According to the Global Wellness Institute, the global health and wellness industry is now worth $4.2 trillion (approx Rs 298 trillion). It encompasses everythingthe boxing class you go to in the AM, the bulletproof coffee you chug before breakfast, the standing desk you have at work, and the golden moon milk you drink after dinner. The actual word was coined in the 1950s, when people proactively started trying to better their lives instead of just treating illnesses, but it was only in the 2010s that it actually became an industry. Heres what we couldnt stop writing, sharing, Instagramming and talking about in the last ten years.
In 2015, Gwyneth Paltrow (by way of her wellness website, Goop.com) suggested that placing a yoni egg in the vagina would balance hormones and regulate menstrual cycles, and steaming the area would deep-cleanse and soothe it. It led to people burning their skin, having foreign objects stuck in inside and bacteria infections that harmed rather than helped. In the same vein, there were some people who suggested drinking Soylent instead of solid food, trying the Juul to kick a smoking habit, and subsisting on just bananas for a month. If its not clear, none of these worked, and you definitely dont want to try them out.
Theyre in your water bottles, embedded in your bracelets and placed on your bedside tables. Your favourite beauty productsKora Organics Rose Quartz Highlighter, Glossier Haloscope and Dromen and Co Face Rollerall have them in their ingredient lists. How did crystals go from being a new-age hippy-dippy object to a wellness necessity? You can thank the advent of technology for the increase in alternative therapies. Crystals bring a sense of calm in an otherwise chaotic world, and Kristin Petrovich of Sjal Skincare agrees. When we asked her about why she infused crystals into her elixirs, she said, Just as we resonate with the earth, we resonate and have an electronic exchange with crystals. They vibrate at a higher frequency, which gravitates toward the weaker cells in our body. This energy works within our bodys own energy system, helping to balance and harmonise us. Whether you believe in their healing powers or not, we can agree that if it makes you give yourself a little more time, what's not to love?
While working out is just as efficacious whether you do it at the gym or at home, group classes like SoulCycle (which counts Michelle Obama and Beyonce as fans), OrangeTheory, Pilates (youll see Kareena Kapoor Khan and Katrina Kaif at one of these) became extremely popular in the last five years. Led by millennials and Gen Z-ers, who now view health and fitness as a way of life and consider it a status symbol, consumer spending in this vertical is fast growing. A new class or studio is opened to fanfare, and consumers now buy merch and plan classes with their friends and co-workers. While you can learn just as easily from video tutorials online, the vibe of a group session means that you likely wont realise where the time has gone, Pilates instructor Namrata Purohit explained in an interview with Vogue India.
Everyone can name a fad diet they tried in the 2010s (think Paleo, Keto, Whole30, Mediterranean and GM). They all promised weight loss, better mental capacity and improved concentration. In the 80s, it was fats that were evil; in the 90s, it was carbs and in the 00s, it was solid food (remember the juice fasts of 2001-2005?). Intermittent fasting gained speed too, with the claim that it improved brain health (biohacking) and reduced body fat. Like all other trends, what goes around does come around, and nutritionists are now suggesting that intuitive eating might just be the best thing to do anyway. I prefer having a very dynamic eating plan that is in accordance with what my body wants. For example, if my body needs a salad, I will opt for that. If it needs non-vegetarian food, I shall go for that," nutrition expert Luke Coutinho shared in an interview in 2018.
2010s were definitely the decade of the influencer. They influenced us to buy shoes, clothes, bags, vacations and home decor products. Celebrities like Khlo and Kim Kardashian West promoted detox teas (essentially laxative teas) for weight loss, and wellness experts alleged that drinking juices and smoothies allowed the body and digestive system to rest, regenerate and heal. The idea was most popular from 2010 to 2014, but by the mid-point of the decade, more people were considering it as snake oil rather than saviour.
In the early 2010s, information about gut health became ubiquitous in wellness circles and everything from fermented food, live enzymes, kombucha and probiotics were prescribed to supercharge it. The pH balance of the body was closely observed (which brought alkaline diets into the focus), and doctors started focusing on reinforcing the gut barrier to prevent bloating, digestion issues and even muscle and joint pain. In the last ten years, the science in this area has exploded. The vast majority of modern, chronic diseases are in some way linked to inflammation. That comes from your bodys immune system, 70 per cent of which resides in and around the gut, said Dr Rangan Chatterjee, an expert in gut health told us.
Adaptogens refer to substances that adapt to what your body needs, and helps to protect it from stressors. Ashwagandha, reishi and chaga were important additions to smoothies, juices and bone broth, and came with the promise of reducing stress levels and regulating hormone responses to reach homeostasis. Taking adaptogens to the next level were nootropics, which are cognitive enhancers that can supersize your brain. The importance of efficiency, speed and multi-tasking in the workplace is the major reason for its popularity. The primary benefit of consuming nootropics is that they can improve executive functioning, memory, creativity, focus and motivation. They can also significantly improve accuracy and help individuals feel that they can accomplish tasks that are at hand, shared Dr Nicole Avena, PhD and assistant professor of neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. While research has not been clear about the benefits, those who have enjoyed them continue to experiment with the newest mushrooms and herbs on the market.
This was the most recent trend that came into focus in the middle of 2018the FDA-approved cannabidiol, which is a non-psychoactive chemical in the cannabis plant. Cut to today, and CBD is available in a wide spectrum of formstinctures, gummies, vape pens, serums, moisturisers, pain-relief creams and chocolates. Theyre meant to whittle away at inflammation, reducing pain and promoting a sense of calm. Since countries and companies are working on navigating this space and improving its safety and efficacy, you can expect the category to grow exponentially in the 2020s. In fact, a study shows that the industry could be worth $16 billion (approx Rs 1.4 trillion) by 2025.
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Read more from the original source:
The biggest (and weirdest) wellness trends we all witnessed in the 2010s - VOGUE India
