VeraVia Media Highlights

Launch Campaign Media Highlights

EX-PADRE KOTSAY IS BATTING COACH

SECTIONS INSIDE

D 1 • Padres hire Mark Kotsay as the team’s seventh hitting coach since Petco Park opened in 2004.

B • Local C • Business D • Sports E • Health

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T H E WO R L D ’S G R E AT E S T C O U N T RY & A M E R I CA’S F I N E S T C I T Y

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Bright ideas Half of magazine’s top 10 innovations of 2014 were developed by San Diego companies field of genomics, where San Diego dominates.

Edico Genome in La Jolla took first place for its Dragen Bio-IT Processor. The microprocessor accelerates the analysis of genomic data by a factor of 30 when compared with standard counterparts, said Pieter van Rooyen, Edico’s president and chief executive. It’s packaged as an add-on card that can be installed in a standard computer server.

BRADLEY J. FIKES • U-T

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an Diego’s reputation as a biotech powerhouse received a ringing endorsement Monday from The Scientist, a highly regarded life-science magazine.

Five of the publication’s top 10 innovations for this year, including the first-place product, came from companies in this city. And four of them hailed from the fast-growing

The magazine’s award is “testimony to our team and the work they’ve put in,” van Rooyen said.

Other local winners on the list were Illumina, which captured two spots; BioNano Genomics; and Organovo.

While certain regions of the United States have had more than one company on The Scientist’s annual list, San Diego’s showing this year is unusual, said Bob Grant, a senior editor SEE INNOVATION • A3

HiSeq X Ten MiSeqDX genomic sequencing machine (No. 2)

device for highvolume genomic sequencing (No. 3)

by Illumina

IrysChip V2 system for visualizing long stretches of DNA (No. 4)

by BioNano Genomics

by Illumina

Dragen Bio-IT Processor

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U T S a n D i e go . c o m

U.S. MAY ESTABLISH SAFE ZONE IN SYRIA Air campaign weighed to carve out territory for rebel forces KAREN DEYOUNG THE WASHINGTON POST WASHINGTON

The Obama administration is weighing the opening of a new front in the air war against the Islamic State in Syria, part of an offensive to push back militants along the western portion of Syria’s border with Turkey and create a relatively safe zone for U.S.-backed Syrian rebel forces to move in.

The possible shift in U.S. strategy came as the World Food Program announced that a funding crisis has forced the U.N. agency to suspend assistance to 1.7 million Syrian refugees, warning that “many families will go hungry” without the aid.

The program, which provides electronic vouchers for Syrian refugees in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey and to buy SEE SYRIA • A7

exVive3D model of the human liver (No. 7)

for faster analysis of genomic data (No. 1)

by Organovo

by Edico Genome

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Bed-count goal for homeless in permanent building

MAYOR SEEKS NEW SHELTER FOR HOMELESS

San Diego honorees

Faulconer to propose replacing tents with permanent building DAVID GARRICK • U-T

“

In a way, it’s a vindication about what we think about San Diego.”

Joe Panetta, CEO of Biocom

TOP 10 INNOVATIONS A 3 • The Scientist magazine’s full list of the top 10 innovations of 2014.

Two temporary tents that have sheltered San Diego’s homeless since the 1990s would be replaced by one permanent building under a proposal Mayor Kevin Faulconer plans to unveil today.

Faulconer said boosting shelter quality fits well with the city’s greater focus this year on providing more counseling and a wider range of permanent housing solutions for the city’s large homeless population.

“Providing a more welcoming environment is the next step,” said Faulconer, suggesting the permanent shelter could open in July. “Having a permanent solution with permanent help is going to make a real difference.”

The city won’t run the shelter, but will ask nonprofit service providers to run it — as they do with the temporary shelter.

SEE HOMELESS • A5

TUESDAY • DECEMBER 2, 2014

H EA LT H BU ZZ Technology for muscular dystrophy In the future, people suffering from muscular dystrophy (MD) — a disease where muscles fail to repair themselves properly and degenerate over time — might be able to measure the effects of their medication with a smartphonelinked device.

Treatments for the disease require constant monitoring.

Young boys and men with the disease often take steroids to prolong muscle health. Because steroids have serious side-effects, patients should only take as much as needed, which makes it difficult to monitor effectiveness.

A new study that used new method to process ultrasound imaging information may lead to the development of a hand-held device that can provide fast evaluations.

The study, presented at the Acoustical Society of America’s annual meeting last month, looked at how well muscles, damaged by muscular dystrophy, responded to a drug in mice with an animal form of the disease.

Scientists processed ultrasound data in a way that worked with small, low-power and relatively inexpensive instruments.

Physicist Michael Hughes of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory led the study with colleagues while at Washington University in St. Louis.

Although the study was small and done in mice, it builds on work in humans showing that non-invasive ultrasound can track muscle health.

Muscular dystrophy — or MD — is present in 1 out of 3,500 male births. Steroids can help slow muscle degeneration, but too much can cause other issues, such as weight gain and high blood pressure.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS RETREATS

Rejuvenation is just a stone’s throw away ERINN HUTKIN SPECIAL TO U-T SAN DIEGO

Ahhh .... what’s better than a vacation where one can relax, renew and rejuvenate? And nowadays, many people are discovering that health and wellness retreats are a perfect indulgence.

“Today, it is understood that in order to take care of others and succeed in life, you first need to take care of yourself,” said national fitness expert Amie Hoff.

One way people to do that is to take advantage of health and wellness retreats, which have grown more popular and expanded offerings in recent years.

Hoff, president of Hoff Fitness WHICH IS WHERE, said she has seen retreats

SEE ACTIVITIES • E2

RETREATS

Eat this, not that During the holidays, people are presented with a variety of food choices at holiday parties and buffets. Here are a few picks for the best and worst bets.

The best: • White-meat turkey without skin • Simply-prepared or raw veggies • Mashed potatoes with a dab of gravy, or a plain baked potato • Cornbread-, oyster- or fruitbased stuffing • Pumpkin or mincemeat pie The worst: • Dark-meat turkey with skin • Veggies in cream sauces or casseroles topped with deep-fried onions or cheese • Stuffing with sausage • Pecan pie with whipped cream

5 factors to consider

These five factors should be considered when choosing a wellness retreat that fits your own needs:

1.

Accommodations and Amenities: Some health retreats are designed to be more like camping experiences and offer few amenities. Others offer a luxury experience and an array of resort amenities such as a spa, fitness center, pools, golf courses and tennis courts.

2.

Types of Programs Offered: Many types of health/wellness retreats are available. Some are strict boot camp-style programs that offer fitness and nutrition, while others may be more Western-medicine based. Some may be more Eastern-influenced, offering more restorative and holistic

options from India or China.

3.

Flexibility in the Program: At some retreats, guests can pick and choose what activities they want to do. Others have a highly-structured approach.

4.

Amount of Personalization/Individual Attention: Many health/wellness retreats offer a standard program for every guest, in which each guest gets the same experience, while others recognize that no two people have the same genes, health history, lifestyle, fitness level or health goals, and customize each guest’s program based on each person’s individual needs.

5.

All-Inclusive or a la Carte?: At some health retreats, guests pay for room and board, but classes come at an extra cost. Other retreats are sold as “all-inclu-

sive” packages, however, they may only include certain group classes or options. These types of retreats may offer options such as medical, behavioral or other individual consultations, but they are in addition to the basic all-inclusive fee.

SOURCE: WYATT AND MELISSA CHAPMAN, COFOUNDERS, VERAVIA, LUXURY HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND FITNESS RETREAT AT PARK HYATT AVIARA, CARLSBAD

SuperFood Drive boosts health, fights hunger

Cleft palate requires surgeries but treatment can be successful

Organization recommends healthy donations

ERINN HUTKIN SPECIAL TO U-T SAN DIEOG

ERINN HUTKIN SPECIAL TO U-T SAN DIEGO

During the holidays, many people want to donate food to the needy.

However, while intentions are good, many of the items donated during food drives tend to be processed and packed with sugar, sodium, fat and chemicals.

In attempt to fight hunger, malnutrition, obesity and chronic disease all at once, San Diego-founded SuperFood Drive is

working with food banks and food pantries to turn them into healthy hunger relief centers.

Founded in 2009 in San Diego by Ruthi Solari, a nutritionist and corporate wellness professional, the

vision of the SuperFood Drive is to fill food banks and pantries with nutrient-dense goods, or super foods, so those in need get nutrition that’s critical to healthy living.

When community members host SuperFood or healthy food drives, the recommended donations are nutrient-dense, nonperishable foods.

Examples include low-sodium beans such as black, pinto, navy and kidney beans; canned fruit in its own juice vs. syrup; whole grain pasta, quinoa, SEE TRANS FATS • E3

On Oct. 19, Dr. Dennis Bucko – a plastic surgeon affiliated with Scripps – left for Mexico with a team of 35 medical professionals.

The group, the Mercy Outreach Surgical Team, spent a week in the country treating an estimated 300 to 350 children and adults with limited access to health care.

During the trip, Bucko helped some of those children who were born with a cleft palate, one of

the world’s most common birth defects.

It’s a condition in which the tissue that makes up the roof of the mouth, the palate – which is formed between the sixth and ninth weeks of pregnancy – doesn’t join completely together during development. In some babies, both the front and back parts of the palate remain open, while for others, only part of the palate is open.

Bucko said the defect occurs in roughly one of every 750 births, and SEE SURGERY • E2

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ACTIVITIES FROM E1

go beyond traditional yoga and meditation getaways to encompass additional activities for families and individuals including horseback riding, painting, hard core workouts, sailing and even corporate retreats for employee bonding.

For many, such getaways can help them refocus and can have both physical and mental benefits.

“Most retreats are three-plus days and with workouts, educational classes, ‘unplugged’ downtime and nutritious eating, it really helps you pay attention and listen to the body,” Hoff said.

“Much of the time is spent in self-reflection, and doing that is really going to force you to take a hard look at your life, both physical and mental.”

Hayley Hines, founder and CEO of San Diego’s La Bella Living, leads retreats that focus on lifestyle design and creating a life you love. She said that such a retreat can be an opportunity to “hit the reset button,” allowing people to take stock of where they are, where they truly want to be, and evaluate what’s working and not working in life. Then they create a plan to design a more enjoyable life.

Hines said retreats can

SURGERY FROM E1

while it’s normal for the condition to be surgically fixed in the U.S. starting in infancy, those in lessdeveloped countries such as Mexico may not always have access to the medical care needed.

For instance, he said, he repaired a cleft lip of an 80-year-old woman during a surgical team trip to Mexico. She told her medical team she was going to die soon, and when she goes to heaven, she wanted

U-T SAN DIEGO | TUESDAY • DECEMBER 2, 2014

also show people how new self-care and spiritual practices can help people create more passion and purpose in life.

“Most of the time, retreat participants are seeking something that is missing in their life,” she said. “Maybe it’s selfcare, a spiritual practice, a healthy relationship, meaningful work, peace, passion, presence. A retreat setting allows them to cultivate awareness of what they want to create and new habits to maintain going forward.”

Rebecca Garland, founder of Seattle-based Fit & Fly Girl, a company that will begin hosting women’s wellness and fitness retreats next year, said health and wellness retreats also provide people with the opportunity to essentially “check out” of real life for a few days or weeks and immerse themselves in caring for their minds, bodies and spirits.

“Even for someone who is a regular exerciser or practices healthy eating habits, attending a retreat is an invaluable gift that allows you to reset and recharge yourself,” she said. “In addition, attending health and wellness retreats with other likeminded people can be life-changing … in small retreat groups, attendees bond quickly with each other, forming friendships that last the duration of

the retreat and beyond.”

Garland said she’s attended retreats in Bali; Tulum, Mexico and Morocco, and the changes she experienced were “phenomenal.” Not only did she feel her body becoming stronger and healthier, but she said her mindset completely changed. In fact, it was during a retreat in Tulum that she decided to leave the practice of law and start her own health and wellness retreats.

“There is a tangible shift in your mind and body that

young age, correcting a cleft palate is a process that can take several surgeries and span most of a person’s childhood and teen years.

It also requires a team of professionals -- everyone from social workers and plastic surgeons to speech therapists and dentists.

While the cause of a cleft palate is unknown, Dr. Michael Nelson, a general pediatrician and medical director of Kaiser Permanente’s cleft and craniofacial clinic, said when a baby is born with a cleft palate, a genetic counselor is often consulted to determine

In addition, he said lactation consultants help parents with feeding methods because babies with cleft palates can’t generate the pressure needed to suck milk from a bottle or breast. Because babies born with the defect are more likely to have middleear problems, he said an ear, nose and throat doctor will be consulted and tubes might be placed in the ears when surgery is done to repair the palate. This can improve hearing and prevent fluid buildup in the middle ear.

If a baby is also born

happens during the course of a retreat that causes you to leave the retreat forever changed - for the better,” she said.

Hines said bringing the retreat experience back home can be challenging, but it’s not impossible.

“If there are new routines introduced that can be replicated, self-care practices, yoga/meditations that can be incorporated into day-to-day life, (that) will help them maintain benefits longterm,” she said. “I’ve had

clients that keep up with all of the new things they learned at the retreat and continue to experience the physical/mental benefits months after they return.”

There are numerous options when it comes to retreat, ranging from surfing and healthy living to spiritual practice, while others offer cleanse or detox experiences to eliminate alcohol or caffeine.

Here are just a few options available in and near San Diego: • VeraVia is a luxury health and wellness, weight loss and fitness retreat at Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad. VeraVia offers yoga classes, spa treatments and healthy cuisine during four-day or one- to three-week-long retreats.

The program is highly structured yet personalized based on each guest’s individual health goals, such as weight loss and wellness; executive health reboot; and stress management and specific medical challenges. By combining a behavioral health and medical component with fitness and nutrition, VeraVia aims to help guests overcome specific medical challenges and create lasting behavior and lifestyle changes. veraviafit.com.

• San Diego group leader and meditation facilitator, Diana Spears, said that Lemon Grove-based Optimum Health has a

reputation for helping people overcome illness and change their lives.

Guests can book a few days or four weeks. She said the business has different pricing to help accommodate a variety of budgets. For instance, she said guests can share a room to cut costs, especially those staying for four weeks. She said the facility teaches advanced meditation, deep breathing and cooking/nutrition and provides counseling and therapy to help rediscover what motivates people and what their spiritual purpose might be. optimumhealthusa.com.

• Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa. The facility offers direct flights from San Diego to Tucson. Once there, it offers options to help live a balanced life.

Fitness activities include Aen Boot Camp and Arial Yoga. There are also activities such as the Equine Experience that uses horses as a means of self-reflection and examination of the way people approach obstacles in life – from in-depth relationship skills scrutiny to values clarification and fear reduction.

It offers programming designed to help empower the individual to remember who they are and determine who they want to be. miravalresorts.com.

For more on health and wellness spas in the San Diego area, visit spahub. com.

repaired when the infant is 3 to 5 months old.

However, he said, “The lip is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Nelson said lip surgery is followed by an operation to repair the palate when the baby is 8 to 12 months old.

From there, he said the child’s speech is evaluated at roughly 18 months, as those born with cleft palates often need to retrain the muscles for effective speech.

In addition, he said, when the child is between 6 and 10 years old, he or she may need to have a

from the hip to patch the hole in the gum. This sometimes involves pulling or moving teeth, and if so, an orthodontist or oral surgeon is involved.

As the child grows, he said, doctors also watch the growth of the jaw, and if the person’s bite is not what it should be, surgery might be needed in the late teen years to bring the jaw forward. In some cases, a rhinoplasty may be needed to adjust the structure and appearance of the nose.

“They’re major surgeries,” Nelson said. “The care of a cleft child is complex

surgical care can go on to look like they were born without a defect and live healthy lives.

KEVIN SPACEY THE HOUSE OF CARDS SHARK PLAYS TO WIN

BRENT BOLTHOUSE DOES COACHELLA THE HUMANE SOCIETY

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H’WOOD’S CAUSE CELEB EARTH DAY FROM CLIMATE CHANGE TO ECO CHIC, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT IT! PLUS STELLA MCCARTNEY MICHAEL GOVAN ANNA CAMP MB’S FOODIE REVOLUTION!

STYLE Beauty Gilt-y pleasure! The Golden Door Resort, which has been servicing the rich and famous for almost six decades, gets a star-worthy face-lift. RIGHT: Om sweet home: The underground Celestial Dome yoga studio is a main attraction at Two Bunch Palms, which was recently renovated by LA’s Gulla Jonsdottir.

refreshingly so, considering that it’s never been so crucial (and difficult) to disconnect so deeply.

Guests ditch their designer bags and jewelry to mill about in standard-issue sweatpants and T-shirts, their faces free of makeup. Dinner conversation revolves around the day’s physical victories and spiritual breakthroughs, rather than gossip and small talk. People look at each other, rather than at screens. There’s something about this kind of community that’s transformative—you can actually see people becoming softer and dropping their façades as the week goes on. Just like the newly updated resort itself, you emerge a more refined, refreshed— and yes, glowier—version of yourself. As Van Ness rightly puts it, “You don’t go back exactly as you came.” Inclusive cost for a seven-day stay is $8,850.

777 Deer Springs Road, San Marcos, 866-420-6414; goldendoor.com LAC

Spa-tacular!

SOCAL’S ICONIC GOLDEN DOOR RESORT REINVENTS ITSELF WITH AN OH-SO-MODERN-DAY ECO-MAKEOVER. BY ERIN MAGNER

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million property-wide renovation, completed in October 2014. Two years earlier, billionairess (and 22-time guest) Joanne Conway purchased the Door from the Blackstone Group—taking it back into private ownership after 15 years under corporate rule—and infused it with the kind of care that the property’s many on-staff alchemists bestow upon its guests. She enlisted celebrated decorator Victoria Hagan to refit all of the Japanese-inspired guest rooms, spas, fitness studios, and public spaces. Conway also doubled the Door’s footprint from 300 to 600 acres to protect it from encroaching development, planted 500 olive trees (whose fruit will soon be used to make olive oil), and expanded the land’s already-extensive biodynamic fruit and vegetable gardens. Golden Door-branded skincare and artisanal food lines are on the way. And 100 percent of the resort’s net profits are now being donated to charity—namely, the Forensic Health Services center in nearby Escondido, which helps victims of abuse and sexual assault.

In spite of all these changes, the core Golden Door experience remains the same as it ever was—

REFABILITATE! These three newly revamped California spas and wellness programs are worth turning off your phone for.

TWO BUNCH PALMS: This old-Hollywood Palm Desert hideaway, famous for its natural hot springs, recently underwent a hippie-chic refit by LA designer Gulla Jonsdottir. The property’s wellness offerings were also given a boost, while a new 3.5-acre solar field makes this the first carbon-neutral resort in North America. twobunchpalms.com VERAVIA: A new “Restorative Stay” program just launched at this San Diego wellness resort, which has traditionally been heavy on medical consults. Those with a fear of needles can now indulge in a menu of fitness, nutrition, and spa sessions for anywhere from four days to four weeks. veraviafit.com SPA SOLAGE: On May 1, Napa Valley’s classic Solage

Calistoga resort team will unveil a freshly face-lifted spa. Overseen by new executive director/spa expert Helen Brown, enhancements include a new indoor/outdoor relaxation room, outdoor showers, and an updated look for the overall spa area. solagecalistoga.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA SAMPLE (GOLDEN DOOR); © 2013 STEPHANIE BRAUER PHOTOGRAPHY (YOGA)

After a few days at the Golden Door resort, one starts to exhibit what’s referred to as the “Golden Door Glow.” It’s the kind of Gwyneth-esque radiance and serenity that comes from a week of daily massages and facials; meditative 6 AM hikes and mesmerizing treetop yoga classes; a dreamy organic diet made up of ingredients grown just feet from the dining table (by Steve Jobs’ former gardener, no less); and personalized tête-à-têtes with a nutritionist, fitness trainer, astrologist, meditation coach, and/or energy healer. “There’s this magic that happens when you come across the walkway,” says COO and general manager Kathy Van Ness, referring to a wooden bridge that takes guests from the mythical golden doors to the lobby entrance. “You’re not just a computer or a schedule—this experience is about nurturing your heart, mind, and body.”

Hollywood’s type-A-list (from Barbra Streisand to Nicole Kidman to Olivia Wilde) has been seeking out “the glow” since the Door first opened in 1958, but the resort itself has taken on a sheen of its own over the past few months, thanks to a $15

american spa THE SPA PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE

FEBRUARY 2015

www.americanspa.com

RUSTIC

RETREAT THE SPA AT TRAVAASA AUSTIN (TX)

Adding to the spa’s appeal are spectacular Key West sunsets enjoyed from the spa’s private patio.

radar a look at the latest spa trends, offerings, and retail items

rooftop revelation Key West spa lovers can immerse themselves in scenic soothing at Top Spa, the new all-suite rooftop spa at Crowne Plaza La Concha Key West (FL). Situated atop the highest point of the island, the spa features six fully equipped suites, each of which is outfitted with a sensory continued on page 66 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5 • W W W. A M E R I C A N S PA . C O M • A M E R I C A N S PA

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rain shower, a fully furnished vanity, a flatscreen TV, a private balcony, and a refrigerator stocked with fresh fruit juices, waters, and healthy snacks. Along with a selection of a la carte services performed using products from Phytomer and Pure Fiji, guests can also purchase blocks of time. Threeand four-hour packages ($300 and $400, respectively) allow guests to select from a range of oceaninspired treatments, like the Warm Seashell Massage or the Marine Infused Customized Facial, as well as other services that may fit their needs. All packages include a ritual foot soak and Top Spa signature drink, a perfect way for guests to toast their wonderful wellness experiences.—Julie Keller Callaghan

Panoramic views of the island (above) and an inviting retail area (pictured) are among the spa’s many amenities.

chef’s corner VeraVia (Carlsbad, CA) is an all-inclusive luxury health and wellness retreat, where eating healthy, nourishing cuisine is an important component of the program. To help encourage long-term changes to eating habits, Lisa Mittry, director of nutrition, says she serves wholesome farm-to-table meals that are as enticing as the more calorie-laden dishes guests may crave. Here, check out this delicious recipe for hearty, healthy, and nutrient-dense Turkey Tacos.—J.K.C.

TURKEY TACOS (Serves 4) • 1 lb of organic ground turkey breast • 2 16-oz cans of organic Cuban-style black beans • 16 ozs of organic pico de gallo (homemade or store bought) • 1 head of organic large-leaf lettuce (romaine, butter, red, or green leaf) • 1 tsp of cumin

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• 1/2 tsp of Mexican oregano • 2 cloves of garlic (crushed) • Sea salt and pepper to taste • 3 tbsps of organic avocado oil TOPPINGS FOR TACOS • 2 organic avocados cut into thin slices.

• Fresh cilantro • Raw organic cheddar cheese, grated • Organic pico de gallo (16 extra ozs for topping) • 16 ozs of organic plain Greek yogurt (dollop on top instead of sour cream) • Fresh limes • 4 small organic corn tortillas (optional) • Roasted organic vegetables (optional) STEPS: 1. Heat avocado oil in large skillet on stove over medium heat.

S PA • W W W. A M E R I C A N S PA . C O M • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5

Lisa Mittry

2. Place ground turkey breast into skillet, breaking apart while browning.

3. Drain pico de gallo, and reserve any excess liquid. Add pico de gallo to ground turkey.

4. Add cumin, Mexican oregano, 1 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of pepper to mixture.

5. Add garlic, reduce heat and simmer on low for 20 to 30 minutes, adding pico de gallo liquid if needed.

6. While turkey is simmering, heat black beans.

7. Lightly spray corn tortillas with avocado or olive oil, toast, cut each tortilla in to four pieces, and lightly salt. Serve four chips per person.

8. Separate lettuce leaves on a serving platter, and prepare toppings for serving.

9. Using lettuce leaves as taco shells, fill, and enjoy.

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Destination Spas to Jump-Start Your Year 1 of 16

Courtesy of Rancho La Puerta

So you want to get in shape—or atone for a season of overindulgence— with a rejuvenating, wellness-focused trip. The first step is picking the destination spa that’s right for you.

From December 2014

By Sandra Ramani

A few years ago, California-based couple Melissa and Wyatt Chapman realized juggling two thriving careers and two kids was taking a physical toll.

“Wyatt was suffering immensely with back, digestive, and sleep issues, while I was turning to food as a crutch and not working out,” Melissa recalls. “We’d go to the best doctors and nutritionists, but at the end of the day, we were just going back to our stressors and not making any progress.”

Then Melissa attended some sleepaway boot camps, and something shifted. “It was staggering how much being away from regular work and home life gave me hope, and made real change possible,” she says. “Suddenly, things were looking up.” Inspired, the Chapmans went on to develop VeraVia, a comprehensive wellness program based in San Diego, where their team has helped clients shed pounds, get off medication, and even reconnect with loved ones.

The dawn of a New Year inspires commitments to deal with such health and wellness issues, be they chronic symptoms, fitness goals, stress relief, or general bad habits. And if you don’t know where to start, a destination spa program can help.

“A destination spa experience gives you a glimpse of how healthy you can be and imparts you with the knowledge that you can do it,” says spa industry legend Deborah Szekely, cofounder of Rancho La Puerta. Because these programs are typically several days long, she adds, and involve the support of experts and fellow guests, “you experience a shift of your focus and concerns, achieve a real jump start on fitness, and find your true self again.”

And just who that self is should play a part in which wellness getaway you choose. Factors to consider include if you are more social or solitary, need medical or behavioral support, must have Wi-Fi (not all places let you connect), and love the outdoors.

To help find the perfect wellness getaway for your needs, we’ve scouted 14 effective programs and zeroed in on who’d best benefit from each one. From Pennsylvania to the Himalayas, islands to the mountains, places with mechanical bull rides to ones with historic healing waters, these destination spas will help you get the New Year—or any new day—off to a healthful start.

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VeraVia, San Diego If you’d like a team behind you...

Opened in 2013, this retreat held at the Park Hyatt has already seen repeat guests and major success stories, including clients who’ve been able to taper off medications and create major life changes.

Ranging from four days to however long proves necessary (guests have extended for five weeks), the allinclusive programs cover fitness, spa, and cuisine, plus a doctoroverseen analysis (including blood work), daily one-on-one sessions with experts (including cognitive and behavioral therapists), and extensive follow-up support once you’re back home. VeraVia takes only five to 10 clients per week to ensure a very tailored experience—and significant results.!

STYLE NEWS

SUMMER GETAWAYS: 5 LUXE SPAS TO CHECK OUT NOW Holistic magic happens at exclusive spa resorts. The Hollywood elite regularly check in to reboot, tap into their spiritual side and receive the royal treatment in pampering.

The Grotto at the Two Bunch Palms Spa Resort in Palm Springs, CA. TWO BUNCH PALMS/DONALD KUSHNER JUNE 15, 2015 JIMMY IM

Several wellness institutions around the world are renowned for their high-profile guests, like Ananda in Rishikesh, India (recent A-listers include Uma Thurman and Oprah Winfrey); Chiva Som in Hua Hin, Thailand (stomping ground for supermodels like Kate Moss) and Como Shambhala in Bali (Donna Karen is on the advisory board). But you don’t have to fling yourself far for holistic alignment. These high-end spa sanctuaries just hours from Los Angeles are worthy of an ultra-luxe spa getaway.

Two Bunch Palms Kevin Kelly, former president and CBO of famed spa resort chain Canyon Ranch, joined Two Bunch Palms Spa Resort in Palm Springs as CEO, injecting the rustic, 52-room property with a sustainable wellness program. Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, the tony desert hideaway is known for its natural, mineral thermal springs in a picturesque grotto that has been brimming with celebrity and industry guests since film producers Steve Markoff and Donald Kushner took ownership in 2012. “We have a strong Hollywood following because Two Bunch Palms is an unpretentious healing spa resort in an oasis in the desert with natural hot springs waters,” says Kushner. “This desert oasis traces its lineage back 600 years.” Anne Hathaway and T.J. Miller (HBO’s Silicon Valley) were recent guests. The spa focuses on holistic treatments like new Asian therapeutic bodywork and energy modalities, but the claim to fame is the mud bath.

Guest soak weightless in tubs full of mineral-rich, hot clay and peat moss. As of June 21 — the summer solstice — Two Bunch will be the first carbon-neutral resort in North

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America thanks to a new solar farm. Grotto Suites from $259.

Cal-a-Vie Health Spa “The moment I arrive at Cal-a-Vie, the stress of life begins to melt away almost immediately,” says Sarah Goldstein, SVP corporate communications & media relations at E! Entertainment. “I emerge refreshed and renewed, ready to take on the real world again.” A two-hour drive from Los Angeles, Cal-A-Vie Health Spa in Vista is nestled in a sprawling, 200-acre, Tuscan-inspired private estate with the backdrop of rolling hills.

Fortune 500 CEOs and high-ranked celebrities like Natalie Portman check in for three-, four- or seven-day retreats, spoiled with privacy and back-bending service (there are only 32 villas here; the staff-to-guest ratio is 5-1). Upon check-in, a workout regime is mapped out based on your goals (weight loss, muscle gain, spa, golf), and a daily itinerary arrives at your door every morning with appointed classes and daily spa treatments. The on-site 12-acre vineyard produces Chateaux Cal-a-Vie Grand Rouge (a blend of Cab, Cab Franc and Merlot) but the harvest was recently sourced to extract grape seed, skin and pulp to formulate the spa’s new vinotherapie skincare products, including a clay mask and body cream. Cal-a-Vie began hosting a Teen and Mom week with a celebrity teen every year with Ryan Newman (See Dad Run, Nickelodeon) as the next host. The spa’s second Food & Wine Week, merging nutrition and fitness with focus on the new culinary gardener and beekeeper, is August 30-September 2. Three-night, all-inclusive package from $3,995.

The candle-lit only chapel at Cal-a-Vie spa

Golden Door Since 1958, Golden Door Spa in Escondido served as the spa retreat for Golden-era film stars like Natalie Wood and Elizabeth Taylor. It’s essentially next door to Cal-a-Vie, wooing high-profile celebs like Oprah Winfrey and Nicole Kidman with its latest reincarnation. Joanne Conway, wife of billionaire philanthropist Bill Conway, bought the resort for $25 million in 2012 when it began to crumble (figuratively and literally) from wear and tear under the corporate structure, and a $15 million renovation last summer unveiled major upgrades to restore it to its original grandeur. Essentially a brand-new spa resort, Golden Door has become a lifestyle brand with its recent launch of organic spa

products, apparel and foods. "Golden Door reminds us all that we are worthy, that we all experience love, laughter, pain, and that we are all connected. I am so deeply, profoundly grateful for its existence,” says Friends co-creator and producer Marta Kauffman. Guests check in for three-, four- or seven-day retreats that include personal training, customized skincare treatments, daily massages — the works. Mostly female guests get Zen’ed out in the Japanese-inspired gardens and courtyards, though there are two coed weeks and seven men’s weeks each year. Three-night, all-inclusive package from $4,000.

The Bamboo Forest at the Golden Door

Veravia A customizable health retreat in partnership with Park Hyatt Carlsbad, Veravia is famed for de-stressing and restoring strung-out, high-profile executives in a Forbes Five Star, AAA-Diamond property (an hour and half drive from Los Angeles, or a 40-minute helicopter ride to their landing pad). Unlike other spa retreats, Veravia is staffed with an army of psychologists, physiologists, naturopathic doctors and other specialized professionals to assess both fitness and behavioral health. While the program is allotted for a maximum of 10 people, a client can choose to have the luxury of the retreat all to himself without any other guests. Four-day retreat from $4,000.

Group Yoga at Veravia

Miraval The adults-only Miraval Resort in Tucson (one and half-hour flight from Los Angeles) soothes high-profile guests with the backdrop of the Santa Catalina Mountains and a man-made stream running throughout the 400-acre property. It’s established a cult following with A-listers: everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Ellen Degeneres has checked in. Brunson Green, producer of The Help, says: “If you don't have self control, the food is so good, you can come back heavier than you came. The atmosphere is truly relaxing.”

Atypical for a spa resort, Miraval fosters a social environment and even serves alcohol.

There are more than 200 things to do here, including unique actives like desert waves yoga on an IndoBoard, Intuitive Aging lectures and programs like Awakening The Divine Self with renowned master healers Pamela Lancaster and Dr. Tim Frank.

Signature Experience, including unlimited spa, activities and private sessions start at $1,500 per night.

Desert Waves Yoga at Miraval!

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Are Emotional and Behavioral Nurturing the Keys to LongTerm Weight Loss and Wellness?

By Elena Sonnino May 6, 2015 7:00 AM

Are emotional and behavioral nurturing the keys to long-term weight loss and wellness?

When it comes to losing weight, many people think they can accomplish their goals with increased exercise and better nutrition. While those two factors might be enough for some, others -- like me -- can struggle to move the needle on the scale. So I wondered: What if there was another aspect -- maybe an even more important variable -- in the weight-loss equation?

With an increased interest in fitness, health and weight-loss retreats to ignite personal transformation as part of a new trend in wellness tourism, it's one thing to "go" somewhere to detox and lose weight, but what happens once you get home? To find out more, I turned to two health and weight-loss retreats that provide behavioral tools and emotional support through counseling as integral components of their programs to explore how this nurturing plays a role in longterm success.

"The weight is a symptom -- not the actual problem," says Lisette Cifaldi, director of behavioral health at Hilton Head Health wellness spa and weight-loss retreat in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Cifaldi works with individuals in group and one-on-one counseling settings as part of the Live Well and Lose Well programs, in addition to teaching meditation and leading educational seminars on how to change behavioral patterns. She sees her role as helping people find a deeper meaning for what they're doing. Cifaldi explains: "A lot of guests come to Hilton Head Health thinking they want to lose weight. When they get there they realize that the weight is the least of what they need to change as emotions bubble up throughout their stay. The changes need to happen in the the emotional system, the physical system and the spiritual system to make sustainable progress that is more than just a dress size or number on the scale."

She continues: "We make this terrible mistake of thinking that we are a body and that we are fixing our body. But really, the body is just where we live. If we want to change the body, we have to look at the whole three-dimensional self."

At Vera Via -- a comprehensive all-inclusive luxury weight loss resort in San

Diego, California, MaryBeth Skoch, an integrative behavioral health therapist, begins her work with guests before they even arrive to pre-assess goals, habits, learning styles and needs to create an individualized experience. The program integrates fitness, nutrition, overall health and counseling for groups of no more than 10 people per week. For Skoch, the key to treating health and wellness goals is to nurture and support emotional systems and the mind. "Our thoughts influence our feelings, and our feelings dictate certain behaviors."

Skoch and the Vera Via team highlight the importance of building a support system within yourself. Her work helps individuals learn to use self-talk, compassion and awareness instead of self-criticism to reach goals. Throughout the week, guests receive four individual sessions with the Vera Via psychologist and director of behavioral health. Resiliency building, meditation and therapy help guests learn to combat the biologically driven stress response of increased cortisol levels redistributing fat to the waist and hips.

The key of course is what happens when guests leave the sanctuary of a program -- even one that nurtures the mind and emotional self as much as the physical self?

Accountability seems to be part of the answer. According to Hilton Head Health's Cifaldi, "You are not meant to do any of this alone. If we do it alone, we isolate. When we isolate, we become lonely. When we're lonely, we find ourselves in a disconnected place." Whether it's a personal trainer, a health coach or a therapist, she suggests everyone working toward a health or wellness goal have someone to check in with. While she facilities a Facebook group for alumni of her intensive Food Addiction Recovery Workshop to support one another once they're home, another way to stay accountable is to join Weight Watchers as a way to connect to others for a weekly weigh in.

At Vera Via, individuals receive four to six "after care" consultations via Skype or telephone after their stay to discuss fitness, nutrition or emotional goals and progress once they are home. Skoch hopes that individuals learn to connect the dots during their stay through hikes, challenges, workshops and meeting with members of the collaborative team so that they can generalize what they learned once they are home.

She reminds guests that "change is possible, even if the obstacles seem insurmountable," and advocates breaking goals down into little bits to move along the path.

Another tip? Cifaldi recommends journaling as a way to work through the emotional component in a safe way. Instead of being uncomfortable with feelings, a journal helps keep track of progress -- including relapses. "When people relapse it can be devastating and de-motivating and create so much

shame and self-loathing. It can take us fully off track. But if we realize that it's like any other endeavor in life -- where anything worth working towards involves set backs -- we become more accepting of relapse as part of success." By acknowledging the challenge, we take away its power when it happens.

For Cifaldi, the ultimate takeaway for long-term success -- whether you participated in a weight-loss retreat or are working on your own health and wellness at home -- is that "in order for anyone to be successful, they have to invest in one day. This day. You can do anything for one day." Instead of being overwhelmed by the idea that you need to maintain these changes and habits for the rest of your life, the trick is to ask yourself what you can do -- right now.

Elena Sonnino is a travel and wellness writer, public speaker and chaser of dreams based in Northern Virginia. She inspires readers to discover everyday wellness in far-flung places and their own backyard at LiveDoGrow.com.!

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Are Emotional and Behavioral Nurturing the Keys to Long-Term Weight Loss and Wellness?

If we want to change the body, we have to look at the whole three-dimensional self.

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Diet and exercise aren't necessarily enough to move the needle on the scale.

By Elena Sonnino May 6, 2015 | 7:00 a.m. EDT

Are emotional and behavioral nurturing the keys to long-term weight loss and wellness?

When it comes to losing weight, many people think they can accomplish their goals with increased exercise and better nutrition. While those two factors might be enough for some, others – like me – can struggle to move the needle on the scale. So I wondered: What if there was another aspect – maybe an even more important variable – in the weight-loss equation?

With an increased interest in fitness, health and weight-loss retreats to ignite personal transformation as part of a new trend in wellness tourism, it's one thing to “go” somewhere to detox and lose weight, but what happens once you get home? To find out more, I turned to two health and weight-loss retreats that provide behavioral tools and emotional support through counseling as integral components of their programs to explore how this nurturing plays a role in longterm success.

“The weight is a symptom – not the actual problem," says Lisette Cifaldi, director of behavioral health at Hilton Head Health wellness spa and weight-loss retreat in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Cifaldi works with individuals in group and one-onone counseling settings as part of the Live Well and Lose Well programs, in addition to teaching meditation and leading educational seminars on how to

change behavioral patterns. She sees her role as helping people find a deeper meaning for what they're doing. Cifaldi explains: “A lot of guests come to Hilton Head Health thinking they want to lose weight. When they get there they realize that the weight is the least of what they need to change as emotions bubble up throughout their stay. The changes need to happen in the the emotional system, the physical system and the spiritual system to make sustainable progress that is more than just a dress size or number on the scale.”

She continues: "We make this terrible mistake of thinking that we are a body and that we are fixing our body. But really, the body is just where we live. If we want to change the body, we have to look at the whole three-dimensional self.”

At Vera Via – a comprehensive all-inclusive luxury weight loss resort in San Diego, California, MaryBeth Skoch, an integrative behavioral health therapist, begins her work with guests before they even arrive to pre-assess goals, habits, learning styles and needs to create an individualized experience. The program integrates fitness, nutrition, overall health and counseling for groups of no more than 10 people per week. For Skoch, the key to treating health and wellness goals is to nurture and support emotional systems and the mind. “Our thoughts influence our feelings, and our feelings dictate certain behaviors.”

Skoch and the Vera Via team highlight the importance of building a support system within yourself. Her work helps individuals learn to use self-talk, compassion and awareness instead of self-criticism to reach goals. Throughout the week, guests receive four individual sessions with the Vera Via psychologist and director of behavioral health. Resiliency building, meditation and therapy help guests learn to combat the biologically driven stress response of increased cortisol levels redistributing fat to the waist and hips.

The key of course is what happens when guests leave the sanctuary of a program – even one that nurtures the mind and emotional self as much as the physical self?

Accountability seems to be part of the answer. According to Hilton Head Health’s Cifaldi, “You are not meant to do any of this alone. If we do it alone, we isolate.

When we isolate, we become lonely. When we're lonely, we find ourselves in a disconnected place.” Whether it's a personal trainer, a health coach or a therapist, she suggests everyone working toward a health or wellness goal have someone to check in with. While she facilities a Facebook group for alumni of her intensive Food Addiction Recovery Workshop to support one another once they're home, another way to stay accountable is to join Weight Watchers as a way to connect to others for a weekly weigh in.

At Vera Via, individuals receive four to six “after care” consultations via Skype or telephone after their stay to discuss fitness, nutrition or emotional goals and progress once they are home. Skoch hopes that individuals learn to connect the dots during their stay through hikes, challenges, workshops and meeting with

members of the collaborative team so that they can generalize what they learned once they are home.

She reminds guests that “change is possible, even if the obstacles seem insurmountable,” and advocates breaking goals down into little bits to move along the path.

Another tip? Cifaldi recommends journaling as a way to work through the emotional component in a safe way. Instead of being uncomfortable with feelings, a journal helps keep track of progress – including relapses. “When people relapse it can be devastating and de-motivating and create so much shame and self-loathing. It can take us fully off track. But if we realize that it's like any other endeavor in life – where anything worth working towards involves set backs – we become more accepting of relapse as part of success.” By acknowledging the challenge, we take away its power when it happens.

For Cifaldi, the ultimate takeaway for long-term success – whether you participated in a weight-loss retreat or are working on your own health and wellness at home – is that “in order for anyone to be successful, they have to invest in one day. This day. You can do anything for one day.” Instead of being overwhelmed by the idea that you need to maintain these changes and habits for the rest of your life, the trick is to ask yourself what you can do – right now.!

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Travel + Leisure TravelandLeisure.com Email

Destination Spas to Jump-Start Your Year (PHOTOS) Posted: 01/06/2015 11:52 am EST

A few years ago, California-based couple Melissa and Wyatt Chapman realized juggling two thriving careers and two kids was taking a physical toll.

"Wyatt was suffering immensely with back, digestive, and sleep issues, while I was turning to food as a crutch and not working out," Melissa recalls. "We'd go to the best doctors and nutritionists, but at the end of the day, we were just going back to our stressors and not making any progress."

Then Melissa attended some sleepaway boot camps, and something shifted. "It was staggering how much being away from regular work and home life gave me hope, and made real change possible," she says.

"Suddenly, things were looking up." Inspired, the Chapmans went on to develop VeraVia, a comprehensive wellness program based in San Diego, where their team has helped clients shed pounds, get off medication, and even reconnect with loved ones.

The dawn of a new year inspires commitments to deal with such health and wellness issues, be they chronic symptoms, fitness goals, stress relief, or general bad habits. And if you don't know where to start, a destination spa program can help.

"A destination spa experience gives you a glimpse of how healthy you can be and imparts you with the knowledge that you can do it," says spa industry legend Deborah Szekely, cofounder of Rancho La Puerta. Because these programs are typically several days long, she adds, and involve the support of experts and fellow guests, "you experience a shift of your focus and concerns, achieve a real jump start on fitness, and find your true self again."

And just who that self is should play a part in which wellness getaway you choose. Factors to consider include if you are more social or solitary, need medical or behavioral support, must have Wi-Fi (not all places let you

connect), and love the outdoors.

To help find the perfect wellness getaway for your needs, we've scouted 14 effective programs and zeroed in on who'd best benefit from each one.

From Pennsylvania to the Himalayas, islands to the mountains, places with mechanical bull rides to ones with historic healing waters, these destination spas will help you get the new year -- or any new day -- off to a healthful start.

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Wellness Gets Rich Reboot for Executive Suite, but Staff See Benefits Mia Taylor Follow Feb 6, 2015 7:00 AM EST

NEW YORK (MainStreet) — On day two of my recent VeraVia wellness retreat, I sat staring at my salmon crostini topped with pomegranate seeds, one question sticking in my mind: Why can't I eat this way every day?

Not only did eating such healthy food taste better, it made me feel better about myself and made me feel better throughout the day.

Which is exactly VeraVia's goal — to get its participants to change their ways.

Those changes are not just about eating healthier, but also exercising more and living more well-balanced lives.

To help participants achieve such lifestyle changes, the new Carlsbad, Calif.based luxury wellness program does what few other such retreats do: offers more than just education about healthy eating and exercise, instead providing an integrated approach to overall well-being that includes pairing visitors with a naturopathic doctor, human movement specialist, exercise physiologist, nutritionist and behavior health psychologist.

The goal of all of this attention is to help participants change old thought patterns, eating habits and lifestyle choices, enabling them to go home and continue the healthy approaches taught at VeraVia. "We wanted to create a program that helps people create lifelong changes. Not just a fitness boot camp," says VeraVia's president and chief executive, Wyatt Chapman Opened in 2013, VeraVia has been called a forerunner of a niche developing in the wellness industry to address increasing demand — executive wellness, or "executive reboot" programs.

Canyon Ranch, in Lenox, Mass.; Rancho La Puerta, in Tecate, Mexico; and

Pritikin in Miami are other such wellness retreats with programs aimed at attracting and rebooting the often busy and unhealthy lifestyles of the executive crowd.

More and more, high-powered executives and companies are putting an emphasis on the importance of work/life balance and a commitment to health.

"We get a lot of people who are used to success, but at the expense of their health and well being," Chapman says. "A lot of the executives who come here are not here for just weight loss, they want to reset and reboot. They come because something in their lives has to change."

To help make that happen VeraVia provides participants with everything from grocery shopping tours and restaurant ordering coaching to motivational and educational workshops, behavioral modification workshops and after-care followup coaching.

"We offer more one-on-one sessions than any other program out there," Chapman says. "We want to teach you how to manage your most important asset — your health and well-being."

Eric Lieb, a digital advertising sales executive who had grown used to long hours and an increasingly unhealthy lifestyle, lost 12 pounds in just four days at VeraVia. More importantly, Lieb says, the program, with its 6 a.m. hikes each day and nutrition counseling, among other things, helped him reconnect with healthy habits that had fallen by the wayside amid a busy career.

"It kick-started me back into the passions I had," says Lieb, who had always enjoyed mountain biking and skiing before life got too hectic with work. "With the career, I was kind of falling off the wagon."

"Because there is a physical component, mental component and an educational component to the program, it really gives you all the things you need to be successful," Lieb says. "The moral of the story — I feel substantially better. I have more energy, mentally and physically."

Stays at VeraVia range from four days to four weeks. The program is open to anyone, but the price tag — $7,200 a week — is clearly aimed at a well-heeled crowd.

The good news is that the healthy mentality CEOs and other executives adopt at such retreats appears to be showing up in the workplace to be shared with employees.

U.S. companies are increasingly offering more in-house programs to help their employees achieve health goals and work life balance.

First Green Bank in Florida is one such example.

"It trickles down from the top," begins Robbie Gossett, executive assistant to the bank's chief executive, Ken LaRoe. "Ken sometimes has a stressful day and will go out for a run or go on the treadmill. It definitely is something that is common.

And he is the leader of our group, and people emulate the example he sets. If we see him taking off in the middle of day for a run, we know that's a good thing."

At First Green the wellness initiatives LaRoe has put in place at the bank's various locations include in-house gyms for employees and a $500 wellness

allowance per employee.

The bank also has a program called The Biggest Winner (after the Biggest Loser television program) that offers staff help and rewards for losing weight, including a cash prize at year's end to whoever has lost the most and access to a personal trainer for anyone who needs weight-loss pointers.

"When he started the bank, Ken felt that being a green bank meant not only caring for the planet, but also taking care of ourselves, and he adopted a very holistic and well-rounded approach to having a healthy, productive staff," Gossett says. "Ken himself has always been a very health-oriented person and has tried to influence everybody."

SB Architects is another company that takes the health of its employees seriously and has adopted an increasing range of programs to encourage a healthier work/life balance.

"The partners all agreed that the combination of international travel to support the business and the day-to-day stress of work had meant that we sort of put our own personal fitness on a back burner. So we decided as a group to give ourselves permission to hire a trainer and join a gym and, during the day, to find an hour where you can focus on being physically fit and mentally fit, and that worked out great for us," partner Bruce Wright says. "And from that, we thought, the best we can do as a leadership team is to bring that ethos to the office, and we agreed to dedicate a certain portion of week to health and wellness."

That has grown to include weekly noon workouts in the office with a trainer who comes in to lead stretching, yoga and fitness classes.

The firm has also brought in people to talk about diet and lifestyle balance and recently ordered a few spinning bikes that will be available to employees.

"We've seen a dramatic response, a lot of personal gains in fitness and mental well-being," Wright says. "It really helps cut down on sick days, and people feel better and there is a lot of camaraderie during the fitness classes. It's a good time, during which the traditional hierarchy doesn't apply."

"In the fast-paced world where you have cellphones and digital media, the workplace doesn't have the traditional 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. boundaries anymore," Wright says. "You have people answering emails at all times of day or night. So in turn we are more flexible about having programs that reward that kind of commitment." — By Mia Taylor for MainStreet !

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Pursuitist Q&A: An Inside Look at VeraVia Wellness Retreats and What “Wellness” Really Means in 2015

By Mclean Robbins in Travel, Wellness

Contrary to popular belief, February is the month when one’s wellness goals really begin to take shape. You’ve officially hit the ‘habit’ mark, wherein your New Year’s resolution has become not just a goal, but a habit. Of course, if you haven’t yet succeeded in your resolution, February still allows plenty of time to make a change for a productive 2015.

We turned to the team at VeraVia, a one-of-a-kind luxury wellness retreat at California’s Park Hyatt Aviara resort. Much more than just a spa getaway or a weeklong bootcamp, VeraVia takes a mind-body-spirit approach to whole health, designed with a fully integrated medical model that offers support for people of all fitness and age levels.

In this exclusive Pursuitist Q&A, we discussed just how to turn wellness goals in to wellness realities with co-founder and CEO Wyatt Chapman and MaryBeth Skoch, one of the resort’s Integrated Behavioral Health Therapists.

Tell us a bit about the VeraVia philosophy, and how it differs from a traditional destination spa resort.

VeraVia is the only truly all-inclusive luxury health and wellness retreat that takes a body-mind-spirit approach to creating lasting behavior and lifestyle change. Our programs are designed with a wrap around approach to wellness with a fully integrated multidisciplinary team of professionals and more one-on-one individual attention than any other health retreat.

Each plan includes private, one-on-one personal training, individual nutrition consultations, behavioral counseling and medical evaluation. Also included are complete medical labs; farm-to-table, organic meals and snacks; personalized nutrition plans; and comprehensive after-care plan and coaching.

VeraVia’s goal is to teach our guests self-empowering techniques that allow them to regain control over their health and wellness for improved well-being and quality of life.

Are you predicting any trends for your 2015 guests?

For 2015 we expect to see the continued increase in travelers seeking out wellness vacations. The days where a vacation meant laying out in the sun all day and over indulging on food and alcohol are behind us. Travelers are choosing to take a more proactive role in their health and well being, which includes seeking out vacation opportunities that help to improve their health and ind/body wellness. With our time becoming more and more of a premium, the wellness traveler is looking to get the most out of their vacation time. As a result, we expect to see more of a shift away from the traditional “spa� vacation, which consists mostly of relaxing and pampering oneself, more toward active vacations, where travelers are looking to get real results from their wellness trip. For VeraVia guests, the results can include weight loss, gains in muscle and strength, detox, full medical analysis to get a complete current health picture, and mental relaxation through yoga and guided meditation.

Our guests are also looking more and more to learn healthy living skills that they can take home and implement into their daily lives.

Many of our guests come to VeraVia for our weight loss program. However we have already seen, and expect to continue to see more and more guests looking for a physical and mental reboot. We are getting more overworked executives whose health and wellbeing is being negatively impacted from continued negative stress, lack of sleep and overwork. These guests are at a point in their life that they realize something needs to change and VeraVia’s program can teach them effective tools for stress management, improving quality of sleep and energy levels, and how to incorporate fitness and healthy eating into their hectic work schedules.

Another increasing trend are guests coming to VeraVia wanting to address specific medical challenges. We have helped guests eliminate insulin dependency, get off of prescription medications, overcome painful past injuries, quit smoking, overcome digestive issues, balance out hormone levels post menopause, among many others. As people continue to increasingly take more control over their health, they are looking to address the underlying causes of their health issues, rather than just treating the symptoms, and VeraVia’s wrap around approach with our comprehensive integrated team is able to get amazing life changing results in a surprisingly short amount of time.

What is the best way to determine or set a wellness resolution?

When it comes to determining your [wellness resolution], it is wise to begin by reflecting on what your values are for the year ahead. Where do you see yourself a year from now? What changes feel right? By identifying what your values are, you can align your behavioral changes accordingly. Putting heart into your resolutions, allows you connect to them on a deeper level and determines what is most meaningful to you as you being another new year. This also makes your resolutions more likely to stick!

“Get Skinny,” “Go to the Gym” or “Don’t Eat Carbs” seem like resolutions people won’t be able to keep.

How do you make your end goal into an attainable resolution?

Often times a resolution, particularly around the new year, can feel cliche, or gimmicky, and rather lacking personalization. A helpful technique to make your end goal into an attainable resolution is to use visualization. The more you can connect to what it will feel like, to be living your resolution, you have a better chance of actually making it a reality! VeraVia clients use visualization techniques to achieve their health and wellness goals. Resolutions that are restrictive, depriving, or reductive tend have a harder time sticking or fail to stick at all. Best to start with a more global, expansive resolution that truly connects to your personal meaning and values, and then pinpoint resolutions from there. This is much more likely to lead to sustainable results!

We’ve heard that in order to keep a resolution, you need to form a habit, which means 21 days of continuous follow-through. Are there other techniques to staying on track?

If you are coming from a value driven place, your resolutions are more likely to be salient and congruent with your beliefs and will have a positive effect on your motivation! It’s also helpful to keep in mind that it’s going to take considerable effort. Change requires action and the first three times we perform a new behavior or habit, will feel more effortful, than the next three. I always remind clients of this, so they can acknowledge this fact during the process. Be patient with yourself and encourage yourself with praise, and positive affirmations. Be sure to celebrate the changes you are accomplishing along the way!

By February, some of our resolutions have already slipped. What do you do when you’ve fallen off the wagon?

At VeraVia, we highlight that self-criticism is not an effective motivator to change.

I encourage clients to use self-compassion and mindfulness when confronted with struggle. Therefore, if you do happen to “fall off the wagon”, or slip up on your New Year’s Resolution by the time you’re reading this article, keep in mind that criticizing yourself is not going to help you maintain your course. If this happens, acknowledge and accept that is has occurred. Reframe it as an invitation to revisit

and re-evaluate your resolutions and an opportunity to reflect on why this slip occurred, doing so without criticism or judgment.

Actively chose to recommit to your resolutions again, and absolutely, tweak them as needed if you’re discovering things about yourself along the way. Health is more than just about the physical, but we also know that we should have an annual visit with our doctor to make sure we’re on the right path.

What are some critical questions to ask our physician during our visit to make sure we are setting a path to whole wellness?

About two weeks before your annual visit, begin to jot down a list of questions you may have for your physician. This is extremely helpful during an often quick visit!

Too often patients leave having not remembered to ask the questions they really wanted to. Before going into the appointment, do consider how your sleep, energy level, eating habits, and exercise routines have changed or fluctuated since your last visit. This can help to highlight what topics to address with your physician. Also consider how you’ve responded to stress over the past year, reflect on your interpersonal relationships, and mental health to make sure you are setting on a path to whole wellness. Personally assessing yourself mind, body, and spirit will help to identify critical questions or topics to share with your physician.

Anything else you’d like to add?

The new year can be a great time to embrace new behaviors! Consider making a list of things you “haven’t had time for”, or have “always wanted to try…”. Check out local opportunities to get involved in those activities. It doesn’t have to be a long commitment, but you might find yourself loving the dance class you thought you could never fit in during the week, or the guitar lessons that seemed lost long ago, or the foreign language that you always wanted to learn… Along the way you may discover and reignite passions that can help to fuel you towards your resolutions and allow them to grow even more!! !

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5 Tips for Your First Wellness Retreat July 16, 2015 by Elena Sonnino

Elena Sonnino

More and more, health-minded vacationing has been on the rise. These days, many people dream of checking into a weeklong wellness retreat, spending their days with everything from yoga to hiking to painting and sculpture classes. For a first-timer, though, knowing what to expect and managing the daily offerings can be dizzying. Here are five tips to help you embrace the “om” from start to finish.

1. Set a goal. If you’re taking the time to invest in a wellness vacation, chances you have a good reason for it. Maybe it’s to improve fitness, or maybe you’ve been feeling a need to disconnect. Wherever you’re coming from, knowing your purpose will help you sift through the noise of endless programming on the menu.

Not sure of what your goal should be? Some programs use a pre-assessment before you arrive to guide your journey. At Hilton Head Health, for just one example, guests fill out a pre-arrival questionnaire that they discuss with a counselor or fitness or nutrition expert once they get to the South Carolina resort, to plan the best schedule for the week ahead.

2. Be prepared. Are you a big coffee drinker? Do you need to check your email even when you are away? Researching the availability of these daily essentials before you arrive (or, really, before you book) will help reduce anxiety about and during your stay. When it comes to packing, rarely do you need to bring a lot for a wellness retreat. Laundry services are provided — or at the very least available, if not included in your rate. And just as important as getting ready for the retreat before you even arrive, like starting to wean off caffeine in advance, preparedness is also key for a successful re-entry into your typical lifestyle. Instead of coming home to a pantry full of sweets, enlist the help of family or friends to stock your kitchen with whole foods and fresh produce

especially if your goal was to focus on improved nutrition.

3. Say “yes” to orientation. One of the best ways to get acclimated is to take advantage of orientation sessions and tours of the property when you first arrive.

You don’t need to memorize all the information that’s introduced, but not only might these sessions address many of the questions that you might have, they’re also a good way to meet other newbies. Staff members will often share helpful insider tips that will make your week easier, too. There’s one smart nugget that fitness and meditation instruction Jay Dee Cutting II shares on his tours of Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico, for example: Use a locker in the spa to keep a change of clothes and bathing suit, so that you don’t need to return to your casita (possibly farther away) between activities.

4. Include downtime in your schedule. With so many choices of activities, it’s possible for guests to never fully relax during their stay. Don’t fall into the trap of feeling like you need to take part in an organized activity every hour of every day.

Instead, set aside downtime each day to nap, journal, sit by a pool, or lounge in the steam room. Another option is to choose a program like Mountain Trek in British Columbia, which makes the choices and sets your entire itinerary for you.

But rest assured that you’ll still be doing want you want — many of these programs, like VeraVia in Carlsbad, CA, individualize the schedule based on your personal goals.

5. Be open to new experiences. As you’re setting your goals and scheduling in downtime, it’s equally important to leave yourself the opportunities to do something unplanned. Saying “yes” to new experiences is a way to push beyond your comfort zone, and a wellness retreat — which provides a safe haven to experiment without judgment — is the perfect place to do just that. Don’t worry about existing insecurities or pre-conceived notions of whether you think you’d like something or not. When else will you take a cooking, painting, writing or sculpting classes in your busy day-to-day at home? Sign up for that African drumming or striptease dance class while you have the time. You might just find something that you end up loving — or at least have the joy of learning something new.

Ways to stay healthy on vacation POSTED 11:07 AM, MARCH 6, 2015, BY PRODUCER HEIDI