A new high-tech wellness centre is bringing a range of services to Scotland and already welcoming "a real mix of people coming through the doors".

As the business takes shape, Joshua Fields is clear about the longer-term ambition: "We want to shift the health paradigm in the UK."

Visitors can experience hyperbaric oxygen therapy – used by Cristiano Ronaldo and Novak Djokovic – and Vielight, a "type of red light therapy for the brain". Read more in this week's Q&A. 

What is your business called?

Holon.

Where is it based?

We’re on Great Western Road in Glasgow’s West End.

What does it produce/do?

Holon is a high-tech wellness centre. We offer a wide range of innovative services including wellness technologies such as infrared saunas, ice baths and hyperbaric oxygen, as well as red light therapy and virtual reality as part of our mission to guide people towards optimal health and wellness. We’re also the first in Scotland to offer advanced diagnostic blood testing, and work with leading functional medicine partners in the United States to provide personalised guidance for clients looking to heal from chronic conditions.

To whom does it sell?

We’ve only been open for a few months and have seen a real mix of people coming through the doors. I’d say it’s a split between those focused on chronic health conditions, those wanting to accelerate their recovery from sport, and those interested in general wellbeing.

In terms of chronic conditions, we’ve seen quite a lot of people with long covid come for hyperbaric oxygen sessions, and those with brain-related conditions use red light therapy for the brain. For sports, we work with professional athletes and people who take their recovery seriously, with ice baths being particularly popular. And for wellness, our yoga classes draw in a mix of people looking to unwind and relax.

How many employees?

Six, plus functional medicine doctors in the US, who help clients evaluate their blood tests and suggest lifestyle and supplement recommendations

Why did you take the plunge?

For most of my twenties, I suffered from a lot of unexplained health symptoms. Doctors didn’t know what was going on, and I was essentially told there’s nothing they could do to help. Things all came to a head in my late twenties when my body just collapsed. I couldn’t walk more than 10 steps without feeling ill - any exertion would lead to the most intense flu-like symptoms, and I had issues with brain fog, memory, sleep, and digestion. I was eventually diagnosed with ME.

READ MORE: 

Scots tourism needs 'warm conditions for profitability'

Expanding Scottish law firm targets the next generation

Scottish finance chief declares he has no time for egos

“With no solutions available in the UK, I started looking into the research on issues like toxins and nervous system regulation. At the time I was working on a project in America that led to me being put in touch with a doctor involved in functional medicine.

After working with an integrative approach, my symptoms gradually disappeared and I feel better now at 33 than I did throughout my entire twenties. I wanted to bring what I’d learned back to my home city, and especially help those suffering from chronic health conditions who are getting nowhere with more traditional medicine.

What were you doing before?

After graduating from Oxford University, I worked in finance in London. I left for America in 2017 to run a company in San Francisco at the intersection of mental health and technology, and followed that with graduate work at Harvard.

What are your ambitions for the firm?

We want to shift the health paradigm in the UK. Health services are overrun, yet many diagnoses are preventable through lifestyle measures. So we want to become an education pillar as much as a wellness centre, accelerating research into different modalities and raising awareness of the importance of things like the circadian rhythm, toxins and nervous system regulation for health and performance.

Emerging science is showing that toxins like heavy metals and mould can play havoc on people’s immune systems. Scientists are also discovering that a disrupted circadian rhythm from too much blue light at night, and not enough bright light exposure during the day, has implications for a host of chronic diseases.

And areas of medicine like ‘psychoneuroimmunology’ are becoming better established and demonstrating the impact that stress and trauma has on the body. So we want to act as a resource for these types of insights and help people put them into action.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned?

Play the long game. Short-term tactical wins might feel good, but if they are not done so in the context of a longer term goal, they often lead to worse outcomes and losing sight of what’s important.

How do you relax?

Once a year I do a long meditation retreat (7-10 days) to reset my mind. On a more regular basis, I find breathwork a really important tool to calm stress and try to do a small practice daily. Other than that, I try to get as much sunshine as possible (Glasgow isn’t the best for this!) and watch stand-up –  I’m a big Kevin Bridges fan.