The physique retains rating. Of stress carried too lengthy, sleep sacrificed too usually, and techniques pushed previous their limits. By the point signs seem, the story has normally been unfolding for years. In some unspecified time in the future, effort stops delivering solutions. The foundations you adopted not apply, and the physique you thought you understood begins to really feel unfamiliar. It’s in that unsettling area {that a} completely different sort of healthcare dialog begins.
What if the issue was by no means self-discipline in any respect?
That query sits on the middle of a rising shift in trendy drugs, one which asks not how shortly signs may be silenced, however why they appeared within the first place. It’s a quieter method, slower by design, and deeply private. And it’s the philosophy guiding the work of Dr. Andrea Bretal, MD, and the staff at Weston Medical Well being & Wellness.
At Weston Medical, transformation doesn’t start with a scale, a prescription, or a lecture about willpower. It begins with listening. That ethos runs via each nook of the apply, formed by Dr. Bretal, the clinic’s Medical Director, and Roger Castells, its Director, whose partnership blends science, empathy, and lived expertise right into a distinctly trendy method to well being.
For Dr. Bretal, the journey into metabolic and weight problems drugs was private earlier than it was skilled. “During my medical training and residency, long hospital shifts, chronic sleep deprivation, and constant access to processed, convenience foods led me to experience weight gain myself,” she says. Regardless of following every little thing she had been taught, she realized conventional medical training provided little sensible steering on stopping or reversing metabolic dysfunction.
That frustration turned formative. As she watched sufferers repeat the identical patterns—working exhausting, following recommendation, but persevering with to battle—a bigger reality emerged. “I realized this was not a failure of discipline, but a gap in medical education.” That realization led her to pursue extra coaching and board certification via the American Board of Weight problems Medication, reshaping how she practices right now.
“Becoming board certified in obesity medicine transformed the way I practice,” Dr. Bretal says. “It allowed me to move beyond symptom management and focus on the underlying drivers of weight gain, including hormones, insulin resistance, stress, sleep, and inflammation.” The result’s an method grounded in science, empathy, and long-term sustainability quite than short-term fixes.
Many sufferers arrive after years of frustration and self-blame. Dr. Bretal believes a lot of that battle stems from misunderstanding the physique itself. “Metabolism is dynamic, not fixed,” she explains. “Weight gain is often a symptom, not the root problem.” Lengthy earlier than lab values fall exterior regular ranges, imbalances quietly take maintain—hormonal disruption, persistent stress, irritation, and poor sleep—usually dismissed as inevitable elements of getting older.
These imbalances present up in delicate however telling methods. “Fatigue despite adequate sleep, difficulty managing stress, brain fog, cravings, emotional reactivity, even posture or facial tension tell me a lot,” she says. “Often, patients normalize these signs because they’ve lived with them for so long, but the body is always communicating.”
Step one towards change is shifting the inner narrative. “We start by removing shame,” Dr. Bretal explains. “Once patients understand what’s happening biologically, their mindset shifts from self-judgment to self-respect.” Progress, not perfection, turns into the aim, and endurance with the physique turns into an act of self-care.
Transformation at Weston Medical is deliberately unrushed. Every affected person’s journey begins with a complete understanding of medical historical past, way of life, and emotional stressors. From there, a customized plan addresses hormones, diet, sleep, stress, and metabolic well being as interconnected techniques. Many sufferers start noticing modifications inside weeks—not solely on the size, however in power, temper, psychological readability, and confidence.
One affected person expertise continues to affirm Dr. Bretal’s function. A lady arrived exhausted and discouraged, satisfied nothing would work. “Despite not yet entering menopause, her labs revealed significant hormonal imbalances that were already affecting her metabolism, mood, and overall sense of well-being,” she remembers. As remedy addressed hormonal well being, stress, sleep, and metabolic steadiness, the modifications prolonged far past weight. “Her energy returned, her emotional resilience improved, and she began reconnecting with herself and with her partner.”
That philosophy is mirrored within the clinic’s tradition. Dr. Bretal evaluations charts and remedy plans upfront so every go to is intentional. Earlier than getting into the clinic, she spends as much as an hour in guided meditation within the backyard, grounding herself to be absolutely current. Appointments are by no means double-booked. “Patients are seen on time, and each visit is unrushed, focused, and centered entirely on the individual in front of me.”
For Roger Castells, the work is deeply private. “When I first walked into the clinic, I was over 400 pounds and barely holding on,” he says. “What I found wasn’t just a weight-loss program; it was a second chance at life.” That journey remodeled him bodily, emotionally, and spiritually, and over time, right into a life partnership with Dr. Bretal. Now married, the 2 deliver a uncommon stage of belief and alignment to the work they do collectively—shaping a apply constructed as a lot on empathy as proof.
Having skilled the method firsthand, Castells understands the emotional terrain sufferers navigate. “I understand the fears, the resistance, and the moments of doubt,” he says. His position is to make sure the clinic feels human, supportive, and reasonable, so sufferers know they aren’t alone and that transformation is achievable.
Collectively, Bretal and Castells are increasing that imaginative and prescient past the clinic via a thoughtfully designed retreat expertise in Costa Rica. The inspiration got here from a shared perception that therapeutic typically requires bodily and psychological distance from each day life. “Healing requires space, mental and physical,” Dr. Bretal says. Castells provides merely, “Nature accelerates healing.”
Tucked into the luxurious hillsides close to Poás Volcano, surrounded by historic forest, birdsong, and a spring-fed creek that winds quietly via the land, the Enchanted Forest Well being Retreat is designed as an immersive extension of Weston Medical’s philosophy. Elevated on a forested hillside, the principle round residence attracts inspiration from sacred geometry, symbolizing concord, renewal, and interconnectedness. Panoramic openings invite cool mountain breezes inside, whereas a rooftop terrace gives area for dawn meditation, small group motion, and stargazing beneath clear jungle skies.
Simply steps away, a pure spring flows right into a crystal-clear creek that crosses the property. Company will stroll shaded paths alongside the water, take part in guided cold-exposure periods on the river’s edge, and discover quiet areas beneath towering tropical timber for reflection and relaxation. The structure is deliberately light, preserving the land’s pure rhythm quite than imposing upon it.
On the Enchanted Forest Retreat, Weston Medical goals to supply one thing deeper than a trip—a metabolic reset paired with readability of thoughts and renewal of spirit. Programming will embrace longevity and wellness workshops led by Dr. Bretal, metabolic well being training centered on low-carb diet and peptide science, guided forest walks to decrease cortisol, mindfulness practices, and elective superior longevity instruments equivalent to hydrogen remedy and red-light remedies. Quiet time by the creek, journaling circles, and moments of shared laughter are constructed into the rhythm of every keep.
At its core, Weston Medical represents a shift towards proactive, customized drugs. As Dr. Bretal places it, the aim is not merely to deal with illness after it seems, however to optimize well being lengthy earlier than signs start. For sufferers accustomed to feeling rushed, dismissed, or blamed, that shift can really feel transformative—not simply bodily, however profoundly human.
