Some Thoughts Concerning the Dr. F. X. MAYR®-Cure
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A Mayr®-Cure is therefore indicated not just for those who are overweight, or for purposes of losing weight: it serves above all to relieve the body of built-up pollutants, not only in the intestine, but in all tissues. This promotes the healing process in undreamt-of ways. Later on in the cure, the diet is augmented with a little cottage cheese, occasionally a soft-boiled egg, or if necessary some thin oat gruel. One or two light diet meals are served at the end of the treatment.

Dr. Mayr’s protective approach stands in opposition to the current trend, which adds indigestible bulk fiber to the food. Even if fiber-rich food eliminates many of the symptoms, especially the constipation so prevalent these days, it still does not address the underlying problem. When the sensors in the intestinal wall are deadened as a result of continual overexertion, then they cannot adequately perform their task of arousing the intestinal muscles and glands to activity. Crude stimuli such as dietary roughage, and so on, may indeed incite the ailing functions to activity, but—biologically speaking—they Just make matters worse. One can only speak of healing when the sensory organs have regained their original sensitiveness, but that is only possible with appropriate protection. Consider the infant's milk diet, which contains virtually no roughage or stimulant substances. The infant's sensors are as yet undamaged, and can maintain intestinal activity without recourse to intense stimulation.

A Mayr®-Cure is first and foremost an outstanding prophylactic measure, which strengthens the immune response by lowering the overall stress level. An analogy should make this point clear: if empty, a vat can take in large quantities. Effluent can stream in from all sides, but outside the vat, the filling process is not noticeable. However, when the vat is full to the brim, then just a little is enough to cause it to overflow, flooding its immediate environment. The body is no different: its powers of resistance are capable of absorbing impressive amounts of various stresses and abuses. For a while, there are no visible or perceptible signs of illness at all. But if it is continually taking on further stress, then the day will come, when all its defensive capabilities are fully engaged—and now the smallest additional burden will be enough to make one sick, with an ailment that seems to come out of complete health. But the guilty party is not only the most recent stress—a contagious disease brought on by a trivial infection or a chill, a heart attack or colic by anger or excitement, lumbago by a draft or a sudden movement, or whatever else—but rather, mainly the fact that our defensive capabilities were already taxed to their limits. Our stress reserves were simply exhausted. When our stress reserves are reduced we enter the precursor stage of illness, and are susceptible to ailments of all sorts, without actually being sick. In order to successfully prevent illnesses, we have to strive to get out of this precursor stage by reducing vitality-sapping stresses as much as possible; only then will we have a significantly broader basis for health.

Dr. Mayr's intestinal rehabilitation lowers our body's stress level drastically. By means of it, we:

The liver and intestines are important excretory organs. Steady overtaxing of the intestines reduces elimination, and the concentration gradient of metabolic waste products between the cells and the excretory organs flattens out considerably. The result is a congestive build-up of waste products, which has a deleterious effect on all organs: in the brain it shows up as inability to concentrate, chronic fatigue and depressions; in the muscles and joints, as rheumatic ailments, myogelosis, arthritis and arthrosis; the glands degenerate, cardiac and vascular diseases arise, etc.

After intestinal rehabilitation, when intestines and liver are again able to perform their excretory function without hindrance, a steep concentration gradient is established, and metabolic waste products are swiftly eliminated. The broad stress reserves thereby established strengthen our powers of resistance against all kinds of illnesses.

Spectacular interventions, such as open-heart surgery and organ transplants, lead us to forget that these would in many cases not even have been necessary if we hadn't woefully neglected the required preventive measures. A person's health is determined by medical intervention only in isolated cases; mainly, it depends on his behavior, his nutrition and his environment. It is a fact that hedonism and gluttony are the archenemies of our health. What we need is not more medicines and machines, but more biological empathy and the willingness to make many sacrifices for our health's sake.

In the face of sharply escalating medical costs, it seems to be high time to reconsider critically the entire spectrum of our customary therapeutic measures. Healthiness thus won will always be fragile, so long as the patient is unwilling to participate actively in the healing process. It is all too seldom taken into consideration that illness is largely the result of an unhealthy lifestyle, that—besides sedentary ways, alcohol and nicotine abuse—it is chiefly our eating habits which pave the way for many illnesses. It seems imperative, therefore, to convey these insights to the patients and to motivate them to discard their unhealthy habits. The therapeutic value of a Mayr®-Cure does not consist merely of intestinal rehabilitation its educational significance in terms of the patient's responsibility for his own health should not be underrated. The necessity of reducing costs sharpens the will to make sacrifices for health's sake and to accept the necessity of doing without in some cases. Proper psychological preparation by the physician can lead to the realization that health cannot be bought, but that it can be maintained—or regained—by dint of self-discipline and renunciation of many a favorite habit.

Therefore, every physician who concerns himself with Mayr®-Cures must also know how to equip his patients with the mental tools needed to stick it out during the cure, but above all for appropriate behavior afterwards. The cure should not be a mere episode, but rather a turning point that introduces a fundamental modification of eating and living habits. Habits such as proper chewing and careful tasting of the food should become self-evident. Only that way will the feeling of satiety set in at the right time and last for a while, so that overeating and ensuing poor digestion are avoided. In this manner, the sense of taste is refined, which can then better fulfill its important role as regulator and selector of food intake. However, one should strive to maintain a rational balance, a happy medium, avoid fanaticism and be tolerant even of oneself. Moderation is better than obsessive, neurotic avoidance.

Besides all dietetic measures, an overall fostering of health should always be undertaken. Light gymnastics and moderate sport, appropriate breathing exercises and gentle Kneipp applications (hydrotherapy)—as well as Autogenic Training and a positive mental attitude—are significant aids to achieving lasting results from a cure.

Almost all of today's customary healing methods take far too little cognizance of the fact that the desire to be healthy is a potent healing factor. We will only make decisive medical progress—even as regards the cost factor—when the realization becomes widespread that health is a task that we must attend to every day.