It didn’t take me long into my tour of the Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, FL to say out loud to my husband, “UGH! I wish we would have known about this place when I was diagnosed!”
I was born and grew up just down the street from Hippocrates but didn’t learn of it until months after my cancer diagnosis in 2008. I am tossing it up to one of those “I guess it just wasn’t meant to be” kind of things, but if you are looking for a place to retreat to after a cancer diagnosis, this would definitely be a peaceful and helpful place to consider.
Was it a sign that the first question our tour guide asked was “would anyone like to try some Green Drink?”
Our tour group at HHI was made up of about 15 people, one of whom fought his Stage IV colon cancer with raw foods and wheatgrass therapy at Hippocrates. Three years later he said he is about 80% raw but still completely vegan and CANCER FREE! He was there bringing a few other people on a tour of HHI, the place that “saved his life.”
After a brief orientation in the dining hall we journeyed off to the wheatgrass juicing room. If you have ever experienced the overwhelming smell of juiced wheatgrass, you will agree with me that it is a mix of fresh grass clippings and some sort of sweetener that makes you squish your face up and wriggle your nose.
Wheatgrass therapy was the main therapeutic component in Hippocrates Diet founder, Ann Wigmore‘s, treatment protocol. It is extremely alkalizing and LOADED with vitamins and minerals among many other benefits. I consumed it 2-3 times daily while going through the detoxification period during my own cancer “treatment.”
After our wheatgrass adventures, we viewed several brand-new villas students call home during their stay at HHI. Housing rates for a stay at HHI have 7 different pricing tiers, varying from moderately affordable to pretty expensive. There are places to stay on campus and some just off campus but within walking distance. You can also attend as a “commuter” student if you live in or are staying with friends in the West Palm Beach area.
HHI is equipped with eight non-chlorinated pools including dead sea salt pools, jacuzzis, cold pools, and swimming pools. They also have infrared saunas and a steam room (as if south Florida in the summer isn’t the world’s largest steam room!)
At times HHI felt way more like an upscale resort than a place that people come to heal their cancer. It is quite a huge paradox from the traditional hospital setting of conventional treatment. The sad part of it all is that a 3 week stay with the most luxurious package and accommodations at HHI would STILL be thousands less than ONE chemotherapy treatment in a hospital. If only insurance companies would get with it…but that’s a whole other messy conversation.
I was very impressed with HHI’s therapy rooms and overall serenity of the grounds and facilities. The list of therapy options was impressive: hyperbaric therapy, cranial stimulation, hydrocolon therapy, IV Vitamin C and other IV therapies, complete blood analysis upon arrival, hormone therapy, and thermography.
There were several other therapies that I was not familiar with that are also included in your stay with HHI such as Ceregam-RH, H-Wave Therapy, Lymphatic Drainage Bed, Migun, MRS 2000, Ondamed Biofeedback Treatment, Q1000 Laser, Soft Laser, Theragem, Turbosonic Therapy, and Viofor.
You could spend a RIDICULOUS amount of money in the therapy center during your visit at HHI, but the good news is that ONE of each of these therapies are included with your tuition. You can add extra services a la carte upon registration or during your stay.
In addition to the therapies, HHI has a fitness center with gym equipment and group classes in yoga and pilates. They also have therapists specializing in many varieties of massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, and reflexology. HHI’s location within miles of the Atlantic Ocean also allows for weekly beach trips.
As our tour continued, I learned what fills a typical day at HHI. There is ample time for exercise and meditation including Tai Chi, yoga, and pool exercise. There are several breaks for wheatgrass juice and other green juices each day. The “meat and potatoes” (HA! that is seriously the first phrase that came to my mind) of the program are the lectures by Drs. Brian and Anna Maria Clement. They are experts in the Living Foods Lifestyle and lecture all around the world. Many of the other therapists and emotional experts at HHI speak throughout the week in their areas of expertise.
Maybe ya’ll can help me figure out all of these people on the wall that have visited Hippocrates? So far I can identify Ellen Page on the right, AKA “Juno.” Then there’s legendary actor Anthony Hopkins and Fleetwood Mack’s Mick Fleetwood. And of course Atlanta’s own Coretta Scott King.
Good to know that Jesus isn’t completely left out of the equation at HHI. (:
The main dining room at HHI appeared brand new, super clean and serves daily lunch and dinner buffet of LOTS of sprouts and living foods, all included with tuition. Visitors can have unlimited lunch for $10 if you take the tour. $20 if just stopping in. AND one of the coolest little touches are the BIKES! Unlimited bike borrowing is included with your stay at Hippocrates.
If I would have know of Hippocrates when diagnosed I would have taken 2 weeks off work for detoxing and focusing on myself at HHI, loaded up on colonics and reflexology appointments a la carte at their Therapy Center and stayed with my parents at their home just south of West Palm Beach. This would have brought me to a grand total of just under $5,000. For another $500 I could have stayed for 3 weeks.
Pricing:
For the most affordable on-campus accommodations with a private room, prices range from $2,860 for a one week stay to $5,940 for 3 weeks (2012 prices.) The most expensive package with a private room ranges from $8,470 to just over $17,000. There is also the option to share a room with another HHI student for a lower rate.
Tuition includes all food and juices, blood work and health consultations, emotional healing classes, food prep classes and other lectures, fitness center, unlimited warm and cold pool usage, lodging (unless opting for the commuter package), and ONE of each therapy from their Therapy Center.
In researching for this post, I ran across a few negative reviews of HHI. As with anytime you are dealing with a BUSINESS, you need to stand firm in what you are willing to dish out financially. I think that the primary benefit of HHI is what is offered in their tuition- the food, the classes, and the facilities and treatments that are included in the tuition costs. The lush, tropical paradise is ideal for healing to take place.
Unless you WANT to spend extra on additional therapies or products, DON’T. Stand your ground. This is a HOLISTIC healing center, not a quick fix, so don’t go there expecting that. Your attitude will make the biggest difference of all.***
If you are interested in more information about the Hippocrates Health Institute, contact Kristin Berbusse at kberbusse@hippocratesinst.org, (561) 530-5895 or Jolene Jackson at jjackson@hippocratesinst.org, 561-471-8876 ext. 2207. You can also visit their website: HippocratesInst.org.
*** I would not consider time at Hippocrates as “treatment” and wouldn’t expect to go there with cancer and emerge with complete healing. It is a place that will empower you to take care of yourself- eating foods from the earth and learning healthy thought processes after a time of detox that you can continue once you get home from the institute. With those skills and change in mindset, continuing healing can take place overtime. ***
Is there a similar institute in British Columbia, Canada. I live in Vancouver.
Not that I know of. Maybe a google search? 🙂
I wish I had known about this in 2013. I took my mom to New York for her cognitive issues. She was diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment.
Great information!
Thanks everybody!!!!!
Hi. I went to HHI for their 3 week life transformation program. It put me on a great path toward healing. I had breast cancer and a few swollen lymph nodes that may have been metastatic disease. I say “may have” because I didn’t have any biopsies. I chose to let my body heal itself and that becomes more difficult if you start doing things like removing part of a system (in my case, the lymph system). The lymph node that was most concerning was near my collarbone and it was the size of a walnut. Radiologists found a 9 mm (it was very small, thank God) tumor in my breast in July. I started a raw, vegan diet the following day. I started the HHI program on August 2. The lymph node resolved within 3 weeks. I went to the breast specialist on August 24 and the tumor was only 1/2 the size at 4.5 mm. I had a follow-up ultrasound in December of 2015 and the tumor was undetectable. HHI is a place. It is not a cure. But they do have a lot of great information and very helpful people there. I am grateful that God led me down the path to natural healing which started with the education I received at HHI. And thank you so much for this website. I’ve made the green smoothie a couple of times and, while it was probably one of the most disgusting things I ever saw or tasted, it was a nice change of pace! God bless you for spreading the word that there are other treatment options.
Certainly cannot afford your prices but would like to start eating and living healthy so was thinking perhaps you might give me information on how to live healthy…..
Larry, please see my Get Started page for more info to help you.
Hello
Do you really think this places is legit?
If so my trying to get my family to go this route.
My parents are gong to cali to visit
Do you know any places out west?
thank you
Clay
Hi Clay- I do. But just like with anything, call, research, and ask lots of question before you pay anything. Read my post carefully and I think you’ll gather that they are good at what they do.
I wan to know more about this places it sound good , but do they have a class orientation before you venture there to get a estimate of the cost for a healthy person who is always looking to keep in tune , I do not want to wait till is late and espect miracles , like me I like to educate people to a heathy life estile
Thank you
sincerely
Banca Rivas
I was diagnosed with breast cancer 2012, have since finished treatment 2013 as I never knew anything about raw food diet. Since I came in contact with felicity corban wheeler on TV and read extensively about her on her website, I started following the juicing and eating healthy, I feel great and very active but I feel I need to know more of the therapies as I intend to make it a lifestyle. Please get intouch as I would like to know the requirements on how to come to Florida for this program. I live in Africa. Thank you.
Hi Nkiruka- so wonderful to hear you want to know more about eating foods that will nourish your body. (: I am not affiliated with Hippocrates Health Institute, so you’ll have to contact them directly.
Would like toknow rates for a week stay at your spa.
I have been to Hippocrates twice. It is my experience that you have to SEEK out assistance while there to manage your experience. It is easy to get your meals go to the gym and exersize classes and be relatively invisible to the staff as far as managing your care unless you reach out for the guidance! It is an amazing experience and I was helped with several health issues while I was there. They recommended several IV therapies which were very expensive so I chose not to have them. Overall it is a great place to go, but it is not a “Medical Treatment” facility and anyone considering going there would be wise to understand that.
Thank you for the honest response, Jodi! This is what I figured things were like there and am glad you chimed in to give a first-person testimony. (:
Hello, Mrs. Dirk Pool. I just wanted to send a small comment to extend my deepest condolences for the loss of your husband. I cannot begin to imagine the fire that I would have blasting through body if I saw my loved one return from a retreat worse than he went in with! The IV issue – wow! I don’t know how I would even react to that. Not to add salt to your wound, but, have you sought legal help with going after HHI? I feel like screaming for you! You must be a very strong woman to come to this site and share your story. Your husband must have been a lucky man. I truly appreciate you sharing your experience with HHI. My fiance is somewhat close to a liver transplant evaluation. I was researching HHI for him. Your story gave me much to think about. I wish you all the best in life and hope that you find peace and comfort throughout the day.
I am also sorry about your fathers passing. It bothers me however, for those who always look to blame someone for issues that happen. It is also not my intention to defend anyone. HOWEVER… the man arrived with stage 4 stomach cancer!
It is great to never stop fighting to get better. Stage 4 cancer of any kind will be a battle and the odds of survival are not guaranteed. I believe in the holistic living life style, but it has to be a life style.
I just spent two weeks at Hippocrates in West Palm Beach Florida. It was an amazing experience. I am blessed as I don’t have any major health challenges. However, I have plenty of people around me that do. I’ve have taken a interest in holistic, preventative health for over a decade now. Part of my motivation stems from having witnessed my father struggle with MS for years until it took his life 17 years ago. He did everything the doctor told him. It didn’t help. Two years ago, I also had the opportunity to spend five days at the Living Institute in Atlanta. Both places are similar but different.
HHI is nestled in the woods in a tranquil setting of 50 acres. When you are a guest you stay on the grounds unless you choose not to. It is part of your tuition. Everybody comes to HHI for a variety of reasons. Durning one’s stay everyone is detoxing. Most people skip breakfast and only eat lunch and dinner. A buffet of raw food is offered at both in their main dining room. There are services offered that are part of the package. One can buy additional services if you choose to depending on what your needs are. The services are offered to complement your detox and also experience new things to learn how to take care of one’s self. HHI also offers several lectures, meeting with a psychotherapist, fitness classes for all levels, a gym, steam room, infrared saunas in all houses, support groups, to name a few. Nothing is spoon fed to you. You pick and choose what you want. A new schedule comes out every Sunday. Some things are booked for you but the times can always be changed. I never felt like they were trying to dig deeper into my pocket books. Supplements and services are suggested to you but only after an evaluation. There is plenty of support if one needs it in whatever area that may be in. I completed two out of the three week “Life Style Program.” I will be returning in the winter to complete week three.
TLI is a free standing building in Atlanta that offers holistic education but doesn’t have a sleeping quarters like HHI. TLI is a much smaller scale than HHI. The core teaching is the same. It’s all about learning how to eat, wheatgrass, raw cooking classes, and emotional support. The day starts at 8:30 and ends at 6pm. The morning starts with wheatgrass and a green drink. There are two lectures taught daily, one class is about information and the second about emotions and the roles they play. They have guest speakers that pop in as well. Some services are included. It’s difficult to reschedule if there is something you’d rather be doing. Green drinks are made daily by the guests as well as lunch. It was great to have this hands on experience. Supplements are suggested to you but at the time I was there, no testing was done for this suggestion. They suggested everyone should take at a minimum, colon assist, parasite, and yeast away. These are herbal supplements. HHI doesn’t recommend anything to you until you are seen by a Doctor and a nurse. In addition, nothing is suggested without seeing your test results at HHI.
Knowledge is power. If you know better, you can do better. HHI cost a lot less than TLI dollars wise and more is offered. TLI is a nice little place but cost more. The nice thing about TLI is you can attend for a day or all ten days if you wish. They are very flexible this way. The hands on classes are amazing. HHI classes were mostly lectures. It depends on what you are looking for. Both HHI and TLI offer scholarship programs.
I will be spending two weeks at HHI the end of this month. I’ve also been the TLI in Atlanta for 5 days. It will be interesting to make comparisons.
Hi Holly! I would love to hear about your experience there. What do you mean by TLI in Atlanta?
Cortney
My husband stayed at Hippocrates Health Center in oktober 2012. He travelled there from Amsterdam because he had just been given a diagnosis of stage 4 stomach-cancer. Because regular health care could not offer curative treatment, he looked for an alternative. I can assure you he wasn’t looking fo a quick fix. He was very motivated and serious about handling his own health and fighting this disease. Before he left he had a telephone call with the director of Hippocrates, dr. Brian Clement. Dr. Clement convinced my husband that a raw food diet, combined with all the treatments at the institute could cure him. So he went and payed over 9000 euro’s for his stay, additional;, very expensive treatments and all kinds of pills and substitutes. He stayed in one of the cheapest rooms, of campus. Jolene Jackson advised him to do so. When staying there he regretted this. He had cancer and was often tired. Staying of campus costed him extra energy. If you have cancer. at Hippocrates you can only eat raw green food, everyday garlic and no fruit. My husband had a healthy weight of 80 kilo’s, he lost 15 kilo’s at HHI. If you have cancer you are not supposed to loose so much weight, you need everything you have. Although the staff is very friendly, you are very much on your own at Hippocrates. My husband missed very much a health professional who would help him and advice him which treatments would be best in his situation. He had to make his own plan. Which is pretty difficult, when you are ill, you are staying off campus, you are only there for 3 weeks and you don’t know what to do and what is best for you…and nobody is telling you. He took very expensive vitamine IV’s from a dr. Cheng. He – and all the other patients that week -had bad luck, because the IV’s (that are prepared locally) he and the other patients got, appeared to have turned bad. My husband got very, very sick of them. Obviously there is not enough control on what individual doctors do at Hippocrates. These people are not on the paylist, but hire a ‘practice’ at the institute. Dr. Brian Clement and his wife dr. Anna Clement (both owner/directors of Hippocrates advise their patients during consults to take certain treatments. My husband was strongly advised by them to go to dr. Cheng. When my husband arrived on the Amsterdam airport back from Hippocrates, we had to rush him to hospital. His bloodcount had dropped so bad, he needed a blood- IV immediately. Hippocrates just does not offer enough medical support. If you have a stage 4 cancer diagnosis, find treatment elsewhere. My husband came back from Hippocrates in a far worse health than he had when he went there. He died 3 month after.
Hi Mrs. Pool- thank you so much for sharing your story. I can imagine you feel frustrated and powerless about this situation and was heartbroken as i read your story. 🙁
I have no affiliation with HHI. I wrote this post to give readers an idea of what “centers” for detox and raw foods living were out there, particularly if you were looking to heal from cancer. It’s definitely not a “one stop shop” for cancer treatment. Holistic cancer treatment is a lifelong journey…and can be challenging for sure.
It is important to me that readers of my blog hear your husband’s story. Cancer is not an easy breezy situation and no two stories are alike. I want then to know his experience there. Everyone should prayerfully consider their treatment approach and make their decisions from a place of informed peace and contentment.
Prayers to you and your family!
Cortney
Hi Mrs. Pool,
I’m a reporter looking into Hippocrates. I would love to talk to you more about your husband’s experience. Can you please get in touch with me? Thanks, Connie My email is: connie dot walker at cbc dot ca
Hippocrates is a very cool place. I stayed for three weeks after the cancer came back in my body.. It’s not a quick fix but VERY educational. Knowledge is Power. They also have a scholarship program that you can apply for if you don’t have the funds.
Thanks for this! It’s great to get the perspective of someone who spent that much time there. (:
so sad that people who are the working poor have no options.
Hi Kamala,
It depends on what you’re looking for. Hippocrates is definitely on the higher end of the spectrum as far as raw foods/detox places go. You’ll find that most people fighting their cancer holistically do it at home, some for less money than the co-payments and deductibles for their insurance would have cost them.
When you have cancer but don’t have the money, you tend to get solution-minded! Websites like mine and many of the others I suggest are there to help you. (:
Do You think a place like this is absolutely necessary to fully heal from cancer? Is a week or two enough time to get done what needs to be done? Surely there is some place that isn’t so expensive as these and gets the job done just as well?
Hey Marci (:
I don’t think that a place like this is NECESSARY, but I do think that someone who chooses an alternative healing route needs to take some time off to slow down and spend some time on THEM- relaxing their body and mind while receiving attention for their condition. Places like Hippocrates also offer many services to help strengthen the body’s immune system (such as Vitamin C therapy) that can be hard to find elsewhere. I personally did not attend HHI, but I took a week off of work to focus on haling at the Living Foods Institute in Atlanta. It was a little bit less expensive than HHI, but HHI’s location is by far superior, and it has lodging on campus.
If you find somewhere that you think would be worth others knowing about, please let us know and include a website URL. (:
Hello,,
Please have you idea what is their therapy for brain cancer ?? Vitamin C ?
B17????
What can they advice??
Thanks
Hi Courtney! So you think this is better than LVI? I was wondering. Every year at the end of October they have a wonderful all day open house for free where you get a wonderful tour of the whole place (probably similar to what you did) as well as their yummy lunch. You get to try their wheatgrass and get a growing demo in the wheatgrass greenhouse as well.
There is also live music, a holistic vendor show, and free lectures and demonstrations all day, including lectures from Brian and Anna Maria. I have gone two years in a row and it was great!
I have wanted to go spend a few weeks there just to immerse myself in a health vacation but it is $$
But because of some of the negative reviews I had wondered how it compared to LVI.
Thanks for your review!
Hi Jewel!
I think the location and atmosphere is definitely better than LFI, but it is also more expensive (slightly.) I also did not actually attend HHI, but did attend LFI…so there may have been little quirky things about HHI that I wouldn’t have liked either. However, I was VERY impressed while I was there. (with HHI)
LFI has some of the same issues as what I read in the negative views of HHI, primarily trying to sell you more and more things you’ll “need to heal.” Also, the packages at LFI included things that were NOT worth what they were charging for. For example, included in my package was “Rebounding Sessions” which they stated was a $30 value.) I didn’t know what rebounding was when I went there, so I thought I was getting a great deal. Now I know it’s simply jumping on a rebounder trampoline- and it was really unlimited once you got to LFI. No one was monitoring them. This is just one example but I could state more if I had time.
Also, when I attended LFI it was in a warehouse just off of the MARTA (Subway) line near downtown Atlanta. Not exactly serene healing like at HHI. LFI recently moved their location to MUCH nicer location in a shopping, sort of officey-building area and it is much nicer, but overall I think HHI is the best for your money- PLUS lodging is included in the tuition. At LFI you have to find a hotel near the institute.
Wow, places like this actually exist?! Are there other places in the US like this???
There’s the Living Foods Institute in Atlanta which is a more simplified and not as serene version of HHI. There is one in Hawaii and Puerto Rico as well and I believe in California? None of these other places are affiliated with each other.
Hello, where is the LFI in California?
Thank you,
Janice
Living Foods Institute is in Atlanta. livingfoodsinstitute.com
Amanda,
There is also a retreat center in Ithaca, NY run by Marcia Radin, a former devotee of Ann Wigmore. It’s called Body-Mind Retreat Center and it’s wonderful. it’s s residential retreat, complete with natural spring-fed pond, saunas, walking paths, the works. No doctors on staff an if one is really ill, you would have to make sure this would viable. I have been there a few times and the experience has always been amazing. Also, it’s much cheaper than Hippocrates in Florida.
Good to know! Think I’d rather go to upstate NY than Florida anyways. 🙂
Great review Cort!