Testimonials To Sura Detox Retreats

Email written a month after returning from his retreat in March 2010

Dear Amida, Benita, Dao and Kate,

Sorry it's taken so long to get back to you - it's certainly not through lack of energy! Well, what can I say about my week with Sura Detox? Absolutely life transforming that's what. I came to the retreat with few expectations apart from wanting to get rid of toxins but I left not only feeling cleansed and lighter but with a head full of ideas about my life and how I want to live it from now on.

The week of the retreat was one of those few times in life when I've felt that I've truly learned something of value and how that can also positively impact those around me. The love, care and attention that you all put into this work was so much appreciated - it's clear that you are there primarily because you want to help people to live healthier lives.

It was a great place to do the detox as well being very comfortable, very quiet and a good starting point for (short) walks around the countryside. I appreciated having a lot of free time but also the regularity of the juice meals and colonics. Kate’s counselling was wonderful, Benita’s massage fantastic, Amida’s tai chi was gentle but energising (the one time I could manage to do it!) and your talks Dao – well, as I said, inspirational and life changing.

At the moment, I am on a high raw diet – not 100% at the moment as it’s difficult to achieve when I have to travel for work but a good high percentage. I’ve cut out all starches such as rice, bread, pasta and so on and just eat a lot of enormous salads and fruit. It’s made me more health conscious, lighter and happier. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Olly - Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Email written a fortnight after returning from her retreat in March 2010

Hi Dao,

Amida said it would help to give some constructive suggestions as you get loads of positive comments so I am racking my brains but it's very difficult as you guys are just so fab!

Basically - the retreat was well beyond my expectations - We stayed in the farmhouse which was top - ditto the location. I really appreciated the way you all worked together in your different roles to support us in what we were doing and encourage us to take responsibility for our own health. Your knowledge about nutrition & the way you share it is inspirational. Me and Lorraine had serious brain envy! If only we had had you as one of our lecturers...

We have both just qualified in naturopathic nutrition & were feeling really disillusioned with the heavy focus on supplements and no focus on raw foods / superfoods. We stumbled on a raw food workshop at our local wholefood cafe in our second year of training & spent our last year reading David Wolfe and Kate Wood instead of our course books & making mad chocolate potions! We did get quite into Shazzie as well but the pink PVC and cucumber thing is just going too far!!

Your perspective about evolution really helped me to make sense of everything and your balanced views and approach to raw food is a refreshing change. I've been including quite alot of raw food in my diet (as well as the chocolate potions!) for about 18months alongside veggie soups, stews, curries etc and my health has really improved without being 100% raw. I treated myself with severe anaemia during this time and got my iron up miles quicker than my Dr anticipated without taking any of the 600mg a day of the nasty ferrous sulphate that she recommended - very scary indeed!

We loved Amida's morning exercises and were both blown away by Kate's session. I didn't have a session with Benita as my therapies were with Claudia & Tim but we saw her alot in the farmhouse and she is just lovely. Claudia & Tim were great too.

Another thing I really liked is that you are all really ethical & there was no hard sell on the products. In fact Amida encouraged us to restrain ourselves from buying loads of stuff at the outset and make sure it's the right thing for us before buying the expensive equipment. Bless him!

My aim when I came to the retreat was to be shiny and I reckon I achieved that. I feel amazing - bags of energy and everyone is cooing over me saying how well I look & that I've lost loads of weight. I didn't want it to be about losing weight so swerved the scales while I was there but weighed on Sat morning at home and I'd lost 11 pounds - hurray!

Final mad ramble - you have inspired us to do our raw chef certificates and offer some workshops ourselves in Manchester.

Cheers Dao, It was great to meet you all.

Becky - Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Email written a week after returning from her retreat in Sept 09

Hi Dao,

I wanted to drop you a line to thank you and the team for the most wonderful week last week. I left it until now to feedback just to make sure the initial euphoria and good intentions didn't quickly wear off (as if!) but of course they haven't, and I'm delighted to say that I am feeling and looking healthier and happier than I have done in years.

It's really difficult to describe to people why the week has felt so life-changing for me as there are so many factors but for me the Sura team are probably the single most important factor. Yourself, Amida, Kate and Benita all contributed in such important but different ways, but the thing that you all have in common for me anyway, is your enthusiasm, sincerity, kindness and genuine desire to help people with the changes they want to make in their lives.

I feel very lucky to have had such a smooth and 'easy' week, in that I know some people had 'down' days or times when they felt tired, but for me, I loved the feeling of being cleansed, the increased lightness I felt every day, and the physical differences in how I looked over the week (weight, complexion etc). For me it helped keeping active, getting up to do Thai Chi every morning (thank you Amida, that was the best possible start to the day), the lovely walks I managed to do (once again, we were SO lucky with the weather!), the daily swimming, the massages (which I loved so much I'm going to start having a regular massage at least once a month). I don't know whether it was just my session with Kate, or that combined with the fact that I'm feeling so physically and mentally great, that has made me feel that I can finally leave some difficult emotional issues behind me. It's a good example I think of the multi-pronged approach of the week i.e that to have a really good clear out/overhaul of your life, it needs to be mental as well as physical, and I think it's primarily this that makes it so much more effective than a 'spa holiday'.

I wasn't expecting to be so affected by your nutritional talks. I've never dieted, but I've spent years telling myself to eat more healthily, drink less, blah, blah, blah... much of it common sense, why has it taken until now for the penny to finally drop? Obviously a big part of that is your knowledge, and the way you get the message across, quietly, convincingly, passionately, and without any 'shoulds or shouldn'ts' that you normally get where food/dietary advice is concerned. But the reason it's so powerful and has such an impact, is also for me, down to the fact that you experience for yourself the physical benefits of looking after your body and cleansing it over the week, at the same time as absorbing all this information. How can you possibly not be convinced about making positive changes when you leave feeling so utterly fantastic?

I've made big changes to my diet since I've returned home - very little meat, diary, no bread or potatoes as yet, masses more fruit and veg, more raw food in general, and I'm even having a nut milk shake every morning (with a banana)! It's so easy. I'm enjoying my food more, don't feel in the least bit deprived, and have hardly had an alcoholic drink (one or two glasses of wine) since I got back. I'm sleeping better, getting into work earlier, am more enthused and just generally nicer to people. I've not put any of the 10 lbs I lost back on, and I'm determined I'm not going to. In fact, if I carry on like this, I'm sure I'll continue to lose and get back to my 'ideal weight' fairly soon.

Thanks to all of you for making it such an inspirational, enjoyable and life-changing week. I've told lots of people about it and a friend and her partner are seriously thinking of signing up in the next couple of months.

All the best and hope to see you again (for a top up and just another lovely relaxing, chilled week!)

Angela - Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Email written shortly after returning from their retreat in Sept 09

Dao,

I wanted to write, not for you but for all the people that may come to your website, because what you are offering is so much more than a detox or weight loss programme although these may be the key words you have to use to attract clients.

Colonics is a dirty word to many people and generally we are so closed off about our bodies that many people would not give your programme a second thought but it is such a small part of the journey we have been on this last week. Add to that the thought of fasting for a week and probably 99% of people would have clicked back to their search engine results.

When they do they will have missed one of the few genuine opportunities to change their life for the better.

Emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally I feel renewed but more than anything I feel educated about food and diet for the first time in my life. It is hard for me to believe that the majority of the Western world is feeding itself a toxic diet that is leaving it more malnourished than the inhabitants of much poorer countries, added to which obesity, diabetes and many other avoidable conditions arise directly from their food choices. They say you can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, I may have been one of the latter until now but it seems to be that the propaganda from the food drug and chemical companies have fooled the vast majority and they are still getting away with it.

From now I will not be so gullible about food and that starts by challenging all the ideas you taught us in the last 7 days, which knowing you I am sure you would approve of, however this way I will prove your theories for myself and become one of your greatest advocates, although I am pretty sure there are very few that leave you without the same commitment.

No one can offer miracle cures but you do provide the tools by which we can try to make our own miracles. I can’t thank you enough.

Michael & Susan - Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Email written two weeks after returning from her retreat in March 09

Hi Dao and everyone,

Benita said to me on the first day of the retreat, "being empty is can be a good place to be." I couldn't agree with her then because I had never experienced it for myself. For me, the fasting and the cleaning out process was more than just an abstention from food and purging out of old matter. It was also emotionally cathartic.

I personally benefited from the fact that the holistic approach you and your team have wasn't in your face as such....by that I mean there were no pep talks on how to change our lives etc., or amazing claims to get us to do something you think would be good for us, or dire warnings not do things you think would be bad for us. But the quiet simplicity of the program you all put together, and the way you all carry out your various duties at the retreat, and the lessons you taught, not just through the talks etc., but just the way you all were, served to make me quite aware of just how harmful this hyped up world is for me, and just how complicated we can make our lives by listening to all the noise we are constantly bombarded with from all angles. It gave me an opportunity to step back so to speak, and really see how and why I had gotten into the state I was in that prompted me to come to Sura Detox.

On returning home, I found that I was feeling particularly calm- and even though it was my Birthday and I was excited to be home, I was just so laid back that I knew instantly something had changed. I wasn't aware of it during the three hour drive back, but when I stepped through the door I was just simply different, and I knew it. My lovely husband was very surprised! After about half an hour he said, "George, you're so chilled, have you been smoking anything funny?" Ha Ha.

My calm assertive energy affected my dogs too.....after they got over the initial frenzy of seeing me again, (they missed me:))both of them were particularly chilled out and much more responsive to commands etc. I'm now trying to feed them raw food more often, as I want them to live as long as possible, and be as healthy as they are now for the rest of their lives.

As far as my own eating goes, I stuck entirely to raw fruits and vegetables for the first two days after the retreat. Since then I have been about 80% raw, but have not had any meat at all, and I really don't miss it. I had my first alcoholic drink last night, it was okay- and we had a lovely evening with friends and family who all commented on my weight loss and my lovely clear skin. Whilst at the retreat I lost a whole stone, and have put back on about 4 pounds this first week. So, altogether I'm 10 pounds lighter, and currently I don't have any cravings, and I'm loving the fact that my bowel is now normal--- I'm a twice a day girl now...I don't remember ever having such good bowel function, and boy it does make you feel a lot better!!

Oh!!!! And I've been sleeping brilliantly!! Every single night since the retreat, I've dropped off easily, stayed asleep, had great dreams, and woken feeling refreshed. You simply can't beat that!!

So, a positive experience and one I heartily recommend to anyone and everyone.

Lots of Love and best wishes to you all,

George - Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Email written three weeks after returning from his retreat in December 2008

Hi Dao,

I think you hit the nail on the head with the term 'reset button' because, for me, that is exactly what it was. That and a kick start to a healthier and more confident lifestyle.

I was clinically obese through my own fault of eating too much of the wrong things. This affected my psychologically as it meant I felt unhappy with the way I looked and, as a result, started a downward spiral. I would look to the wrong foods for 'comfort eating' and pile on more pounds and inches.

Finding a way to allow me to lose weight and inches in a reasonable period of time was central to me coming to Sura. I found what I was looking for. I also found more. The fasting and the colonics probably put my body in a position to flush out all the undesirable matter. Still now when I eat the odd junk food it seems easier to recover from it.

Amida's start to the day and your talks were both very helpful and beneficial. Having men in the lead group is essential for someone like me so I can see your lifestyle can work for a man. Billed as meditation I viewed Amida's hour as a period to loosen up the muscles and joints followed by relaxing my mind. Your talks reinforced some thoughts I had regarding foods and food types as well as learning many new things.

On the Monday prior to the retreat I started eating fruit and drinking water only with psyllium husk twice a day. I saw the results in the matter released when I went to the toilet. By the Friday afternoon I had lost a half stone. In the week with you I lost in excess of a stone and, whilst I expected to feel light headed or have a lack of concentration, I felt great and not at all compromised.

At the beginning of December I was slightly over 14 stone. I have celebrated Christmas, my 40th birthday and then the New Year and am marginally under 12 stone. I feel losing the additional stone to a stone and a half is very achievable and will put me at my optimum weight. I'm not doing this through a crash diet but through healthy eating and activities to keep me healthy.

Sura has given me the opportunity to lose weight and inches whilst gaining confidence and belief. From a purely financial point of view, it isn't cheap but it certainly is value for money. How much would surgery cost and does that teach you a new approach to food? Do you get a backup support? I believe in you, Amida and the others there are people who can help me long term to be healthy and happy with myself.

Now the festivities are over I want to buy a spiraliser and make a few more lifestyle changes. Small yet significant steps to a happier and longer life.

Thank you for your help in affording me this opportunity.

Happy new year to you and all the crew and I look forward to visiting you again. Next time I hope it will be purely to detox and in a summer month to take advantage of the countryside.

All the best,

FN - Water Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Email written five weeks after returning from her retreat in December 2008

Hi Dao,

It's been a good month. Since returning from the Retreat, I've maintained a ratio of about 80% raw! I was probably about 50% raw previously. I gained 2 lb (of the 9 lb I lost at the retreat) in the first couple of days back (to be expected) and that has stayed the same. Although I didn't come for weight loss particularly, it is a nice bonus.

I've bought a spiraliser, which certainly makes the raw veg more interesting and easier to eat. I love making raw sauces. I have increased the number of fruit and veg smoothies I eat and enjoy including the cacao nibs, mesquite and lucuma. More challenging is adding the spirulina, because it has such a strong taste! I usually add some Hemp Oil, to supplement the Flaxseed Oil I take with my Cottage Cheese. My next task is to continue checking websites, as I have yet to find one that says you can swap Cottage Cheese for Almond Milk.

I've just ordered a sprouter, so that I can make even better use of recipes, tastes and combinations. I've got a food combining book and a raw food recipe book - so I'm set!

All in all, I would say it has been a very successful 're-entry' and my lifestyle is increasingly healthy. I am very optimistic about persisting with my new regime and have definitely raised my game in terms of feeding myself good, nutritious, raw food.

I hope all is well with you and the team and that you are each continuing to enjoy making a positive difference to people's lives. Attending the Retreat remains a high spot of my year, providing many excellent and enduring benefits.

Warmest regards

Brenda - Water Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Email written four weeks after returning from her retreat in November 2008

Hi Dao,

Since returning home, I have a fully stocked fridge and fruit bowl and eat lots of raw food although I have had the odd steak in between, I also make sure I have a bigger variety of foods I wouldn't have had before.

I haven't touched coffee which is a major thing for me, even when I'm out, I have a herbal tea instead so thats a positive change, have also not had any alcohol even though I have had a few late nights out, I just stick to water ( not that I consumed that much alcohol beforehand anyway). My only downfall is that I have been smoking again and that's something I have to redress. In addition I am consciously making sure that I drink enough water throughout the day as that was something I was a bit hit and miss about beforehand.

In terms of the week itself, it is tough but its GREAT, I loved the talks I found them so very inspirational, informative and motivating, I have made some of the dishes in the recipe books (some came out better than others but that may be the cook in me needs to be developed a bit more!). So to answer your question below the week was hugely helpful in hitting the restart button. Its so important to be reminded and educated about how important it is to look after our bodies and not to blindly indulge in "rubbish" food. Also the session with Kate is fantastic, the massage with Claudia was the best I've ever had.

In terms of my general health, my digestion is so much better than prior to doing the fast, (I am hoping that as a result I am absorbing more nutrients from my food) I am diligently taking my lactobacillus and I find I have much more energy. Everyone commented on how great my skin looked as well so thats all good.

Overall I have to say the week for me was great, I would recommend it to anyone (In fact one of my friends Nicola Dowling has checked in for the January programme). I would like to think that this is something I will do again possibly in a years time as the benefits are very tangible and also because its an investment in my health.

So thank you again for a really great week and regards to all the team there. (I'm now off to the gym to get some exercise!)

Take Care

Gabrielle - Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Email written a week after returning from her retreat in November 2008

My whole purpose in doing the retreat was to detox myself and to start over right. The retreat really met those goals.

I reacted better to the detox than I thought I would. What surprised me is that my headaches disappeared. I usually get migraines when the weather is humid but I didn't have that problem at all in spite of the rain!

What I wasn't expecting was to get so weak. The last 2 days I was anxious for it to be over. I felt weak and was bored (no energy to do anything). I just drank water, and watched every cookery program I could find on TV - I think that helped!

I made two big decisions before leaving the retreat: to eliminate gluten (before I just tried to consume less but I was just kidding myself) and to do food combining. I'd heard about food combining before, the diagrams were messy, there were lists of foods to memorise, too complicated, not for me. You made it extremely simple. I have in my head that triangle with the fruits, starches, and proteins. I've been doing it since the retreat. It takes more planning but I really feel like I'm doing a very good thing for myself. It's easy. I can do it.

I'm not going to make smoothies or crank out vegetables that look like spaghetti. I'm just doing fruit for breakfast (in their off the tree form), a meat and various raw veg for lunch, and then a mega salad for dinner. This works for me.

When I left the retreat I thought, Never again! Unfortunately in life I've noticed that the big lessons, the ones that really count, are the ones learned the hard way (usually the harder the better). I view this retreat like that. It's a reset button, as you mentioned, or a "the first day of the rest of my life." I hope I won't need another one any time soon. It was too hard to waste on sloppy eating!

In the end, was it worth it? It's what I'm doing with it now that counts, and yes, it was worth it, just like other big life lessons.

I hope that a lot more people will avail themselves of this experience. It really is an opportunity to start over. I'm glad I did it!

Rebecca - Water Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Email written a whole year after returning from her retreat in November 2007

Hi Dao,

For years I had suffered from mild but persistent acne, lethargy, congestion, headaches and a short attention span. I put these symptoms down to my alcohol consumption and once I stopped drinking expected them to disappear.

When I went on the Suradetox retreat I was amazed to discover from Kate, the homeopath, that I was allergic to wheat oats and yeast. Along with my symptoms, my sensitivity to these foods indicated that I was prone to Candida. Once I'd completed the detox process I looked (and felt) better than I had in years and was very motivated to avoid the trigger foods as well as reduce sugar in my diet.

One year later I'm still totally symptom free, have increased energy, and a more stable, optimistic mood. My experience has taught me never to underestimate the effect of what I eat on my well being. My whole outlook and attitude to life has change. I feel empowered to make better choices.

Louise - Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Email written a week after returning from his retreat in June '08

Hi Dao,

Just wanted to write and say again, thank you very much for a wonderful week. It was a great experience for me, and has really helped to 'hit the reset button' - I love that picture! The week has really re-ignited my drive to eat well, given me some great ideas and helped to kick-start the whole process.

Thanks to everyone there as well, a great team and wonderful people to work with, pass on my thanks to them all.

My partner would really love a place on the December week.

Thanks again for everything,

Byron :-) - Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Email written from Italy eight weeks after returning from their retreat in July '08

Hi Dao,

I thought it would be nice to write you an email stating all the improvements we are experiencing.

My constipation problem seems to have gone. i still can't believe it... But I'm still scared that at some point all this well being will suddenly disappear...

I bought from the Sura Detox shop online some stuff which a friend of mine brought over few weeks ago. I bought hemp seeds, raw chocolate nibs, goji berry and psyllium. I keep doing my morning smoothie, with fruit and nuts.

My raw consumption is still high. I think 70-80%. And my junk food consumption is now almost nil.

Emanuele took different blood and allergic test to check on his gluten and wheat intolerance. None of the test confirmed the results that Kate gave us, however he feels so much better now off the gluten and we don't really care anymore what the doctor say about it. We'll do it our own way... just listen to our bodies.

I'm regularly brewing kombucha now. We really like and we drink a full glass every day. Our energy has dramatically improved and we both feel more focused in general.

The only problem is that we keep loosing weight. Before I came to the detox I was 64kg and I'm now 57kg. Emanuele was 93 kg and he's now a skinny 80kg. We've also bought a gym machine to exercise. Do you think you can suggest some food or supplement to improve his muscle mass? (a raw or natural alternative to creating... LOL)

Again I would like to thank you for all your support and help! We really would like to repeat the experience maybe next year.

In the meanwhile take care....

Irene & Manu - Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Email written three weeks after returning from his Fasting Retreat in June '08

The level of care, dedication, expertise, understanding, support and education was way beyond my expectations.

Set in wonderful countryside and with all the luxuries of a holiday week away (swimming pool, sauna, walks, big screen movies in the evenings etc) you couldn’t be better placed to undergo what, at times, can be quite a daunting experience for some.

But fret not...because the staff are open, honest, friendly and most importantly...really genuine. It makes such a difference.

And the detox itself is so worth it, as at the end of the week a refreshing surge of revitalising energy sweeps through your body and leaves you rejuvenated and invigorated - and determined to put into place some nutritional changes that will leave you feeling this good for a lot longer.

Oh...and I forgot to mention (whilst we’re on the subject of nutrition)... the talks were the most unexpected thrill of the whole week!

Nick - Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Email written four weeks after returning from her Fasting Retreat in May '08

Dao!

I seem to have gone raw!

I didn't really intend to, but a lot of what you said made a lot of sense, and I came home and spent a lot of time on the internet, and it just sort-of happened, and now I've pretty much eaten only raw vegan things since leaving Sura, apart from 3 cooked meals in restaurants in the past 4 weeks but I have to eat out for work a lot, so I am trying not to be too hard on myself - I'm not quite ready to order off-menu salads just yet. I've been brewing kombucha, making hemp seed smoothies, bought a spiraliser, and I feel a little bit like I'm on drugs, but I'm sure I'll calm down at some point....or I will have to start swallowing bricks. I also booked a telephone consultation with Kate Wood, to iron out a few bits and pieces, and she said she knew you, which was nice.

I have still got a few things to get sorted - I have consumed a worryingly large amount of tahini in the past month, had to ditch the dates pretty quickly, and having just discovered that they sell raw chocolate just round the corner from work, have just eaten three bars in less than 24 hours, so am feeling a bit speedy right now, which probably serves me right.

My stomach was a bit vocal for the first couple of weeks, even though I took my pills religiously, but that seems to be ok now. Apart from that, everything seems to be super. I have masses of energy, and people keep asking me if I've been away, because I look so healthy and happy. I feel like a different person - a much better, calmer, steadier, lighter and brighter version of myself. It's a bit like living in a musical.

I think you might have changed my life.

Hope all is well

Alex - Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Email written two weeks after returning from her Fasting Retreat in April '08

Hi Dao,

I felt absolutely amazing after a week with you guys and only began eating really this weekend.

Your talks really were inspirational and although my son decided he wanted his ‘old mum back’ he’s started to drink goats milk, his salad consumption has increased 10 fold and we’ve thrown out all the coffee!!

I really can’t thank you all enough for everything that you’ve done,

Jill

Email written upon returning from her Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in March '08

I just wanted to say a big thank you to you and the team for your advice and support at the retreat last week. The talks you gave have really made me question and re-examine my thoughts about food and nutrition.

In fact, I never would have thought it possible, but on Saturday morning (having eaten only the bag of fruit you gave me and some roasted vegetables for dinner on Friday) I ran a brisk, hilly 8 miles on Hampstead Heath and felt perfectly energised. Encouraged by this, I then set out on Sunday morning and ran 20 miles in the rain and wind, having eaten salad on Saturday evening and only a few bites of apple before I set out in the morning. I am amazed by this - normally I would stock up on starchy carbohydrates both the day before and on the morning of such a long run, and failure to do this would lead to me feeling lethargic and drained during the run. But something seems to have changed, and I felt absolutely fine.

Anyway, I thought I would share my amazement with you…you may think I am crazy but such things please me greatly! Now I have to be brave enough to try my new-found nutrition strategy before a race...

Thanks again,

Jen

Email written upon returning from her Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in March '08

I have been thinking of what to write to you but I just can't put it into words (not because of my dyslexia) but because the whole experience was so incredibly powerful in every way. I feel I owe you guys so much, for the way I feel.

It actually hit me when I stepped of the train at Paddington station, and saw all around me people rushing to and throw, looking tired and unhappy (I was once one of those people).

I thought that I would want to get back to the diet I was having before sura, but I have now realised that my desire no longer yearns for that way of living, but does for a raw food diet that I am getting much more pleasure and satisfaction from.

The feedback that I have received from everyone since I've back is also overwhelming, so do expect lots of bookings.

I will most definitely be back, maybe even this year if possible.

Natalie

Email written 4 weeks after their Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Sorry not to have sent this sooner. Thanks very much for the experience on the 19 Oct retreat. The whole team made the stay so enjoyable - I never thought I'd say that about a "no-food" holiday! - and I'm making a determined effort to build on the knowledge and understanding gained. Even managed to stick to raw on the 400 mile journey back home, whereas before I would have been stopping for lattes and cakes I happily survived the journey on your beautiful bag of organic fruit and lots of grapes and salads from M&S Simply Food in the service stations on the way home. And I wasn't forcing myself, on the contrary I actually enjoyed it.

I was worried about my very sweet tooth but am deliriously happy after using Google to discover the existence of raw chocolate cake and have booked up to go on a 1 day raw food course with Simply Raw next Saturday near Liverpool.

Thanks again to everyone,

Cyndy, Juice Fasting Detox Retreat - Devon, Oct 2007

Email written 2 weeks after their Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Dao, Amida, Benita and Kate . . .

Thanks so much for a fabulous week. I think it's really proved to be life changing. People at work were absolutely amazed by the results, but more importantly so have we. . .

I'm personally wearing clothes I haven't worn for 4 years. How exciting is that?! We're still popping those pro-biotics and loving the breakfast hemp smoothies.

Love,

Anthony - London - July 07

Email written one month after her Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Hi Amida,

I have found the effects of the fast to have been much more profound than I imagined at the time. My daughter treats me quite differently - she says I am so much more laid back that she doesn't worry about whether I'm too stressed to say things to. I feel quite different, as though I have separated from large chunks of past trauma, which chunks I don't know and don't care. I feel I have started again in a different place.

Food was great for a couple of weeks and I'm now finding it harder but I can still see the track clearly even when I'm drifting a bit. I am in no doubt that it has to be this way, just adjusting I think.

Alcohol is still the hardest thing. It's funny how on the fast we talked about food all the time and now we talk endlessly about fasting. There's so much interest.

I will email Kate and would like to email Dao if I had a personal email address for him, and Benita too?

Love,

Julia - June 07

Email written two months after her Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Sorry it's taken me a few days to get back to you.

I do want to express to you my enormous thanks for the help and information and support I received whilst on the retreat. Whilst my IBS is in no way perfect it has changed hugely and the quality of my life is so much better.

I no longer take any indigestion tablets, and require no medication to help me go to the toilet apart from enemas and the herbs. I still do need to be able to go to the toilet completely by myself but it is a big improvement from where I was. Most of the time I am not in any pain and my bloated stomach has mostly disappeared after I eat.

I have stuck to Kate's Homeopathic allergy testing 100%. Since I have returned home I have eaten raw 75% (from the amount of days). Of the other 25% (days) I have eaten a mixture of 90% raw 10% cooked protein and 70% raw and 30% gluten free foods and a little chocolate.

My one concern is that I have not yet been able to put back on the weight I lost which I would like to do (1/2 stone).

If you have any words of wisdom I would welcome them.

Once again many thanks

Julie - May 07

Email written 3 months after their Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Dao, Amida, Kate & Benita,

My energy levels since the retreat are greatly improved, as I am still eating over 70% live foods.

My asthma has improved only a little, however I have been cured of my sugar addiction, these days I will settle for a bowl of fruit which is amazing given how much cakes and chocolate I once used to consume!

Sura has changed my entire thinking around food. I think up until now I have spent most of my adult life on one form of diet or another looking for quick fixes. Sura has taught me so much that now I see food in terms of my choices rather than something which i impose upon myself. I must say though the new me is annoying the hell out of my family and friends who simply cannot understand why I refuse certain foods because of the damage they do to my body. The cooked foods I tend to eat these days are self prepared and made from fresh ingredients vegetables in the main. Thank you so much for everything Dao. I am already planning my next stay with Sura hopefully in the new year some time.

Kal - March 2007

Email written four after their Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Hi Dao,

I was diagnosed with FMS {and IBS},and I have been taking 1-2 painkillers everyday for around 3 years now, at its worst I was on 3 different medications taking 9 tablets per day. Including various types of SSRI's to help with pain.

Since the detox I stopped taking the antidepressants, I had no adverse effects and have not taken any since. In addition my pain medication is down from 1-2 tablets daily to half a tablet approx twice a week.

I have made some changes to my diet although have slipped frequently and not without guilt back to old habits. The difference is now I'm far more aware and equipped to get back on track.

I'm hoping to do another detox to get off the painkillers completely but I'm absolutely thrilled at the progress I've made due to the retreat.

Many Thanks,

Dawn - March 07

Email written three months after his Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

The day I arrived my head was telling me that driving back to Manchester would not be that big a deal; why on earth would you want to not eat food? For a whole week? It was a small panic attack that I quickly shook off to acclimatise to my new and rather pretty surroundings.

I wasn’t ill as such, but I could feel all those wonderful diseases coming over the next hill like a cavalry in the mist. On the breeze I could hear the faint whispers of “cancer”, “heart disease” and “amputation”. These things did not really preoccupy me – I am an optimistic, positive and gregarious person, but I knew I was losing my balance as an individual and that something drastic needed to be done.

In truth, I thought the idea of a colonic fast was for cranks and nutters until a friend of mine, Matt (see Matt's story here), met Dao on a fast during his quest to solve his IBS. The transformation in Matt’s health over the past three years had convinced me that I should at least give it a go see, even if I didn’t really believe I could spend the rest of my life nibbling lettuce and carrots.

What truly shocked me was how out of balance I was, how overweight I was (16 stone – should be 11 stone), and how I never realized I had IBS until it went away. The other shock to me was how easy it was not to eat. In fact it was a bloody big relief. Eat nothing all day for the whole day? Wow! It really was a refreshing change.

Then, colonics. If you’ve never had them, I know exactly how you’re feeling right now but believe me there is nothing to fear – only utter joy as you get that crap out of yourself. It’s relaxing, cleansing and utterly joyous to feel the cleansing process. It’s only intrusive in the literal sense, and then only very slightly. On day three I was bounding around. I wanted to (and did) go running for the first time in years.

Since the fast, I have incorporated raw food into my diet on a much greater level and feel the daily benefits of detoxing. I haven’t stopped drinking wine or eating all cooked food, but I’m a long way in the other direction; having far more energy than many people I know in their teens and twenties (I’m 38). Plus, those whispers have all but disappeared….

Mark - March 07

Email written 3 weeks after their Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Dao,

Just wanted to let you know. And to say thanks....

My many years of insomnia has been completely cured since the February fast. 9.30 every night, i'm falling asleep properly for the first time in adulthood! What a joy it is to sleep! How exciting!

Love,

Lisa - March 07

Email written four months after their Juice Fasting Detox Retreat in Devon

Hello ,

I really enjoyed the balance between nutrition, meditation and movement. The biggest lesson was the nutritional talks and the overall sense that the change in diet was not a diet per se, but a change of lifestyle. I have been able to lose weight (22 lbs since the retreat) in spite of continuing to use steroids which I found practically impossible before. My Creatine Kinase reading has improved since the retreat.

I still eat things that are not necessarily good for my body but being aware of what I'm doing means that I then re-introduce healthier foods to counter-balance any adverse effects. I believe that it is this shift of understanding that has created the biggest change in me. I also met some lovely people who I'm still in touch with.

Love,

Bev - February 07