Join us as we dive into a conversation with Jocelyna Dubuc, the mind behind the magic at Spa Eastman.

Embark on a journey to explore the world of wellness and rejuvenation as we sit down with the visionary behind one of Canada’s hidden gems, Spa Eastman. Nestled in the picturesque Eastern Townships, Spa Eastman is not just a destination, it’s a sanctuary for those seeking a holistic approach to well-being.

From its humble beginnings to becoming a renowned wellness retreat, the story of Spa Eastman is one of passion, dedication, and a commitment to the art of living well.

Global Plates: The People We Meet, The Food They Eat

Who: Jocelyna Dubuc
Food item: nut yogurt
Where: Eastern Townships, Canada
Visit: Spa Eastman

Read the recipe or listen to the podcast episode at the end of this article.

I had the pleasure of experiencing this haven firsthand, immersing myself in the serenity that Spa Eastman offers. From indulging in the soothing hot and cold thermal baths to daringly taking a plunge into the invigorating cold pond, every moment was a celebration of self-care, whether we were strolling the grounds, admiring the scenery and the gardens, taking a yoga class or dining on the exquisite cuisine.

In this Q&A, we explore the philosophy that drives this haven for self-discovery. Jocelyna’s passion — for the power of food (and the spa’s recipe for nut yogurt!), the unique offerings that set the spa apart, and the profound impact it has had on the lives of those who have graced its serene grounds — is evident in her story.

Jocelyna Dubuc, the founder, and president of Spa Eastman, is a visionary whose impact extends far beyond the creation of a flourishing, innovative company. When she founded the first destination Spa in Canada, she gave birth to an entire industry, with Quebec now boasting over 140 spas. Her legacy goes beyond business success it encompasses a commitment to healthy living, environmental protection, and promoting wellness.

So, whether you’re a spa enthusiast, a wellness seeker, or simply curious about the transformative power of self-care, you’re in for a treat. Get ready to unwind, relax, and discover the secrets behind Spa Eastman in this enlightening Q&A.

Jill

Jocelyna, thank you for joining me today to speak about Spa Eastman and the experiences visitors can expect at your wellness destination. Bonjour. I enjoyed our visit so immensely when we came to Spa Eastman a couple years ago. I loved every aspect of your philosophy, so I’m eager to hear more about your journey.

If I remember correctly, when we met previously, you mentioned a trip to India as the inspiration behind creating Spa Eastman in 1977. Is that correct and, if so, can you tell us about that journey a little bit?  

Jocelyna

Yes, I had just started making personal changes before going to India — I discovered the power of food, its power to cure, and the power of detox, and I was shocked by the realization. So I made a big change to my way of eating.

At that time, I was a teacher of history and geography in high school, and I was surprised that nobody taught me that food had an impact on how I was feeling. So that was the first ‘Wow’ moment, you know. I just changed completely. My way of eating became vegan and at the same time, I discovered yoga and meditation.

Then, after a year of doing those things at home, I dreamed of experiencing real teachings about yoga and meditation. That’s why I went to Auroville in the south of India. When I was there, someone told me there was an Ayurvedic doctor I should meet. Do you know the word Ayurveda? I didn’t know about it at the time. So while I was there, I discovered this way of taking care of our health in a deeper way.

Because I had time –my first trip was four months — I was really trying to meditate, discover the hot and cold there, and give more depth to my meditation and yoga. And when I came back, I had the dream of creating a place where people would come learn to discover themselves.

So, I created, without a model, just from my personal experiences, a destination spa. It came from those experiences about food, the power of what you eat, the impact on how you feel, the impact of meditation, and the impact of doing physical activities like yoga, and I started to dream about a place. You know, that’s how it really started — in my head.

Jill

Yes, yes. So then you found this location in the Eastern townships.

Jocelyna

Yes, yes.

Jill

And it’s a gorgeous setting. I mean you’ve really got an ideal location because if someone wants to decompress, that’s the place to do it.

So you brought this art of living philosophy to Spa Eastman. Can you, for someone who’s not familiar with what that is, give a brief introduction to that?

Jocelyna

Yes, I already mentioned the food and about the exercise. So on this property, there are 15 kilometers of trails and we are in beautiful nature, even though we are five minutes from the highway. I designed an eating plan based on what I had learned. And the interesting thing is that I’m not a chef. I love eating but I’m not a chef, so I hired all kinds of people to make it happen.

Although I had been eating vegan cuisine, in 1994, I discovered the work of Dr Barry Sears, who’s well-known in the USA.

Jill

Yes.

Jocelyna

At that moment, I decided to introduce meat, fish, and milk protein healthily, but slowly. The comprehension of what is really good for the body, the true experience for myself and for our clientele we design it. We now know that many sicknesses are caused by inflammation, and how inflammation is created is heavily based on food.

I also learned from different researchers, including Dr Singhal, who is not known on the anglophone part– this doctor is in France and is very well-known there. He asks, is it possible that all of our ailments, our sickness, start from the intestine? We had that conversation in 1983. When now, in 2024, a lot of people will understand what I’m saying.

Jill

Yes, but when you said intestine do you mean like the gut microbiome?

Jocelyna

Yes, thank you. But, at that time those words were not used. No, it was really a deep research that he did. He followed patients for 20 years and of those people, 91 percent entered remission from type II diabetes.

So I realized it’s possible to create a gastronomy that will just make you happy, and feel good, and will not create inflammatory symptoms.

Jill

Tell me about the foods you serve and how they reduce inflammation and improve the gut microbiome.

Jocelyna

It’s gluten-free cuisine. It’s dairy product-free because of casein, you know, the protein in the dairy product. And meat will be cooked very slowly at a temperature of 230 degrees Fahrenheit because they’ve discovered that when it’s a high temperature when you cook the meat, it creates what they call AGE glycotoxin, a toxin.

Jill

The carcinogens, yes.

Jocelyna

Exactly the right word.

Jill

High heat as in charring like barbecue charring?

Jocelyna

In French, we say Maillard reaction, you know? There is a reaction in the protein that could be carcinogenic.

We also look at Lacto-fermentation and how it makes our microbiology healthier and maintains our immune system.

But keep in mind, we are not on a diet here.

I’ve seen people who want to lose weight when they come here. What they find is that by removing the foods that cause inflammation, they naturally lose weight.

Jill

Yes yes, oh, I love it. This is fantastic, and while I was there, I noticed the wonderful gardens that you have. So is a lot of what you serve in the dining room?

Jocelyna

Of course. We have our gardens, and our greenhouse to grow all of the wonderful herbs and produce.

Jill

Wonderful, and have you had guests comment on how that way of eating affected them? Do they notice feeling better when they’re there for four or five days or a week?

Jocelyna

Yes, I continually hear that. Even last week there was a yoga retreat here.

All ages were there and there was a couple, I would say in their 70s. After the first after 24 hours, one of them came to me and said, ‘I have arthritis and necrosis. Every morning I wake up in pain. And this morning I woke up, the pain was not there. After 24 hours.’

Then, this same client came to see me four days later. She just came like a bubbling champagne, bubbling, and she was showing me her hands.

She had gout that caused difficulty moving her hands. She told me the pain was gone. And she said ‘Look at my fingers,’ and she was moving her fingers and she was like a five-year-old girl, so excited.

Jill

That’s fabulous. Before we run out of time, I want to talk about thermal therapy and the experience of hot and cold. It seems to be the in thing lately. People talk about taking these ice water baths and things like that. So can you tell us what is the process and what is the benefit of that? Going from the cold to the hot, you know, and back and forth? What does that do?

Jocelyna

There’s the power of cold by itself. The power of cold is just incredible, and when we link it to the hot it becomes easier to do. So we work with the infrared sauna. The infrared sauna is one of the guys from America, Dr Yu, who really publicized it for me, and when he came here he said if you want to do detox, please do infrared sauna.

Infrared sauna has the power to take out the heavy metal in your muscles, in the fat.

To go in the cold, I would say in a peaceful way, which is not easy because our system wants to react to cold, stress, whatever. So we teach the technique to breathe, relax, and go into the cold and then get out and observe how we feel, but do it slowly. When people start to feel the effects of it, they start to fall in love with it. And that’s why it’s so popular, because it takes out our toxins, all the cortisol. It helps, and all the circulation in your body is activated and at the same time, where it is so powerful, is in the brain, and the mind. It feels good. And it can be experienced anywhere in a cold shower.

The process I teach is you can start your shower with hot water, but then you turn it towards the cold and you breathe. You breathe very quietly and you check your resistance that you have and you let it go. There will be tension coming out and you let go and then you can stay a minute, two minutes, three minutes and when you get out of your cold shower it’s just an incredible feeling. The brain is quiet. Or suppose you wake up in the morning and you don’t feel so good. Take a cold shower. It just makes a reset in the body and it brings peace. It activates the system, it’s easy, and it costs nothing.

Jill

Oh, that’s wonderful, that’s lovely.

Jocelyna

Yeah, then cold can become your best friend. Last month I had a conference at a hotel and I was tired, you know. And before the conference, I said to my husband, “Oh, I will go to the room and take a cold shower. I entered peacefully in the cold. Of course, there was tension at the beginning, but I let go, let go, and then I stayed maybe five minutes, and when I got out of the shower, all of the tiredness, the fatigue was gone, and I mean in just five minutes. It’s amazing.

Jill

This is wonderful, Jocelyna. And what can guests expect when they visit Spa Eastman?

Jocelyna

Some people come on vacation and want to increase the art of living. There is a program for seven nights with personal training and we design it according to the objective of the person.

Some come here just to lose weight. Some to unwind and destress, but at the same time, they need coaching in a way. And in coming to Quebec, they discover the French flavor.

Merci beaucoup, Jill.

Jill

Merci beaucoup.

Resources

• Introduction to thermotherapy: https://www.spa-eastman.com/en/blog/initiation-a-la-thermotherapie/
• Visit Spa Eastman: https://www.spa-eastman.com/en/stays/all-inclusive-packages/health-immersion/
• Listen to the podcast episode here.

Recipe

Eastman Spa Yogurt

Ingredients:

• 500 ml (2 cups) almond milk
• 1/2 teaspoon agar-agar
• 500 ml (2 cups) cashew nuts, soaked for 12 hours, rinsed, drained
• 200 ml (3/4 cup) coconut cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 50 ml (1/4 cup) maple syrup
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 probiotic capsules

Preparation:

• Bring 250 ml (1 cup) almond milk to a boil, add the agar-agar, boil for two minutes, stirring with a whisk. Reserve.
• Blend remaining almond milk, cashews, coconut cream, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and salt in a blender until smooth and creamy. Pour into a saucepan and add the almond milk and agar-agar mixture. Mix.
• Check the temperature and let it cool, if necessary, to 42°C (107.5°F) or lower. Once the mixture has cooled to medium-rare, open the probiotic capsules and add them. Stir well with a whisk.
• Pour the mixture into glass jars and cover. These must be able to stand upright in the dehydrator. Leave in a dehydrator at 42°C (107.5°F) for six hours*.
• Refrigerate in an airtight container and consume within eight days.
• Serve with fruit, to taste.

* If you don’t have a dehydrator, use the oven (door ajar, if needed) or a yogurt maker. Place the jars in a bain-marie style in a saucepan with the bottom covered with water.

This recipe comes from the Book That Makes You Good by Guylaine Cliche, get it online here.