I Spent 7 Days at the Gut Health Clinic in Austria—Here’s Exactly What Happened

broth only dinners to detox foot baths, infrared saunas, & no snacking allowed — everything I ate, did, & learned inside Europe’s exclusive wellness clinic.

I didn’t go to Mayrlife because something was necessarily wrong. I really went because I’m curious. I love wellness. I love feeling good. I love looking good (sorry but it’s true), and I’ll try almost anything that promises clearer skin, better energy, and improved digestion.

I’d been hearing whispers about Mayrlife for months—quiet murmurings from functional medicine doctors, beauty editors, and wellness founders. They all said the same thing: “It’s like nothing else. You have to go.” So when I saw a week open up in my schedule, I booked it.

Mayrlife is a medical wellness clinic tucked into the Austrian Alps, but it’s not a juice-cleanse-and-call-it-a-day kind of retreat. It’s structured, clinical, and deeply calm. You’re assigned a doctor, undergo extensive testing, follow a strict meal protocol, and spend your days doing things like infrared sauna, oxygen therapy, morning broth, hot water liver compresses, chewing every bite forty times, and drinking salty mineral water that tastes like it came straight from the bottom of the ocean.

And yet—something about it just works.

I brought my best friend Izzy, which made the whole experience feel like a mix between a serene health retreat and a silent wellness boarding school where we were the favorite students. Everything was scheduled. No coffee. No snacking. No late-night dinners. No chaos. Every part of the day—how you eat, how you move, how you rest—is designed to lower inflammation, support your gut, and bring your nervous system back into balance.

Within 24 hours, I felt it. This place was different.

Here’s exactly what happened—what I ate, what I did, how I felt, and everything I’m taking home with me.

---

What is Mayrlife?

Mayrlife is a luxury gut health clinic and medical retreat based on modern Mayr medicine, nestled in Altaussee, Austria. It’s not a traditional spa or resort—it’s a structured healing program designed to reset your entire system. The focus is gut health, but the ripple effect touches everything: skin, energy, digestion, hormones, and nervous system regulation.

Every guest at the resort is on a program. You can’t just “stay” there like a hotel. You’re assigned a doctor who designs your week based on your medical testing, and all your meals and treatments align with your personal protocol.

The on-site restaurant is for guests only. It’s not à la carte or open to the public. The menu is limited, simple, and based entirely on your approved foods. You select one item from each section—protein, chewing trainer, and a vegetable or mousse—and no modifications are allowed. You’re not offered seconds or add-ons. It’s not like a typical restaurant; there’s no bill, no ordering extras. It’s purely therapeutic and incredibly effective.

There’s also a full medical floor on Level 1 with diagnostics, detox treatments, colonics, and cryotherapy. The spa is in a separate wing with infrared and Finnish saunas, a pool, steam room, and foot detox machines. The beauty center is another building entirely, where you’ll find facials and Dr. Barbara Sturm treatments. Outside, there’s a dock for swimming and tanning that looks out over the lake, and tennis courts surrounded by mountain air. The entire property is calm, pristine, and beautifully designed to support healing.

---

Day 0 – Arrival and Entering the Vortex

We arrived around 8:30 PM—too late for dinner, which ends strictly at 7:30 PM (they do not make exceptions). The atmosphere was immediately serene. No phones, no loud voices, no chaos. You feel your whole system begin to slow down.

Our room was minimalist and perfect: white bedding, blonde wood details, herbal tea infusions, and detox bath salts by the sink. In the bathroom, they had everything waiting—dry brush, tongue scraper, and oil pulling kit. The fridge was stocked with still water, and there was a tiny welcome snack of manchego and gluten-free crackers. Everything felt curated but intentionally sparse. Quiet luxury.

The grounds were stunning, even at night. The air was crisp. The lobby and restaurant are attached, with the spa just beyond. Everything is within walking distance and designed for calm efficiency. No one rushes. No one wears makeup. It’s like a silent club for wellness insiders. We unpacked, changed into robes, and went to bed by 9 PM.

---

Day 1 – Full-Body Testing, Chewing Trainers, and Salty Water

I woke up at 6:30 AM, did my dry brushing and oil pulling, and drank a full glass of water. We went down for breakfast and sat at our assigned table, where we’d remain for every meal of the week. They handed us a tray of personalized supplements in a woven basket—so chic but so medical.

For breakfast, I had a vegetable mousse (avocado and parsley), a piece of salmon, chia oil, and a buckwheat roll as my chewing trainer. Everything is made in-house, from scratch, and designed to be as simple and digestible as possible. The roll was a brick—dense and dry—but that’s the point. You’re supposed to chew it 40 times per bite. It slows you down and signals digestion to start.

After breakfast, I met with my assigned doctor and began a full day of diagnostics. This included:

• Food sensitivity testing (AK Test)

• GI health assessment

• Full blood panel

• Body composition scan

• Breath test for metabolism

• Tongue and abdominal palpation

Based on the results, I was advised to avoid gluten, dairy, corn, soy, and yeast. I was also prescribed a full supplement protocol:

• Base powder to alkalize the system

• Digestive bitters before every meal

• Probiotics (at night, not morning)

• L-glutamine

• Calcium magnesium

• Candida antimicrobials

• The dreaded salts

Let me pause on the salts. I was told to drink them, but no one mentioned diluting them. I drank it straight. Think: lukewarm sea water mixed with something fermented and metallic. It was… criminal. Later I learned you’re supposed to mix it with a full glass of water.

Lunch was avocado mousse with caviar, manchego cheese, and a spelt bun. Dinner was carrot ginger soup and linseed crackers.

After dinner, we did our nightly ritual: sauna rotation, herbal tea, and the liver compress—placing a hot water bottle over the left side of your body to stimulate the liver and improve bile flow. I was asleep by 9:30 and slept like a baby.

---

Day 2 – The Potato Shift and Detox Kicks In

I woke up calm but very bloated. This is common here, especially with the supplement protocol and travel. Because of my intolerances, my chewing trainer was switched to boiled potatoes. Every meal, from now on: potatoes. Surprisingly grounding, but not exciting.

We went for a 7.5km hike around the lake. The scenery is unreal—mountains, pine trees, quiet water. I wasn’t hungry at all during the day. I did a colonic (which instantly helped with the bloating), a detox wrap, and a Dr. Barbara Sturm facial that left my skin dewy and hydrated.

I also had my daily check-in with my doctor and was told to increase water and tea. My salt and antioxidant levels were low, so we adjusted supplements.

That night, we did the sauna circuit and went to bed by 9. Still bloated, but already feeling clearer.

---

Day 3 – Detox Symptoms Hit

Today was rough. I woke up foggy, heavy, and nauseous. After breakfast, I needed to lie down immediately. No energy. Izzy felt the same. They say this is common around Day 3—the detox symptoms peak as your body releases toxins.

I kept treatments light. I did:

• A detox foot bath (the water turned murky brown)

• Hyperoxy oxygen therapy (a mask over your nose that you wear for 60 minutes—it puts you in a trance)

• Cupping massage (my back was bruised after)

• Cryotherapy (which helped bring some energy back)

We did another light walk, drank tons of herbal tea, and ended the day early. Not a glamorous day, but essential.

---

Day 4 – Clarity, Energy, and Daily Movement

Something shifted overnight. I felt clearer, less puffy, and more energized. My digestion was working. Finally.

We did a 10k step day, including Pilates and walking by the lake. I had a lymphatic massage, cryotherapy, and an herbal foot soak. I was still drinking my base powder between meals, and no liquids were allowed 30 minutes before or after eating.

The structure was starting to feel supportive, not restrictive.

---

Day 5 – True Calm

This was my favorite day. I felt grounded in my body, steady in my energy, and completely calm. I didn’t think about caffeine, sugar, or my phone. I wasn’t bloated, tired, or tense. I had another colonic, another detox wrap, cryotherapy, and sauna.

My skin looked amazing. My energy was stable. My mood was light. I kept saying, “I just feel like myself—finally.”

---

Day 6 – Pure Bliss and De-puffed

The weekend clinic is quieter—no medical appointments. Just spa and stillness. We did a long hike, a short Pilates flow, and spent time reading and journaling by the lake. I noticed how little I thought about food here. There’s nothing to snack on. You eat your meal, you move on.

The food was getting repetitive (lots of soup, potatoes, and fish), but I wasn’t thinking about it emotionally. I just felt nourished. No cravings, no bloating, no heaviness.

---

Day 7 – Leaving Lighter

We had our final breakfast and lunch at Mayrlife and were sent off with our packed dinners. I felt amazing—calm, rested, glowing, and light. We did a final walk, sauna, and tea session. I took a before-and-after photo and couldn’t believe how much my face had depuffed and my skin had cleared.

They told me I’d lost several pounds of water weight—not the goal, but it was a reflection of how well my body was functioning.

---

Final Thoughts

Mayrlife isn’t a spa. It’s not about losing weight or doing yoga in a field of lavender. It’s a place that takes your health seriously—down to the mitochondria. You get clarity, calm, and a renewed relationship to your body. It’s not easy, but it works.

I’ll be back. No question.

And in the meantime, I’ve taken so many rituals home with me: chewing slower, no drinking with meals, earlier dinners, liver compresses at night, base powder in the afternoon, bitters before meals, and eating to nourish—not overstimulate.

It’s one of the most impactful wellness experiences I’ve ever had.

Let me know if you want a follow-up post on everything I’m doing now that I’m home—supplements, eating schedule, beauty rituals, and what I’m keeping from the Mayrlife reset.

With love,

Steph