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The time I began to notice some personal changes happened right around the time a certain word began infiltrating the cultural lexicon. “Perimenopause” was all over the talk shows, on shelves in book stores, and flooded all over my Instagram feed once the algorithm caught on to my googling “Why am I awake from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. every night?” The world was talking about this very important and often misunderstood stage in a woman’s life, but I was living the conversation. It meant that when Six Senses, a wellness pioneer and a thought leader in the space for decades, let me know they were creating and rolling out a dedicated female health program, aligned with but not limited to the onset of perimenopause, I was all ears. This was the first time I had ever felt such a disconnect from my body, and I know many of my friends, my peers, the fellow mothers in the playground, were feeling similarly. Our work outs lost their effectiveness, our thoughts dissolved before we could articulate them. Our hearts would beat as if running a marathon while lying in bed in the dead of night. I was not simply open to the idea of seeking professional help to get on top of it, I had already decided it was imperative to do so. Before I could say, “cortisol levels,” I was booking flights to Six Senses Douro Valley, in Portugal to try out their new perimenopause program. Here’s how it went.
In a nutshell
“Men have had extensive hormonal research done, but females are still playing catch up,” said Anna Bjurstam, the Head of Six Senses Spas and Wellness. As such she and her team have spent the last few years developing an effective program focussing on hormone balance, diet, exercise, sleep habits, bio and other metrics. Experts in the field—including Mindy Pelz who literally wrote the book on the importance of fasting in female health—oversee the program and according to Bjurstam, all practitioners will go through a certification on female health. Though it was piloted at Six Senses Douro Valley and is currently available at Six Senses Kanuhura in the Maldives, Six Senses Crans-Montana, Six Senses Ninha Van Bay, and Six Senses Rome, it will soon roll out across the entire Six Senses portfolio and guests can choose between three, five, and seven-day programs.
Before arrival
The program is designed to have you hit the ground running so much of the screenings happen before arrival. I had a series of calls with experts, including Javier Suarez, the property’s Director of Wellness and Joana Barretos, a physiotherapist and female health expert at home in New York in the weeks leading up to my visit. I will admit that I can be skeptical of short-term, intense wellness retreats—the all-in-approach over 72 hours that doesn’t replicate your life at home makes me dubious that the results will last, and I was here because I needed to make new habits that would work with my real life. I appreciated talking with Javier, who, after asking me to identify the key points I wanted to explore (trouble sleeping, weight gain, eating habits) told me to be me. “If you drink at home, don’t deprive yourself of a drink here,” he said. “You have to eat the fries.”
I submitted a questionnaire before my call with Joana, which allowed her to talk me through my symptoms and discuss my goals. For me, it was education so that I could effectively combat the fluctuations in weight, moodiness, fatigue, and more in my day to day life. We discussed my cycle, my diet, and my mental energy in recent months. I told her what exercise I preferred and did at home (a hard pass on yoga and pilates, which is often what these retreats seem to offer. I need a gym.). Three days before my arrival, a program was sent to my inbox.
And while there
I was quick to learn from the team that female health is (no surprise) more complicated than male health due to our fluctuation and number of hormones. Depending on the week, we need to adjust how we exercise, eat, and sleep in order to maintain overall health. I was instructed to fast 13 hours a day (but told that in other weeks, I should kick that up to 15, and thankfully, much of it’s during sleeping hours). I was given personal training sessions that focused entirely on weights and ordered to wear a nifty glucose monitor which would help determine how my body processed foods. I considered it a small victory when the results stayed within range for my whole stay, including when I indulged in a glass of wine or two.
But to that point, the food was phenomenal. All meals were customized for my needs, and all were high-protein, near-no carbs, and zero sugar. At breakfast, lunch, and dinner I was given a menu designed specifically for me. Nothing about this felt like dieting. My chicken over vegetables was impeccably grilled and seasoned. Dinner was perfectly cooked steak, or salmon, or a chicken vegetable soup with a soft boiled egg stirred in for silkiness and protein. Though I was instructed that I could break my 13 hours of fasting each day with nuts if needed, I almost never did. The balance of nutrition in the chef’s menu ensured I really wasn’t hungry between meals regardless of my activity.
And I was active. The program included a guided hike around the property as well as personal training sessions. This was one of the highlights for me. Luis, my trainer, coached me through the importance of weight training and actually made me start to believe that less cardio at the gym for someone my age is effective for weight loss (though I had heard this several times, I had a hard time believing it was true—still do.) He also educated me as to why that was, which, honestly, is what it takes for me to change habits.
My sleep was also monitored and dissected with a specialist who showed me when and how I had achieved REM, and concerningly, told me that I stopped breathing for roughly 30 seconds in my sleep. I still don’t think we spent enough time unpacking that one. But he did assure me I was okay to—erm—keep sleeping.
A series of biometric screenings also informed me of metabolic, cardio, and systemic health. Sound baths, massages, and biohacking also made an appearance.
Beyond the program
Six Senses Douro Valley was the first opening from the luxury wellness and sustainability brand in Europe. And it single handedly put this lovely wine-drenched region in Portugal on the luxury travel map when it opened in 2016. It is a bastion of forward-thinking wellness and sharp design, with all the hallmarks of a luxury retreat that can cater to those seeking immersive wellness or simply a hedonistic holiday in wine country. Rooms overlook the valley and its namesake river, and the hills are laced with vineyards. The ample grounds have lush endemic and tropical flora, walking trails and of course, a ginormous pool to jump into on hot days. There are well-stocked bars and lounges, inclusive of a self-service wine bar filled with local labels. The program thankfully allowed me plenty of time to explore on my own, and though I loved taking hikes and runs in the surrounding countryside, I spent most of my time in the resort’s utterly phenomenal hydro area. My mornings were generally spent sauntering from the steam room to the sauna before enduring the hydro circuit of water jets, cold plunges, and hot pools. Though I never over indulged in the wine, I had at least a glass every day, because, as Joana pointed out, “This is the Douro, you kind of have to.”
The takeaway
It’s been three months since my three days at Six Senses which means now is the moment of truth. The perimenopause program has been phenomenally effective. Six Senses’ ability to educate guests on how to make the right decisions for both their body and the realities of their day-to-day life is a winning combination. Honestly, it’s probably the only effective combination. Anyone can follow a strict routine under the watchful eyes of experts for 72 hours. But unless it’s realistic, it won’t last past check-out. Guests also get access to the online Academy, which will help them monitor progress and read up on diet and nutrition to ensure progress is maintained well after the program. The best takeaway, however, may be the understanding that I do, in fact, have the ability to manage all these things that had previously seemed so out of my control.