“Therapist Fiona Slatter trained in her 'art' after undergoing the treatment herself when conventional medicine failed to help with a recurring back problem she acquired while working as a chef. She now combines it with dietary advice that even I was able to stick to, because what she said made sense. The first session takes an hour. Fiona wiped my feet with antiseptic lotion before putting plastic bags under one-size- fits-all felt boots. Larger plastic bags were then placed over these and sealed with elasticised bandages. The air was then sucked out for ten minutes. The pressure that built up around my feet was noticeable, but not uncomfortable. When the boots are removed Fiona is able to diagnose problem areas by 'reading' the resulting coloration on the soles of your feet, which varies from red to white to purple. Working in the same way as acupuncture, with parts of your feet corresponding to parts of your body, it's spookily accurate. Reddish patches on my ankles indicated I had low blood sugar. Mini suction pads were then placed on the relevant acupressure points to help unblock what what Eastern medicine describes as 'meridian' or energy lines, allowing vital nutrients to get through. Fiona then followed that up with dietary advice. Despite keeping fit. I admitted to eating sporadically to keep my weight down. I also have poor sleep patterns, heavy periods, occasional thrush and cystitis, increasingly puffy knees, the odd spot and, along with the entire population of 21st-century Britain, varying degrees of stress. After the diagnosis and nine half-hour treatments, I'm a new woman: I haven't had as much quality sleep since before my children were born. I've also stopped bingeing. I now eat little and often, and avoid eating carbohydrates and proteins at the same meal with the result that I've maintained my weight without the constant 'highs' of starving and 'lows' of pigging out. My periods seem to have eased beyond all recognition. I also have the clearest skin I've had since before puberty and am so far untroubled by thrush and cystitis. Further to that, my creaking knees have improved no end. I was impressed with the treatment - and so, too, are many others. Patients range from children with eczema to footballers with repetitive injuries and pensioners with arthritis. Fiona has also had success with migraine sufferers and women on IVF treatment. A maintenance programme is usually advised but some problems can be sorted in just one or two sessions”. Source: - Text by Kerry Ross “Vacuflex: Give ailments the boot”.