Around the turn of the century, F. X. Mayr (1875-1965) was a medical student working in an Austrian sanatorium where it was his job to massage the abdomens of patients with intestinal problems. He often wondered how he would know when he had reached the goal of his treatment. When he asked a professor what norms existed for the abdomen, he was told that there were none (although normal criteria existed for all other organs). Another professor told him that “abdomens are as different as noses on the patients’ faces.” Mayr was not satisfied with these answers.
Consequently, Mayr decided that, as a physician, he would specialize in the treatment of the abdomen. Hence, the answer to such questions as, “How do we recognize a healthy digestive system?”, “What are the external signs of a healthy intestines?”, and “How are these reflected in the size, shape and condition of the abdomen?”, became a lifelong search for him. Mayr began asserting the novel idea that the digestive systems of most people were not clean, no longer completely efficient, and unhealthy. Waste products deposited in the system caused it to be contaminated, often infected, and a dangerous source of toxicity. This was undermining people’s health and making them prematurely ill, old and unattractive.
Because Mayr knew that a healthy functioning digestive system consisted of more than having a daily bowel movement, he decided to treat all of his patients, regardless of their complaints, as though they had digestive problems. As a result, he came to the astonishing conclusion that:
1. Disease begins in the gut as a consequence of what we drink and eat and how we chew our food;
2. Digestive systems are not completely healthy and;
3. Cleansing the digestive system and returning it to health helps other complaints abate or disappear.
By taking measurements, Mayr also realized that physical changes were taking place during and after his treatment. For example, the abdomen itself became softer, less tender, and more tonified; “The diaphragm came to a proper level; and posture, skin tension, color, hair, and nails improved. Eventually, optimum physical measurements were obtained which became the basis of Mayr diagnosis as well as objective treatment goals. However, because modern-day “normal” are based on averages and not “optimals,” it is possible that a patient who is considered to be healthy by conventional medical standards may still be unhealthy by Mayr standards. The dietary approach of Mayr Therapy was first conceived during WWII when Mayr worked as a physician in a military hospital. He discovered that patients who came with severe illnesses (e.g. cholera, typhus, etc.) were found to improve best with soups. He himself was able to derive great benefits from fasting with water. As a result, he incorporated variations of controlled fasting into his digestive detoxification treatment of the abdomen. While obese patients typically lose a significant amount of weight on Mayr therapy, and obtain an improved ratio of body fat to muscle, weight loss is considered to be a secondary benefit of this approach. For example, Baron Rothschild once came to Mayr and said, “I want to lose 16 pounds.” Dr. Mayr took him by the arm and led him to the front window of his clinic where he pointed to the butcher shop across the street and said: “The butcher works with pounds. I work with health. If it is just pounds you want to lose then you need to go somewhere else.” Nevertheless, the close link between attractiveness and good digestion has earned Mayr Therapy such nicknames as “inner beauty treatment,” “natural cosmetic aid,” and “Mayr Cure.”
In short, Mayr Therapy is focused on improving the size, shape, and function of one’s gut through the use of a cleansing agent (e.g., “bittersalz”), controlled fasting, chewing food more thoroughly, and abdominal massage. While Mayr Therapy is primarily used as a treatment at health retreats in Austria and Germany, it can also be incorporated into one’s lifestyle until weight loss goals are achieved. When doing so, it would not be unusual for one to lose five pounds a week along with a reduction in body fat. As a result, one becomes healthier not only through improved gut functioning, but from weight and fat loss as well. For these reasons, patients desiring optimal health and wellness should consider Mayr Therapy and experience its wonders for themselves.
by Daniel F. Royal, DO, HMD, JD
Turtle Healing Band Clinic, Las Vegas, NV
