Bangkok:
For the people in Bangkok - one of the busiest cities of the planet - it's difficult to find a yoga class where one can truly relax and rejuvenate. But fret no more.
Many people looking for a quiet workout head an hour's drive away to Ban Ing Nam Resort.
Its main goal is to help people give up unhealthy habits and develop new activities that are better for them and can help prevent illnesses.
The first step is to get them to exercise, says fitness trainer Rapin Prawiset. "It's not necessary to go full out, but we try to find something that is fun for them. Exercise they can enjoy. And we slowly adjust the programme so they do it more and more. Like that. We find activities that they like."
Thirty seven year-old Nattawhat Varithongchusakul suffers from diabetes. He wants help in balancing his blood sugar and wants to become less reliant on medication.
"I came here because I have diabetes and I'm overweight and these have caused other health problems for me," says Nattawhat. "I get tired easily, I'm weak, and my health isn't so great. But when we exercise, we can feel that we have changed our system. It's like changing and altering our body functions. We come to change the way we eat, exercise and get enough rest. It helps us manage many different things," he says.
The resort lies along the quiet Prak Udom River where visitors can sit back and watch life go by the way it has for centuries in Thailand.
There are seven deluxe Garden Villa rooms and six studio-size Herbal rooms. Two-night packages start at $140. Guests can also enjoy day-spa programmes that include exercise and massage sessions and a meal starting at $100 for two people. Seventy percent of guests are Thai and 30 percent come from abroad.
There are less than 10 resorts in Thailand that offer health and detox programmes listed online, according to Asia Web Direct, a Web-based travel booking site. Yet Ban Ing Ram claims it is the only resort in the country that helps people truly modify their lifestyles.
"What we're doing is that you must change inside," says Dr. Nopparat Panthongwiriyakul, a cardiologist and director of the resort. "Not only just change the outside, but change from the inside. Once people understand that lifestyle changes are important and suitable for them and that they will benefit from them they will then change their habits. We use a way of changing behavior through rehabilitation, meaning change from inside, giving them knowledge so they will know that once they go home they will have better health," he adds.
Dr. Nopparat created the resort in 2004. He says many of his patients have medical problems that are created or exacerbated by unhealthy lifestyles. He believes prevention and replacing damaging habits with healthy ones is critical.
In order for people to permanently modify their behaviour, the doctor says they need to practice new activities for at least three weeks. He adds that guests at the resort have greater chances of permanently adopting healthy behaviours compared to people who simply go on the recommendations of their doctors.
At Ban Ing Ram Resort, doctors, trainers and nutritionists oversee each step of guests' holistic care programmes.
After a workout, there's nothing like a hot stone massage. The resort says it is a perfect part of a detox programme.
"Usually with Thai massage, we just use pressure," says massage therapist Chanachai Kasemsarn, adding, "But in hot stone massage, we use heat to relieve strained nerves. It is gentler than Thai massage. Thai massage uses pressure on nerves so the circulation improves. But hot stone massage uses heat that helps relieve the nerves and helps the circulation flow."
The resort uses 100 per cent organic food grown on site or by farms run under the guidance of Thailand's royal family. The shrimp are harvested from the river.
Salmon grilled with olive oil is a special feature of the menu's resort. Its chef says it is healthiest to steam or grilling and advises people to never eat burned food. He adds it is best to use very little oil and use healthy oils like olive oil in salad dressings.
Even the sauce for the salmon is healthy. The chef whips up a simple honey and lemon juice glaze.
And if this is not enough, there's salad which is made from organic lettuce, asparagus, courgette, tomato, kiwi, balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
"For customers who come to lose weight with us, some of them are very determined and they will lose weight for sure," says chef Supakrit Chitsomphong. "They follow the course we set out for them, including eating, exercise. They follow it all. Some others are determined, but they have unhealthy eating habits. For example, they may not like eating vegetables and only want to eat meals or sweet things. Sometimes we can provide these things for them, but we reduce these kinds of food little by little," he adds.
You can forget about coffee or caffeinated tea at this resort, but they do make their own herbal flower tea. Although most guests come here for detox programmes, there are many guilt-free pleasures.
And last but not the least, the homemade fruit dessert is fat-free, but you may never know the difference.
Many people looking for a quiet workout head an hour's drive away to Ban Ing Nam Resort.
Its main goal is to help people give up unhealthy habits and develop new activities that are better for them and can help prevent illnesses.
The first step is to get them to exercise, says fitness trainer Rapin Prawiset. "It's not necessary to go full out, but we try to find something that is fun for them. Exercise they can enjoy. And we slowly adjust the programme so they do it more and more. Like that. We find activities that they like."
Thirty seven year-old Nattawhat Varithongchusakul suffers from diabetes. He wants help in balancing his blood sugar and wants to become less reliant on medication.
"I came here because I have diabetes and I'm overweight and these have caused other health problems for me," says Nattawhat. "I get tired easily, I'm weak, and my health isn't so great. But when we exercise, we can feel that we have changed our system. It's like changing and altering our body functions. We come to change the way we eat, exercise and get enough rest. It helps us manage many different things," he says.
The resort lies along the quiet Prak Udom River where visitors can sit back and watch life go by the way it has for centuries in Thailand.
There are seven deluxe Garden Villa rooms and six studio-size Herbal rooms. Two-night packages start at $140. Guests can also enjoy day-spa programmes that include exercise and massage sessions and a meal starting at $100 for two people. Seventy percent of guests are Thai and 30 percent come from abroad.
There are less than 10 resorts in Thailand that offer health and detox programmes listed online, according to Asia Web Direct, a Web-based travel booking site. Yet Ban Ing Ram claims it is the only resort in the country that helps people truly modify their lifestyles.
"What we're doing is that you must change inside," says Dr. Nopparat Panthongwiriyakul, a cardiologist and director of the resort. "Not only just change the outside, but change from the inside. Once people understand that lifestyle changes are important and suitable for them and that they will benefit from them they will then change their habits. We use a way of changing behavior through rehabilitation, meaning change from inside, giving them knowledge so they will know that once they go home they will have better health," he adds.
Dr. Nopparat created the resort in 2004. He says many of his patients have medical problems that are created or exacerbated by unhealthy lifestyles. He believes prevention and replacing damaging habits with healthy ones is critical.
In order for people to permanently modify their behaviour, the doctor says they need to practice new activities for at least three weeks. He adds that guests at the resort have greater chances of permanently adopting healthy behaviours compared to people who simply go on the recommendations of their doctors.
At Ban Ing Ram Resort, doctors, trainers and nutritionists oversee each step of guests' holistic care programmes.
After a workout, there's nothing like a hot stone massage. The resort says it is a perfect part of a detox programme.
"Usually with Thai massage, we just use pressure," says massage therapist Chanachai Kasemsarn, adding, "But in hot stone massage, we use heat to relieve strained nerves. It is gentler than Thai massage. Thai massage uses pressure on nerves so the circulation improves. But hot stone massage uses heat that helps relieve the nerves and helps the circulation flow."
The resort uses 100 per cent organic food grown on site or by farms run under the guidance of Thailand's royal family. The shrimp are harvested from the river.
Salmon grilled with olive oil is a special feature of the menu's resort. Its chef says it is healthiest to steam or grilling and advises people to never eat burned food. He adds it is best to use very little oil and use healthy oils like olive oil in salad dressings.
Even the sauce for the salmon is healthy. The chef whips up a simple honey and lemon juice glaze.
And if this is not enough, there's salad which is made from organic lettuce, asparagus, courgette, tomato, kiwi, balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
"For customers who come to lose weight with us, some of them are very determined and they will lose weight for sure," says chef Supakrit Chitsomphong. "They follow the course we set out for them, including eating, exercise. They follow it all. Some others are determined, but they have unhealthy eating habits. For example, they may not like eating vegetables and only want to eat meals or sweet things. Sometimes we can provide these things for them, but we reduce these kinds of food little by little," he adds.
You can forget about coffee or caffeinated tea at this resort, but they do make their own herbal flower tea. Although most guests come here for detox programmes, there are many guilt-free pleasures.
And last but not the least, the homemade fruit dessert is fat-free, but you may never know the difference.
