In February 2020, we (Ulrike and Jürgen) participated in the three-week Life Transformation Program at Hippocrates Wellness in Florida. It was an inspiring and enriching experience, and we’re happy to share our impressions with you.

Hippocrates Wellness is a renowned health institute founded in Boston in 1956 by Ann Wigmore, who had experienced remarkable improvements in her own health through dietary changes, particularly by incorporating wheatgrass juice and enzyme-rich raw foods.

Her approach was inspired by the philosophy of the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who emphasized a holistic understanding of the human body and the importance of natural nutrition in supporting its self-healing abilities.

One of the most famous sayings attributed to Hippocrates is:

“Let food be thy medicine and let medicine be thy food”

In 1986, Brian Clement helped relocate the institute to Florida. Together with his wife, Anna Maria Clement, he has dedicated decades to developing Hippocrates Wellness into a comprehensive center for holistic health, education, and lifestyle transformation.

What Motivated Us to Make This Visit?

Our main motivation was to experience this unique institute firsthand and deepen our knowledge of living foods and holistic health.

We also wanted to bring the insights and practical experience we gained back to our own nutrition academy and further enrich our professional training programs.

For Ulrike, the visit was especially meaningful, as it also provided the opportunity to complete the practical component of her training as a Hippocrates Lifestyle Medicine Coach.

Would You Like to Learn More About the Hippocrates Lifestyle?

The essential principles of the Hippocrates Life Transformation Program are explored in depth in a dedicated module of our Holistic Health & Nutrition Coach training program.

You can find more information about the training program HERE

What makes Hippocrates Wellness so unique?

Hippocrates Wellness accommodates approximately 150 guests on its beautiful, 20-acre tropical property. In addition to the three-week Life Transformation Program, the institute offers specialized programs for weight management and individuals facing cancer.

What makes Hippocrates Wellness truly unique is its comprehensive approach to health. Rather than focusing on individual aspects of well-being, the program brings together the many factors that support the body’s natural healing processes.

Healing Begins in the Mind

In his lectures, Brian Clement repeatedly emphasizes that true healing begins in the mind. The quality of our lives is closely connected to how we perceive situations, interpret our experiences, and direct our attention.

With this in mind, participants in the health program are encouraged to recognize and challenge negative thought patterns and behaviors. Just as negative thoughts and emotions can affect our well-being, a positive mindset can contribute to greater emotional balance and overall health.

Another important aspect of the institute’s philosophy is helping guests step away from the stress and worries of everyday life.

The beautifully maintained tropical grounds, with fountains and gentle meditation music throughout, create a unique atmosphere of peace and harmony.

The many caring staff members – from therapists, fitness and yoga instructors to kitchen and housekeeping staff – contribute to an environment where guests feel genuinely welcomed and supported.

Above all is the philosophy of personal responsibility, which forms the basis for any improvement and healing. This means that rather than simply being cured, guests at Hippocrates Wellness are given the tools and support to activate their body’s natural self-healing abilities.

Promotion of Hydration

Good hydration is very important for nutrient supply, especially during detoxification phases. All metabolic processes take place in an aqueous environment. As a component of the blood, water helps supply cells with oxygen and essential nutrients. Meanwhile, waste products are transported through the bloodstream and lymphatic system to the organs responsible for their elimination.

Distilled or reverse-osmosis-filtered water is freely available in all accommodations and therapy buildings. In addition to water, lemon juice (at 8:00 am) and green juice (at 10:00 am and at 4:00 pm) are served. Wheatgrass juice can be self-pressed at the Juice Bar.

Juice fasting is recommended until the first meal at midday. However, by arrangement, nut milks, raw buckwheat and cooked quinoa porridge, and an occasional packet of mixed nuts and seeds can be ordered from the kitchen. This is intended for guests who experience severe detoxification symptoms or lose too much weight on the prescribed diet.

Living Food

During the Living Food Program, everything is aimed at activating the metabolism and stimulating the body’s natural cleansing processes. In particular, sprouts and microgreens, organic vegetables, seaweed, and sauerkraut play an important role:

• Sprouts and microgreens have an extraordinary wealth of nutrients and enzymes. Enzymes increase the electromagnetic frequency of the body’s cells and significantly assist the body in detoxification through their metabolism-activating effects.
• Fresh leafy greens and vegetables contain abundant minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients and chlorophyll in a natural complex of active ingredients.
• Seaweed acts as a salt substitute, among other things, and brings a wide variety of minerals to the table, especially iodine.
• A little sauerkraut with each meal provides the intestines with probiotic cultures.

Twice a day, guests can enjoy food in its finest form at the Hippocrates buffet. The lunch buffet is open from 12:30 to 2:00 pm, and the dinner buffet from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. Among the ingredients, 8 to 10 different types of sprouts and plenty of sunflower, pea, and buckwheat greens form the base and should ideally make up 50% of the meal. In addition, there are various leafy greens, vegetables (carrots, peas, asparagus, peppers…), olives, sauerkraut, seaweed flakes, delicious dressings, and daily revolving extras like avocado, crackers, tacos, or a small cooked side dish.

Fruit is served on Thursday and Sunday mornings.

On Wednesdays, an all-day vegetable juice fast is recommended. Attraction: at noon, salsa music is played while fresh coconut is served, providing plenty of mineral-rich coconut water.

Healthy Sleep

Hippocrates Wellness considers healthy sleep hygiene to be an important pillar for supporting cell regeneration and renewal, as well as balanced hormones. In their facilities, this has also been taken into consideration: high-quality mattresses, comforters, and pillows, all in organic quality, allow for a deep and relaxed sleep.

Heat and Cold Treatments and Infrared Sauna

According to Brian Clement, any form of sauna and heat therapy is beneficial to health, as sweating can aid detoxification through the skin. So all guests have the opportunity to visit an infrared sauna at any time and in close proximity to their lodgings. A pool area invites sunbathing and allows alternating baths in hot and cold pools, relaxation in a warm saltwater pool, and swimming in an ozone water pool.

Exercise and Weight Training

Physical activity can greatly improve cardiovascular function, bone health, and muscle strength. In addition to these benefits, adequate exercise oxygenates the blood and greatly improves the removal of metabolic waste through the lymphatic system, respiratory system, and the skin. At the institute, a wide-ranging exercise program lets everyone choose from circuit training, trampolining, yoga, Qi Gong, strength training, water gymnastics, and more, each under the guidance of highly qualified trainers.

How does the Life Transformation Program work?

Hippocrates Village is easy to reach from the West Palm Beach airport (7 kilometers/4 miles away) or Miami airport (80 kilometers/50 miles away). Arrival day is Sunday; between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm you can check in and move into your room or small apartment. There are different room categories, from very luxurious villas to nice double rooms, and rooms with a shared bathroom and toilet. In the afternoon of arrival day, there is an introductory meeting followed by a guided tour and briefing on the grounds.

A weekly program booklet clearly lists all fitness, yoga, and lecture classes. From then on, you’re on your own and should make appointments for the inclusive treatments at the beginning of the week.

The basic program includes:

• An initial blood value analysis and two further scan procedures, which provide the groundwork for the basic medical consultation and therapy recommendations.
• A consistent, low-fruit, low-salt, low-fat raw food supply and ample beverage supply.
• Unlimited wheatgrass pressing (recommended up to 30 ml/1 oz twice daily) at the Juice Bar.
• An extensive exercise program with up to 6 different classes daily. Additionally, there’s a fitness room with weights and equipment, and an outdoor fitness center for free use.
• Free access to the infrared sauna and saltwater, chlorine-free pool, and the hot/cold pools.
• A variety of lectures by Brian, Anna Maria, and other therapists.
• A 25-minute stress assessment session and a complimentary 50-minute stress management session.
• Various treatments using holistic energy medicine equipmen, such as magnetic resonance and vibration therapies, infrared applications, oxygen therapies, and many more.
• A weekly body massage.
• Colon hydrotherapy.
• An irrigator for the recommended enemas. One enema and two wheatgrass supplements (60 ml/2 oz each morning and evening) are usually recommended.
• Basic supplement kit (chlorella supplements, probiotics, enzymes, vitamins B12 and D).
• In the third week there is another blood value analysis with a final medical consultation.

In addition to these amenities, a wide range of treatments can be booked at extra cost following appropriate consultation or preference. These range from acupuncture, B12 or glutathione injections, hormone treatments, and lymphatic massages, to a visit to the beauty salon.

Who is the Life Transformation Program Suitable for?

The Life Transformation Program at Hippocrates Wellness is basically suitable for anyone who has a desire for sun, sprouts, and a lifestyle boost. The grounds, catering, and therapy offerings are impressive. About 20 new people from all over the world join the program every week. In fact, most people don’t make this investment for themselves until they start to suffer. Among the newcomers are people diagnosed with cardiovascular problems, obesity, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, cancer, and others. Additionally, there are also some return guests. Their success stories indicate that a stay at Hippocrates Wellness has given them a new lease on life.

Our Summary

We felt that the overarching sense of personal responsibility was crucial for how the stay was designed. This is noticeable right from the beginning of the life-transforming weeks, because the vast array of offerings is compelling and at the same time overwhelming, especially for some raw food newcomers. There is a risk of continuing the same old health routine, with the pursuit of recovery turning into a treatment marathon.

Time and again, we were impressed with how Brian and Anna Maria managed to put together a program of this complexity. The organization and its team of 150 employees are perfectly geared to make the guests feel super comfortable, and to ensure that all aspects necessary for cleansing and metabolic revitalization can be applied at a high level.

For us, after three very busy years, the Lifestyle Weeks were a wonderful time of relaxation and definitely the right kick to optimize our lifestyle at home from that point on:

• We now allocate enough time for more exercise in nature, along with strength training sessions.
• We continue to practice vegetable juice fasting in the morning. Benefits: Supports the elimination phase, hydration, and mineralization.
• Our diet is rich in sprouts, greens, and wild herbs with at least 80% raw vegetables.

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The essential principles of the Hippocrates Life Transformation Program will be covered in the training in a separate, in-depth module of our training program.

We are more than happy to inform you about our training program on our website!