though, we do not recommend such a rigorous exercise program unless the guest is fit enough for it and it is self-determined.