If you're looking for potential answers on why you feel tired, have low energy, are disconnected, or have symptoms related to inflammation, now is your chance to engage in the powerful intention to boost your health and wellbeing—where wellness and wilderness converge in a transformative retreat.
Escape for the weekend of June 14-16 to the Women's Holistic Health Retreat. The retreat will be hosted by Balance Medical Center at Loon Lake Lodge in Maple Ridge, tucked quietly in the heart of University of British Columbia's Malcolm Knapp Research Forest to enhance the healing experience.
Join lead facilitator Dr. Kelly Barnett, as she guides you on an inspirational journey of self-discovery devoted to nutrition and your well-being, creative growth and health. Through immersive activities, you'll learn practices to help improve your inner joy and promote your vitality from day-to-day to long-term
Holistic retreat, nutrition and glucose
During the retreat, you'll learn the connection between food choices, inflammation, glucose levels and your health and wellbeing, and see first-hand how food, stress, and exercise affect your glucose with continuous glucose monitors (C.G.M.s).
You'll use C.G.M.s in real time to understand what's happening to your blood sugar and body throughout the day, and be provided evidence-based strategies to lower blood glucose.
"At the retreat, we focus on nutrition and learn how to integrate a Mediterranean and anti-inflammatory diet into your life with a menu that I curate with the chef. Participants also learn what foods cause glucose spikes and techniques to prevent them, such as food order sequencing,” explains Dr. Barnett.
“Improving your nutrition can improve your mood and energy levels on the day to day, but also help improve chronic medical conditions like metabolic syndrome.
Creative arts, experiential components
Expect a purpose-led itinerary where all creative activities have expert facilitators in their respective disciplines. Have fun and learn while you express your authentic self through the healing potential and opportunities for spiritual growth.
Dance uninhibited to live drumming; engage in guided yoga and meditation; experience group acupuncture and sound healing bath (a focus on balancing the chakras) and share and connect during ceremony and talk circles, one of the most impactful components of the retreat.
"It's rare for a retreat to mix nutrition, health technology with C.G.M.s, creativity and connection," says Kavita Kent, owner of Balance Medical Center. "There is no other retreat known that has a medical doctor as a facilitator who integrates physical, emotional and creative disciplines together in a weekend of learning and growing."
By the end of the retreat, don't be surprised if you feel a powerful sisterhood among fellow participants, who, through honest and open sharing, you'll likely create new friendships and life-long bonds.
Don't miss your opportunity to embrace self-care in a safe, calm, respectful and joyful environment with Dr. Barnett.
MSP-covered group-based programs
Dr. Barnett is a specialist and board-certified physician in internal medicine (FRCPC, ABIM) and integrative medicine (ABPS) in Vancouver, and runs group-based programs for patients with Metabolic Syndrome (MS) at Balance Medical Center.
Balance Medical Center treats metabolic health and type 2 diabetes (II DM) holistically, with lifestyle approaches, medications, nutritional counselling and supplements when appropriate.
"Specifically, our group-based program for metabolic syndrome is covered under MSP and walks patients through a program to help treat the condition, decrease risk of developing a more serious health condition, and improve quality of life," says Dr. Barnett.
"In metabolic syndrome, a person has three or more combined symptoms of impaired fasting blood glucose, high TG, low HDL (good) cholesterol, high blood pressure, and abdominal obesity. These patients also tend to have higher inflammatory markers. Metabolic syndrome leads to a greatly increased risk of diabetes, heart disease or stroke. Therefore, healthy blood glucose levels and lowering inflammation through lifestyle are important components in achieving good metabolic health.”
For more information on the Women’s Holistic Health Retreat and integrative health, visit balancemedical.ca/retreats and follow Balance Medical Center on Instagram and Facebook.
To discover more health and wellness opportunities with Dr. Kelly Barnett, follow her on social media on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
Dr. Barnett is a proud partner with Wellness Travel BC, a vibrant online resource of wellness travel consortia that engage wellness travel-seekers to relax, reset and restore at remarkable settings throughout British Columbia and the Yukon.
We’ve partnered with Balance Medical Center to give one lucky winner a ticket to the Women's Holistic Health Retreat from June 14-16!
You can enter via the contest entry form below. For 25 bonus entries, sign up and attend Balance Medical Center’s free virtual information session on Wednesday, May 15 from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. For another 10 bonus entries each, follow Balance Medical Center’s Facebook and Instagram
Total grand prize valued at $1500. Ticket package includes accommodation, meals, activities, pre-lecture access, design supplies, and a CGM monitor. Transportation to and from the retreat not included. This contest is open to British Columbia residents 19+ and closes on May 21, 2024. The contest winner will be contacted via email on this date.
