Sarasota IV Lounge

The DaSilva family fairly glows with vitality and vigor. Tina DaSilva’s eyes sparkle when she speaks of her husband, Dr. Guy DaSilva, and the legacy of his incredible work in the fields of anti-aging, regenerative, and functional medicine. Guy passed away unexpectedly at the end of 2014 and almost a year later it’s inspiring to see the way that his practice is thriving under the care of his wife, Tina, and his son, Austin. Austin looks as though he’s recently stepped off the cover of a men’s magazine and his easy manner and passionate dedication to his father’s work would make any parent proud. The DaSilva Institute is dedicated to reversing disease from the inside, out. Clients run the gamut from nurses looking for natural energy, to athletes looking to replenish their vitamins, to celiac patients looking for a way to absorb nutrients, to women seeking to sip from the ever-elusive fountain of youth. Guy DaSilva was a biochemist, a medical detective, and a teacher. He taught at the World Congress on Anti-Aging and he passed his protocols on to many doctors over the years as he developed them. He did not believe in hoarding his knowledge for personal gain but, rather, his mission was to save lives and improve quality of living, one patient at a time. His natural approach and departure from a routine medical approach was inspired by his own wife’s medical diagnoses of chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and celiac disease. Treating his wife led him to develop the DaSilva Protocol and to spread the successful results in order to help other people’s loved ones. The DaSilva Institute focuses on a natural approach and their luxurious medical suite on Tamiami Trail just south of Bee Ridge is kitted out like a swanky Beverly Hills hotel with tasteful chandeliers and gleaming white surfaces. The IV Lounge is filled with white leather armchairs and floor-to-ceiling tinted windows. Soothing music fills the space and once you fill out your medical information and select your vitamin and nutrient cocktail you’re hooked up to an IV by a nurse and ushered to a comfortable seat with a glass of spa water. The treatment can take anywhere from half an hour to an hour but chatting with fellow patients and interacting with the institute’s social media helps the time fly. Checking in on Facebook, taking selfies, and the use of hash tags is encouraged and will score you considerable discounts on follow up treatments. Don’t worry: It doesn’t hurt. We tried the Mood Lifter and the boost of serotonin and hydration had us smiling for the rest of the day.

► Sarasota IV Lounge: 1250 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota; 888-832-7458; sarasotaivlounge.com