Day 1
I arrived at the Manthena Nature Cure Hospital bright and early, ready to begin my 30-day detox and weight loss program. The first day was mostly about settling in, meeting the staff, and learning about the daily schedule. I weighed in at 104.5kg and felt motivated to lose considerable weight through healthy eating, fasting, and an active lifestyle over the next 30 days.
The rooms were simple yet comfortable, with basic furnishings and an attached bathroom. The campus was peaceful and green, near a lake and surrounded by nature. This environment would be supportive of the healing journey ahead. After a light morning breakfast of millet java, I went in for my first consultation with the naturopathy doctor to discuss my health goals and the customised treatment plan for my stay.
In the afternoon, I had my first set of hydrotherapy treatments—a warm oil massage focusing on fat burning, followed by a steam bath and cold water immersion bath. It was invigorating! Following this, I had a nutritious lunch of two pulkas and three curries with different vegetable soups. Later, I chose to take a long nature walk around the hospital campus before settling in for an early night. I was still adjusting to the new environment but felt optimistic about what lay ahead.
Day 2
I awoke refreshed and eager to start another day. The day began early with 5:30 a.m. yoga sessions focusing on weight loss-specific asanas like sarvangasana and kapalbhati. This was followed by a 3 km walk with other guests, and then I had a breakfast of millet java.
My first significant activity for the day was an EMS suit session – this electronic muscle stimulation suit effectively gave my muscles an intense workout without any effort from my side! After a small break, I took a rejuvenating mud bath. The mineral-rich mud removed toxins from my skin while keeping me blissfully relaxed. Lunch was pulka made from a mixture of bajra and ragi flours with mint chutney.
In the afternoon, I opted for aqua aerobics in the pool, which was a real workout but super fun with uplifting music. It was followed by a refreshing contrast hydrotherapy session ending with a head massage. After an evening game of badminton, the dinner consisted of fresh fruits. I felt lighter and felt the healing benefits by the second day here.
Day 3
Today marked the beginning of the three-week lemon honey fasting period, which was part of my treatment plan. Along with water, I would have a concoction of a spoonful of honey and lemon juice six times a day. This radical fast would overhaul my digestive system, supplying nutrients and cleansing impurities.
I ensured that I drank lots of warm water throughout the day to flush out toxins. My morning exercise was a walk on the lake trail, which was an incredibly peaceful experience, surrounded by nature and hearing bird calls. It put me in a deeply meditative state, which I held through my abhyanga massage and steam bath session later. Lunch was a lemon honey drink.
In the afternoon, I listened to a very informative talk by the doctor on the benefits and methods of safe fasting, which motivated me even more. It was followed by a head massage and a short nap before my evening aquatics session in the pool, during which we practised breathing techniques, too. Dinner was lemon honey juice again, thus ending my first day of fasting on a positive note.
Day 7
Over a week into the program, I felt pretty comfortable with the daily rhythm and new eating habits here. My body felt lighter, more energetic, and more flexible – from fasting, yoga and physical activity. My skin was glowing, and my eyes looked brighter after being pampered by all the mineral mud packs, medicinal baths and massage oils.
Today, I weighed 3 kg lighter than when I started; this was encouraging. After a typical morning walk, yoga and fasting drink, my first treatment today was a Neem bath. As I immersed myself in the rejuvenating waters infused with the essence of neem leaves, I felt a profound sense of purification washing over me. The medicinal properties of neem worked wonders on my skin, cleansing it of impurities and soothing any inflammation. It was a transformative experience that set the tone for the holistic healing journey, leaving me feeling refreshed, revitalised, and eager to embrace the therapeutic treatments ahead.
Later, I enjoyed a relaxing full-body massage with pain-relieving oils before my aqua aerobics session. Learning new fitness routines in the water was always fun. Once more, my lunch was fasting lemonade. I spent most of my evenings playing badminton or carrom with other guests. As I completed a whole week here, I was pleased with my progress, but I also knew the real detox effects would intensify in the coming weeks.
