It’s the ritzy medical center that Rebel Wilson can’t stop raving about. The 40-year-old – who seems to be getting healthier and fitter by the day – says she’s looking forward to visiting VIVAMAYR again.
“When the borders reopen and we can travel to our favourite [sic] places – I can’t wait to go back to @vivamayraltaussee in Austria and continue my health journey,” Rebel, who recently confessed her goal weight is 165 pounds, captioned an Instagram pic in March.
But, what is VIVAMAYR and what makes it so special? Based in Austria, VIVAMAYR has two medical centers – one in the scenic town of Altaussee and one in Maria Worth. From the moment clients arrive, they dive into a holistic plan based on a regime of fasts and alternative therapies, devised by the late Dr. Franz Xaver Mayr.
“[Our] main philosophy is a holistic approach to healing the body via the gut,” Dr. Max Schubert, the clinical director at VIVAMAYR in Altaussee tells HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “Because about 70 to 80 percent of our immune system lies around our gut, it’s very important to keep these organs as healthy as possible via nutrition, some health treatments [and] eating habits.”
Here are five ways that you can achieve that goal, and lose weight, according to Dr. Schubert. (WARNING: This is a rigorous plan and even Dr. Schubert concedes it’s best to do this under medical supervision.):
1. Detox – The average person stays at VIVAMAYR for nine days and the first two to four are devoted to a detox fast. Depending upon the health and needs of the client that can be anything from a tea and vegetable broth plan to a monotone diet that excludes fruits, cauliflower, onions and garlic, foods that he says are harder to digest. While Dr. Schubert agrees that the body can rid itself of toxins, he believes this detox gives it a better “chance to do his job.” “[How can it] get the toxins out of the previous meal, if you’re constantly putting in new stuff?” he asks.
2. Intermittent Fasting – That brings us to intermittent fasting. Dr. Schubert insists that the time you’re not eating helps the body to heal itself through cell reparation. It’s a scientific process called autophagy, which kicks in when you fast for 14 to 16 hours. Once the detox fast is over, the plan moves to a mild elimination phase – having either a protein with vegetables, or carbs with veg, for breakfast and lunch. Dinner is typically a vegetable broth.
3. Chew Your Food – During their meals guests also munch on a “chew trainer” like buckwheat or soya bread, so they can practice chewing each mouthful 40 to 60 times until one third of what they have in their mouth is food and the rest is saliva. “Then you have the perfect combination…” Dr. Schubert says, “or the best preparation in your mouth to digest food later on in your digestive system.”
4. Exercise – VIVAMAYR offers a holistic approach to wellness, so they also provide alternative treatments like massage and oxygen therapy. But they believe that exercise, or some form of movement, is also key for weight loss and to release stress. For example, guests are encouraged to walk 4.5 miles around the lake outside the center at least once a day.
5. Don’t Go It Alone – The value (and safety) of detox diets and intermittent fasting have been hotly debated by medical experts and Dr. Schubert acknowledges that side effects can include stomach cramps, headaches and tiredness. That’s why at VIVAMAYR there are doctors on hand to monitor each guest in a controlled environment.
For more information on how to do the plan, temporarily and safely, at home, Dr. Schubert recommends his colleague, Dr. Harald Stossier’s book, Modern Mayr-Medicine & VIVAMAYR Principle: Good Digestion Better Life. The goal, Dr. Schubert says, is for people to “recreate their normal diet with better lifestyle habits.”