Wellness Experts

Elli Soumaki

Elli has over twenty-five years of experience in the field of spa, fitness and wellness. She is Spa Director at the Six Senses Spa, at Porto Elounda Golf & Spa Resort. An integral role as the wellness facilities are a central part of this retreat’s ethos and allure. Holding this position since 2004, Elli also currently works as the getaway’s Area Director since 2011. She graduated from the University of Physical Education and Science in Athens and achieved a Masters in Sports Management from the University of Louisville, Kentucky. Elli has been a member of the Greek national swimming team and always actively promoted the goodwill and spirit of the Olympic games. A true believer that our health and the overall state of wellbeing can be enhanced via exercise, movement, nutrition, and holistic treatments, to fulfil your mind, body, and spirit.

Susan d'Arcy

Susan d'Arcy has been writing for the Sunday Times for over 20 years, about luxurious spas and travel. As a spa expert she enjoys sharing her tips and insights about the best therapists, spas and treatments, on her very informative, yet entertaining blog, Spa Confidential.

by Scott Baptie

Fitness & Sports Nutrition Expert

I am going to be honest from the outset, I do not like the term “detox”. When people think of nutrition (which is my thing) and detox at the same time then all sorts of horribly unhealthy ideas spring to mind: cabbage soup diet, juice diet, baby food diet, raw food diet and similar non-sustainable nonsense diets. I am not a fan of people adopting rash, short term nutritional strategies as they attempt to use “detox” as a sticking plaster to cure a bad diet or a long period of calorie excess. Rather, I would like people to make small changes to their diet plan so that over time they make gradual improvements which are far more sustainable and will pay off long term. Here are some simple tips to help you lose weight.

I love to travel and explore new places. It’s a rewarding experience and an opportunity to generate new memories with friends and family. However, the excitement of travel is often accompanied by a level of uncertainty when our daily routine is inevitably interrupted.

What is a wellness incentive break you ask? Well, first of all let’s look at what a wellness incentive actually is shall we? A wellness incentive is a strong emotion or desire that impacts the well-being of an individual and can be present in both internal and external forms of motivation. Wellness incentives are often used by employers to promote wellness within their workplaces, to offer rewards and recognition to their employees as a result of hard work and meeting business goals. 

A commentary by Dr. Clive Williams

Celebrating #Movember this year, we are putting the spotlight on men’s health to help raise awareness about some of the biggest well-being issues faced by men and address the internal stigmas associated to masculinity. Here, North Brisbane psychologist, Dr. Clive Williams answers the question, “Why should men care about self-care?” to start a conversation and redefine the true meaning of strength, allowing them to get the help and tools they need for a healthy and fulfilled life:

As early as our 30s, muscle strength and bone density begin to decline. When we hit our 40s, a drop in levels of growth hormone leads to reduced muscle mass, increased fat and reduced energy levels. In turn, this all contributes to a slower metabolism. Women may also notice more fat storage around the abdomen due to a drop in oestrogen and should be aware that this also causes a sharp decrease in bone density.

Summer (and in particular the sunshine filled days of summer) make for a great time to get into running and if you aren’t yet convinced here are a few reasons why from Jessica Lambert...

High-intensity interval training combines very short bursts of vigorous exercise with even shorter recovery work or rests. Due to the often-extreme levels of exertion during the active phases, HIIT sessions typically last less than 30 minutes; as such they're an extremely time-efficient way to get fit and rev up your calorie burn. Nobody wants to spend hours sweating in the gym on a hot summer's day, which is why a regular HIIT session is just what you need to put a spring in your step over the next couple of months – and hopefully beyond.

With so many of us leaping onto the fitness bandwagon, it can very easy to become hurt by pushing ourselves past our limits. Mike Snader, Body Aware Specialist, at The BodyHoliday, discusses the importance of training your body at your own pace and not trying to run, before you can walk.

I love yoga, I love holidays, I love nourishing food, time spent with a book, the chance to unwind… and when you bring that all together you have yourself a yoga retreat. So, if you are sat on the fence and thinking about whether or not a retreat is for you let me share a few words of encouragement… 

Wissam Awad

Wissam Awad is a Hypnotherapist specialising in Regression Therapy and Inner Child Healing. He is a trainer at the Regression Academy, responsible for the training programs in Romania and India and works alongside Andy Tomlinson, a world renowned pioneer and authority on Regression Therapy. Wissam is passionate about working with clients to liberate themselves from restricting emotional and behavioural patterns so that they can move forward in a joyful and empowered way. He also integrates body therapy with trance work in his sessions, which has a powerful effect on clearing unresolved 'body memories'. Wissam has worked in Switzerland and Thailand and now has a private practice in London.

Yoga and Pilates tend to get grouped together - and rightly so given they are so complimentary to one another. However, the two disciplines offer fairly different experiences from one another, so if you’re wondering ‘yoga vs pilates - which one is right for me?’ keep reading to discover the key differences and benefits!

Yoga and Pilates tend to get grouped together - and rightly so given they are so complimentary to one another. However, the two disciplines offer fairly different experiences from one another, so if you’re wondering ‘yoga vs pilates - which one is right for me?’ keep reading to discover the key differences and benefits!

by Steve Halsall

A Celebrity Personal Trainer

This phrase always makes me smile. I once heard it delivered in a comedy sketch and it came out like this, ‘If you are what you eat mate, then you just ate a fat bloke for lunch’. It in many ways has both a certain element of truth and although none of us will eat anyone, it has a simplicity to it that remains a fact. If you eat crap food you will end up looking and feeling crap. Simple.

by Dr. Sarah Brewer

A Nutritionist and Doctor

The molecules found within most cells in our body are replaced at least once a year. Even our bones are constantly remodelling with 10% of their mass replaced every year. Unlike plants, we can't use the energy of the sun to photosynthesise new replacement building blocks – we need to obtain them from our diet.

by Maureen Cromey

An Acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine Expert

I’ve always loved looking into shopping baskets at the checkout queue and then looking at the shoppers. Do they match their shopping, are they what they eat?   

by Justine Glenton

An Ashtanga & Zen Yoga Teacher

Just as each yoga pose has certain benefits on the body and can be applied for particular prerequisites, a good 'diet' should work well for you too; supporting your system, encouraging your body to feel healthy, sleep well, have strong digestion, healthy assimilation and elimination. A balanced approach towards eating needs us to be mindful, honest and kind with ourselves.

Traditionally, yogis were lacto - vegetarians, avoiding eggs and animal flesh including fish. Yogis encourage foods to be eaten as much in their natural form as possible, synthetic and processed foods disrupt the balance. Yogis encourage wholefoods that are free from additives or subtraction, in season and not pre-packaged.

by Scott Baptie

Fitness & Sports Nutrition Expert

Have you ever thought that your 'Western diet' could do with some tweaking?  Many of us have become 21st century victims of so-called ‘diseases of civilisation’ such as coronary heart disease, obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune disease, and osteoporosis.  In non-Western populations these conditions are more or less absent, and were similarly absent in Palaeolithic civilization.¹ Why?