But equally, I get the point of it. I bump into Floridians Donna and Ken Konopka. Ken has Parkinson’s and is desperate for relief. They have arrived at Sha for exosomes and another therapy which uses the immune system’s evocatively named Natural Killer cells. He will try stem cells soon. I understand why, given how little he has left to lose.
I visit Dr Riveros for the results of my VO2 max. She says I can absorb 34.8 millilitres of oxygen per minute per kilogram of body weight, which is “fair” for my age. She gives me a variety of exercises, along with a diet and notes about my sleep patterns. “If you can improve by four to five millilitres, you should live 10 to 12 years longer,” she says.
Clearly, newer treatments are coming, but for the moment, a long and healthy life still relies, at its core, on the holy trinity of eating, sleeping and exercising well. Only hard work will save me. My wife and I walk out of Sha’s double helix and into the real Mexico, using all our willpower not to look for a taco stall.
Healing Holidays (healingholidays.com/condenast) can arrange a seven-night Rebalance & Energise programme at Sha Mexico from £5,699 per person sharing, including transfers, full board and treatments
The best medispas for longevity
A suite of options for those intent on defying death a little longer
Sha Spain
Top-tier medical professionalism and integrative therapies
As darkness falls over Alicante and lamplight illuminates my medical advisor’s gleaming white office, our discussion jumps from cholesterol (“A fifth of it is in the brain, of course”) to how best to stave off dementia. “When neurons die, the functions they provide disappear,” he tells me. “That’s a gradual process, however, so it is never too early to develop new habits to keep your brain healthy.” Afterwards, freshly changed for dinner (Sha is quite formal), I sit spooning mushroom soup, buzzing with mental energy. Being able to talk freely, as you can here, with knowledgeable, open-minded professionals qualified in mainstream medical as well as natural therapies, feels supremely stimulating, liberating and precious. The team here are evangelical about the power of good food, know the essence of science is that the science is never fixed, and don’t push the idea of a pill for every ill. Everything is one on one, except for daily options such as early morning beach walks. But Sha is much more than a glamorous hilltop glass citadel where you lie in the sun, gazing at the mountains between your ozone drip, cryotherapy session, neurocognitive test or Thai massage. This is a longevity clinic on a mission. Founded by Alfredo Bataller Parietti, for whom macrobiotics and integrative therapies sorted out 30 years of ill health, it has a goal of enabling healthy longevity. Advanced diagnostics mean you’re tested, analysed, assessed and counselled, with your data all recorded on a handy app. But for me it’s the frank, informative, inspiring conversations with staff free to speak their mind that are truly priceless – especially as the pharmaceutical industry slowly tightens its noose. Viva Sha. Wish my bathroom hadn’t been so unexpectedly basic though. Adriaane Pielou
