What’s the best place in the world to lose weight and get back into shape? We’re often asked this question, and although there’s no real answer to it, it was high time for Pascal Languillon, Director of Luxe Wellness Club, to travel to MAYRLIFE in Austria to find out how one of the world’s most renowned detox cures works. What if, by focusing on intestinal health, we were to find one of the best approaches to losing weight and, above all, learning to live healthily? Here’s what we have to say after an exciting stay at this luxury fitness center in Austria.
A method renowned the world over
Arriving on the shores of Lake Altaussee in Austria, I wondered what kind of celebrity I was going to bump into… Mayrlife is renowned for welcoming an international elite, from Europe as well as India and the USA, to follow this very special diet. No famous faces during my stay, although I just missed a certain princess from a principality whose name I won’t mention.
It all began in Austria with Dr Franz Mayr (1875-1965), a true legend in the medical world. Dr Harald Stossier ran the Mayr Clinic for 10 years before founding his own VIVAMAYR center in Maria Wörth in the early 2000s. The second facility in Altaussee opened in 2015 and will become Mayrlife in 2023.
You know the old adage: “You are what you eat”… according to Dr Stossier and his disciples, “you are whatyou digest“! Indeed, it’s what we do with the food we eat that counts. It’s better to eat a burger calmly and chew well than to gobble down an organic salad in a hurry. Digestion is essential and there is a proper way to eat, which the vast majority of the population does not do. The cause: modern society, with its plethora of stress and screens, which means that we eat quickly and without paying much attention to our food… So it’s not just a question of what you eat, but also of how you eat.
The MAYR cure goes much further than helping people lose a few unwanted kilos, although this can be part of its immediate results. The aim of the method is to guide you towards a new approach to your nutrition and to guarantee that you will lose weight if you wish, but above all that you will learn to live with greater vitality…
The MAYRLIFE detox diet
Diet is the cornerstone of every MAYRLIFE cure. Let’s face it, there’s no alcohol, sugar or coffee here! However, this is not a vegetarian or vegan diet, as some fish and white meats are on the menu. The basic rules of the MAYRLIFE plan are as follows:
- Chew as long as you can (they talk about 40 times per bite….I must admit that I don’t think I’ve managed to go over 20 times even with hard bread, but it’s already much better than usual).
- Don’t eat anything raw after 4 p.m. (because raw foods are harder to digest and the digestive system is less efficient at night).
- Don’t drink with meals (leave an hour or so between meals), but drink 2 to 3 liters of water a day between meals!
- Eat more in the morning and less in the evening (for the same reason).
- No cell phones or screens at the table.
But what exactly do we eat in these restaurants? The MAYRLIFE diet is essentially alkaline. Portions are small, especially in the evening, as dinner often consists only of soup or broth. However, you can always ask for a second portion of what you’ve just eaten.
This diet also includes a daily intake ofcold-pressed oils. I found myself drinking flaxseed oil or hempseed oil by the spoonful at every meal… and I must admit I took a strange liking to it. Unsaturated fatty acids are essential for good health, with their high levels of omega 3, 6 and 9, and MAYRLIFE recommends ingesting them at every meal. Perhaps surprisingly, these oils, which should be eaten uncooked, burn fat from the body.
I personally found the food to be good, even very good at times, especially the lunch dishes, which are particularly well prepared. Although I’m not a big fan of “chewing trainers”, the breads deliberately hardened by MAYRLIFE to train customers to chew properly, I recognize that the method has its merits, and anyway, when you’re hungry, you eat what you’re given!
Another hallmark of MAYRLIFE is that every customer has his or her own little box of dietary supplements on the table at every meal. Following the initial results of the blood and urine tests carried out at the beginning of your stay, the doctor will prescribe food supplements to make up for any deficiencies. For my part, I particularly needed 5-HTP to calm my stress and anti-oxidants to bring up my levels, which were considered too low.
There’s also a whole ritual that’s rather surprising in MAYRLIFE cures, but which you soon get used to. As soon as you wake up in the morning (7 a.m.), rinse your mouth for 5 to 10 minutes with a mouth oil, then spit it out, to eliminate bad bacteria and toxins. Swallow magnesium citrate and Epsom salts to cleanse the intestine (caution: laxative effect). Eat meals at set times. Daily abdominal massage by the doctor. Ingest alkaline powder to counteract body acidity. In the evening, place a hot water bottle on the stomach where the liver is located for 30 minutes. Ideally, go to bed before 10pm and…start again!
A beautiful, comfortable spa
Let’s face it, MAYLIFE is located in a beautiful natural setting, and the design of the rooms is warm and colorful while retaining a certain sense of minimalism.
In my opinion, you might as well opt for rooms overlooking the lakes, even if the other side of the hotel has beautiful views too.
The bathrooms at Altaussee are very attractive, and both establishments offer shower gels and moisturizers from the excellent Vitalis brand. Very pleasant.
Mayrlife may look like a luxury hotel, but it’s more than that. Where MAYRLIFE really stands out is in the quality of care and medical expertise .
A medical approach to detox
Unlike many hotels, which offer detox formulas based on light food and a few complementary draining treatments, and generally only one medical consultation at the beginning of the stay, MAYRLIFE is first and foremost a clinic, with an essentially medical approach. The MAYRLIFE method is based on three principles: a nutritional diet adapted to each individual, orthomolecular therapy (granting of supplements naturally present in the human body), and applied kinesiology (muscle testing that can determine certain food intolerances, which is completely bluffing).
Here, you’ll have daily appointments with your doctor for abdominal treatment, to interpret the results of the various blood, urine and stool tests that may be taken before and during your stay, and to prescribe dietary supplements. All these diagnostics measure acidity levels, oxidative stress, anti-oxidant levels and more. I really appreciated Dr. Sepp Bodo Fegerl’s calm and caring explanations.
The MAYRLIFE center also takes a serious approach to educating customers so that they have the keys to improving their intestinal health. In the space of a week, you can have a consultation to discuss your eating habits, a consultation with a dietician, attend multiple conferences, as well as get summary sheets and a whole plan to take home to continue the detox for at least two more weeks. Much appreciated!
Many detox treatments are surprising at first glance. The center recommends an almost daily 20-minute footbath in an electrolysis machine to eliminate toxins. There’s also nasal reflex therapy , in which cotton buds soaked in essential oils are inserted into the nostrils for around 20 minutes, to deeply cleanse the sinuses and regulate the hormonal system. Naturopathy when you want it! Another strange treatment is the Schummanplate, an upper-body vibration machine with regenerating benefits!
High-quality spas and wellness treatments
For a spa with a reputation for being strict and highly medicalized, I was almost surprised by the quality and diversity of the treatments on offer. Numerous methods and therapies are on offer, even drawing inspiration from oriental techniques. You can take part in a wide range of yoga, meditation and Qi Gong classes. Aqua-fitness classes and guided hikes are also available. Daily massages are also part of the treatment program. Most of them were excellent. I also enjoyed a terribly relaxing Tibetan bowl massage.
The spa is a great success, with a beautiful indoor pool. Special mention must go to the Watsu pool in Altaussee, where I enjoyed an excellent underwater massage that was particularly enchanting. The sauna and hammam areas are perfect.
There’s also a cryotherapy room to help you wake up in the morning without coffee! Now that I’m used to cryotherapy, I enjoy it more because I don’t have the apprehension associated with the first few times (“will my fingers freeze?”).
I really liked the fact that I could choose between numerous daily group classes, as well as lectures given by the center’s doctors on the subject of nutrition and the gut.
Another special mention: a particularly impressive chiropractic session with a true expert who was able to wield a number of specialized tools that proved devilishly effective.
A wide range of outdoor activities
There are plenty of outdoor activities to do. With stand-up paddle and bicycles on loan free of charge, as well as numerous hiking trails, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
What’s more, the location of the Altaussee center makes for a wonderful walk around the lake, certainly one of the most beautiful in the Alps, without exaggeration. There’s also a ski resort nearby.
For my part, I finished the MAYRLIFE cure with a flatter tummy than ever (admittedly, it wasn’t very big to begin with…), but above all I had both a feeling of overflowing vitality and the impression of being more zen at the end of this “adventure”. The same was true of the customers I spoke to, who were all delighted!
Our feeling
MAYRLIFE offers exceptional detox cures. Here you’ll not only get immediate results, but the stay will also have a long-term impact on your health. The doctors and therapists are excellent and unfailingly caring. Tell yourself one thing: if the majority of MAYRLIFE customers come back every year, it’s for a reason! Let yourself be tempted by the experience, and you too may become a fan of the method…
Luxe Wellness Club
Book (with exclusive Luxe Wellness Club benefit)
Take advantage of our expertise in MAYRLIFE detox cures and contact us for a personalized quote with the best rates at no extra cost.
Rates: Minimum stay of one week. Expect to pay from around 5,000 euros per person for an all-inclusive week. Please consult us.
It’s important to book several weeks or even months in advance, as MAYRLIFE is often fully booked.
Call us from the USA on +1 (646) 980 6652 or from the UK on +44 20 4577 3258 to discuss your holiday plans.
