Elle Macpherson hits the spa in Italy

'THE Body', supermodel Elle Macpherson, reveals the ins and outs of her VIP tune-up in the Italian Dolomites.

Elle

HEALTHY living expert Henri Chenot says that, in the future, we can all expect to live until we're 125.

It's all written, he says, in our genetic code.

I'm fascinated by his approach to wellness, so I was thrilled to have the chance to visit his discreetly luxurious hideaway in the Italian Dolomites.

The Espace Henri Chenot clinic is attracting a huge range of international guests who swear by the recuperative benefits of his "rebooting".

The retreat is certainly no ordinary spa ensuring that guests rediscover the path of wellness and healthy living is taken very seriously indeed.

Chenot's treatments which are likely to include but not restricted to, a detox daily routine of hydrotherapy, mud wraps and regular massages to target internal organs are designed to promote long-term health and wellness.

It was this therapeutic aspect of the centre that I really wanted to try out.

I was keen to discover more about Chenot's approach to wellness, which is based on his blend of Western and Eastern philosophies.

He studied Chinese medicine for 10 years and believes we are all machines subject to the effects of the ageing process and various harmful environmental factors.

Based on the principles of biontology and wellness, his programs centre on detoxification, regeneration, weight loss and beauty.

The term biontology, coined by Chenot, is "the study of the essence of life and its evolution".

His aim is to create harmony between body and mind.

At the Espace Henri Chenot, my body was analysed to discover my strengths and weaknesses. Organs, hormones, skin texture, nutrition metabolism and spiritual wellbeing were all discussed.

They can really tell you so much about your body information that ranges from the energy levels of your organs to how your hormones and adrenal glands are doing.

Six years ago, I visited the Spa Henri Chenot in L'Albereta in Brescia and was extremely impressed, deciding I would love to return as soon as possible.

I never had the chance to renew my acquaintance with L'Albereta but I was thrilled to receive an invitation to visit the Espace in Merano. It's in the northern area of Italy near the Dolomites and next door to Austria.

Most of the people who live here seem to speak German as well as Italian. I noticed that the staff speak English, Italian, German and French.

It was fantastic to receive warm Italian service, treatments delivered with German precision and French holistic attitude.

It is the most incredible place inside and out not just the beautiful building and spectacular location but also the wonderful staff who work there.

I would have stayed for nine days but, because I had to be in New York on business, I could only manage five but those five days were a treasure.

Perhaps the key thing I became aware of was that the body is always changing my needs are different today from when I was 20 years old, so I can't apply what I used to do 20 years ago to what I should do today.

I actually can't even apply what I used to do five years ago to today.

I have an interesting life - I'm a single parent, raising two boys in London while running multiple global businesses.

Every month I seem to spend about 10 days abroad, juggling motherhood, my business and personal wellbeing.

So while I may not suffer physical harm from the likes of smoking and drinking or eating a bad diet my busy lifestyle can definitely take a toll on me.

I was pleased to learn about the therapeutic benefits of meditation, making sure I get enough sleep, reviving my metabolism and my cardiovascular health.

It was emphasised that sleep is the only time my body gets to regenerate and start to function properly we detoxify and regenerate at night.

Everything about the clinic was a delight even getting there was a pleasure, involving a two-hour drive from Verona airport through beautiful mountains.

The minute I walked in I was handed a bathrobe and slippers and a book to keep a record of my appointments.

During my stay I had consultations with 10 practitioners, all dealing with different aspects of my health and wellness one specialising in cardiovascular, one dealing with muscles, an expert in the body's organs, someone looking at the "total body", an acupuncturist, an osteopath...

Every part of the body was looked at and a program was set, over four days, where I would see most practitioners once a day or once every two days.

In the beginning, it all felt slightly overwhelming. How would I ever achieve anything in five days, as there was so much to do and so many different activities and treatments to choose from?

However, the family-run business headed by Henri, his wife Dominique, and her sister Marie-Pierre was so careful and patient about letting me assess the various options that, with their guidance, I was able to make the right choices for me.

Most people's stay begin with a 24-hour detox. After mine, I actually felt worse than when I arrived. But, by the next day, I was slowly feeling better.

Every day I spent there I was gaining knowledge that I could take away and then apply to my life, so that I could enhance my perspective on wellness.

The approach to improving health is based on detailed scientific analysis. On arrival, I received a full selection of diagnostic tests to evaluate things such as basic metabolic rate and bone density to see if I was at risk from osteoporosis, for example.

Then they took a very careful look at diet (it seemed that I hadn't been eating enough and was taking too many supplements).

One of the things I was told was that vitamin C is best taken when it's true fruit and vegetables and not in the form of a vitamin C capsule.

All the time I was learning the centre's philosophy of promoting wellness from within through diet and eliminating stress in healthy ways, whether it be through detox spas, meditation, yoga or cardiovascular activities.

The warmth of the staff was particularly impressive. There was one woman, Isabella, who used to run my daily detox bath. She'd get me in the water and brush the hair out of my eyes and bring me a drink. I felt very nurtured.

The food was also impressive. After the initial fasting, when all I had was vegetable broth, the meals were fantastic.

Breakfast was fruit and herbal tea or lemon and lemon water. At lunch, there was some sort of carbohydrate: barley, buckwheat, rice, pasta perhaps with spinach, for example.

Then dinner was fish or again some sort of complex carb not really big portions but totally satisfying. It was so rich in taste and texture that I even bought their cookbook.

Throughout the day, I was encouraged to drink apple-vinegar water, some lemon water or rooibos, which is a South African herbal tea. The meals were beautifully served on silver plates and we had crisp table linen.

People tend to think of health spas as places of deprivation but the Henri Chenot style is different so nourishing and nurturing and very enriching.

I didn't go to lose weight, but I lost more than 2kg in five days. The facial skin treatments are amazing. Chenot has a fantastic selection of products that are paraben, sulphate and petrochemical-free.

The transformation was extraordinary. I was exhausted when I arrived, and I didn't realise how depleted I was. However, I left fresh, revitalised and alive. Also, I wasn't prepared for how beautiful this particular area is in the Alps. Every day I walked about 13km through some really lovely Alpine villages.

The Merano Palace, the hotel itself, is like an Italian palazzo, so it's really beautiful. The sheets, towels, silverware and all the furnishings were very elegant, in the Italian way. A bonus was being able to travel light. It's very liberating to fly with only carry-on luggage.

All I took was some workout gear and a change of clothes as most clients spend the duration of their stay in a bathrobe.

At the end of my stay I not only felt fitter and spiritually renewed, I came away with a new perspective.

I was completely revitalised from being in the mountains and from the love and care of the practitioners.

I decided it was a new kind of holiday and it was a new me.