I finally made it to a free Sunday open house tour (and dinner) at Optimum Health Institute (OHI), a gem in the Lemon Grove area of San Diego that focuses on a balance of body, mind, and spirit. All spiritual traditions are welcome at OHI. The San Diego spot has a relaxing atmosphere and hosts about 100 students; they also have a center in Austin, Texas, which usually has around 20 people.
To help guests detox from numerous health issues, OHI serves raw vegan food–what they describe as light, easy to digest, and high in nutrients. OHI provides as much organic and local food as possible to the people passing through for what is typically a three-week stay (they say it takes 21 days to change a habit). Some people attend for one week and return later in the year, depending on their schedules.
One of the first things I spotted when entering the main building was an interesting drink called rejuvelac, sprouted grains fermented with lots of digestive-healthy probiotics such as rye and quinoa. We saw the wheatgrass room where students learn to grow their own green nutritious juice and heard about classes in digestion, gardening, and many other areas of interest. We passed a colon hydrotherapy area, along with a spa and massage rooms.
Here’s more info on the open houses on Sunday afternoons.
