When 28-year-old London-based nutritionist and influencer Stephanie Robinson arrived at a luxury gut health retreat in Austria, she says it felt just like summer camp. She had an itinerary waiting for her, but instead of swimming in the lake, tie-dyeing t-shirts and campside s'mores sessions, she was about to embark on seven days of cryotherapy, hay detoxes and sauna visits — all in the name of learning more about her gut.
Robinson was a patient at Mayrlife Medical Retreat in Altaussee, Austria, one of the new medical spas across Europe offering personalized programs focused on gut health. In the fast-moving, multi-billion-dollar wellness industry, gut health is having a major moment. Social media has amplified awareness of how food is processed in the body, alongside a growing understanding of the microbiome — the complex community of microorganisms living primarily in the large intestine — and how it affects everything from immune function and inflammation to mood and mental wellbeing. Enter the week-long retreat devoted entirely to restoring and rebalancing your gut.
