Last month, I attended Lansdowne Resort and Spa’s first ever Wellness Weekend Retreat in partnership with Inova Health System. This 3-day program was filled with fitness sessions, yoga, meditation, nutrition consultations, art therapy, hiking, mobile photography lessons, and much more.

Prior to arriving at the property, I participated in a personal health assessment and shared some of my wellness goals with the Inova team. Upon completion, I was matched with a certified health coach who helped me create a customized itinerary of events to make my experience even more enjoyable. Below are my highlights from the weekend.

View of Lansdowne Resort from the “Deluxe King Guestroom.”

I kicked off my Wellness Weekend with a tea tasting lab hosted by Dominion Tea. Dominion Tea provided a variety of organic teas for guests to sample. My favorite was the Yunnan Sunrise, a black tea that grows small “hairs” to prevent insects from landing on it. Dominion Tea’s bags are made from biodegradable plant starch. No bleached bags here!

Tea Tasting Lab Hosted by Dominion Tea

Tea wheel used to find your favorite flavor.

After the tea tasting, my group gathered for dinner at Cotton and Rye. Dinner was pretty early, 6 p.m. to be exact. We had to wrap up dinner by 8 p.m. and fast until 8 a.m. the following day in preparation for metabolic testing. Metabolic testing is essentially a health screening that checks biometrics (height, weight, body fat percentage, body mass index), bloodwork (total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins, triglycerides, glucose, hbA1C/fasting blood sugar), and more. We may feel healthy, but it’s important to have these screenings done to ensure we are staying on track with our health and wellness goals.

Vegan quinoa bowl with rice noodles and miso dressing.

After metabolic testing and health roadmap creation with Inova’s health coaches, we gathered for breakfast at Cotton and Rye. I had no issues finding vegan and/or gluten-free options throughout the entire weekend. All of the staff and chefs were very accommodating, so don’t feel shy about asking for substitutions when dining on the property.

Breakfast at Cotton and Rye. Green smoothies, steel cut oats with sliced almonds, fresh fruit, grilled tofu, sliced tomatoes, sautéed spinach and mushrooms.

On day two of the retreat, we had a lunch and learn with Inova Health System. During this session, we focused on ways to reduce the consumption of processed sugar intake and trans fats.

How’s My Diet? Lunch and Learn Lab with Inova

Vegan buddha bowls.

Cauliflower potato puree with confit fingerling potatoes.

Key Takeaways About Trans Fats

• Manufactured and listed on nutrition labels as hydrogenated oil
• Hidden in some products claiming to have 0g per serving
• Found in a variety of food products
  • Fried Foods
  • Peanut Butter
  • Pastries
  • Cakes
  • Cookies
  • Pie Crust
  • Crackers
  • Shortening
  • Ready-made frosting
• Our bodies do not efficiently digest and use trans fats
  • When stored, develop into plaque
  • Contribute to major health concerns

Inova health coach teaching the group about healthier food swaps.

Wellness Weekend Retreat @lansdowneresort @inovahealth Click To Tweet

If you drink this brand of brewed tea, and this size bottle, this is how much sugar you are consuming. Less than 10 percent of daily calorie intake should be from added sugars. 

Healthy Interactive Cooking Demo with Chef Marcus Repp

This interactive cooking demonstration was my favorite part of the entire retreat. Chef Marcus was extremely knowledgeable about the health properties and intention behind each ingredient. Our group made healthy, plant-based dishes including vegan sushi rolls, quinoa salad, and caramelized apples.

Quinoa salad with arugula, grapefruit, and grilled vegetables.

Roasted vegetable dish with cherry tomatoes, eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, red cabbage, and kale.

This is one of the best wellness retreats I’ve attended. If you need a getaway that’s just a short driving distance from Washington, DC, I highly recommend the Wellness Weekend Retreat at Lansdowne Resort.

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♡ Chelsea