Austrian retreat works on gut feeling
Centre adheres to theories on digestion by its namesake doctor FX Mayr
Fix the gut to fix the patient was Dr Franz Xaver Mayr’s core belief. Working at the turn of the last century, the Austrian developed an approach that recognised our intestines as our “root system” and the key to our health.
In the 120 years since his theories were published, awareness of the role of the gut in our overall health has increased. There has also been a sharp rise in health problems linked to greater stress and unbalanced lifestyles, more recently exacerbated by the pandemic.
“Our gut is our second brain,” says Gabriella Schnitzler, the managing director of The Original FX Mayr, a health centre and wellness retreat on the banks of Austria’s Wörthersee lake.
Founded in the mid-1970s, it now counts more than half of its guests as repeat customers seeking an annual reboot. One guest, now aged 95, has returned each year for the last 30 years, Schnitzler says.
In TripAdvisor reviews, former guests describe the experience as rejuvenating, educational and even life-changing.
“It’s not a diet or something you follow for a week,” Schnitzler says. “When guests leave, after breaking free from their daily routine, they change their views on practically everything.”
As we speak over Zoom, it is clear that Schnitzler, formerly
CEO of Prada for Northern Europe, is a poster child for the centre. Her youthful skin and glossy locks radiate good health; many of the philosophies have become second nature, she says.
Guests young and old arrive from across the world for a minimum of a week’s stay. Some have serious health issues and need medical support, some want to lose weight, many, for one reason or another, have a digestive system that needs to recover.
A medical doctor gives each guest a physical examination and other tests that can include metabolic function, cardiovascular risk factors, fatty acid analysis and heavy metal analysis, Schnitzler says. Each guest’s programme is then tailored to their needs.
A typical stay might include two or three days of fasting or detox, during which guests consume predominantly herbal teas (such as fennel, linden flower, yarrow and horsetail) and clear vegetable broth to completely rest and empty the intestine, along with prescribed supplements.
Guests take salts in the morning to help gently dissolve particles caught in the intestines – the emphasis is on cleaning the digestive system so it can work efficiently. Meanwhile abdominal or lymph drainage massage, colonic irrigation, along with gentle daily exercise, can help with the cleansing process.
The therapies of Sebastian Kneipp are important here; he was a German naturopath working around the time of Dr FX
Mayr, known, in particular, for the Kneipp Cure, a form of hydrotherapy that involves bathing feet alternately in hot, herb-infused water, followed by cold water, supposedly good for circulation and to reduce fluid retention.
Other Kneipp therapies include alkaline detox baths, cryotherapy and a hayflower detox wrap, said to boost liver function.
After the fasting period is complete, guests have the option to have their squeaky clean colon examined with an internal camera. Then, very plain food is gradually reintroduced.
Breakfast might be goat milk yogurt with a buckwheat roll, often left out for a day or two to make it more chewy. Schnitzler stresses the importance of chewing food, as it helps to signal when we are actually full.
Lunch might be a little fish, occasionally meat, served with vegetables; dinner, a roll with spread and soup.
“We eat vegetarian most of the time as we try to avoid any food that is overly acidic,” Schnitzler says. “It might not sound like much food, but no one goes hungry at the Mayr.”
Unsurprisingly, most people lose weight – women lose an average of 3kg, and men 5kg or 6kg.
“It is impossible not to lose weight when you stay here,” she adds.
Although a stay at the Mayr is not cheap – the smallest single room starts at ¤220 (HK$1,840) a night, while the basic week-long programme costs ¤1,750 on top of that well-heeled guests return year after year to gain clarity, focus and mental alertness, and to stay fit and trim.
When guests leave, after breaking free from their daily routine, they change their views on practically everything
GABRIELLA SCHNITZLER, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE ORIGINAL FX MAYR