The lockdown is easing, and most of us are dreaming about our next holiday in the sun. Now, research is showing that our instincts are right. We want to tell you about the real, quantifiable health benefits of Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, for your immune system; why glamping is good for you, and share some fantastic flight deals from selected US cities to Antigua for as little as $266*.
Sunlight is the most important source of vitamin D providing about 90% of the total vitamin D in the body. But depending on where you live, the time of year and what you are wearing, you may not be getting as much as you need. In fact, an estimated 70% of the US and UK populations are deficient in Vitamin D.
Not only does it boost your immune system, but Vitamin D has been proven to help lower your blood pressure, reduce stress and improve your mood, increase your ability to focus, accelerate recovery after a surgery or illness, increase energy levels and it can even help improve your sleep!
For people looking for a break with a focus on wellness its worth appreciating that you just don’t get these kind of health benefits from staying inside of a hotel. If part of the reason for your holiday is to build your immunity to fight COVID-19, you really need to spend as much time as possible outdoors.
Right now, our customers’ health is uppermost in our minds. Healthy choices are responsible choices, and economically sound choices; for us there is no conflict.
We anticipate customers will choose fresh air and sea breezes over breathing in the old recycled or ‘reconditioned’ air you find in a hotel room. They will choose to stay somewhere they can check in online and where there is no need to jostle for a lift that would need sanitizing every few hours. Your luxury tent, and everything else you need, is delivered to you right on the beach.
Thank goodness for Dyson. To protect both our customers and staff, we won’t be providing a cleaning service during your stay. So, to hoover up any sand that finds its way into your tent, and put it right back on the beach, we will be providing the best cordless hoover on the market in every tent, sanitized between every guests’ stay.
Fresh linens will be found in the tent. We’ve increased the number of tents so that they can stand empty for at least 24 hours before the next guest checks in.
In re-imagining our business to keep Antigua COVID free, we found that there was little we had to change. But the few changes we have made mean that our guests can have a well-earned break, focus on maintaining their health and well-being, and not have to compromise on either safety or comfort.
Golden sunsets - nature's tonic
Spending some time relaxing and basking in the sun is a huge tonic, Of course, we’d always recommend using plenty of our pure, wild growing Aloe Vera for a natural sun protection. It works wonders for your skin.
Increasingly, doctors around the world are warning that in our desire to avoid the risk of skin cancer, we have swung too far the other way, and we aren't getting enough sun. Sunshine provides Vitamin D which helps absorb calcium to avoid osteoporosis, and its anti-inflammatory properties may actually help to prevent cancer.
More recently there has been speculation that since Vitamin D can protect against the flu virus, it may have a role in protecting us against COVID-19. A scientific study published in April this year strongly supports this theory. Using the database of three hospitals in Southern Asian countries, Dr Mark Alippio, conducted a study of 212 positive COVID-19 cases. He then cross referenced the severity of their illness with their Vitamin D levels. His study showed that 85% of patients with normal Vitamin D levels had mild outcomes. In contrast 72% of patients with Vitamin D deficiency had severe or critical outcomes from COVID-19.
The body can store Vitamin D for 60 days after gentle daily exposure, so the health benefits of your beach glamping holiday can be felt long after you’ve returned home.
There’s no doubt that our location, on the best beach in Antigua, and our luxury glamping tents means that you are in the perfect outdoor environment for optimizing the health and wellness benefits of your holiday with every step on the beach you take.
Turquoise seas for a good night's sleep
Sleeping well is vital to maintaining a healthy immune system. One of the experiences most appreciated by our guests is being lulled to sleep by the sounds of the sea. Guests report having a deeper sleep and sleeping longer than they would normally.
Their experience is borne out by the research. A recent UK study found that people sleep on average for 47 minutes longer the night after a decent seaside walk while those who go for an inland walk of a similar length sleep only for an additional 12 minutes.
This is because sea air is full of negative hydrogen ions, charged particles abundant in sea spray and concentrated in fresh air, which improve our ability to absorb oxygen by neutralising damaging free radicals (positive ions). These negative ions can also balance levels of serotonin, the feelgood hormone, making us less prone to anxiety.
Glamping just 20 steps from the surf line, on a beach that stretches for miles, means you’re about as close to the sea as you can get.
Pure White Sand - the only gym you need
Valley Church beach is about half a mile of pure white sand and it makes an excellent surface for walking. You only need to take a stroll along the sand to feel how much harder your leg muscles need to work. Spending your holiday on the beach means you quickly get used to the extra resistance it imposes on your muscles. You find you’re maximizing the effect of walking as exercise - without even thinking about it.
The latest science confirms that being fit boosts our immune systems, and that even a single workout can amplify and improve our ability to fight off germs. Although you burn much more energy, paradoxically, walking on a beach in the sand is so relaxing that most people walk further distances than they normally would on treadmills, tracks or city streets.
For those who want a more intense beach workout led by a personal trainer, consider our Fit-cation retreats. Individual, couples, or small group session are designed to help you achieve personal goals. Workouts include training focused on improving lung capacity to build physical resilience to COVID-19. At the end of your stay you will be ready for whatever life throws at you.
Wild Simplicity
The genius of Wild Lotus Camp has always been its wild simplicity. Only at Wild Lotus can guests see bananas growing right on the beach, in their own private tropical outdoor shower gardens. Indeed nowhere else in Antigua will you see the variety of colourful plants and flowers growing right out of the sand. Wild Lotus creates a true connection with nature. It harnesses nature’s healing power to boost our body’s defences, keeping us healthy, safe and well. If you’re looking for a holiday that is good for mind, body and soul, Wild Lotus camp beats staying in a hotel room hands down.
*We subscribe to Pomelo Travel, a fantastic travel agency that searches for deals, sends its subscribers alerts and saves hundreds of dollars. Right now there are flight deals from Atlanta
Detroit, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City and Seattle from 267USD. Scattered dates from August 2020 - April 2021. Drop us an email for more info.
