As I covered the 450km from Johannesburg to the Brookdale Hydro in Nottingham Road, KwaZulu-Natal, I watched the Ultra Citys and Quick Shops go by, reflecting that since my stomach had become my number one enemy, these dens were out of bounds to me, except to fill up with petrol. Fully stocked with sugar, gluten, transfats and all the dairy concoctions I love but don’t love me, garage shops mean trouble. Best to take a wide berth and eat the padkos I had packed, and stick to still water.
“My gut has become like a troublesome family member,” I mused, foot on the pedal at 120km/h. “It’s perpetually in a state of uproar and overreacts at the slightest sniff of something it doesn’t like.” But like a family member or good friend, you can’t just cut it off. You have to tolerate it, care for it and take to heart the lessons about karma it is teaching you. For what goes around surely comes around.
Just as well I was on my way to one of Brookdale Hydro’s gut health weeks. On the one hand I was fearful it would be a place of nail-biting deprivation, but on the other, I could give my stomach a rest and get some answers to all the questions I had about gut health. Yes, we call it a gut now; it’s considered polite though I was taught it was a rude word. As in, I hate your guts. Maybe the Americans have made it PC because they are at the forefront of functional medicine, which names the gut as the leading factor in physical and mental health.
Brookdale is in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, known for its rolling green hills and valleys, and crisp clean air. So that part would not be a hardship. I’ve been to Brookdale before when my batteries were low, and found a three- or six-day stay could not only revive me but remind me about what I need to keep healthy, energised and positive: early walks, aquacise in the heated pool, yoga, Pilates and relaxation classes, reading on a sun lounger and, very important, generous portions of delicious but clean and nutritious food.
The gut health week would include a different component from the usual six-day stay: two-and-a-half days of consuming only bone broth or veggie broth. This is to give the gut a break, to rest it and knit it up with high doses of collagen. The thin soup would be served up six times a day so no-one need complain of hunger. There would also be a daily talk on an aspect of gut health, as well as other activities: a full immersion in gut health theory and practice.
The course was presented by dietitian Kerry-Ann Dolloway, who made the trip from her practice in White River, Mpumalanga. A week before I had received an email from her with instructions on what to eliminate from my diet so as to minimise withdrawal symptoms such as headaches. Our daily intake of sugar, caffeine, dairy, gluten and wheat was to be whittled down so that when we arrived on the Sunday, we were entirely clean of these — the main culprits when it comes to heartburn, bloating and an irritable bowel.
Included in the cost for a six-day stay at Brookdale are three massage treatments. These, together with additional treatments you can book from a wide menu as well as your meals and activities, can leave you with a full programme. But the attentive and friendly staff wake you at 6.20am with a pot of tea and your diary for the day neatly typed out. For the Gorgeous Gut Gang, however, as we ended up calling ourselves, this meant a pot of hot water with lemon and two probiotic capsules, as recommended by Dolloway. She also prescribed a daily teaspoon of the amino acid glutamine stirred into water to help seal and heal a damaged stomach lining.
Dolloway informed us at the first talk that she would be alluding to things we didn’t usually mention in polite society. Not even in Joburg society, which is seldom polite. Words like “poo”, “fart” and “burp”. This was after all what we were there for: to get the lowdown on bowel movements. We learnt that our bloating, indigestion, flatulence, constipation, diarrhoea and other unsociable symptoms were ultimately the result of low stomach acid. We needed to increase it with Dolloway’s help.
As a start she made us do a “burp test” with bicarbonate of soda, which many of us were crestfallen to learn we had not passed. The bicarb arrived on our trays at 6.20am and was to be stirred into a glass of water. After drinking you had to measure the time until your first passing of wind. Within five minutes meant a healthy amount of stomach acid, whereas a longer period meant it was low. The answer was to double up on probiotics and stick to the bone broth regime.
Luckily there was always the next luxurious treatment, interesting talk or glorious walk in the autumn countryside to draw one’s attention away from a rumbling tummy. That and dozens of cups of rooibos tea and hot water with lemon, ginger and cinnamon always available in the dining area. “Drink, drink, drink!” Dolloway ordered. We were to have about 2l of the pure spring water that was on tap every day.
Gathering for our regular infusions of broth became a cause for celebration. Huddling together in our white Brookdale gowns, we cupped our warm mugs and savoured each sip of its deep and sustaining flavours and soothing effect. I especially liked the vegetable broth, which had a spicy kick and which chef Yelena Reynolds said was packed with many healthful veggies and other vital collagen-producing ingredients.
Collagen is the secret behind the healing effects of the slow-cooked broth. “A number of factors, including poor diet, stress and inflammation, can damage the intestinal wall,” says Dolloway. “Collagen is a protein that plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of our gut lining by helping to repair and strengthen the wall. The collagen is broken down into amino acids during digestion, which are then used by the body to support the repair and regeneration of the gut lining. This can help to improve digestion, reduce inflammation and promote overall gut health.
“Bone broth contains natural collagen as well as other nutrients and minerals that are beneficial for gut health.”
If you want to do the treatment at home but don’t want to have a pot boiling away for 24 hours, you can buy an off-the-shelf product — a collagen powder that can easily be added to foods and beverages for convenience.
“When making bone broth or buying collagen powder, you need to check that it is sourced from high-quality, grass-fed or pasture-raised animals to ensure purity and effectiveness. Some powders even have third-party certifications or testing to verify the quality and purity of the product.”
Chef Reynolds adds that the bone broth is also rich in minerals that support the immune system and contains healing compounds like glutamine, glycine and proline. “Collagen will support healthy skin and help reduce the appearance of cellulite. The glycine in bone broth will help detoxify your cells from chemicals and improve brain function.”
After our two days of ingesting only the broth, those of us who adhered — the lovely Rawdon’s Hotel & Craft Brewery is minutes away — were in fine spirits when we sat down to our first semi-solid meal of courgette, leek and sweet potato soup, with a small pear purée for dessert. We needed to ease our stomachs into normal meals.
Next day we met on the terrace for a lesson on mindful eating. Dolloway, holding a platter covered with a napkin, offered each of us one almond. When you put it on your mouth, she said, feel its texture, taste it, chew it thoroughly before swallowing. We all agreed it was the best almond we had ever eaten. And that when you take your time to eat a nut slowly and mindfully, it tastes so much better and is more satisfying than when you distractedly shovel them in. Next came a half a date and a tiny piece of a chocolate bar, which I declined. Strangely, I had no desire for it. My gut was resting comfortably and did not want to be disturbed.
Snacks are important at Brookdale, and eagerly awaited. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon, the Gut Gang’s tray was laid out with treats like kombucha, seed packs, green smoothies and a choc crunch smoothie. Lunches on the terrace, after the initial broth period, were joyful. We filled our wine glasses from pitchers of cranberry juice and dug into the beautifully presented dishes: chicken thighs in Thai sauce with roast orange veg and pear salad; grilled trout in teriyaki sauce with black rice, green veg and coleslaw. On Friday, the last full day, we came down to picnic blankets laid out with cushions, and received our layered rainbow salad and fresh fruit in handy glass jars.
On one of the evenings, we had met to write down some goals in areas such as diet, self-care, medical, skills and movement. Dolloway emphasised starting small and not forgetting to relax and enjoy that glass of wine on the patio at the end of the day. She had also given us a manual with directions to follow in the following weeks.
It all seemed doable and I left the hydro feeling considerably better but also with the realisation that by applying some of the principles I could retain the benefits. As I rewarded myself with a roadside cappuccino with almond milk, I mused that next time my gut plays up, I’ll take it on holiday. It could work for family members too.
Brookdale Hydro
Rates: The Autumn Special Gut Health Week was from R10,800 pp sharing for a six-day stay. All meals, use of facilities, activities and three treatments included.
Tel: 033 266 6208; Cell: 082 906 0842; info@brookdale.co.za; www.brookdale.co.za
Chef Yelena Reynolds’ bone broth recipe
Ingredients:
Meat bones from grass-fed or free-range chicken carcasses
Filtered water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar — it helps pull out important nutrients from the bones
Add vegetables such as onion, carrots and celery
Method:
Fill stock pot with filtered water and add all the other ingredients. Leave plenty of room for water to boil.
Heat slowly. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat to simmer for at least six hours. Remove any scum that rises. Cook slowly on low heat for 24 hours. A low and slow cook time is necessary to fully extract the nutrients in and around bone. A slow cooker works well for this.
After cooking , the broth will cool and a layer of fat will harden on top. This layer protects the broth beneath. Discard this layer only when you are about to eat the broth.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.