Clinique La Prairie’s work has always been based on science and, because a key part of disease prevention is diet, the emphasis has shifted towards nutritional science with nutrigenomic supplements.

As the most recent scientific research shows the importance of supplementation for a balanced living, the vision was to make a part of these nutritional technologies available to a larger number of clients, and so the «Clinique La Prairie Holistic Health» project was initiated, giving birth to high performance nutraceuticals.

Holistic Health is the industry’s most sophisticated supplement range based on years of research and innovation fully made in Switzerland.

Enhance your longevity routine according to your needs  

Since the 90's, Pink October is celebrated each october around the world to raise awareness about breast health and the importance of screening for the early diagnosis of breast cancer, which became the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide.

This year, one of our medical expert, Dr Karin Dubrit, Specialists in gynaecology-obstetrics & micronutrition at our Gynecology and Obstetrics Center, tells you more on the importance of prevention and self-assessment.

This is a very complex process, which takes several years to develop. It is characterised by 3 phases: an attacked cell will be initiated, followed by tumour promotion and tumour progression. The initiation of cancer certainly involves genetic vulnerabilities but also and necessarily involves the processes of nitrosative oxidative stress and dysmethylation, with in summary a very poor management of oxidative stress. Several DNA mutations will be necessary. Then tumour progression will occur only if the tumour finds food (glucose and oxygen). It comes down to a balance between aggression and cellular protection. When the balance is broken, a whole process starts.

Cancer is vicious in nature. It is usually asymptomatic and often does not show symptoms until it is too late.  A mass discovered in the breast by palpation, sometimes pain or even a late skin ulcer.

Without a doubt, lifestyle, healthy diet, micronutrition, physical exercise, Chinese medicine, reduction of stress phenomena are for me the basis of the prevention of any cancer. We now know that we can influence our genetics. This is epigenetics.

It is possible to support these treatments by various and varied alternative medicines, such as oncological micronutrition, which is one of my specialities, by Chinese medicine that Dr Frobert practises, and by many others.

Self-assessment is important. It does not replace screening but contributes to it. It makes it possible to find an unusual mass or deformation in the breast, for example, and to lead to a diagnosis of the disease perhaps earlier than if the patient had waited for her screening mammogram or her check-up with her gynaecologist.

Currently, European and international gynaecological societies are discussing whether self-examination remains really useful, in the sense that it could induce a situation of anxiety in women. It could lead to additional health care costs, because women would more easily go to consult without ending up with an increase in the number of breast cancers. I think that everything remains a question of individual medicine vs. societal medicine, towards which we are unfortunately evolving.

The practice of regular physical activity, a healthy lifestyle with, among other things, the reduction of stress and anxiety, and healthy eating remain at the heart of primary prevention.

With a rate of just 1%, breast cancer can also affect men. It is therefore also important for men to perform chest palpation. However, it affects men at a later age compared to women.

Two weeks to aim for an optimal weight in a healthy, progressive and balanced way, under strict medical and nutritional supervision, taking into account body, metabolism and mind.

To rediscover vitality and the pleasure of living at an optimal weight, we have developed an approach that focuses on your genetic profile, restoring your physical and mental fitness, and stabilizing your metabolism, with lasting results adapted to your personal profile.

Being overweight is often due to a problem of multifactorial origin. All the involved physiological, biological, genetic and psychological factors must be addressed. Our experts adjust the program to your personal profile. As a result, even more marked effects at the end of the stay and a pleasure to eat that remains intact, without the feeling of deprivation.

The multidisciplinary approach makes it possible to treat the underlying and sometimes indirect causes of overweight. For example, it is not uncommon to find subacute systemic inflammation, disruption of the microbiota or desynchronization of the biological clock, with irregular and/or insufficient sleep.

Sometimes it will be a question of combating oxidative stress by treating excess cortisol.

Specific therapies or a targeted intake of certain micronutrients may prove necessary and will be advised by Clinique La Prairie's specialist doctors.

Stress and aging lead to inflammation, energy imbalance, oxidative damage caused by free radicals and neural degeneration. This is why it is essential to promote the ability to cope with physical and emotional stress, to strengthen the metabolism and to affect longevity mechanisms in many ways by taking advantage of the body’s main adaptation systems (nervous, endocrine and immune).

Psychological aspects, such as self-confidence and feeling good about yourself, are naturally integrated into the program, through daily support by our teams of specialists and sessions of relaxation and breathing techniques.

Analysis of the quality of sleep, psychological therapies, breathing coaching to boost metabolism, energy-boosting treatments are part of the program.

Your coaching and dietary plan are tailored to your medical results for optimization of beneficial effects on inflammatory states, cardio-metabolic functions, stress, sleep and the health of your intestines.

Our nutritional approach teaches you how to establish long-term habits and, during your stay, is focused on:

• An anti-inflammatory diet
• Intermittent fasting to actively boost your metabolism
• Precisely calculated calorie restriction, to promote fat oxidation while preventing the loss of muscle mass
• Private nutrition workshops as well as daily nutritional coaching to support you, guide you and advise you in your choices also in the long term
• A cure of probiotics
• Exclusive CLP herbal teas made to promote weight loss and body drainage, with unique recipes that draw on the long Swiss tradition in herbalism.

You will learn how to activate the airplane mode of your brain, as well as experience different patterns of breathing and specialized techniques that enhance breath practices using nostrils, abdomen, and full lungs, as well as holding your breath at different parts of the cycles.

Clinique La Prairie instructors will provide private sessions to analyze your needs and your desires and offer a truly tailor-made approach that will guide you to a balance that is essential to a healthy life.

Breathing coaching is integrated into the Master Detox and Weight Management, Rebalancing programs, and is also available on request.

Read the original article in Italian here.

What does the future hold for wellness? What are the upcoming trends? According to the Global Wellness Institute, a non-profit organisation whose mission is to enhance well-being around the world, by 2022 the turnover for the global market will reach around 816 billion dollars and will exceed one trillion dollars by 2025. In order to investigate further this macro trend, Clinique La Prairie, a world-renowned clinic based in Montreux, leader for 90 years in the field of longevity, has carried out a study on the future of the health, beauty and wellness sectors. The research was based on a mixed model approach, involving both interviews with experts from different sectors, as well as a survey on a panel of big spenders. The results highlighted 8 key aspects, ranging from science to medicine, from circadian rhythms to the holistic approach, aimed at ensuring a longer and healthier life.

Another key point is brain training, aimed at increasing cognitive potential. Cognitive assessment tools are key for the future of neuroscience. In some situations, our brain may fail to perform properly, due to excessive agitation, fatigue, distraction, anxiety, anger, which can affect our balance. "Some processes can help us find a cerebral ‘balance’”, Gibertoni explains. “Amongst the most promising, neurofeedback is a method which, through electroencephalogram, can increase our capacity of psycho-physiological self-regulation, as an alternative to pharmacotherapy and with no side effects. The stimulation of brain plasticity is key and new solutions, such as brain mapping, neurofeedback-based exercises, nootropics and lifestyle-related, are being researched. With regard to brain plasticity, Professor Bogdman Draganski from the University of Lausanne has coordinated several studies, which also involve the prediction of senile dementia and the slowing down of its progression".

Experts predict the possibility of exceeding 100 years of age: reversing the aging process in young people will be the upcoming challenge of medicine. The fifth key trend focuses on reversed aging. Geroprotectors already allow us to prevent the formation of senescent cells, and once they form, senolytic drugs help eliminating them. Indeed, in order to live longer, ’stretching’ the ends of chromosomes, the so-called telomeres (small portions of DNA) could be sufficient. The analysis of the length of telomeres is an accurate index of biological age compared to chronological age and represents an extraordinary step forward in medicine for the treatment of chronic diseases and the enhancement of longevity. The sixth key point involves stem cells, already used, for quite some time, for aesthetic medical treatments as well as in reparative medicine for the regeneration of tissues in injured or damaged areas of the body. In the future, they could also be used for organs, and the ambition is that of being able to create and replace vital organs such as kidneys, liver and lungs.

The last two key points refer to the importance of the circadian rhythm and that of a holistic approach. Living and acting according to chronobiology is about to become a key health parameter. "Our circadian rhythm regulates many aspects of our health, including our digestion, hormones and the immune system, Gibertoni explains. Our internal clock also determines our optimal sleep times. Sleeping disorders are due to an alteration of the circadian rhythm, a desynchronisation between the internal sleep-wake rhythms and the normal light-dark cycle. Living in harmony with our circadian rhythm is also essential for the balance of our immune system".

Consistent with our desire to always be at the forefront, Clinique La Prairie is planning to extend its philosophy globally through the opening of new structures. "This development is going to take place according to three main models: Longevity hub & Medical Spa, a first structure of this type already existing at the St-Regis in Bangkok, with a second opening in Doha in 2022, Gibertoni tells us. Holistic Beauty Centres, based on an integrated approach, combining aesthetic medicine and anti-aging advice: Madrid already hosts such a centre. Finally, the Health Clinics, offering comprehensive wellness and medical treatment programs, such as in Montreux. Several openings are already planned throughout the next five years in many European cities, including Milan. Future projects also include the US, the Middle East and Asia".

Il Sole 24 Ore, March 22, 2022

Knowledge and understanding of the human genetics have tremendously increased over the last 30 years, notably due to the technology developments such as diverse genetic arrays and next generation sequencing. The elucidation of the human genome allowed subsequently to sequence the genome of a big number of individuals and diverse human ethnicities, to compare them among each other, to establish a haplotype map of the human genome and, to identify sequences that are related to a disease development.

The DNA sequence of any two people is 99.9 percent identical. The variations, however, may greatly affect an individual's risk to develop a disease.

Genetics can help to decrease oxidative stress or to predict the risk of developing deficiency in diverse nutriments, such as vitamins.

Some examples :

Folate or vitamin B9 is only available through nutrition and plays an important role in the formation of red blood cells and in the healthy growth and function of cells (synthesis of DNA bases, synthesis of certain amino acids, etc); it is crucial in early pregnancy to reduce the risk of congenital malformations of the brain and spine.

Folic acid is the metabolic precursor of an important coenzyme, tetrahydrofolate; its biotransformation involves a specific enzyme (MTHFR). Genetic variant in this gene that forms this MTHFR enzyme is frequent in the general population. This variant is associated with low serum and red blood cell folate levels, as well as with elevated homocysteine levels (a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline). Knowledge of the existence of this variant in the genome of the person can help to decide on folate supplementation, choice of the most appropriate form of supplements (folate vs. folic acid), allow to establish a personalized surveillance of homocysteine levels to prevent development of certain diseases.

Finally, numerous studies have shown that knowledge of our own genetics and the eventual associated risks stimulates to adopt appropriate healthy lifestyle that significantly contributes to an individual wellbeing and longevity.

Learn more on how to stay healthy, live longer and enjoy life to its fullest thanks to the highlights topics in health and wellness optimisation, immunity, detox, nutrition as well as healthy recipes designed by our Chef.

The transcendental meditation technique allows your mind to settle inward until you experience a deep level of your own awareness. Its regular practice helps have less constant anxiety, provides a state of calmness, and brings your mind to a clearer and more creative place. It is scientifically known to bring the body into a state of rest that is far deeper than even the deepest sleep. 

That is the big difference between transcendental meditation and the other meditation; it is very easy because it is the opposite of concentration; you don’t need to have special capacity, anyone can do it. We do not try to empty the mind because that is impossible for a stressed person.

So, we have thoughts in transcendental meditation and we don't fight with them. It is so easy and that is why millions of people, some of the most creative minds of our time, get immense benefit from it every day.

This practice is a simple and effective tool for increasing inner energy and relieving stress.

To answer we need to understand the scientific source of stress.

Dr Hans Selyé was one of the pioneers to define psychological stress in the 70’s: it is an abnormal response of the body to a too powerful experience be it sensory (loud noise or intense flash of light) physical, emotional, challenging situations in life etc. The body will then react in producing physical and chemical distortions. These are what Dr Selye called physiological stresses and they are stored allover in our body and prevent the normal functioning of many bodily systems. The rest of the night cannot eliminate these deep-rooted stresses we need a more powerful tool for that and transcendental meditation is a very efficient one.

Life in society these days is inducing so much pressure and stress and most people accumulate so much of it that they have sleep disorders, burnout, anxiety, depression and all the consequences on health like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, digestive difficulties etc. They all understand that it comes from stress whatever the end problem and they come to TM to decrease their level of stress, somehow eliminate the stress by deep rest.

How ? Although it is a mental technique, it triggers a unique neurophysiological state, that is shown to lead to lower cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure.

Especially with insomnia, the results with transcendental meditation are usually coming quite quickly and some clients have got relief of sleep problems in a few days even. Some scientific research showed that the insomniacs had a significant decrease of their time to fall asleep after a few weeks of transcendental meditation practice.