Born on the 25 March 1943, Catalan by birth, but French by adoption, Henri Chenot studied biology at the Marine Biology Research Centre, which is part of the Sorbonne of Banyuls sur Mer, interesting himself especially in anthropology, philosophy and Chinese medicine (which he would go on to study for another ten years). Besides practising bioenergetic psychology and naturopathy (natural remedies for illnesses), at the beginning of the 1970 Chenot created a series of laboratories in Brittany for fitocosmetics and fitotherapy, setting up (in collaboration with Professor Denis Leroy Doyon, Lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine at Rennes) new techniques of thalassotherapy. As President of the International Fitocosmetic Association, Chenot then began to attend a great number of conferences around Europe in order to demonstrate his ideas for the prevention of illnesses by means of an adequate diet, a better lifestyle and the use of natural remedies. He obtained a doctorate in philosophy, took a Masters course in psychology and a doctorate ”Honoris Causa” in Human Sciences at the University of Kensington.
In 1974 Chenot opened the ”Espace Henri Chenot” at a Cannes clinic. In 1980, he moved to Alto Adige and first set up the ”Espace Henri Chenot Cure Centre” in Solda, and then ”The Espace Henri Chenot Cure Centre” in Merano. In 1984 he published ”La Dieta Energetica” (The High Energy Diet), pub. Rizzoli, followed in 1994 by ”L’Equilibrio Naturale – Ecologia del Corpo” (Natural Equilibrium – the Ecology of the Body), pub. Rizzoli, and ”Le Sorgenti della Salute” (The Wellsprings of Life), pub. Sperling and Kupfer. In 1999 he introduced a new concept, ”Biontology” for the study of psycho-physical ageing.