"Hold on, I exist now". How many times have we told ourselves this, how many times we have heard it, but also how many times it has remained a daydream. Yet increasingly, taking care of oneself has not remained an aspiration. On the contrary, in its many facets, it is becoming a cultural fact, an awareness, a contagious way of thinking and acting, a way of being, a custom. Yes indeed, because the awareness of beauty and physical and mental health is changing the very fabric of our society. Far from venturing into sociological studies here, we need to be aware of this.

Furthermore, the time has come to go beyond appearances, to go deeper, in the search for and in conquest of authentic wellbeing, a word that is still vague in terms of its definition, but firm in terms of the concept that it invokes: stable and long-lasting and proposed as an orderly path of health, wellbeing and beauty, both within us and outside of us. What if we were to ask two questions – what is the right lifestyle, and what are the goals to be achieved? – these questions arise, but it is not a foregone conclusion that we are also on the road to longevity.

And instead, this is precisely the aspiration – who wouldn't want it? – that we embrace, of which we dream in our deepest selves and that we tend to trust in: we want to live for longer, but also to be healthy and well.

The real new development is that it is no longer an illusion, but a fact: an aspiration that is increasingly, beyond the already encouraging statistics, within our reach thanks to those who have made this conquest a vocation in their lives, with the concept focused on the processes of oxidative stress, lives spent in analysis laboratories, in the world of chemistry and microbiology, in complex health facilities, which have led you to devise and implement a method that is capable of answering with a scientific imprimatur the true and fundamental questions of what is much more than a fantastical, paradisiacal notion, of many vague and unrealistic elixirs.

And it is this story that we want to tell, not only because it deserves to be told, but above all in order to understand the genesis and reasons for an advanced, formula-based method. It is a personal story that also fascinates listeners because it is inseparable from the formula, if we bear in mind that in order to define a scientific process you need an object and a method. And here we have both.

She is Lucia Magnani, a female scientist and an entrepreneur, founder and CEO of LongLife Formula, but, fortunately (we add) she is above all a manager with a vision and a mission: to discover the key to longevity.

This is how, drawing together research, experiences, sharing and different places, she has dedicated the last thirteen years to the study of the ageing process, which has led her to offer, not only innovative analyses but also a tailor-made programme focusing on nutrition, exercise and health in her clinic.

Based on studies in chemistry and biochemistry, Lucia Magnani began seeking an understanding on how to solve the body's imbalance processes, with the main focus on considering all the main factors that lead to premature ageing and discovering how to measure all this – it must once again be repeated from a strictly scientific point of view – offering effective remedies. So, after extensive research, she came up with a particular protocol known internationally today as the Lucia Magnani LongLife Formula that summarises a path of health, wellbeing and beauty that in turn combines the fundamentals of longevity with a defined and proven basis.

What does the LongLife Formula consist of?
Lucia Magnani LongLife Formula is a scientific method capable of improving the quality of life and promoting an all-encompassing experience that radically transforms one's view of oneself.

Without putting it mildly, could it be called a new life project?
I prefer to portray it as a long-term investment in proper nutrition, combined with regular physical activity, with the aim of offering a promise of longevity and wellbeing.

Let's start from the beginning, maybe from the check up?
Which is obviously important to assess the state of health at any given time, but much more so it is needed for the lifestyle to be maintained.

And so?
It was in the context of accurate analysis that I developed the concept, that the approach cannot just consist of healthcare in any case.

And so what else, then?
If wellbeing is to be comprehensive and enduring, it must be able to invite and lead men and women to explore ways of prolonging life and the quality of life must be based on a style that embraces all the senses, from the pleasure of food to relaxation, from rest to togetherness.

This is how, the original idea became an innovative project step by step. What was missing?
A place to make it happen.

Not just any old place, I imagine?
It immediately comes to mind, not just any place, right? Exactly, a special place in the world of hospitality that, thanks to its level, starting from the cultural one, allows us to propose a project like ours, which completes the experience of feeling and living a beautiful and fulfilling vacation in all its aspects. Just like Castrocaro Terme, a place with a capital P that needs no introduction or explanation. Castrocaro Terme is.

What she, as a fitting conclusion to the venture, finally found.
The turning point came from the encounter with the intelligence of Ettore Sansavini, the founder, president and CEO of GVM Care & Research, which has been operating in the private health sector since 1962.

An ideal place but, from what we have discussed so far, not just for getting in shape?
Lucia Magnani smiling as she replies: "But from there, from that well-being and that relax, you can start again".

Let's recap: concept, structure, research, method, ideal place, and then?
All that is missing is the invitation to enter peacefully into a present-future by starting on a fascinating path to give shape and substance to our desire to prolong the duration and quality of our life, starting with getting in shape.

Already the "Remise en Forme"...
The concept of "Remise en Forme" ['getting into shape'] is a key theme of our LongLife Formula® paths. To get back in shape, it is necessary to change perspective, to start taking care of one's physical and mental health, of one's wellbeing, where wellbeing, once again, is a holistic concept that is understood as relaxation and as pleasure in one's body. But it is also that pleasure that comes from observing nature, art and everything that creates a state of wellbeing in us. And it is everything that contributes to making us more beautiful, since beauty is something that comes from within and must be cared for: when a person is well, he or she feels physically and mentally fit, he or she expresses an energy deriving from the awareness of being beautiful on the inside, and not just on the outside.

Do I sense that we are getting to the heart of his method?
The "Remise en Forme" starts from the holistic vision of the individual. We have built all our courses on this principle, coded and programmed precisely to get our guests back into shape. There is a moment of pause in which the professional tone leads her to continue in the third person: "The Lucia Magnani LongLife Formula Health Clinic continues and expands its pioneering mission on the theme of health and longevity through a holistic vision of wellbeing and an integrated ecosystem that combines science, experience and research, to offer the opportunity to live better for as long as possible".

And the mantra sublimates when we ask what it means, in concrete terms, to embark on a path of longevity to live well and for longer?
It's about working on cellular oxidation. This is the philosophy of care that characterises our LongLife Formula that I have designed and that is carried out by all the staff of the Health Clinic, nestled in the hills of Forlì, in a setting that is imbued with nature and pure wellbeing.

At this point, a curiosity arises: who are the silent enemies of our premature ageing?
Free radicals produced in excess. Our scientific protocol, developed with the contribution of Professor Siro Passi, a biochemistry specialist, aims to combat oxidative stress and its repercussions on cellular ageing and the health of the body.

What causes oxidative stress?
Lack of balance in the biochemical system, an imbalance that causes the excess production of free radicals that, in turn, are responsible for premature ageing.

Which, incidentally, also cause damage to a person's appearance.
In our holistic vision, it is an important aspect that is not only related to beauty, but to the general health of the body. It does have its direct and indirect effects on the appearance, which we take care of at our hotel, where the prevention of oxidative stress and self-care is combined with the pleasure of a deluxe stay through regeneration paths focused on ageing and psychophysical balance. These are paths of profound change, supported by medical staff specialising in ageing processes, cutting-edge tools and technologies and the collaboration of a highly-qualified team of nutritionists.

And at this point, Dr Lucia Magnani once again unleashes her infectious enthusiasm in her dual role as CEO and scientist.

"We have a passion for health that is fuelled every day with research, innovation and a deep respect for the balance between body, mind and spirit. Here, we offer our guests a true, all encompassing experience that is capable of transforming their lifestyle. Oxidative stress, identified as one of the main causes of ageing and decreased quality of life, is the target of all the paths of our Health Clinic, equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories in which meticulous analyses are carried out by combining plasma, cellular and metabolic parameters to develop highly-personalised treatment programmes".

In addition to those described, what are the distinctive factors of your Health Clinic?
We are certainly distinguished by the presence of a very advanced health division that enables the execution of a check-up aimed at understanding and gaining a deeper insight into the different needs. Our strength lies in the number of doctors present and the technologies used, from the gym equipped with artificial intelligence to transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Her professional history lies above all in a dynamic process. Isn't that right?
It couldn't be any other way. The scientific/health value is our foundation, and thanks to it, we can position ourselves as a leader in research on cellular ageing. By contrasting the imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body's ability to neutralise them, we develop useful processes to slow it down.

Was the solid leitmotif present at the centre when it all began?
Of course. Our collaboration with experts and scientific institutions remains focused on the development of new treatments and new methodologies to promote longevity, prevent early ageing and ensure that people remain healthy for as long as possible.

Isn't it the case that people only try to fend off ageing when they start ageing?
The world has changed, and continues to change, in terms of the awareness of self-care that women have, but now also men. And you know what I can tell you?

Another new development?
A wonderful and promising development, I would say: the age of this consciousness is becoming lower and lower. The culture of self-care is also spreading among young people.

So there is no specific age for treatments and starting the journey?
Certainly not, our treatments are dedicated to all ages and designed to meet all kinds of needs.

What do the treatments consist of, in detail?
There are ten LongLife Formula programmes: Clean, Weight Loss, Evergreeen, Relax, Energy, Sport, Happiness Route, Restart, Smoke, and Immunity, which are each based on a proven methodological approach and define actions to counter through specific interventions relating to nutrition, movement and everyday habits.

With what effects?
They allow men and women to discover how to enhance the duration and quality of life, counteracting wear and tear from work performance, ageing and immune vulnerability.

Deciding to change your lifestyle, you will admit, is not easy. What is the most suitable approach, in your opinion, to start with?
It could be the approach relating to health aspects that may need to be brought under control or be rehabilitated, but in my opinion it is tourism, the intelligent one, that can facilitate, and once again at all ages, undertaking the path towards the key to LongLife. And of course, the location is ideal. The Terme di Castrocaro, classified by the Italian Ministry of Health as First Category Super, for over a century – the thermal baths were discovered in 1830 – are already a symbol of health and wellbeing, also representing a sensory combination that brings together history, nature and art. Located in the beautiful hills of Forlì, they are recognised not only for their spa treatments, but also for their history and captivating Art Deco architecture. In their own right, with their natural resources, infused with precious minerals, they offer unique treatments for the prevention and treatment of a wide range of diseases.

And so, once we arrive in Castrocaro, we enter the Health Clinic, and…?
A stay at the Health Clinic is underpinned by health and wellness programmes, sessions dedicated to physical revival, spa treatments that take advantage of the unique properties of Castrocaro's salso-bromo-iodine and sulphurous waters, ozone regenerative therapies that boost the immune system, but also by the many opportunities for pampering, pleasant gastronomic and sensory experiences, as well as oriental practices that facilitate the return to restorative sleep and the achievement of complete mental relaxation.

Let’s put it this way: a serene and fulfilling stay, which today would be called smart, with an extra opportunity: love for life?
It would be more than just a smart stay for someone who not only starts, but also learns to know and take care of themselves, with access to highly trained specialists and the most sophisticated diagnostic tools, such as image-based CT scans, which thoroughly define a person's state of health down to the cellular level. The aim is to identify deficiencies or excesses that need to be corrected, as a scientific basis, I repeat, for the formula for long life. We start with the fact that we are dealing with healthy people who are enjoying a period of relaxation and who have decided to intervene in the ageing process with our LongLife Formula.

How do you see this project in the context of a hospitality sector that is constantly renewing, developing and enriching itself?
Certainly, it is a high-quality contribution to the enhancement of the offer, because it is clearly distinctive and special, yet perfectly in line with the new and innovative culture of hospitality.