After being blighted with Covid, our physical (and mental) health has been hugely impacted, which is exactly why our wellness regimes are more important than ever.
As the wellness sector continues to boom in a post-Covid world, and people prioritise their health and wellness as a preventative measure against a backdrop of the financial squeeze, a number of evolving and emerging trends are expected over the next 12 months.
But with so much noise out there on social media (hello, TikTok) and hundreds of products with bold claims landing every week, it can be hard to sort the fad from the real deal when it comes to wellness. That's why we've enlisted an expert roster of doctors, nutritionists and wellness experts to break down the most major wellness trends you can expect to see in 2023 - and how to incorporate them into your life to feel at your very best. Whilst 2022 was the year of sea moss, collagen and CBD, next year is all about sleep syncing, hunza eating and wellness water. You heard it here first…
Friluftsliv ('free-air-living’)
Friluftsliv literally translates to ‘free-air-living’, and is the Nordic lifestyle concept that refers to the value of spending time outdoors and is something that is ingrained into Swedes from a young age. This is why, even in the depths of winter, groups of friends will often be found meeting outdoors, hiking and picnicking together. As Niels Eék, psychologist and co-founder of mental wellness platform for business and individuals, Remente (www.remente.com), says: "We have a saying in Sweden: ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes’.
“Across Scandinavia, friluftsliv plays an essential part in most people’s lives. This is partly due to the fact that we have a lot of land, small populations and the freedom to roam virtually anywhere, and partly due to the fact that being immersed in nature is shown to boost mental, spiritual and physical wellbeing, so we actively seek it out.” As the weather takes a wintery turn, it is important to not just hibernate and stay indoors. Take a long dog walk (with or without a dog!), carve out time for a lunchtime exercise session in the fresh air, or plan a weekend bike ride.
Sleep syncing
As the quest for a better night’s sleep continues, we’ll see circadian eating – switching from heavy evening meals to afternoon ‘light’ eating – grow in popularity, according to April Preston, Global Product Director, Holland & Barrett. New sleep aid ingredients on the block such as Glycine will join bedtime favourites and a hand-held device that helps people with their sleep, stress levels and anxiety by prompting them through relaxing breathing techniques called Moonbird will become a must-have.
The Hunza eating plan
Thankfully, 'diets' are more about nutrition and a healthy approach to food and wellness than a pursuit of meaningless weight loss (because who needs that kind of negativity in their life?) and the latest eating plan is ‘the Hunza’. As LYMA founder, Lucy Goff, explains: "In a mountainous region of Northern Pakistan, lies the Hunza Valley – an area of the Himalayas that is home to a community of people said to live longer than anyone on Earth, with most members living between 120 and 140 years of age. Dying of old age, rather than the diseases that claim the lives of so many in the Western world. Research shows that half of Americans aged 65 or older have one or more chronic diseases, which costs society more than a trillion dollars a year in medical care.
“2023 will see the Hunza diet - advocated for being inexpensive and mostly self-producible - grow in popularity. The diet consists of raw food including nuts, fresh vegetables, dry vegetables, mint, fruits and seeds added with yogurt.”
Lucy explains that the eating plan is high in complex carbohydrates but low in protein which mainly comes from plants (20 grams compared to 50 grams in the Western diet), packed with prebiotic food is eaten every day, either in the form of kefir or fermented vegetables and zero use of sugar, refined carbohydrates or any processed foods.
Lymphatic drainage
Lymphatic drainage is only going to gain more popularity this year and everyone's booking a session with queen Flavia Morellato, who uses expert massage techniques on her clients to shift any water retention and help contour and tighten. Lymphatic drainage is a gentle massage used to stimulate the lymphatic system, which is part of our circulatory and immune systems. Through lymphatic drainage, we stimulate the lymph nodes, accelerating the process of detoxing our body and eliminating excess water. Through the lymphatic system, we control the amount of water that our body retains or releases. Anyone can benefit from lymphatic drainage. Those looking for a detox, speeding up blood circulation, metabolism, lymphatic system; those feeling tired, puffy, bloated, constipated, facing menopause, PMS, hormonal imbalance and other pregnancy, postpartum and post-surgery treatments. Some of the benefits of full-body lymphatic drainage include - but are not limited to - speeding up the lymphatic system and body circulation, detoxing the body, and boosting the immune and digestive systems, therefore, making you feel lighter and healthier.
Mini meditations and mantras
Dr Maurice Duffy, mindset coach and mindset strength guru, says that mini meditations will help boost your wellness without taking up too much of your precious time. He's shared two popular techniques to get you started:
60 second mirror mantra: This is the easiest wellness hack to tap into and one that is truly transformative. We have seen a huge rise in people using positive mirrored affirmations to help transform their mindset. Start every morning with a 60 second mirror mantra. Talk to yourself as the best version of who you are, who you want to evolve into and who you can truly be. Start shifting your mindset to always seeing the positive in things and extract lessons and growth when you feel you are in un-comfortable territory. Wellness trends and hacks don’t need to cost money - you have the power to change everything you want and need to and it’s all within yourself and your mind.
12 in 12 meditation: Bite-sized meditation is on the rise and you will see a huge amount of people step into this wellness trend next year. For too long people have thought meditation means sitting still and quiet for an hour. This is simply not true! Meditation is about quietening the mind and your thoughts. I encourage my clients to weave it into their day regularly - you can take 60 seconds an hour to stop, focus on your breathing and re-centre yourself. Bite sized meditation is a game changer! Breathe has a huge impact. Focus on your breathing. Stay present. Bin the past though positive meditation. Over the course of 12 hours or the working day commit to giving your mind 60 seconds of stillness an hour. Watch the transformative change begin…
Grounding
Grounding, or earthing as some know it, relates to connecting electrically with the earth, and a growing body of research has found several health advantages as a result of grounding your physical body.
As Dr Simoné Laubscher, formulator of WelleCo’s ingestible beauty-through-wellness collection and founder of Rejuv Wellness, explains: "Touching the elements of nature - getting out in your garden, or a park, putting your hands in the soil, walking or sitting on the grass, swimming in the sea, and even filling your home with plants or playing with pets will improve your internal microbiome and the microbiome of your home. If grounding with the earth is tricky and you have to spend many hours a day on your computer inside, then think about buying a grounding mat to put under laptop, or place it under your feet while you work to reduce your EMF load - even using a yoga mat will help.”
Levelling Up Your Hydration
We all know how vital it is for our wellbeing to properly hydrate our bodies, and we’re seeing more people mixing up their own electrolyte drinks at home to maximise this hydration. “Mixing up a ‘wellness water’ not only keeps this more interesting, it’s also a wonderful way to balance your blood sugar levels, reducing cravings, and to detoxify and nourish the body. I suggest taking a glass jug with 2L of water, and mixing it with the juice of 1/2 a lemon, 1/2 a lime, ginger (to taste), fresh mint leaves, sliced cucumber and 1tsp cinnamon powder. Drink this throughout the day and avoid large amounts at meal times,” says Dr Simoné Laubscher.
Brain health
We talk about gut health but why do we not talk about brain health? The gut is our second brain, so why are we not taking the same care with our actual brain? The brain is arguably the most complex organ in the human body and recognised as the body’s command centre, influencing every aspect of life. Brain health is the state of brain functioning across cognitive, sensory, social-emotional, behavioural and motor domains, allowing a person to realise their full potential and that's why people will be supplementing with nootropics. Nootropics are brain-boosters: they are known to enhance cognitive performance and improve brain health. They work in many ways to produce a wide range of benefits across memory, focus, motivation and verbal fluency. Many nootropics have adaptogenic properties – helping your mind and body adapt to physical, mental and emotional stressors and find balance.
Damien Byrne, Founder of HUX Health, says: "Most people wouldn't do a workout without replenishing their body, usually with protein and electrolytes. However, the brain is the hardest working organ. It needs specific nutrition; this is the foundation of mood stability, mental clarity and a vital marker for mental health. Brains are now starting to get the attention and care they deserve. Nootropics are brain food.”
Wearable exercise
The pandemic changed our exercise habits forever and some people have stuck with virtual at-home workouts ever since (hi, Peloton!). That's why we are buzzing about the launch of Boxx+ - a new boxing-inspired app and wearable fitness tracker by Boxx, designed to help you build an exercise routine that sticks, from the comfort of your own home. You buy a pair of compact and sleek Boxx Punch Pods (£149) and use the app to find boxing-inspired, strength, conditioning and recovery classes that fit every mood, fitness level and schedule (£9.99 a month subscription). We are addicted.
East meets West - a fusion of Chinese medicine with modern technology
More and more people are discussing the effectiveness of ancient Chinese medicine modalities such as Gua Sha, Cupping and Acupuncture and their effect on wellbeing. And Ada Ooi, Chinese Medicine & Red Carpet Skin Expert, believes they'll continued to be used for specialised treatments for hormone regulation, stress management and postpartum health in 2023. “Legendary plants used in Chinese medicine will be coupled with scientific research to create formulations that elevate ancient holistic use for modern skin,” she says. "Following the principles of Chinese medicine, the concept of life and growth are researched to not only aid correction and recovery but stimulate new activities for prolonged healthy skin. Some key ingredients to watch out for are a variety of Eastern mushrooms like shiitake mushroom, as well as roots like ginseng.
New Wave Wellness
Out with the old, in with the new wave wellness. According to Hotels.com, a quarter of Brits are more open to wellness breaks than ever before and almost a third have admitted this is because they are bored with traditional wellness retreats and want to experience something more exciting in 2023. A further 36% say it’s because there are more alternative wellness experiences than ever before. The UK is at the core, with most British travellers wanting to stay here to explore new offerings. However, Gen Z have a different view and are looking much further afield, with the Maldives topping the list, followed by New Zealand. The quirkier the better, with activities such as sylvotherapy (forest bathing), fruit harvesting, and body therapies including cryotherapy. To capture this awakened market, hotels such as the Loire Valley Lodge in France and Whitepod in Switzerland are innovating and offering advanced rejuvenation programs and hands-on activities that encourage travellers to get up close and personal with nature.
Perfect posture
Are you tired of trying hard to keep fit but feeling like you are constantly held back by a reoccurring pain or injury? Same. As we head into 2023, posture experts are warning that lots of people will suffer the effects of trying to start an exercise regime on a misaligned body (joints in the wrong positions and muscles doing the wrong jobs). When we exercise on a misaligned body, we will eventually feel the impact of this wonkiness and uneven distribution of load through our joints (which will hurt) and our muscles (which will get tense). Who knew? So it seems that focusing on our posture before we embark on those grand marathon plans is key. We love 'Posture Ellie' (@postureellie), who teaches people the joy of moving well by educating her clients on how to restore balance across the joints and function to the muscles. She has a two week free sign up period to her 'Online Studio' if you're keen.
Restorative skin treatments
Skincare treatments aren't just about working on your face, they're also all about boosting your mental health, too. That's why restorative skincare treatments are trending at The Four Seasons Hotel Spa in Hampshire, in particular the Natura Bissé facial. “Our Natura Bissé Ceutical range and The Skin Comfort facial are designed to restore and strengthen delicate or altered skin. This ritual provides in-depth repair and an immediate sensation of calm, comfort and relief, while also fighting micro-inflammation, which causes premature skin ageing,” the hotel told us.
Sustainable Food
As climate change continues to impact us and our environment, consumers are finding ways to contribute positively to the planet. This includes being more eco-conscious when it comes to food. Research shows that 73% of people think it is important to buy food that has a low environmental impact. Meal planning is one of the ways that can help you be more eco conscious when it comes to food, as well as eating locally and seasonally. Recently, Marks & Spencer has removed “best before” labels from 300 varieties of fruits and vegetables in stores to cut food waste, which is why Fresh Fitness Food - a personalised meal delivery service, delivering ready-to-eat, high quality, tailored meals to your door every day - is convinced people will eat on demand.
High fibre wellness plans
With between 70-80% of our immune system in our gut it is no surprise that the two trends are becoming intertwined as more research is done. Consumers are beginning to understand the importance of a healthy microbiome and whilst everybody is different there are some key steps we can take to ensure a healthy gut and in turn a strong immune system. According to the nutritionists at PRESS, high dietary fibre is associated with gut microbial diversity - which is why its range of soups are sources or high in fibre.
Digestive breath testing
At-home breath testers allow people to personalise their diets to tackle common, but hard-to-treat, digestive conditions like IBS and bloating. FoodMarble is the world's first personal digestive breath tester and app that does this by helping people monitor their meals, stress, sleep and symptoms and test fermentation level with personalised, real-time results.
Conscious Deceleration
Conscious Deceleration is whereby more attention is given to restoring the best version of you by focusing on slowing down, allowing yourself space to breathe both physically and mentally - so you can build resilience. Need. “We predict a huge preference towards a longer-term approach and lifestyle (rather than a “quick-fix”) that build results over time (think: treatments, sessions, classes, circuits etc…),” said Ms Elda Ferrara, Manager at ROMEO The Spa by Sisley Paris (Naples, Italy).
This article was originally published on Glamour UK.
