How does Rakxa strive to change that?

NN: The complexity of the microbiome balance and our gut function is becoming a new approach to address health and diseases. And of course, we do address this in our gut health program at Rakxa as well. We provide awareness during our consultations and health talks and reinforce it with our structured and customised gut health program and meal plans addressing the issue and managing them.

Our chef is very well versed with the importance of food as medicine and we have a tailor-made dietary plan for our guests. Our dietary program is customised to suit individual gut health status—food intolerances and allergies included—and at the same time, it helps to restore the balance of your microbiomes. We gently remind all our guests with the famous saying: “You are what you eat.” I personally add on my own motto: “What you eat determines how you feel.”

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How much does our diet influence gut health? Are Asians more prone to gut health issues than others?

NN: I don’t really agree with that. It depends on what you eat on a regular basis. Asian food can be very beneficial for the good microbiome balance with the variety of fruits and vegetables available as well as the herbs used in the cuisine, especially in Thai cuisine.

Of course, each country has its own unique dietary lifestyle, including food that have been consumed for generations—and furthermore in relation to their geographical and cultural and belief system. The microbiomes have also been found to be different in people from different countries in the world and they serve the purpose. The dietary habits that have been passed on from generations plays a big role in gut health. Therefore, with modernisation and introduction of cross-cultural dietary habits, we have been consuming food that our body does not have the capacity to digest such as lactose from dairy products or gluten. Repeated consumption of food that your body is not able to digest can lead to inflammation of the gut lining and ultimately an immune reaction which can trigger many diseases.

As your first step in achieving good gut health, practise eating variety in your diet and avoid processed foods and sugar, as well as food that causes discomfort.

In Rakxa you take an integrative approach to health and wellness. Please tell us how each of them helps in maintaining overall gut health and alleviating symptoms.

NN: Our integrative approach puts a lot of focus on stress management. This is addressed by including yoga, tai-chi, pranayama and energy healing such as reiki, chakra balancing using crystals and singing bowls by our well-trained practitioner. We combine multiple approaches that highlight traditional treatments, including Chi Nei Tsang and Thai Ya-Pao, to improve gut health.

Yoga in particular is an excellent place to start this journey since it may restore our microbiome by reducing stress, improving gastrointestinal motility, and aiding digestion. In addition, some yoga poses can aid digestion while also cleansing and detoxifying toxins from the body. They can also serve as a massage for the internal organs, enhancing lymphatic detox and increasing oxygenated blood flow to a variety of organs, particularly the gut.

Acupuncture and moxibustion as a Chinese medical approach help strengthen the blood and encourage the flow of Qi, which can help to reduce stress and improve stomach motility. Tuina massage, a Chinese treatment, treats chronic pain, reduces tension in muscles, improves circulation and promotes deep states of relaxation. By gently applying pressure with the hands, elbows, and arms on specific points along the body, this massage therapy includes alleviation of the stress and other digestive-related disorders.

We also provide alternative Thai Traditional Salt Pot Massage ritual that combines Thai massage techniques with a hot salt pot compress containing a blend of coarse salt and medicinal Thai herbs. When applied to energy points and areas of concern on the body, it can help to relieve symptoms of tightness, pressure, bloating in the stomach, and also tension in the shoulders and lower back.

Lastly, Abhyanga is highly recommended in Ayurveda, a traditional Indian massage practice. The massaging with warm medicated oil in specific directions helps loosen toxins from the body's soft tissues, allowing them to be removed by the body's waste elimination process, which in turn supports our immunity and the active communication between skin, environmental and gut microbes, and the entire body.

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