Most of us think of Italy’s Tuscany as a place to indulge our appetites with abandon, but at
Castel Monastero near Sienna, delicious food is not at odds with health and wellness. This season, the resort enlisted Dr. Mosaraf Ali, a specialist in integrative medicine, to design three- and seven-day wellness programs (about $1,670 and $5,000 respectively) that draw on his specialties in ayurvedic medicine and naturopathy with emphasis on nutrition, detoxification, and weight loss paired with massage therapies. The resort’s consulting chef, Michelin-starred celeb Gordon Ramsay, developed special spa cuisine menus for Wellness Program guests that blend local ingredients with herbs and spices from the Himalayas. Dishes such as a pan-fried crab cakes with mango and papaya lasagna and cucumber-mint salsa or sea bass
al cartoccio with zucchini, leeks, and a touch of brandy hardly make for deprivation. After daily yoga and massage sessions accompanied by cups of Himalayan herb tea, you can reward your good behavior with a glass of 2005 Antinori Solaia—120 calories of sheer bliss. (+39.0577.57000,
www.castelmonastero.com)
