Water Fasting Retreats

I recently watched a documentary called The Science of Fasting & it really sparked my interest because the film talks about how fasting is being used in Russia, Germany, the UK & the US as a treatment option for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol & more.  Fasting is one of the oldest medical treatments in history & appears in nearly every major religion & culture around the world.  Sounds like a pretty good resume to me.

While I’m not yet sold on it as a way to heal my RA, I am convinced of its health benefits.  I’m not ready to “take the plunge” but I have been researching potential places in case I ever do decide to try it.  Water fasting or a very light juice/broth fasting is what I’m interested in trying, based on the research I’ve seen so far.  There are a lot of health spas & resorts that would be VERY happy to take my money, but sorting out the good ones takes some time.  Here are my top picks, based on recommendations from the medical community & countless hours of online research.  Let me know if anyone has experience with these or if you know of one not mentioned.

Siddhayatan Water Fasting Retreat

Windom, Texas (NE of Dallas)

Includes lodging, mantra workshops & water (one would hope). This fasting is overseen by monks & nuns (not medical professionals) & they don’t take guests who are on medications, so make sure to read their FAQs!  Sounds like a good option if your primary focus for fasting is for meditation or spiritual fulfillment.  Prices range from $95-125/night.

Dr. Cinque’s Water Retreat

Buda, Texas (south of Austin)

Water fasting overseen by a certified medical professional in his home.  Believe it or not, this retreat is one of the oldest recognized locations in the US & comes highly recommended by medical professionals.  If you’re an AirBnB or HomeStay kind of person who wants legitimate fasting for medical reasons, this looks like a safe option.  Prices range from $120-130/night.

TrueNorth Health Center

Santa Rosa, California

If you’re looking for a retreat supported by a full team of medical professionals, this is your best choice within the US.  This center is highly recommended in the medical world & pops up in medical research.  Prices range from $139-369/night plus medical fees (many of which can be billed to insurance).

To learn more from one of the physicians at TrueNorth (who mentions Dr. Cinque), read this interview with Dr. Peter Sultana, M.D.

Buchinger Wilhelmi

Lake Constance, Germany

The Germans may not have invented fasting but they are certainly experts at it & they are very serious about their health spas.  This is one of the most well-known resorts world-wide that offers medically supervised fasting.  A 10-day all-inclusive fasting package costs about $3170 — prices go up based on room selections & add-on activities.  They also have a clinic in Spain.

For a personal account of fasting at Buchinger Wilhelmi, read this Huffington Post’s Detox in Deutschland article or Jeanette Winterson’s humorous account.

Balance for Life Health & Fitness Retreat

Deerfield, Florida

This water fasting program is overseen by Dr. Frank Sabatino (formerly of the Ocean Jade program) who moved his practice to the Deerfield location in January 2018.  This beach resort offers more than just fasting so it comes at a cost: $2495-2895/week for the all-inclusive water fasting package.  Good option if you want your fasting to feel like a luxury vacation.

For a personal account of following Dr. Sabatino’s water fast, read the Main Street Vegan’s blog post about it.

Cleanse Center

Sedona, Arizona

Prices range greatly, depending on what treatments you choose (which include water or juice fasting, acupuncture, IV therapies, craniosacral, massage, yoga, meditation & art therapy).  The focus for this center is for those suffering from addiction, depression, PTSD or seeking rejuvenation.  This is not the best choice if you want fasting for severe medical issues, but it looks very nice.

Tanglewood Wellness Center

Guanacaste, Costa Rica

I included this one because it offers a “Fasting via Skype” option, which allows you to fast from home with coaching.  Not sure that I’d recommend this without my doctor being on board, but it’s an interesting alternative for $500/week.  The man who oversees the fasting is self-taught.

So there you have it folks, a few options to get you started if you’re thinking about fasting for yourself or someone you know.  Like I said, there are certainly other options out there but these are the ones I feel most comfortable mentioning.  I would LOVE to hear from others who have tried medical fasting (whether good OR bad experiences)!