Project Description

Shannon, NS, Canada

“I really benefited from the fresh start program in many different ways it was absolutely wonderful from start to finish. What I personally really appreciated about the program was that it was very structured. I’ve been to other programs while other retreats, other getaways where they have offered some nice food and some different types of therapies, but there wasn’t any kind of glue that was pulling everything together what I really liked about Fresh Start was that there was a structure, there was a system in place, there was a schedule every day.”

Improvements with: Adrenal Fatigue/ Burnout, Digestive Health, eating and Lifestyle Habits, Fitness Routine, Lung Rejuvenation, Sleep, Stress Management, Weight Loss (7 lbs.).

Before	After
Burnout and stress, overweight. I had been feeling really sluggish, a little burnt out from work, stressed, felt overweight. I felt like I was losing many of the good habits that I had developed over the years.	I think I lost about 7 pounds, so i think that's not too shabby for two weeks (=12 days).
Lack of Motivation. I was feeling really closed and really tired and not having a lot of energy, not feeling very motivated.	I experienced the overall improvement in my mood and my motivation.
I sleep like a pancake , so I'm flipping back and forth all night and it really is so disruptive when you can't get a good sleep and it really brings you down for me, I was really hoping that I would be able to sleep better.	Sleep protocol was certainly a part of the treatment and a part of the program that allowed me to then participate more fully in the day programs and so I really appreciated that aspect of it.
Dysphasia. I also came in with dysphasia, so i have a swallowing problem and the doctors told me that it was related to digestive issues and acid reflux.	And I think having such a healthy diet and having a regime of flushing out the system has been really beneficial for me in helping to again reset my system. And the laser therapy I think in particular was very unexpectedly helpful because we put the lasers right on my throat and after applying the laser treatments it dramatically improved my swallowing capacity so that was super exciting for me.
Yoga and Fitness, Daily Routine	Being able to get up in the morning and do yoga on a regular basis and our daily walks and having that accountability, I think by filling out our charts, our forms each morning was helpful to get me back into that positive mindset. And I didn't feel like anyone was making me do anything I didn't want to do. It was just gentle guidance to remind me of many of the habits that I know I want to incorporate into my life because it makes me feel better. And I'm super grateful for that.
Chronic Cough. Before I arrived, I was suffering from a chronic cough. I sounded like one of those whooping birds and the cough I think was exacerbated, especially when I was eating poorly.	And so having the opportunity to eat this vegan diet, fresh, raw food, and you know, that opportunity to have a variety of foods in my diet really improved my cough significantly. I really haven't had any cough since I've been here so I think that's really helpful.
Edema. When I arrived, one of the things I was struggling with was edema and just a little bit of the swelling of my hands and my feet.	Although it hasn't been rectified completely, it has significantly decreased and I feel the goodness coursing through my body again from two weeks of a detox, having the supplements, having the good food, having the digestive flushes. It's that whole combination of care and treatment that has really allowed my body to recover and to repair itself.
Pain in joints, especially hands and knees.	I don't think it's 100 % improved yet, but there was definitely some improvement. The holistic approach with the therapies and the food and especially the fitness really allowed that improvement for me. Also, losing a little bit of weight of course is really critical it takes pressure off of the knees and then that inspires 1 to want to do more fitness.
Neck Pain – it has been a chronic issue I’ve had for over 20 years.	Certainly with every single therapy that I had, I was able to alleviate the problem. And I also one of the therapists gave me a really great idea in terms of an exercise ball that she said I could use half inflated 6 inches and put it on the back of my neck and then she gave me one to take to my room for the week and so I used it every day in the morning and at night. And I told her it was a game changer because it really allowed my neck to flex in a way that was supported. And I, you know, I thought that was such a lovely gift.
Digestive Health.	The protocol of doing the digestive flush two times a week every week was not thoroughly enjoyable, but it was certainly manageable and the end certainly justifies the means in terms of it really flushing out the system. I feel much lighter and I find it quite magical because when you really start to think about how many toxins you have in your body and when you can release so much of that, you have a physical lightness, but you also have an emotional and spiritual lightness because you're releasing all of that so that was super helpful for me.

Experience Highlights:

The approach to food and digestion and internal health. I loved that we had this team of chefs that we’re so passionate about creating these works of art with the food that they created, and I loved that there was a focus on vegan food but it was prepared in such a delightful way that it didn’t feel intimidating, and it didn’t feel unsatisfying to me it was thoroughly satisfying and delicious.
Although we were exposed to the vegan lifestyle, it was really reinforced to us that we could take from this program what worked for us and we could build our skills. And to do it in a slow way. It wasn’t all of a sudden to throw away everything that we’ve ever done in our lives and start this new regime. It was about taking the aspects that appealed to us and that we’re working for our body that we could see and gradually incorporating them into our own home lifestyles.
The therapies were really wonderful. One of the things that I really appreciated about the therapists here and the entire team was that they all strive to go above and beyond and to really help the individuals that come to the program to look for solutions specific to those individuals.
Walks: I really enjoyed the walks with the facilitator. She really knew the area really well, so we received a lot of information on the history. She knew a lot about the plants and the animals, so as we walked through these beautiful forests she would always give us some information. So it was very educational and spiritual and physical. I really liked that the walks took place at different parks, I like that we hiked up some hills and little mini mountains. And we went into these beautiful tall forests, walked along the ocean – it was a lot of fun.
Art Activities – very meditative and very calming and peaceful.
The educational classes: I’m a lifelong learner. I know a lot of information theoretically, but what I really appreciated was the different facilitators during the presentations really bringing their own lived experiences and knowledge into the conversation and inviting interaction from the participants it became a very collaborative discussion. There are so many knowledgeable and talented facilitators, and I really felt like I really learned a lot of great tips, a lot of shortcuts and a lot of great ideas.

Therapies Completed: 16

Week 1: 6

1 Salt Scrub
3 Massages
1 Energy Work
1 Infrared Sauna
1 Ionic Foot Bath

Week 2: 10

1 Salt Scrub
1 Massage
1 Colonic
2 Energy Work
2 Tachyon Therapy
2 Laser Therapy
1 Salt Cocoon

Disclaimer: Results of participants differ and the Fresh Start cannot guarantee that you will experience your improvements in the same way as in this testimonial. The Fresh Start is not an allopathic medical facility and does not claim to either diagnose or treat any disease. The Fresh Start does not guarantee a recovery from any specific disease or a health symptom.

Please note that the guests may share about various program activities, therapies and other program components that may not be available in the program session you come for because these change over time.