The key to health has some surprisingly simple secrets.

And chewing, and chewing.

When I finally reached a count of 40, I swallowed.

A thatched roof Lanserhof Sylt resort building, seen through see grass

The main building at Lanserhof Sylt wellness resort has the largest thatched roof in Europe.Credit:Kasper Palsnov

This repetitive process is part of whats known as the Lanserhof Cure.

But in the Lanserhof universe, health and longevity begin and end with or rather, in the gut.

My room, a bi-level loft, was swathed in calming shades of slate, with a birch-clad ceiling.

Pair of interior photos from Lanserhof Salt resort in Germany, one showing a spiral staircase, and one showing the bed in a guest room

From left: The resort, designed by German architect Christoph Ingenhoven, has a staircase that spans five floors; mattresses can be set to a specific temperature via remote control.Kasper Palsnov

And then there was the chewing.

(Juniper berries are his secret ingredient, apparently.)

Alongside detox and abdominal-stimulation massages, Hubner prescribed a course of simulated altitude therapy called CellGym.

Five people doing yoga on a pool deck

Activities include morning yoga by the pool.Alexander Haiden/Courtesy of Lanserhof Sylt

The practice, Hubner explained, was meant to benefit cellular health at a mitochondrial level.

Fitness and nutrition lectures and cooking demonstrations were scheduled throughout the week, as were aqua-fitness classes and yoga.

More importantly, I had shed the fuzzy, cotton-stuffed brain fog Id arrived with.

Porridge with fruit and chocolate, and tea, at a resort in Germany

Fruit-laden porridge and green tea for breakfast.Kasper Palsnov

lanserhof.com; Cure Classic Plus program from $8,046.

Pair of photos from Sylt island in Germany, one showing a man in a resort pool, and one showing a red and white lighthouse in grassy dunes

From left: A guest soaks in the saltwater swimming pool, which was built into the dunes; one of the five lighthouses on Sylt.From left: Kasper Palsnov; Lightboxx/Alamy