The Science

As we run out of stored carbohydrates for fuel, the body starts producing ketone bodies to supply the brain with energy. These ketone bodies are produced from the internal body fat that is mobilized due to calorie restriction. This switch to a fat-based metabolism and the associated ketosis has been shown to reduce inflammation throughout the whole body and particularly in the brain. Nutritional ketosis has been reported to be potentially helpful in neurodegenerative and neuroprogressive disorders like mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, and autistic spectrum disorder. The entry into the central nervous system of ketone bodies and fatty acids, as a result of nutritional ketosis, has effects on many mechanisms such as the astrocytic glutamate-glutamine cycle, glutamate synthase activity, and on the function of vesicular glutamate transporters. Research suggests that these effects would tend to mitigate the changes seen in many neurodegenerative and neuroprogressive disorders.

During fasting, there is a dramatic reduction of the levels of circulating leptin that inhibits regulatory T cell growth. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a specialized subpopulation of T cells that act to suppress immune response, thereby maintaining homeostasis and self-tolerance. It has been shown that Tregs are able to inhibit T cell proliferation and cytokine production and play a critical role in preventing autoimmunity.

The positive changes along the gut-brain axis support the natural development of new healthy habits while healing our relationship with food. The psychological benefits of the Seasonal Renew stem from reprogramming our old habits around food. By spending 5 days in calorie restriction, we develop a whole new appreciation for food and its importance in our lives. This weakens our habitual craving for food as an emotional filler and we develop clarity on what our bodies really need and don’t need. This deeper shift can be accelerated with regular meditation and journaling practice during the programme, which is why we provide guided meditations and journaling exercises. However, this healing process does not happen overnight and needs regular effort. By joining our Seasonal Renew quarterly, you are bound to overcome limiting beliefs and practices around diet, nutrition, and “the self”.

Our easy-to-digest meal plan provides foods rich in micronutrients. By eliminating dairy, processed grains, gluten, meat, alcohol and refined sugars, we give a true holiday to our overworked digestive system. We can then better absorb and assimilate the nutrients delivered by the healthy foods provided by our seasonal menu. In Ayurvedic medicine, this concept of digestive rest to restore gut function is essential. It prevents the accumulation of “ama”, the toxic wastes that build up in the digestive tract, which are believed to be the root cause of all diseases.

Autophagy selectively targets dysfunctional organelles, intracellular microbes, and pathogenic proteins. Deficiencies in these processes may lead to disease. The lysosomal degradation pathway of autophagy plays a crucial role in cellular physiology, including adaptation to metabolic stress, removal of dangerous cargo (e.g. protein aggregates, damaged organelles, intracellular pathogens), renovation during differentiation and development, and prevention of genomic damage.

Our Seasonal Renew is a time when your liver can focus on detoxifying the body. This can happen for 2 reasons. First, our reduction in calories ensures we are not adding more work and stress to the liver, which can now focus on cleansing endotoxins. Secondly, we provide the liver with adequate nutrients and phytochemicals, through our whole foods menu and natural supplements, that can speed up and optimise the phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification pathways. Offering your body this chance to cleanse and reset quarterly is highly recommended to live a long and healthy life. We find the concept of seasonal detoxification in ancient and traditional medical systems such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine.