From Bingeing and Fad Diets to a Catalyst for Change: The Story of Medical SPA CEO Karina Küppas
At Narva-Jõesuu Medical SPA, a one-of-a-kind Detox & Antistress center has helped thousands of people reset their lifestyle and reach the goals they set for themselves — a healthier weight, more vitality, and better thinking habits. At the heart of this evolution is the spa’s managing director and system coach, Karina Küppas.
From overeating and restriction to awareness. Karina once lived the way many women still do: periods of strict dieting followed by overeating. “Every year, there were more extra kilos,” she recalls. “At first, a strict diet seemed like a clever fix. If there are 365 days in a year and I only ‘have’ to restrict for fourteen of them, that felt like a good deal.” Her diet routine was stark: two slices of tomato and two slices of cheese with morning coffee; a clear vegetable soup at midday; and, for dinner, 200 grams of fish with salad.
“Dinner felt so enticing — something to look forward to,” she says.
Binge, then starve; repeat. Karina knows that cycle intimately — which is why she understands women who fall into it.
Eating as “time off”
The pattern started in childhood.
“Summers at my grandmother’s country house meant constant work. I wanted to rest, read, just be. I quickly realized that when we were eating, we weren’t working. Instead of chewing slowly to stretch mealtime, I simply ate more. Afterwards, Grandma let me take three candies — another way to extend the break. Food became synonymous with rest, and that association stayed with me for years.”
At 19, during her first marriage, a small incident cut deep.
“I was at a bus stop when a stranger on the phone said, ‘So many young women are pregnant now,’ glancing at my stomach. I wasn’t pregnant. I was wearing a fitted T-shirt and, yes, you could probably see a little belly. I remember that moment vividly. It intensified my insecurity. I started punishing myself with stricter diets and more workouts — which only led to bigger binges.”
“Looking back, it would have helped so much if someone had said I was accepted as I was — that I was enough and loved as I was. My husband did love me, of course, but he never commented on my appearance, and I wasn’t wise enough then to think: if he loves me, he loves all of me.”
The last diet
Like many, Karina often thought, I overate today; tomorrow I’ll start the life-changing diet. She remembers the morning of her last diet clearly — twelve years ago.
“After another overeating evening, I went to the fridge for my two slices of cheese. I looked at them and thought: I can’t do this anymore. I simply can’t.”
By then, Karina was already managing director of Narva-Jõesuu Medical SPA.
“We have doctors and science here — people who should know how to keep weight healthy,” she thought.
At the time, the conversation was mostly about what not to eat.
“It was all restrictions, all the time. That didn’t feel like a real solution.”
She started counting calories — a tool she still considers useful for a couple of months to learn the landscape of food, but not a long-term strategy. Together with the spa team, she built the first weight-loss program: seven nights at the spa with balanced, tasty meals, supportive treatments, and enough movement.
“Many said they’d absolutely continue once they left. Not everyone did. I kept asking myself: what happens in between? I realized I was still missing something — the whole picture of how to help people, and myself.”
A jolt to the system
Three years ago, the pandemic hit and the spa shut its doors overnight.
“I was already in a rough place emotionally — going through a second divorce, with a small child, and heavy responsibility at work. My stress was sky-high, and it wrecked my eating patterns. I wouldn’t eat for days, then I’d grab a bite and spiral into a binge. My weight climbed, my blood pressure was high, my heart wasn’t working well, I had headaches. One day I lost vision in one eye. It was stress and anxiety written all over my body.”
A doctor suggested heart medication.
“That scared me. I knew I had to change something radically. I didn’t want to be on heart pills at my age.”
The forced pause, she says now, was ultimately good. Her vision returned. Sitting at home, she developed a keen interest in psychology and started studying. Today, she’s a system coach who helps people recognize their patterns — and break them.
“Very often, by changing one small thing, you achieve several goals at once.”
The first person she helped was herself.
“I understood how tightly stress and excess weight are linked.”
The power of simple truths
Searching for answers to her heart issues, Karina picked up a cardiologist’s book.
“There was no miracle pill. The advice was movement, a healthy menu, less salt, enough sleep, and constructive thinking. That’s when it clicked: there isn’t a magic fix. It really is that simple. I’d always thought I was so ‘special’ I needed a bespoke meal plan, a special psychologist, something unique. I believed my body was exceptional and everyday healthy living wouldn’t work for me. Now I know: the key is simplicity. Yes, we’re all unique — with our own patterns, traumas, and challenges — but that doesn’t exempt us from the basics.”
For people who are “special enough,” yet perfectly human
That realization shaped the Detox & Antistress center at Narva-Jõesuu Medical SPA as it is today.
“It’s designed for people who’ve reached a point where they know they can’t go on as before and need to hit pause. You can’t take that pause at home, at a friend’s place, or with your parents. And standard spa services aren’t enough for someone at that point. You need a different approach.”
Karina believes the answers we seek are already inside us — but when our minds are flooded with everyday noise, we simply can’t hear them. That’s why the center focuses on deep relaxation that quiets mental chatter.
“When you’re exhausted and feel like you’re up against a wall, your mind can’t accept the right answers. A pause is essential. It’s the reboot you need. Your brain lets go of the excess.”
Many guests who stay three days to a week walk around with a notebook, jotting down insights and ideas.
“Out-of-the-box thinking flows — including solutions to your long-standing challenges. You start seeing from an observer’s perspective.”
Only after that reboot does Karina suggest meeting with a nutritionist or joining a coaching program.
“You’re starting from a new place. It’s a solid launchpad.”
Don’t run yourself into the red
Karina offers a simple framework: think of your energy on a plus–zero–minus scale.
“We tend to work until we’re deep in the minus — totally drained — then try to grind our way back to zero and beyond. But where will that energy come from if you’ve got none left? It’s far better to exhale in the middle — near zero — and never let yourself slide into the red. That means you rest and recharge while you still feel good. Do that, and you’ll springboard from ‘already good’ to ‘even better.’”
“Society often glorifies grinding in the minus. But we can’t be high-energy all the time — nature has day and night, winter and summer. We also need work time and recovery time.”
The one thing you need: a plan
“In business, we plan meetings, deadlines, and project milestones. So why don’t we plan our meals, bedtime, or rest? You are your most important project,” Karina says.
