Mayr Diet: How does it work? – GOOD SHAPE

In 2020, actress Rebel Wilson declared that it would be her healthiest year and shared wellness information along that journey on her Instagram profile: there were surf lessons, training lifting tires and, of course, lots of food photos. One of her posts was about a visit to the Viva Mayr wellness resort in Austria, based on the principles of the Mayr Diet, a plan developed by Dr. Franz Xaver Mayr, an Austrian physician, in the 1920s.

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What is the Mayr Method?

Although the Mayr Method diet has been around for over a century, this connection to Wilson has given its popularity a boost. The diet is known to promise to help the body detox and promote intestinal cleansing, resulting in the regeneration of blood, body fluids, cells and tissues.

This diet focuses on the intestine as the most important organ in the body, due to the intestinal microbiota, and includes a sugar and caffeine detox, reduced gluten and dairy consumption, increased vegetable consumption and a change in the way of eating, which starts to require chewing food 40 to 60 times per mouthful.

In addition, it is indicated to eat only cooked food after 3 pm, avoid water with meals and stop eating after 7 pm.

Detoxification is obtained with the use of a purgative, and intestinal cleansing is obtained through the diet and enhanced with the use of magnesium salt and a basic powder sold by the company, which has the proposal of alkalizing, increasing satiety between meals and replace mineral salts that will be lost.

The Mayr Method goes beyond dietary protocols and suggests lifestyle interventions such as reducing screen time, going to bed earlier, sleeping more, and incorporating acupuncture and nasal reflexology into the treatment plan.

What can and cannot be eaten on the Mayr diet?

The Mayr diet is very restrictive. Overall, this philosophy encourages prioritizing alkaline foods and eliminating gluten and dairy.

Avoid coffee, teas containing caffeine or any other caffeinated product;
Do not eat sweets or jellies;
Do not drink any carbonated drinks, especially soft drinks;
Do not consume alcohol;
Do not eat sausages;
Avoid meat, fish, chicken and yellow cheeses;
Drink plenty of water (at least 2 liters a day). It can also be herbal tea such as chamomile, lemon balm, mint, lemon balm and fennel, without caffeine;
Do not eat fried foods;
Buy and store the magnesium salt and basic powder;
Chew food very well, 40 to 60 times per mouthful;
Avoid eating greens, vegetables, fruits or any other raw food after 5 pm.

Can the Mayr diet be adopted for how long and how often?

The method proposes that the diet be followed for five weeks and, after that, it should only be repeated after one year.

Is the Mayr Method safe?

While there are some positive aspects of the Mayr Way (read: incorporating healthy foods into your diet), it’s unnecessarily restrictive.

Eliminating entire food groups is problematic for several reasons: By eliminating entire food groups, the nutrient density of the diet is considerably decreased. Dairy products are sources of nutrients such as protein, calcium, phosphorus and essential vitamins like B12. Grains that contain gluten provide important nutrients such as fiber, folate, iron and zinc.

Furthermore, the strict principles of the diet can trigger negative eating behaviors such as binge eating.

Should you try the Mayr Method?

Any diet with food rules that cannot be broken is not sustainable in the long term – even if that timeframe is two weeks.

While incorporating certain aspects of the diet, such as mindful eating without distractions, can have benefits, using this 14-Day Weight Loss Diet is not beneficial. If any weight loss is achieved in those 14 days, much of that will be due to water loss.

If you’re considering trying this or another new diet, consult your doctor or a nutritionist before changing your eating habits.