What do you say about a place where wellness is the centre of your daily focus. Viva Mayr isn’t perfect by a long shot, but you’re not here for perfection, you’re here for the cure.

Viva Mayr saved my life, and it’s not my first visit, yet my most important. I have been taking blood pressure meds for almost 3-years, and after three weeks of a strict regime my pressure has dropped to a range of normal of (Sys) 120’s and the (Dia) in the 70-and low 80’s.

Bringing yourself to a point where you resume a normal way of life takes work. It’s state of mind, a reflection of how we live in everyday society, the foods we eat, enjoy and consume. I am not very well balanced when it comes to my diet, I often eat late, too much, the wrong foods, drink too little water, plenty of wine, and consume a certain amount of sugars stressing out the physical side of things. Now add Covid-19 and my lifestyle and stress is and was off the charts.

My Covid memories: https://mesubim.com/?s=covid

Under normal conditions, the single most difficult challenge we all face is how do we restart, revise our usual habits with a new improved better way of life. That is the big question we all need to ask ourselves, and it all boils down to food in-take, stress, consumption and the idea of a better way of life. It seems like a confusing subject and it is but for most of us the greatest obstacle is ourselves, and the comfort of consumption, either too much and or combined with wrong timing.

I jumped onto the old fashioned scale as Dr. Schuscha weighs me for a final time before departing, a routine all visitors of Viva Mayr do, a meeting at the beginning and one final visit at the end. I didn’t lose very much weight but my “belly” deflated significantly, a major improvement. I had my own self realization, I learned the importance of how and what to eat, when and most importantly the re-adjustment and re-balancing of my metabolism.

And refreshing my better judgement, the discipline of routine and the importance of respecting and supporting your digestion with easy foods, chewing, pace and with pleasure. Who knew I could cure myself with potatoes, and take a body which was acidic and neutralize it with diet. But not only diet, we all have to see what works best, and no doubt the base powder given at Viva Mayr is key to the cure: https://www.vivamayr.com/en/p/vivamayr-basenpulver-5

So what is the cure and how does it work? The cure in a nutshell starts with a clinical examination to get an overall view of your current state of health. This combines a diagnostics test based on the teachings of Dr. F.X. Mayr and functional Applied Kinesiology.

The aim is to establish what is harming your body and change its course and the use of a form of alternative medicine that aims to maintain human health through nutritional supplementation or commonly called Orthomolecular Medicine.

From my point the cure is about resting your digestion and rejuvenating the entire system by giving it a chance to breathe; take a deep break from irregular eating habits where many foods come together in your gut and create indigestion, gas, constipation or whatever. This is where it all starts despite the fact most of us do not focus on our digestion, our focus is more on our lifestyle.

Now, we are in Austria a place where things are a little different than what you may be used to: Breakfast and lunch are the two principal hot meals and dinner is mostly short and cold. Dinner is mostly served cold, yes cold and is referred to as “Jause‘ (yao-see) and is served cold. The typical meal is cuts cheese, cheese, mustard, freshly grated horseradish bread and of course some pickles gherkins and even small pickled onions etc.

That is Austria at its roots, and if you’re used to the “customer is always right” rule just doesn’t really apply here, Austrians tend to cut the small talk, straight to the point with a glare or a stare as they say “pass the salt”. Americans, Brits and Canadians are often struck by the reprimands they receive when they first arrive in Austria and don’t abide by the rules. But at Viva Mayr the dining room staff are excellent, often strict and helpful to support clients get through the first days of drinking broth only.

I am here for almost three weeks, and that is a long time. When I walk out of the dining room each night I see the epsom salts staring in a glass with water. This is the beginning of the cure, and the salts help initiate your digestive system to evacuate the toxins. Having said that, the salt water is brutal, it flushes the gut and especially the lower intestine. If you come don’t be surprised by the fact the toilets are your best friend, and sorry to tell you but drinking salty water in the morning before breakfast gives me a pseudo headache.

When I come to the Viva’s clinic the greatest pleasure it is the cooking course, I never miss it because I admire the Chef Emanuela Fisher. She is a proud passionate Austrian chef who loves what she does. I actually cross paths with her from time to time out of the kitchen and she lectures me. Ah, her words ring, ‘you eat too late, too much, raw, and drink alcohol so what do you expect’, In fact, Viva Mayr is against raw foods and especially after 17h00 given the human digestive system would need to much time to digest salads overnight causing fermentation, gas or discomfort.

The digestive system is resting so feed it slow, lots of chewing, no gluten if possible and sugar intake is minimal, next to zero.The foods are key to healing and each day is repetitive, a cure means gentle and steady food in-take, no onions, garlic or any foods upsetting your digestion. The idea of a kitchen where fennel is their onion, and nothing too harsh is ever served.

For me there is no doubt that the medical side is key and while some believe in kinesiology, so what is it? Kinesiology is ‘the study of movement’ and the term is used to describe a form of therapy using muscle monitoring, a bio-feedback to look at what may be causing ‘imbalances’ in the body. The kinesiology approach examines those unresolved stress reactions in a person and it is an important part of the Viva Mayr cure.

The feedback provides techniques intended to help the body’s natural healing process. This is complemented by Kneipp, a system of healthcare developed in the 19th century by Father Sebastian Kneipp. Based on hydrotherapy and consisted of morning dew walks or walking on freshly fallen snow, followed by a brisk dry massage to increase circulation. But these cures and the Viva cure is not exclusive to anyone clinic, it’s a philosophy.

The Mayr Method is based on the “Mayr Cure,” created by Austrian physician Franz Xaver Mayr, M.D. and he was referred to as F.X. Mayr. Mayr created the program based on his belief that people are poisoning their digestive systems with the foods they consume and how they eat them, and that still makes good sense. In places like Austria we’ve seen how after generations of healthy eating, people dietary habits have turned from gardens to fast foods, a global pandemic.

Whenever I go to the clinic, I am amazed how I adjust from eating steak tartare and lots of foods including sugars to a very mild and moderate diet where I am basically having Spirulina and potatoes with Hemp oil three times a day. Most here are having broth and eating very little for the first days. It is painful for most who are used to eating late and eating whatever they like including fruits and raw veggies. But for those lucky and fortunate enough, you can enjoy the most amazing lunches but there is no drinking with meals, that is a no-no.

This is the only dining room in the world where you don’t get to eat what you want and you constantly have the servers telling you, ‘sorry it’s not available on your plan’. If you think about it makes good sense to eat light at night because the portions normally served in restaurants are obscene and consequently we develop eating patterns where your body starts to become accustomed to huge portions unfit for any human to put in their body and digest overnight.

So, potatoes soaked overnight in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch inhibits the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. I learned to enjoy baby size potatoes, I cut them up and they mash them adding nutrients I need which are best suited to my digestive system.

Potato Hemp Oil, Herbs & Spirulina & Eggs soft boiled (breakfast)

Chew bread pictured below: 50 times per bite, over time you realise if you cut a piece of bread in half you get two pieces, and it sounds silly but you get twice the amount and if you eat slowly eventually you realise that you have enough to eat. The body becomes accustomed to the routine that you give it in feeding your body is a matter of psychology.

Spelt bread and öl (oil)

Never underestimate the contrast coming out of the kitchen, and if you are lucky you can savor the foods prepared here for those who have less digestive issues, it is 100% gourmet and healthy.

In conclusion, Viva Mayr can save your life, and the cure at Maria Wörth under the guidance of caring professionals such as Lindsay, Laura, Barbara, Christine, Winona, Chef Fischer make the difference, and Susanne and her team at reception make the stay perfect.

Our trusted Dr. Schuscha who is a gentle soul and is a positive influence on all patients. But don’t miss the breathing (and singing) therapy carried out by Martina Schellander-Kurath, an incredible therapist who saved our lungs after suffering Covid. She isn’t a part of the team although she should be!

Don’t forget to chew, eat slowly and if you can leave something behind on your plate you are better off because by the time your body tells you, “you are full” it is often too late. And if you decide to visit Viva Mayr, make sure to stay a minimum of two weeks or its difficult to feel the true benefits.

Dr. Stossier and Dr. Doris Schuscha. F.X.Mayrmedizin. Österreich +43 (0) 676 6106566 schuscha@tmo.at