- Friday, April 19, 2024
By: Pramod Thomas
THE wellbeing market is set to boom this year and it’s hardly surprising. The return of ‘normal life’ happened at such an immense speed in 2022 that it left many feeling quite exhausted.
Last year, gym memberships soared, menopause became mainstream, and more people than ever ran marathons. A global survey of more than 11,000 people found 80 per cent will continue to spend on their health and fitness, despite feeling financially squeezed this year.
In our post-Covid world, people are quite rightly prioritising their mental and physical well-being. Lockdowns taught us the importance of going for daily walks, eating well, and keeping a positive outlook.
And with NHS waiting times increasing, preventative health care is more important now than ever.
Here are the top five health trends for you to try:
Sync your sleep: It may be under-rated, but sleep is the fundamental foundation for your wellbeing. Without adequate sleep, cells in your body cannot recover and repair. We all know eight hours of sleep is what you need, but are you waking feeling refreshed? If not, your circadian rhythms are likely out of sync. So, make this year about syncing your body’s internal clock (circadian rhythms) with your sleep-wake cycles. Not sure how to do that? Read the book All You Need Is Rest to learn how.
Eat for your hormone health: Hormones affect your mental, physical and emotional health by playing a major part in regulating your appetite, weight and mood. Personalised eating plans are the way forward this year. While menopause and HRT [hormone re-placement therapy] are under the spotlight, remember one size doesn’t fit all. I’m perimenopausal and instead of taking HRT, I manage symptoms such as hot flushes, mood swings and low energy by having regular acupuncture. I also include oestrogen-rich foods in my diet (soybeans, chickpeas, lentils, sesame seeds, fish, eggs, leafy greens, cherries, nuts, avocado, and quinoa). Also, a hormone-friendly diet can prevent type 2 diabetes, which is prevalent in our communities.
Boost immunity: This helps you fall ill less often and live more fully. Acupuncture is proven to regulate immunity; particularly the use of moxibustion (warming a herb on acupuncture points), which increases the number of red and white blood cells to fight pathogens and prevent disease, plus it’s super relaxing.
Try Ayurveda: What our mothers say about the healing properties of turmeric for common ailments is no old wives’ tale. Indeed, increasing scientific evidence supports the fact that Ayurveda is effective. Ancient wisdom is finally making a comeback, so visit an Ayurveda doctor or seek out those old-age remedies – massage clove oil with cinnamon on your temples to ease headaches and drink warm milk with green cardamom before bedtime for insomnia.
Look up at the sky: Yes, you read that right. Skychology will be a big hit this year. Coined by positive psychologist Paul Conway, sky-gazing is a highly effective way to soothe your amygdala (the fear centre in your brain) and promote feelings of calm, especially when you’re nervous or anxious. Skychology is a form of mindfulness whereby connecting to something bigger than yourself helps to keep things in perspective, while strengthening character traits like humour, humility, honesty, and kindness. And you can do it anywhere, anytime. Wishing you a healthy 2023.
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