I arrived at the Original Mayr Medical Resort, loved by celebrities and royals alike, including Kate Moss, Liz Hurley, Sarah Ferguson and Nicole Kidman, somewhat frazzled after a wedding and a delayed flight.
My stay at the Austrian retreat on the banks of Lake Wörthersee didn't get off to a great start when I awoke the next morning to realise I was fifteen minutes late for my first appointment.
However, I was immediately put at ease by Managing Director Gabriella Schnitzler, who assured me that I must go and have breakfast first, and everything else would fall into place.
I was booked in for the FX Mayr cure treatment, a bespoke programme designed to support your immune system, energise you, reduce stress and activate your metabolism, and the importance of breakfast is key.
Gut health
The gut is at the heart of the 'cure', and starting your day with a stress-free breakfast is essential. After enjoying freshly baked buckwheat rolls that you have to chew properly, that is, at least 25 times a piece, and a soy yoghurt for those important probiotics, I went to meet head physician Dr. Ursula Muntean-Rock.
I was again met with genuine care and consideration as we discussed the treatments from which I might benefit most during my five days there, as well as the supplements that I would find ready for me at lunch a few hours after.
It was this level of bespoke attention and guidance that really struck me each day as I had my daily doctor check-ups to see how I was doing and to discuss the various test results I received.
My daily routine at Original Mayr Medical Resort
The days began with early morning exercise on the pontoon, looking out over the crystal waters of the Wörthesee to gently wake up the body before breakfast. I had the joy of trying treatments I had never had before, combining traditional Chinese medicine with modern science, including Shiatzu, Ortho-Bionomy and Osteopathy.
Shiatzu uses finger and palm pressure to balance out the natural flow of energy around the body to support the immune system and put the body into a state of relaxation, which saw me go limp and fall asleep.
During my Osteopathy session, I had the blocked nerves in my knee joints completely loosened to my huge relief, and the pain in my lower back eased.
The treatment I found the most interesting was Kinesiology for food intolerances. As I lay down, different food samples were placed on my abdomen, and the practitioner applied gentle pressure to my arms extended above me.
If my muscles weakened and, depending on how loose my arms became, this indicated signs of intolerance or sensitivity to that food.
Rest and relaxation
In between treatments, I went to the newly opened beach house facing the lake to read and take dips in the crystalline water, said to be the cleanest lake water in Europe; it felt like silk swimming through it.
Seeing families spending their summer holidays and different generations enjoying the water together was lovely.
Guests are encouraged to spend time in the sauna before jumping in the lake to benefit from the hot and cold therapy. There are also many group activities on offer, including kayaking and sunrise boat tours, as well as sunset gentle forest hikes after dinner to aid digestion and calm the mind before bed.
Fasting
Fasting is an important part of the 'cure', but it doesn't mean missing meals. What is important is having them at the correct time with a fasting window of sixteen hours to let the gut reset itself and the body detoxify.
Lunch consists of buckwheat rolls and a selection of dips as well as vegetable soups, whilst dinner is a simple broth. I was surprised and thrilled to see an ice cream cart appear by the lake in the afternoons, serving homemade soy ice cream with different flavours each day.
The duration of the 'cure' programme is ideally three weeks, but even after five days I left feeling lighter in body and mind – and I'm not the only one who rates the method. During my stay, I spoke to many guests who have been visiting Original Mayr Medical Resort for years, for weeks at a time, and they all spoke to the doctors and hotel team like the old friends they are. I'll be back!