Can medical and healing modalities sit comfortably together? At a recent Global Wellness Summit (GWS) Master Class event, leading wellness expert Dr Frank Lipman, MD said he believed they could and also help to boost immunity in the new pandemic age.

A vocal pioneer of integrative and functional medicine, Dr Lipman shared his wisdom on the emerging field of microbiome health with an audience of more than 350 spa and wellness leaders from around the world. (Main photo: Гоар Авдалян on Unsplash)

Addressing the meeting chaired by GWS chief creative officer Nancy Davies, Dr Lipman addressed questions such as:

1. ‘What is a microbiome?’
2. Why, if you want to age-proof yourself, do you need to leakproof your gut?
3. Do supplements work?
4. What is in store for the world of wellness after the pandemic?

His insight emphasises the importance for spa businesses to tap into the growing demand for integrated health services that can provide their guests with the tools to age well.

Leakproof your gut

Dr Lipman shone a light on the latest thinking on root causes of illness and how he and his colleagues strive to deliver lasting wellness regimes at the Eleven Eleven Center and The Well in New York.

“Its all about removing what is harmful and adding what is beneficial,” Lipman told the GWS delegation. “Our moods, hormones and every aspect of our health is directly affected by our microbiome. It is not the case that what ‘goes on in our gut stays in our gut’. These bacteria produce different metabolisors… positive and negative. If you want to age-proof yourself, you need to leakproof your gut.”

Lipman went on to highlight how ageing and inflammation in the body can be tracked back to an out-of-kilter microbiome, the root cause of many preventable condition including gastrointestinal issues, skin conditions, autoimmune disorders, immune system imbalances and multiple inflammatory disorders.

“Leakproofing your gut is essential as metabolites are the key to our health. They can leak through the gut wall and create anxiety and other health impacts via the blood stream,” he revealed.

“There are two questions I always ask my patients that we can all consider for our own wellbeing. Firstly, “What are you putting into your body or onto your body that needs to be removed? And: ‘What are you lacking and what do you need to put into your system to feel better?’.

Post-pandemic challenges

A self-confessed optimist, Frank Lipman concluded with his thoughts on how the spa and wellness industry can lead in helping people to make positive lifestyle changes.

“Hopefully, we are all going to get older, so its about how well we age and increase our health span and stay vital so we can enjoy life. We need to pay attention to our exercise, sleep, meditation practice and our lifestyles.

“When I started out 40 years ago, I was considered by some as the local ‘quack’, now holistic health seems not so crazy. I am always optimistic about the future and our capacity to create change through groups like the Global Wellness Summit is wonderful.”

The latest GWS Master Class was sponsored by Karen Ballou founder of the innovative skincare line, Immunocologie https://immunocologie.com