Chenot Magazine Vol.1 - Metamorphosis

Vol. 1 METAMORPHOSIS

A very warm welcome to this first edition of Chenot magazine, a physical exploration of our goal to inspire you to optimise your Health Wellness beyond the walls of our retreats.

The theme of the issue is ‘metamorphosis’, derived from the Greek word metamorfosi, which means ‘transformation.’ Our carefully curated articles feature some of the world’s leading authorities on Health Wellness and longevity, including Blue Zones founder Dan Buettner and Biohacking expert Dave Asprey, to enhance your own transformational journey of personal growth and self-discovery.

Here at Chenot, it is our priority to empower you to live healthier for longer, irrespective of your age. We are at an exciting stage of metamorphosis ourselves as we continue to develop in our role as your supportive partner, helping you to reset your Health Wellness from within.

As this issue will explore, much of your future health is in your own hands. You have the power to embrace transformative habits and mindsets to unlock your potential and futureproof your wellbeing, for a life of purpose, joy and fulfilment.

Dr George Gaitanos

Our lives are shaped by the choices we make. Together, we can experience a profound metamorphosis.

Above: The immaculately renovated Chenot Palace Weggis overlooking Lake Lucerne combines traditional Swiss heritage with state-of-the-art design, courtesy of Davide Macullo Architects.

Lose yourself in the wild, sublimely beautiful landscapes of Switzerland in our photo essay, captured by the photographer Gaudenz Danuser.

Davide Macullo Award-winning architect behind Chenot Palace Weggis on designing feel-good spaces.

32 Ben Fogle Adventurer, broadcaster and author answers our inaugural True Potential questionnaire.

Chenot’s next generation of pioneering professional-grade skincare products, made with Swiss Alpine Rose.

Record-breaking Norwegian mountaineer on the power of setting goals.

Blue Zones expert shares the characteristics of the longest lived people.

Health is not just the absence of disease but a dynamic quality of living. Understanding and promoting our Health Wellness is key to achieving this, writes Dr George Gaitanos .

BEHIND

THE SCIENCE

H

Our biology is dynamic and our choices in everyday life make an impact, for better or wors e. Only 20% of our future health is predetermined by our genetics, meaning that 80% is in our own hands. This seemingly simple statistic is powerful because it shows we have the ability to change the rate at which we are ageing.

It is the influence of lifestyle related factors such as our environment, diet, exercise, drugs, disease, toxin exposure, social connections, and mindset

ow long would you like to live? It is a provocative and emotive question. The idea of living to 100 may be seductive, but not if you spend your last 20 years in poor health. But what if you could live to 120 in full and vital good health, maintaining a fully active life while reducing the risk of ill-health and the onset of agerelated disease?that create the milieu in which our genes operate daily. This cocktail of variables determines the genes’ expression and activity, causing them to turn ‘on’ and ‘off.’ To live better and for longer, we need to assess, prioritise, and integrate our dominant lifestyle inputs with our ability to convert them into Health Wellness outcomes for our body and mind.

We can adapt our lifestyles to counteract and even reverse our biological age - the age we are on the inside. We can do this through the choices we make. By developing sustainable and healthy habits, we can often find our intrinsic power to live healthier for longer. Habits are not written in stone, and there is always time to create a revolution. The whole concept of our approach to Health Wellness at Chenot is to take action before something happens.

Today, we live in a world that is very comfortable

THE EMBODIED MIND

To enjoy Health Wellness you need to strengthen your resilience, either by increasing your body’s tolerance levels or by expanding them to they can accommodate more signals. This is the purpose of Health Wellness – achieving great levels of functionality and resilience, and being adapted to life, as defined by the French physician Georges Canguilhem.

RESILIENCE HORMESIS

UNLOCK YOUR HUMAN POTENTIAL

BY DR GEORGE GAITANOS

and protective, but we did not evolve in such conditions. With the advent of industrialisation and technology, humankind was expected to ignore and override the natural rhythms which had dictated our schedules for thousands of years. Our forebears moved from the countryside to cities, extended their working hours and had far less time to spend outside in nature or socialising with loved ones.

Our diets also suffered with the introduction of processed, mass-produced convenience food. As hunter-gatherers genetically primed to be on the lookout for scarce supplies of food, often in extreme temperatures, our new continuous caloric surplus has further compromised our biology. This enormous collective shift in our lifestyle in such a relatively short evolutionary period presents a huge challenge for our genetic makeup.

Our genes were programmed thousands of years ago, and remain unchanged, thus they have not adapted to such rapid epochal shifts. Hundreds of generations are required for the body to adapt to a new environment. Today, with this rapid acceleration, our genes continually attempt

to reprogramme to this new way of living, but they are not always successful. The body is in a constant battle to adapt and this creates chronic stress, which manifests as inflammation and accelerated ageing.

Ask yourself, is it normal for human beings to constantly think about work, perceiving stress and anxiety as normal feelings, and not treating the soul, the spirit and the physical body with compassion?

To sit at a desk for 12 hours, being sleep-deprived, and staying up late indulging in food and alcohol?

To consume social media while being socially isolated? Of course not. People may live longer today, but not to their full potential. They are either on therapeutic medication or acting as caregivers. There are people today who are 40 years old chronologically yet are 60 biologically.

We take living for granted and often rely on traditional medical intervention if we are in poor health. Our Health Wellness requires interventions from a lifestyle perspective, in which our efforts are not motivated simply by a desire to avoid disease, but rather by a desire to enhance our life. By recognising this, we determine our own level

of optimal functioning, irrespective of our chronological age and condition.

AGEING AS A MEDICAL CONDITION

Ageing is a medical condition. Until the age of around 50, nature protects us from disease because it needs us to produce babies. After this age, our DNA is damaged and our cells are full of toxins, leaving us vulnerable to disease and accelerated ageing. Lifestyle interventions can counteract this process.

At Chenot, you will embark on a holistic intervention that will reset and rejuvenate you at a cellular and molecular level, synchronising your biology with its natural rhythms and cycles. The intensive programmes we offer will not only promote your health, but will help you gain higher levels of functionality, performance, recovery, and strengthen your resilience to life stressors and disease. During our seven-day programmes, we use a strict protocol – the Chenot Method® – that will help you to achieve this.

The Chenot Method® deploys the principles of hormesis, a characteristic of many biological processes where short, intermittent bursts of specific stressors trigger a cascade of cellular responses with adaptive and repairing mechanisms. These ultimately enhance your overall health, slow down or even reverse the ageing process and improve your resilience to future stress – both mental and physical. In essence, hormesis works like a vaccine, where a modulated dose of a stressor provokes a defensive, adaptive response within the body.

It all starts with greater self-awareness and commitment to your future health potential. We begin with a process of diagnosis using our Chenot Lifestyle Biomarkers®, which assess the impact your specific lifestyle is

having on your biological age. With the support of our specialised team, the results are used to individualise your programme and uncover the priorities you should focus on, and the adaptations to make when you return to your daily life. In this way, Chenot leads a new direction of precision medicine for your Health Wellness.

We follow protocols in an orchestrated and balanced manner which trigger biological changes that promote your Health Wellness. The precise sequencing, frequency and dose of the treatments is all essential to our Method® in order to activate a rejuvenating cellular response. To name just a few, your body will be exposed to a calorie restricted diet, energetic massages, hot and cold temperatures, low and high concentrations of oxygen, light frequencies and antigravity technology – all backed by science.

With novel mRNA-based molecular tests performed at our in-house state-ofthe-art molecular laboratory, we quantify with incredible precision the relative expression of important genes associated with the presence of silent inflammation, oxidative stress, hormonal imbalance, the structural integrity of connective tissue, neuroprotection, and ageing.

behaviour of these genes before and after the application of lifestyle modifications. In this way, we obtain an accurate picture of gene activity which reveals your epigenetic profile – the barometer of your future health!

The results will unequivocally reveal whether your lifestyle choices are contributing to your healthspan, and highlight the root cause of oncoming issues years before symptoms and the onset of disease, empowering you to take preventative action. This unique real-time picture of your Health Wellness at the molecular level allows you to focus on building resilience and extending your healthspan by preventing the premature onset of the age-related degeneration, reducing the need for medicinal reliance in later life.

Embarking on such a journey to wellness is an intense emotional and physical experience. Though we are taking you out of your comfort zone, we commit to ensuring you feel comfortable and supported, so that you can get the most out this exciting and revelatory journey. In many ways, this connectedness and understanding between humans represents one of the most fundamental medicines – a feeling of purpose, love and happiness.

By performing this specific gene expression analysis, we can achieve a personal and real-time evaluation of undesired gene activity, and most importantly, monitor the Dr George Gaitanos is Chenot’s Chief Operating & Scientific Officer.

Clockwise from Right: The Chenot Diet ® Energetic Massage; Neurac treatment; Whole-Body Photobiomodulation treatment;

The award-winning entrepreneur Dave Asprey is regarded as ‘The Father of Biohacking.’ A New York Times bestselling science author, he is the founder and CEO of Upgrade Labs biohacking gyms. Here, he shares his expert advice on how to biohack your biology.

BEHIND THE SCIENCE

THE HUMAN UPGRADE

BY DAVE ASPREY

FITNESS HACK – REHIT

To become stronger, your system needs intense but brief stressors. Medium-intensity cardiovascular exercises like running on a treadmill aren’t only time-consuming, they also put your body in a constant state of stress. This sends your body a signal that you’re being chased by a tiger every day consistently. There is a better way to get in shape: REHIT, or reduced exertion high-intensity training. This workout consists of two all-out 20-second sprints within a roughly 10-minute exercise session. Studies demonstrate that it helps improve insulin sensitivity and increases your VO2 max – an indicator of cardiovascular fitness. You can perform this on an exercise bike by warming up at a very slow pace for two minutes, then instantly increasing the resistance for an all-out maximum power sprint lasting 20 seconds. Afterwards, you rest for three minutes. You’ll then repeat the all-out sprint and do a very slow three-minute cooldown.

METABOLISM HACK – LIGHT THERAPY

If you have ever taken a biology class, you have likely heard of mitochondria. These pill-shaped mini organs reside inside your cells. Mitochondria produce a molecule called ATP which your body uses to fuel daily activities. If your mitochondria aren’t functioning properly, your body won’t have enough energy. You’ll feel sluggish, tired, and might struggle to lose weight. Your mitochondria respond to light. You can upgrade them and make them more efficient by providing the right types of light. Studies show that 660 nanometers of red light activates an enzyme in your mitochondria that helps them produce more ATP. Consequently, you experience reduced inflammation and stress.

RECOVERY HACK – WHOLE BODY VIBRATION

Scientists discovered long ago that whole-body vibration restores bone density in astronauts. Standing on a whole-body vibration plate vibrating 30 times per second, or 30 hertz, not only strengthens your bones but also promotes wound healing, improves whole-body oxygenation, and accelerates lymphatic system drainage, helping your body eliminate toxins. You can also get an intense workout by performing squats or push-ups on a vibration plate because it tricks your system into thinking you’re doing 30 squats (or push-ups) per second.

BRAIN HACK – NEUROFEEDBACK

Do you want to upgrade your brain? Neurofeedback is the solution. It allows you to enjoy the benefits of years of meditation within just a few days. During traditional neurofeedback, you attach electrode sensors to your head which transmit signals to a computer. You then consciously work on your brain while receiving real-time feedback from the computer. Neurofeedback’s goal is to make your brain work better by training it to be selfaware. It is commonly used to help patients cope with trauma and symptoms of anxiety and depression, and can also help you enhance your IQ and working memory.

RESILIENCE HACK – COLD THERAPY

Mother Nature programmed every cell in your body without your permission. This installed operating system within your body helps your cells run efficiently by using minimal energy to keep you alive. I like to call this operating system the MeatOS. This isn’t designed to make you happy, free, powerful, or calm. Its only concern is your survival and your ability to reproduce.

As a computer hacker, I discovered early on how to take over a computer by changing its operating system inputs. Later, I realised that just like hacking a computer system, you can hack the operating system within your body. If you want to live fully and freely, there’s only one path – welcome to being a biohacker.

My definition of biohacking is “modifying the environment around you and inside you to gain full control of your biology.” I know that hacking your biology is possible because I’ve done it myself. I once weighed 300 pounds, struggled with intense brain fog, immune issues and had arthritis in both knees. After taking control of my biology by changing my inputs, I launched a company, started a podcast, became a better father, advised startups and managed seven different companies of my own, all while maintaining 11% body fat. If an overweight man with arthritis can do it, you can too. Each time you take a step towards biohacking, you’ll feel better. Here are five of my favourite and most impactful biohacks to upgrade your biology.

Jumping into an ice bath or taking a cold shower may sound intimidating but the benefits you’ll receive are well worth it. When your MeatOS encounters brief yet intense temperatures, it recognises them as stressors, signaling that it needs to become stronger to survive. It then works on eliminating old and dysfunctional cells that take up space and slow you down. Cold therapy also increases a molecule called PGC1-a, which instructs your body to create new mitochondria, the ‘mini organs’ I mentioned earlier responsible for generating energy for your body and directing where that energy goes. Studies have shown that cold therapy reduces inflammation, boosts your immune system, and increases collagen production.

The

key to healthy ageing? Cellular health. Pioneering Swiss longevity brand Timeline’s co-founder and CEO

Dr Chris Rinsch, PhD, and

Dr Anurag Singh MD, PhD,

its Chief Medical Officer

explain why.

BEHIND THE SCIENCE

THE KEY TO LONGEVITY

BY CHRIS RINSCH, PHD & ANURAG SINGH MD, PHD

MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION AS A KEY HALLMARK OF AGEING

The health of our mitochondria is vital to our health and longevity. In fact, a decline in mitochondrial function has been recognised as one of the hallmarks of the ageing process. While creating energy is one of the key roles of the mitochondria, this process comes at a cost. Reactive oxygen species are generated as a by-product that can damage cellular components including the mitochondria.

gut microbiome to make it from the foods that we eat. In the case of Urolithin A, our gut microbiome makes it after we consume ellagitannins – polyphenols found in pomegranates, nuts, and berries. It is then absorbed into the bloodstream and distributed to different tissues, including mitochondria within cells. What makes Urolithin A unique is its ability to trigger mitophagy, and it is the only nutrient clinically shown to induce mitophagy in humans.

THE POWER OF MITOPURE ®

Research on Mitopure has shown promising effects in supporting mitochondrial health and combating cellular decline. Multiple randomised clinical studies in older and middle-aged adults have shown that Mitopure® boosts skeletal muscle strength and endurance and can lower inflammation via improving mitochondrial and cellular health. Additionally, the topical application of Mitopure® can energise our skin cells, helping to combat intrinsic and extrinsic ageing factors. This helps to create more youthfullooking skin with improved collagen production and resilience to UV damage. Even though Urolithin A can be made by our gut microbiome, research has shown that less than 40% of us have the right microbiome balance to do so. And even those who can produce it do so in varying amounts. Mitopure® has been clinically studied and offers a precise dose that is six times what you can get through diet alone.

How often do you think of the health of your cells? Few of us do, but we should. Our bodies are made up of trillions of cells, each with its own vitally important role. The heart cells keep our heart beating; brain cells keep our brain working, and skin cells maintain our skin’s integrity. In short, without healthy cells, we cannot have healthy bodies. In order for our cells to do their jobs effectively they need a constant supply of energy. Our mitrochondria are key structures within almost all our cells which generate the energy required to stay healthy and

perform optimally. There are a number of strategies which can promote cellular and mitrochondial health. Maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle, eating a balanced diet, manageing stress, and incorporating targeted advanced nutrition interventions can greatly contribute to cellular energy production and, ultimately, improved healthspan and longevity. In this article, we will explore the importance of mitochondrial health, and the role of a novel postbiotic nutrient, Urolithin A, in achieving a healthy gut biome for a long and healthy life.

Above: The accumulation of damaged mitochondria can contribute to a host of cellular concerns including free radical damage, decreased energy production, and inflammation.

OPTIMISING MITOPHAGY

Due to the critical nature of the mitochondria, our bodies have developed a well-conserved recycling process called mitophagy. Damaged mitochondria are selectively targeted to be removed from the cell and the usable components are recycled to make new, healthier mitochondria. Mitophagy acts as a cellular ‘trash removal’ system helping to ensure that only healthy mitochondria are preserved and dysfunctional ones are eliminated. The process of mitophagy slows down with ageing and has also been labelled as a hallmark of the ageing process. There are known interventions that boost mitophagy. Regular exercise and intermittent fasting are two, but more recently, Urolithin A, a molecule metabolised by our gut microbiome, has been discovered and clinically shown to induce mitophagy.

DISCOVERY OF UROLITHIN

A crucial factor in harnessing the health benefits obtained from an optimal and healthy diet is the gut microbiome, a universe of trillions of bacteria that line the human gut and exist in a symbiotic relationship with us. Often, the positive effects of certain dietary components on health and longevity are found to be directly linked to the gut microbiota playing a crucial role. Timeline, along with top researchers at the Swiss Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland have discovered that certain compounds derived from plant-based foods could be converted by gut bacteria into Urolithin A, a nutrient with unique properties and potential benefits on both cellular and mitochondrial health. After 15 years of research, Timeline launched the first and only clinically studied Urolithin A supplement, Mitopure®. Urolithin A is a postbiotic, which means we don’t get it directly from food. Rather we rely on our

BIOHACKING CELLULAR HEALTH FOR IMPROVED HEALTHSPAN

Scientific discoveries are propelling the advent of safe and advanced nutritional interventions that have a role in extending the human healthspan. Healthcare practitioners and consumers alike are rapidly adopting these new interventions in their daily wellness regimes and this will become a key third pillar to promote human health, in addition to strategies that already exist and are focused on optimal diet and regular exercise. Biohackers across the globe are already including Mitopure in their foundational stacks because they understand the importance of triggering mitophagy. Before adding on other molecules that support energy production and biochemical processes, you need that cellular ‘trash removal’ system to be running optimally. Then you can layer on co-factors and other key nutrients that optimise health and longevity. Timeline offers high-performance products powered by Mitopure in a precise dose to promote cellular energy production and healthy ageing.

GENOMIC INSTABILITY

Over time, our DNA becomes damaged. The more that DNA is damaged, the less cells can function correctly. Genomic instability is the appearance of high frequency mutations within the DNA, and is a characteristic of most cancer cells.

EPIGENETIC ALTERATIONS

Our epigenome is the mechanism which regulates our genes’ activity, and during ageing it can become disorganised, modifying the activation of certain genes without changing the DNA sequence. Reprogramming the epigenome can extend lifespan.

DISABLED MACROAUTOPHAGY

Cells perform a process of self-cleaning called autophagy essential for lifespan extension. This activity declines with age, leading to a build-up of damaged and harmful cellular components which can have profound negative effects on health.

TELOMERE ATTRITION

The ends of our chromosomes, called telomeres, act as ‘lids’ to protect the DNA. These shorten and deteriorate as we age, leaving the DNA vulnerable to genomic instability and cell damage. Telomeres act as a ‘clock’ in limiting cells to a number of replications.

Ageing is a natural and progressive process which occurs in all living organisms. It is a multifactorial process, characterised by the deterioration of structure and functional capacities at a molecular, cellular, tissue and organismal level. With ageing comes fragility and, as a consequence, an individual's susceptibility to both age-related disease and a reduced lifespan increases. However, it is possible to slow down, stop or even reverse the ageing process and improve our healthspan.

In recent years, ageing has started to be seen as a consequence of accumulated damage, waste products and toxins generated by our body’s essential metabolic processes. When we are young, our bodies can remove these waste products and our cells are constantly repairing and maintaining themselves. With time, however, they slow down, and we gradually accumulate damaged cells and lose our ability to replace them with new ones. The result? Ageing becomes the biggest risk factor for the development of age-related diseases.

The 12 hallmarks of ageing are now generally accepted by the scientific community as the definitive features of ageing. These processes are interrelated and impact one another. There is a constant requirement for energy through and between the di erent parts of our body. It may well be that the hallmarks of ageing are interconnected to an energy supply and demand imbalance. This could be alleviated with a variety of lifestyle interventions that can provide restorative energy, promote our health, and increase our healthspan.

LOSS OF PROTEOSTASIS

Proteins are essential for the proper functioning of our cells. The complex process of recycling these proteins – proteostasis – leaves some proteins behind, leading to a build up inside and out of the cells, causing dysfunction and damage.

MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION

The body’s ‘generators’, mitochondria are found in huge numbers in every cell, except red blood cells. As we age, our mitochondria become damaged and dysfunctional, leaving cells lacking in energy. This energy is vital to support healthy organs.

CELLULAR SENESCENCE

Formerly healthy, senescent cells have ceased dividing but resist dying, secreting inflammatory compounds which damage healthy surrounding cells. These so-called ‘zombie cells’ accumulate over time, compromising tissue function and leading to damage.

DEREGULATED NUTRIENT SENSING

Our metabolic pathways regulate how our cells respond to nutrition, with receptors gauging amino acids and glucose, for example. A surfeit of nutrients leads to over activation of these pathways, accelerating ageing.

STEM CELL EXHAUSTION

As a side effect of ageing, our stem cell numbers decline along with their capacity for renewal. As stem cells lead to the creation of blood cells, a depleted population leads to these losing their ability to recover from damage and replenish the vital organs.

ALTERED INTERCELLULAR COMMUNICATION

Our cells are constantly exposed to a huge range of signals which coordinate the various physiological functions of the body. Ageing cells increase their self-preserving signals which results in an increase in inflammatory signalling, causing cell damage.

CHRONIC INFLAMMATION

Inflammageing is the chronic, low-level inflammation regarded as a biomarker of accelerated biological ageing, usually effected by lifestyle. This inflammation can contribute to age-related diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular conditions.

MICROBIOME DYSBIOSIS

The microbial diversity in the gut is essential for healthy digestive and immune systems. Dysbiosis – or disruption – of the microbiome can lead to dysfunction of these systems, and raised risk of disease and infection.

Recognised by the scientific community as the definitive features of ageing, each hallmark represents a medical condition which can be treated, writes Dr George Gaitanos.

BEHIND THE SCIENCE

THE ART OF QIGONG

If you practice Qigong the only constant will be your transformation, writes internationally renowned Traditional Chinese Medicine specialist Dr Igor Mićunović.

The Chinese secret to preserving youth and health lies in an ancient practice, passed down through the generations for thousands of years: Qigong. With its roots dating back to the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 B.C.), Qigong aims to restore and maintain health, slow down ageing, and protect against injury – using only the power of the mind.

2023 marks my 22nd year of practicing Qigong. As a teenager, I searched for peace, physical fitness, emotional and mental stability, and spiritual empowerment. I found what was looking for when I enrolled at the Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China and started learning Qigong. As I slowly developed my understanding of Qigong, the only constant has been my transformation.

So, what is Qigong? The name is a combination of two words: qi , which translates variously as life force, spirit breath, air, or oxygen; and gong which translates as work, skill or accomplishments. In essence, Qigong is a life energy workout.

Qigong practice corresponds to three categories: people, soldiers or athletes, and spiritual people, such as monks and priests. Qigong is broadly divided as Medical Qigong, Martial Art Qigong, and Spiritual Qigong. The largest category is Medical Qigong, a self-healing and preventive aspect of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that consists of exercises which aim to slow ageing, improve vitality, prevent disease and cure illness.

Medical Qigong exercises stimulate the autonomic nervous system, eliminating fatigue, and gradually all bodily functions become fully restored. Qigong meditation is the basic training for developing the mental control to move your qi.

Qigong isn’t simply a set of forms, meditations, exercises and breathing techniques, however. It is a lifestyle choice. In my own experience, Qigong practice makes me a better man: my concentration is sharper, my health is robust, and I have an inner peace. do not feel attached to external objects, meaning I do not develop desires and their associated anguish. My lifestyle is healthier and make considered decisions. It could be described as a life without suffering, achieving balance and following the laws of the cosmos.

Through my work teaching Medical Qigong at Chenot Espace, have been thrilled to witness its transformative effects on our guests. One came to us as an antisocial, anxious, exhausted and highly stressed individual with chronic lumbar pain. After three days of practicing Qigong with me, his posture, demeanour and breathing rhythm improved. By day seven, his lumbar pain had disappeared and his humour and generosity of spirit had returned. He resolved to continue practicing Qigong daily, and two years later he visited us again and we saw he had lost a great deal of weight and looked years younger. It is no exaggeration to say that Qigong has changed his life.

Unsurprisingly, Qigong attracts a devoted following, with Oprah Winfrey, Jet Li, Catherine Zeta Jones and Will Smith, as well as King Charles III, among its most famous practitioners. As Master Chunyi Lin writes: “Practicing Qigong is so simple and so powerful. You cannot do it wrong. You can only do it good, better or best.”

MEDITATIONS

Take a moment to pause, reflect and look out at the wonders of Mother Nature . Allow your mind to roam…

“With my photographs would like to share with you the way I feel and experience nature,” says the Swiss photographer Gaudenz Danuser. “Sometimes it is rough and inhospitable, but just then it is often full of beauty and unobtrusive poetry.” This paradox has been a siren call from the mountains to human beings since we first walked the Earth.

Using a helicopter to capture images of the tantalising spectacle of an ancient glacier, an inhospitable mountainscape, or a sapphire blue lake in the midst of an expanse of pristine snow is an act of courage in itself.

“The moment open and lean out (secured!) of the door at 3000 metres in the air, I am at the mercy of the wind and downdraft on the one hand, and the shaking of the helicopter on the other. In this situation, when you have to concentrate on the picture while communicating by radio with the pilot to guide him to the right position, your pulse certainly races somewhat,” says Danuser. His background in architecture is visible in the abstract shapes featured in Danuser’s work. “I always move with an alert eye, wanting to be surprised, because only in this way emotions find their way into the picture. Above all, want your gaze to wander in my pictures, to dive into this world, at least in thought.”

MEDITATIONS

ELEMENTAL BEAUTY

Overleaf: Monte Rosa, 2017 Series: Alpine Fragmente Opposite, Clockwise from Left: Matterhorn N° IV, 2019 Series: Mountainscapes; Tschingelhörner, 2020 Series: UNESCOWorld Heritage Tectonic Arena Sardona; The Helix N°1, 2020 Series: Monumente der Vergänglichkeit Left: Fählensee, Alpstein, 2018 Series: Mountainscapes. All images © Gaudenz Danuser.

The sublime drama of Switzerland’s landscape is captured in mesmerizing detail by the photographer Gaudenz Danuser.

Left: Plaun la Greina, 2016 Series: Alpine Fragmente Above: Milkyway, 2021 Series: Alpine Fragmente Right: Glowing dream, 2022 Series: Flow Structures. All images © Gaudenz Danuser.

Redefine your skin with The Essentials Collection, the next generation of Chenot’s superlative skincare products.

CHENOT UPDATES

THE ESSENTIALS COLLECTION

At Chenot, we take a holistic approach to Health Wellness and longevity, with every treatment and protocol carefully interconnected. Our exclusive line of professional-grade skincare products is an essential part of our process.

Since the inception of Chenot, our skincare products have been formulated with the finest natural ingredients to be used in our signature spa treatments. The products are available for guests to purchase at each of our properties, enabling them to continue their Chenot experience at home.

Now, after two years of development, our thirdgeneration cosmetic line supporting our signature spa treatments is setting a new standard in skincare.

Chenot Cosmoceuticals’s The Essentials Collection pushes the boundaries of science and innovation with a pioneering range of products to transform the skin by revealing its biological, rather than its chronological, age.

Taking a unique approach, we focus on cellular senescence – one of the 12 hallmarks of ageing [see page 12]. As we get older, we develop senescent cells – formerly healthy cells which have ceased dividing but resist dying and secrete inflammatory

compounds which damage the healthy surrounding cells. Over time, these so-called ‘zombie cells’ accumulate, compromising tissue function and leading to organ damage.

“The skin is the largest organ that we have and it is the mirror of our inner selves” says Michele Gigli, Head of Chenot Products, who was instrumental in developing The Essentials Collection, which will be available at Chenot properties from October this year.

Gigli collaborated with Dr George Gaitanos, Chenot Chief Operating & Scientific Officer, and Mirna Cucchiara, an expert in high-end cosmetics who worked on the original line of luxury Chenot skincare products. The team’s advanced scientific research focussed on identifying bioactive ingredients with senolytic activity in order to develop a ground-breaking formula which would clear away senescent cells, restore tissue and reveal the true biological age of the skin.

The formula’s hero ingredient is organic Swiss Alpine Rose extract, a true wonder of nature obtained from the leaves of the Rhododendron Ferrugineum. The bioactive organic extract revitalises the skin, selectively supporting the

SWISS ALPINE ROSE

The Senolytic formula of The Essentials Collection is based on the novel organic Swiss Alpine Rose extract, obtained from the leaves of the Rhododendron Ferrugineum, an iconic Swiss perennial plant which grows wild in the Alps. The leaves of this perennial plant are harvested by a team of organic farmers at precisely the correct time, ensuring their potency and efficacy. They are then macerated to obtain the bioactive organic extract which supports the clearance of senescent cells.

clearance of senescent cells in all the dermal layers. This prevents their development and enhances the skin’s natural renewal process to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, improve epidermal thickness, maintain skin health and restore radiance.

The Essentials Collection is suitable for all skin types and consists of a Face Cream, Face Serum, Eye Contour Cream, Face Mask, and Face Cream Men. Each product is formulated with up to 97% natural ingredients and is sold in refillable, recyclable eco-friendly packageing.

The ultra-rich Face Cream delivers a synergistic blend of scientifically researched potent molecules to eradicate senescent cells and rejuvenate deep layers of the skin. Made with our signature organic Swiss Alpine Rose Extract, Baker’s Yeast, Unicellular Microalgae and Hyaluronic Acid, the cream reduces and prevents wrinkles and visibly improves the skin’s appearance while actively promoting its health.

The intensive Face Serum’s blend of potent ingredients, including Retinoid and

Bakuchiol, provides intensive hydration to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, improve skin texture and combat the accumulation of sensescent cells. Just a few drops swept over the face morning and evening will deliver powerful results.

Our eyes are one of the first features to show visible signs of ageing. The Eye Contour Cream’s high performance formulation acts to decongest and revive the delicate eye area, nourishing, firming and protecting the skin matrix.

Our senolytic formula is enhanced with Caffeine, Eye Peptide and Nutri-Complex to reduce under-eye bags, puffiness and dark circles to promote a radiant, youngerlooking appearance.

Silky and comforting, the nutrient-rich Face Mask positively influences the speed and quality of cellular turnover, making it a highly effective skin-perfecting treatment. Active ingredients, including Lactobionic Acid and Probiotic Complex, exfoliate, brighten and stimulate cell renewal to further support our senolytic formula for

restored radiance and refined skin texture. Our intensive multi-active Face Cream Men is specially formulated to stimulate all the skin’s vital functions in one simple step. Our signature senolytic formula is enriched with natural ingredients including Baker’s Yeast to strengthen the interconnectivity of the skin’s vascular and immune systems, and anti-oxidant Purslane to provide protection against free-radical damage. Lines, wrinkles and dullness are visibly reduced for a youthful, energised complexion.

“As we always say at Chenot, the chronological age isn’t important, it is the biological age that matters,” says Michele Gigli. “We can say the same for the skin: while the appearance of the skin, such as how many wrinkles you have is perceived as important, it is more important to keep your skin younger from within and address the senescent cells. This can let you blossom.”

Passion Fruit & Hazelnut Panna Cotta

INGREDIENTS

700 ml water

300 g hazelnuts

6 g agar-agar

1/2 vanilla bean

METHOD

1 tbsp. agave syrup

6 passion fruits

1 whole lime

200 ml water

CHENOT UPDATES

EAT YOURSELF YOUNGER

The science of ageing has moved on from the traditional treatment of disease to the concept of wellness and the model of promoting health. As a result, a new interest has also emerged concerning the relationship between food and the potential benefits of different types of calorie restriction to optimise health and extend a healthy lifespan.

The Chenot Diet® plan is one of the fundamental components of the Chenot Method® and is based on the most recent research regarding healthy living and ageing. It is designed to support the detoxification processes and provoke a metabolic and hormonal reset of the body without compromising the pleasure of taste.

Evidence-based research* recognises that periodically eating a low-calorie diet while still obtaining sufficient micronutrients is a vital component of long-term wellness and disease prevention. It can facilitate the self-healing mechanisms of the body, cleanse the body to a cellular level, reduce inflammation, strengthen the immune system, restore the biorhythm, harmonise the hormones, and create fresh energy and new cells that keep us biologically young.

The Chenot Diet® is a plant-based dietary intervention, provided under medical supervision. It activates the body’s fasting mode whilst providing sufficient nourishment and minimising the negative side effects of a traditional fast, such as muscle loss and nutrient deficiencies.

Created by our team of talented chefs and nutritionists, and supported by science*, the Chenot Diet® delivers 850 calories across three meals a day for seven consecutive days. The meals are precisely formulated to provide ample nourishment to maintain bodily functions, yet is restricted enough in plant proteins. This recreates the benefits of a water-only fast and tricks the body’s nutrient sensing mechanisms to upregulate a metabolic process known as autophagy. This mechanism, which translates as ‘eating myself’, is a vital process in which cells break down and recycle damaged or unnecessary components and improve their metabolic health and fitness.

Each delicious and beautifully presented meal is made following seasonal cycles using only organic and, where possible, local ingredients harvested at the optimum point in their growth cycle to deliver maximum nutrition and flavour. The daily meal plan consists of good fats, whole foods such as nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and soups. Salt is considerably reduced while caffeine and alcohol are eliminated; this is because stimulants have been shown to increase sympathetic activity (the body’s ‘fight or flight’ system) which can inhibit autophagy.

Water consumption should exceed the normal daily requirement for satiety and to assist in the body’s cleansing processes. Finally, the cooking methods include low temperatures, moist cooking and acidic marinades to maintain the maximum amount of nutrients in the food.

The Fast-Mimicking Diet (FMD) has been the subject of scientific research, and several studies have investigated its potential benefits in humans. A reference that provides key insights into the benefits of the FMD: Barbosa M.C., Grosso R.A. and Fader C.M.(2019). Hallmarks of Aging: An Autophagic Perspective. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 790 (9), doi: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00790. Barbosa et al. discussed related research showing the impact of autophagy on cell activity and age-associated diseases, highlighting the relevance of this process to the hallmarks of ageing.

FAST-MIMICKING DIET

In essence, the Chenot Diet ® is a fastingmimicking diet (FMD) and its primary goal is to biohack the body’s natural recycling and repair mechanisms to improve metabolic health, reduce inflammation, and promote cellular rejuvenation. Scientific research has indicated that FMDs can also help with weight loss; control glucose levels in type 2 diabetes; improve brain function and slow neurodegenerative processes such as dementia and Alzheimers; reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides; and may help with cancer prevention.

Oriental Bulgar Salad with Pomegranate & Almond Sour Cream

4 g xanthan gum powder

Toasted hazelnuts

4 kumquats

4 mint leaves

PANNA COTTA : Heat the water and hazelnuts in a saucepan for three minutes to create nut milk (be careful not to overheat). Filter the mixture and pour back into the saucepan, add the agar-agar, vanilla bean seeds and agave syrup. Bring to a boil for one minute to activate the agar-agar then pour into small round silicone moulds (6 cm) and leave to cool.

PASSION FRUIT SAUCE : Cut the passion fruit in half and remove the pulp with a spoon. Pass through a strainer to get the juice. Add the water, agave syrup and xanthan gum powder and mix to emulsify.

TO SERVE Remove the panna cotta from the moulds and place on a plate, decorate with dots of the passion fruit sauce and top with chopped toasted hazelnuts, slices of kumquat and 4 mint leaves.

INGREDIENTS

300 g vegetable stock

150 g bulgur

100 g sundried tomatoes

50 g raisins

30 g pistachios

1 red bell pepper

1 leek

1/2 red onion

METHOD

50 g lemon juice

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 spring onion

20 g parsley

20 g mint

salt & black pepper

2 g saffron

3 g smoked paprika

1 cinnamon stick

2 star anise

100 g unpeeled almonds

400 g water

50 g lemon juice

15 g lime juice

Zest of 1 lemon & 1 lime

1 pomegranate

BULGUR Bring the vegetable stock to a simmer with the cinnamon and star anise. Add the bulgur, cover and cook off the heat for 35–40 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and star anise, fluff with a fork and spread on a baking sheet to cool. Roast the pistachios for 6 minutes at 175°C. Chop the herbs. Finely dice the spring onions. Dice the sundried tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, and leek and sauté. in a pan with olive oil at medium heat until soft. Add the paprika and saffron and sauté. for 30 seconds off the heat. When the bulgur is cold mix all the ingredients together (including the raisins).

ALMOND SOUR CREAM Blend the almonds with half the water and the lemon and lime juice until you have a smooth, dense paste. Add the remaining water and salt, and blend until creamy. Add the lemon and lime zest.

GARNISH : Roast the hazelnuts at 180˚C for four minutes then chop into small pieces.

TO SERVE : Spoon the bulgur mixture into a 10 cm steel ring in a bowl, top with a spoonful of almond sour cream.

A cornerstone of the Chenot Method ® , the Chenot Diet ® distils the science of ageing into food. Discover more, and try our health-promoting recipes from our Executive Chef, Ettore Moliteo.

Dan Buettner is a National Geographic Fellow, number one New York Times bestselling author, a three-time Guinness World Record distance cycling holder, and expert on the Blue Zones. He shares how the learnings we can take from the five places on Earth with the greatest longevity can dramatically improve – and extend – our lives.

UNCOVERING SECRETS OF THE BLUE ZONES

Dan Buettner was working as a journalist for the National Geographic in the spring of 2000 when he first researched a mystery that would change his life – and extend thousands of others. Leading a series of educational projects called ‘Quests’ in which a team of scientists investigated some of Earth’s great puzzles, Buettner decided a worthy subject was Okinawa, the fifth largest island in Japan, which recorded an unusually high level of longevity among its inhabitants. “I thought it would be a great quest to investigate what their secrets to good health and long life were,” he says.

Buettner and the team spent 10 days studying, exploring and summing up what they found but it would be five years before he would return to Okinawa. “I’d just written a cover story for National Geographic about the ‘The Secrets of Long Life,’ which profiled three areas of the world with concentrations of some of the world’s longestlived people-areas, which we dubbed ‘Blue Zones,’” he says. “I was determined to delve deeper into the lifestyle of Okinawa.”

Buettner’s research has led him to uncover further Blue Zones. As well as Okinawa, these are Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece, and Loma Linda, California. “During our research it became clear that there is not one key to longevity,” he says. “About 20% of how long you live is genes, leaving the other 80% to your lifestyle and environment. Knowing this we were set on finding out what environment factors led to longevity in each of these areas.”

It was clear that, in some capacity, all of the Blue Zones shared nine common traits or lifestyles. These are: daily natural movement; having a sense of purpose; manageing stress; finishing eating when 80 per cent full; eating a mostly plant-based diet; moderate but regular consumption of red wine; being part of a faith-based community; having loving family connections, and having strong social networks.

Buettner and the team of scientists he was working with knew that the teachings of the Blue Zones could have a transformative effect on their own communities in America. The Blue Zones Project was born. “Our goal was to make small adjustments to make the healthy choice the easy choice for people in their communities,” he says.

The Blue Zones Project’s experts work with local governments,

The world’s longest-lived and healthiest people share some key lifestyle habits, known as the Blue Zones Power 9. Their environments nudge them into living healthily, without making a conscious effort. Rather than joining gyms, they move naturally doing manual work such as gardening. Having a sense of purpose and a ritual for relieving stress gives them a framework for their day. Emotionally, they prioritise their loved ones and have strong social connections, and nurture a sense of belonging by regularly attending faith-based services. They have a vegetable and bean-rich diet with little meat, and enjoy a daily glass (or two) of red wine.

businesses, schools, and religious organisations to change the way a community moves, eats, and connects. “By improving the places where people live, work, learn, and play, we make it easier for them to move naturally, make new friends, and eat healthily,” says Buettner.

The results have been dramatic. In the first project city of Albert Lea, Minnesota, in just one year citizens added 2.9 years to their lifespans and healthcare claims decreased by 49%. Participating businesses saw a 21% decline in absenteeism.

Between 2010 and 2016 there was also a 35% drop in smoking in the city. In three Southern California beach cities, obesity, smoking rates, and health risks dropped dramatically in five years. “This translated to $12 million in healthcare savings in these cities,” says Buettner.

Buettner is clear that meaningful change for the world’s health needs to come from the top. “If we want behaviour to change, we need to make the healthy choices easier and cheaper than the unhealthy choice. So, the key is to show governments the real cost of cheap junk food, which includes higher healthcare costs for the community, less

productivity, higher insurance rates and lower wellbeing,” he says. Buettner cites a statistic from the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] which states that 680,000 Americans die annually from eating the standard American diet.

Since 2009, 72 communities across the United States have signed on to the programme to comprehensively improve their living environments to encourage and achieve better health behaviour, a fact of which Buettner is justifiably proud. “We continuously receive new applications from communities and cities all over the country that see the need to create lasting change,” he says.

So, what is the key to realising our full potential?

“Curating an environment, physically and socially, that nurtures your health, skills and passions,” says Buettner. “When this is done correctly you are properly set up to flourish. Unlocking potential to me is figuring out what this environment is for you and setting it up accordingly.”

BLUE ZONE POWER 9

The Norwegian athlete, Kristin Harila , shattered the record for climbing all 14 of the world’s highest mountains in just 92 days. As she prepared to begin her awe-inspiring challenge, she discussed determination, overcoming adversity and the life-changing power of setting goals.

UNLOCKING POTENTIAL

REACHING THE PEAK, IN EVERY CHALLENGE

Kristin Harila has re-written the mountaineering history books. Having only discovered the sport in 2015, she has claimed the record time for summiting the 14 highest peaks on Earth, making her not just the fastest female, but the fastest mountaineer of our time.

In April, Harila, supported by her climbing partner Tenjin “Lama” Sherpa, began her second attempt at completing the Bremont 14 Peaks – climbing the world’s 14 highest mountain peaks above 8,000m in one season. Harila had set herself the highly ambitious goal of completing the challenge in just four months, which would smash the record of six months and six days famously set by ex-Gurkha Nirmal (Nim) Purja in 2019.

In the end, Harila and Lama summitted K2, the 14th and final 8000m peak, on 27 July 2023, and in doing so set a new True Summit World Record of just three months, 20 hours and 45 minutes. “Harila and Lama’s collaboration has showcased the essence of mountaineering unity, transcending borders and cultures to achieve greatness together,” said her sponsor, Bremont.

The 14 peaks, located in Nepal, Pakistan and China, have obsessed mountaineers for decades, representing the literal summit of human physical endurance. Only 45 people are thought to have climbed all 14, and only a handful of women. Summiting each peak takes the climber into the 'death zone', so-called because human life cannot exist at that altitude.

What makes Harila’s achievement all the more astonishing is that it was her second attempt in under a year. In 2022, Harila successfully climbed 12 of the 14 summits in just 147 days before her goal was thwarted as China’s Covid restrictions denied her entry to complete the final two mountains, Cho Oyu and Shishapangma, in Tibet.

But what would have been a crushing disappointment for most served only to galvanize Harila. “I decided immediately that I was going to do it all over again; it was not so hard to find motivation because I like to complete goals I have set,” Harila told us matter-of-factly as she prepared to begin her second attempt.

For Harila, setting – and achieving – goals is her raison d’etre.

She grew up in the far Northern reaches of Norway where life is lived outdoors in challenging conditions. A former cross-country skier, Kristin only came to mountaineering in 2015 yet quickly showed her prowess. In May 2021, she set a world record becoming the fastest woman to climb Mount Everest and Lhotse in less than 12 hours.

“Summiting Everest and taking my first world record taught me that everything is possible and we are much stronger than we believe,” says Harila. “We can do so much more if we just believe that we can do it.”

How does she prepare for such gruelling challenges? “I think the best preparation I had is what I did last year – you get good at what you train for,” she says. “If you want to run fast, you need to run. If you’re going to climb mountains you need to walk uphill with a heavy pack and do it for many hours, because that is what you’ll be doing.”

Harila advises her 155k followers on Instagram (and counting) that when preparing for a physical challenge, it’s important to increase training slowly, “especially if you are injured. Your body is adaptable but be careful because an old injury will often be replaced by a new one,” she says. “Get up and walk! As human beings, we have walked for thousands of years and now we sit around so much and don’t get up and walk enough. Walking your body and moving your body is the first step to any good training.”

Mindset and self-belief are key to Harila’s success at realising her own potential. “I think that something that drives me and motivates me is having a goal to work on. Not being afraid to have a very high goal and talk about it makes you work harder and more to actually reach it.”

Harila learnt important lessons from her previous attempt. “The main thing that learnt is that the mountains will always decide how hard it is. It is very important not to underestimate any climb or any mountain – it will always be different from one climb to another. And I have learnt to use my helmet more than last year!”

For more information please visit kristinharila.com

In 3 months, 20 hours and 45 minutes, Kristin climbed 132,188 metres in the 14 Peaks Challenge, burning an average 10,000 calories per day or 20,000 per day for the ‘death zones’ altitudes greater than 7,900 metres.

14 PEAKS CHALLENGE

UNLOCKING POTENTIAL

DESIGNING SPACES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD

When Davide Macullo was a little boy growing up in Giornico, Switzerland, every Monday night his restaurateur mother would take him to the best restaurants in the region to check out the competition. It was at one of these restaurants that he first observed abstract art: “From that point at the age of five, I never stopped drawing,” he says. “That is why I do this job as an architect – because I love to draw.”

Macullo’s precocious talent saw him develop into Europe’s most highly esteemed architects, with a specialism in the psychology of space. His studio has since completed 700 projects in 35 countries, and won or been nominated for 80 awards, six of which were for Chenot Palace Weggis.

Originally keen to pursue a career as a conceptual artist, Macullo changed the course of his life. “It was too much of an abstract job. It was interesting to see how I could serve people in a better way –architecture has the power to passively influence the lives of people,” he says. “Art is something that humankind needs, and architecture is the most complete form of art because it is the art you address as your own habitat.”

Macullo went to learn the tools of the trade with celebrated Swiss architect Mario Botta. “I went there for six months, and it became 20 years and 200 international projects.” He founded his own atelier at Davide Macullo Architects in 2000, and the ethos of the studio is one of ‘drawing from context’. “Architecture has a particular language and code, and when it is repeated it is not respectful of the environment, the people, their feelings, and the place. And, it’s boring. Every time we design, we find something new – the moment you stop finding something new, it’s over.”

Regenerative design is the foundation of the philosophy of Davide Macullo Architects. “When you build something, you take care of two ecologies: the growth ecology – geography, climate, economy, politics, and mathematics. Then there is the intimate human ecology, which is how people feel, what they want to represent, their aspirations, ambitions, and most of all how they sense the space. The people are always the protagonists,” he says.

Macullo believes that the role of architects of the future will change dramatically. “We are facing a period where buildings will not be built on site but in laboratories. There will be interdisciplinary work

with chemists, IT and AI experts, software engineers, everything will be printed or glued. The construction industry will change completely so the architect’s role should be to take care of the psychological wellbeing of people.”

It is this philosophy of caring for people which informed Davide Macullo Architects’ approach to their designs for Chenot Palace Weggis. “We treat the people who will stay there like you would a bowl full of water. They will be very fragile and so we designed spaces that give stability and tranquillity within a dynamic environment. We want the buildings to take care of them, not shake them too much. Architecture should put people at ease in their space; our job is to take care of their souls and minds.”

Overlooking Lake Lucerne with an extraordinary backdrop of the Alps, the buildings’ sense of nature flows inside and outside of the spaces.

“It is a place where people go to feel better, so we want the building to accompany and support them without pressure. They enter a 24,000sqm space but never feel the size of it, they always feel safe and at home.”

The fact that guests stay at Chenot Palace Weggis for a week was also a considered in the designs. “The flow and light inside the hotel and outside in the gardens is a continuous flow from one emotion to another. You never get bored in the space, the senses are kept alert but in the measure that you don’t have to be involved,” he says.

“When we design, we can change the mood of the people in the space, to influence their emotions and help them disconnect from the negative. The architecture is an important medicine.”

As an architect, Macullo’s greatest priority for the buildings he designs is simple: “to make people happy,” he says. “A building has to give you the chance to reconnect with your senses and improve yourself. When you are in your own space, it should allow you to fly to your own world, whether that involves using the latest technology or having a cup of tea. It doesn’t have to be intellectual – a building just needs to make you feel good.”

As the award-winning architect behind Chenot Palace Weggis, Davide Macullo understands architecture’s ability to influence wellbeing. He discusses the importance of regenerative design and the future of architecture.

DAVIDE MACULLO

The architect’s role should be to take care of the psychological wellbeing of people.

Clockwise from Left: Davide Macullo by Tamás Bujnovszky; Drawing by David Macullo representing his personal vision on space; Swiss House XXXII in Rossa, Grisons in Switzerland; Series of Bonzai courtyards at Chenot Palace Weggis.

What does someone’s approach to their Health Wellness reveal about them? In each edition of Chenot Magazine, we will ask a person of note to answer the same set of 10 questions to better understand how – and why – they strive to achieve their true potential.

BEN FOGLE

Our first guest interviewee is adventurer, broadcaster, bestselling author and journalist, Ben Fogle. Among his plethora of accomplishments, he has climbed Mount Everest, rowed the Atlantic, raced to the South Pole and crossed the deserts of the Empty Quarter in the Middle East. The former United Nations Patron of the Wilderness, he is a passionate environmental campaigner and advocate for living in harmony with nature. A prolific broadcaster, his globally successful television show Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild is now in its 17th season. It follows him as he meets people who have eschewed the trappings of modern life to live more simply, often in remote corners of the world. Ben lives near London with his wife, Marina, and their two children.

What is your idea of perfect wellness?

Healthy diet. Fitness. Happiness. Health. Dogs. Family. Mix those all together and you have perfect wellness.

When have you overcome adversity?

From childhood exams to rowing the Atlantic, crossing Antarctica, and climbing Everest – there have been many times in my life when I have overcome adversity. We need to overcome adversity if we are to take risks, and we need to take risks if we are to really live our lives.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

It sounds clichéd but parenthood. I am more proud of my children, Ludo and Iona, than I am of any of my ‘achievements’. To be able to guide and help navigate them through the complexities of the modern world isn’t easy but it makes me very happy.

Which person, living or dead, do you most admire?

I admire those early polar explorers. They were made of different stuff. They were willing to risk their lives (and in Scott’s case, sacrifice his life) in the pursuit of human exploration.

What’s your daily health essential?

A shot of ginger, lemon, turmeric, and cayenne. Followed by a litre of water. Every day.

What motivates you?

A combination of curiosity and drive. It is too easy to write people off with lazy stereotyping. For years, I was seen as the posh reality show contestant and I wanted to seize control of my own narrative.

What is your health motto?

You are what you eat. You are what you do. You are what you read. You are what you live. Eat healthily and look at your digital nutrition too.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I wish was less sensitive. I have always been thin skinned. Exam failures as a child stripped me of my confidence and I have been searching for self-esteem ever since.

When were you happiest?

What does ‘potential’ mean to you?

We all have a little more than we think.

When was 18 years old and I set off to travel the world for two years. No responsibilities. It was my happy time, not that I’m unhappy now, but I loved that freedom from responsibility. benfogle.com

PALACE WEGGIS, SWITZERLAND CHENOT PALACE GABALA, AZERBAIJAN CHENOT ESPACE L’ALBERETTA, ITALY

ESPACE PORTONOVI, MONTENEGRO CHENOT SPA SELMAN MARRAKECH, MOROCCO