We were delighted to welcome journalist and global wellness guru Alice Brudenell-Bruce to the inaugural Metabolic Health Programme for Menopause in June 2023.
Alice shared her transformative week on the retreat with the renowned Times Luxx Magazine, the quarterly glossy magazine aimed at the most informed readers of The Times newspaper. Here is a summary of her experience which was published in November 2023.
*With 64% of adults in the UK dealing with obesity and more than one-third of the population, whether knowingly or unknowingly suffering from prediabetes, which is a significant issue, Combe Grove is confronting this health crisis in the form of the Metabolic Health Retreat with specialised Programmes in Menopause and Prediabetes, with more to come in 2024.
After her battle with breast cancer, journalist Alice was advised to steer clear of HRT as she entered perimenopause and embrace more natural methods. She described her concerns around menopause as a recurring nightmare, fearing that she would become a ‘boiling’ and ‘creped skinned’ ‘crone’ whilst observing her girlfriends sailing through menopause like Davina McCall, fighting fit and feeling good.
Upon her arrival at the Combe Grove Estate, Alice was enchanted by the 70 acres of woodland and meadow, reminding her of a Dick Turpin setting. She was joined on the Retreat by six other women experiencing symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. A significant highlight from Alice’s experience is the bond that she created with her fellow female guests, the common goals that they shared, and the desire to be as fabulous in the next half of their lives as in the first half.
As part of the Programme, each guest is encouraged to better understand the significance of maintaining steady blood glucose levels, and all were fitted with a glucose monitor. Wellbeing tech lover Alice embraced the device as it gave her continuous blood glucose readings every 15 minutes straight to her phone app. She noted how such simple changes as taking a walk after lunch or consuming a sprinkle of candied walnuts could increase and decrease her blood glucose levels and how results differed from one person to another.
Success of the Metabolic Health Retreat Programme for Menopause is attributed to the motivation to create balance between all Five Roots of metabolic health: Nutrition, Movement, Sleep, Mindset and Environment. Alice went away with the knowledge that these key fundamentals could not only reduce inflammation, but also benefit and balance her hormones.
From belly dancing to forest bathing and yoga to weight training, Alice was reminded through the many group activities she enjoyed that menopause doesn’t need to take away from a woman’s confidence.
Alice complimented Combe Grove’s mission and described it as ‘a valiant circuit breaker’ against the commercial imperatives of the pharmaceutical and food industries.
To read the full article, click the link here.
