Elizabeth Hurley has jetted off to a detox clinic in Austria this week that is revered by the likes of Rebel Wilson and Victoria Beckham through to The Rolling Stones and Kate Moss. But it's not just any old clinic and if your mind is going to relaxing facials and soothing back massages, think again.
"Austria here I come…. on my way to @vivamayrmariawoerth where I hope to learn more about trying to get as healthy as possible," penned the Bedazzled star in a caption to a fur-clad snow-covered photo. "I first visited this clinic in 2010 and, even though it’s quite tough there, I always feel a whole heap better by the end. Will report back."
The VIVAMAYR Maria Wörth clinic which is buried in the Austrian mountains describes itself as "a medical health resort". It is the place where A-listers go for a week-long (sometimes longer) total bodily detox that can set you back £4,000 ($5,000), at least.
The Austin Powers star was spotted in leggings and Uggs by a picturesque lake telling her 2.8 million followers about her hope for her stay. "Welcome to Viva Mayr," she said. "I'm in Austria trying to get more fit, more toned, and maybe lose a few."
The VIVAMAYR Maria Wörth retreat is not for the faint of heart. Guests follow the 'Mayr cure' approach which involves an intense detox programme designed to purge the body of toxins, leaving you feeling revitalised and full of energy.
The treatment is built around basic principles - good diet, rest, exercise, and massage but it is full-on. Though the online treatment menu is somewhat cryptic, it does lay out plans according to your goal when you enter whether that be weight loss, immune boosting, alleviation of diabetes symptoms or help with a respiratory condition.
Those who have gone to the clinic have said that before starting any treatment you are grilled on your lifestyle habits as a lot of their work starts with gut health. They want to know how much you drink, how much you move, the list goes on.
There is even a blood test involved and a (rather bizarre) functional muscle test where a food powder is popped on your tongue and you have to push your legs into the hands of the therapist to determine how the strength of various muscles in your body correlate to your tolerance of certain food groups.
A day at VIVAMAYR Maria Wörth starts with a glass of Epsom salts which are designed to act as a laxative to cleanse your insides but have been warned against in terms of consumption. Healthline says: "Experts advise against drinking Epsom salt as a salt detox. Most weight loss will be water weight, which will be quickly regained when you stop drinking Epsom salt. You may also experience diarrhoea."
Then it's taking a load of supplements before dry-body brushing in a hot and cold circulation-boosting shower. Treatments throughout the day are also on the extreme side. As a guest at VIVAMAYR Maria Wörth, you could find yourself attached to an immune-boosting IV drip or having a cotton bud thrust up your nose in what the clinic calls 'Nasal Reflexology'.
Once you have undertaken all your therapies over the day you sit down for an evening meal and let's just say steak and chips are off the menu. Glamour UK reported that you won't get more than two boiled potatoes and a boiled egg for breakfast, a tiny piece of trout and more potatoes for lunch, and a watery bone broth for dinner.
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The key, the clinic says, is chewing each mouthful 60 times to aid digestion which is a workout in itself and has left us wondering if that is the secret to Elizabeth's toned physique. The clinic is certainly not for everyone but we are sure we will continue to see the likes of Elizabeth Hurley jetting off for a week of a week of detoxing, even if it does involve some pretty invasive treatments.