HEALTH FACT OR HEALTH FAD?
With so many trends picking up on Instagram, it can be hard to keep up!
The word ‘health’ popped up in 210 million conversations across social media in 2021. This isn’t surprising, with increasing awareness that self-care is a necessity.
If we make time for self-care, we are also making time for positive changes to our quality of life.
Yet with so many health and wellness trends emerging in the over £3.5 trillion global wellness industry, how do we tell which trends are fads and which are feasible?
Let’s have a look at our pick of the top three trends that work.
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is simply a mental state in which we take stock of the present moment, holding space for our thoughts.
It has been shown that mindfulness can help improve mental health, with over 26% of adults in the UK agreeing. For example, meditation reduces anxiety levels 60% of the time, reduces insomnia wake-times by 50% and productivity of employees by 120%.
Interestingly, it has even been proven in studies to reduce the risk of being hospitalized for coronary disease by a staggering 87%!
Mindfulness has become increasingly accessible with a breadth of information online, as well as on social platforms. Snapchat now provides ‘The Headspace Mini’ an in-app tool to encourage collective mindfulness practices.
Simone’s favourite apps to support mindfulness are ‘CALM’ and ‘Daily Yoga.’
‘CALM’ is a paid app, and provides a new meditation daily, while ‘Daily Yoga’ is free and provides guided meditation, breathing exercises and yoga routines.
ADAPTOGENS AND STRESS
Emotional wellbeing has always contributed to our bodily health and vice-versa.
“Stress hormones are powerful chemicals, originally intended to jump-start your body when in danger, enabling you to fight, or run away and stay safe. In modern times, those same stress hormones are wreaking havoc on our systems. When we live in a constant state of stress, our bodies are always on high alert, and our hormones are always in flux.” Extract from Simone’s new Amazon bestselling book, Healthy Hair, Happy Body.
If we don’t handle the stress hormones in our bodies, we risk scary long-term effects to our well-being such as hair loss, increased fatigue, and a weakened immune system as our body conserves energy for our vital organs. However, the adaptogen trend can aid you in tackling stress!
Adaptogens are herbs and mushrooms which can support the body’s ability to handle stress. In 2021 alone, there was a 3.995 increase in sales of supplements with ashwagandha in the US alone. This core ingredient in our Super Greens supplement is one of the reasons why it is so supportive of inner and outer wellbeing.
GUT HEALTH
There has been an 83% increase in Google searches for ‘gut health’ and a 60% increase in searches for ‘gut brain axis.’
This trend is one we were excited to see! If you follow us on social media or have read our other blogs, you will notice that Simone’s extensive experience has underlined the importance of gut health. Simone has even referred to the gut as your ‘mothership’ of inner and outer health and wellbeing!
Recent studies have found that poor gut health can contribute to feelings of anxiety and depression. Your ‘gut-brain axis’ is the link between the nutrients in your gut and your mental health. If you have a gut that is lacking in nutrients or is stressed e.g., by an intense antibiotic regime, your gut can send signals to your brain. This will put pressure on your system and lead to feelings of depression and anxiety.
70% of our immune system is in our gut! The helpful bacteria and microorganisms within your gut are necessary to defend you from infection, supporting your immune system.
For our gut to work at its optimum level, we need to ensure that the nutrients we consume are nourishing micronutrients!
Our creamy avocado smoothie recipe is a great way to jump-start your nutrition and support gut healing. Packed with avocado - the perfect healthy fat, honey, spinach, peanut butter, milk, honey, and our Super Greens powder, it is both tasty and great for lowering blood pressure, healing your gut, and improving your immune system.
Our award-winning Super Greens supplement is a perfect supplement to take on each of these trends- full of supportive Ashwagandha for stress management, as well as giving targeted help to your immune system, gut healing and blood pressure.
We even have a 20% off Winter Sale, to help you give it a try!
We loved seeing how many of the trends to watch in 2022 will be to do with emotional wellness.
The ways to reduce stress, tackle anxiety and depression, and help you to become more present, will all create a big space for you to feel more joy in the new year.
So, here’s to joy and a brand-new start!