The irony of wellness culture
I recently finished a book called How to be Well - by Amy Larocca, which is a deep dive into the evolution of what we now know as the ‘wellness industry’, and a critique of the many wellness fads that have come and gone (I’m aware that I’m a figure in the wellness industry myself).
I devoured it; it was a great read and incredibly well researched, with many examples given of quirky practices such as ones recommended by wellness queen Gwyneth Paltrow herself (vaginal steaming, anyone?), among other trends many of us have been sucked into or intrigued by, ranging from colon flushing, to manifestation rituals, to juice cleanses, to ice baths. Some of which may have scientific evidence to suggest a benefit, many, if not most, are nothing but hype and marketing.
Some ‘wellness’ practices are downright unsafe, take colonics, for example. There’s a risk of damaging the rectum by creating micro-tears, and in the worst case, extreme dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, which requires a trip to the emergency room.
It is interesting how, in the last decade or so, there has been so much increased interest in ‘wellness’. In the 90s and the 2000s, it was chic to live off cigarettes, coffee and margaritas. People cared a lot about being thin, but not because they believed it would help them live longer or improve their energy levels. Crash diets were abundant, and so were eating disorders, but that was considered the price you paid if you wanted to be that girl back then.
Perhaps with the rise of social media and the internet, information began to spread about the dangers of this kind of mentality, and in the 2010s, the body positivity movement became more widespread. This meant that people and brands had to change their language. The code word for wanting to be thin shifted to wanting to be ‘healthy’ (by which most people still meant ‘thin’ - as explained in The Barbie Movie).
There’s also been a collective loss of hope in the medical industry in general. Many people aren’t listened to or taken seriously by their doctors. When it’s difficult to get an appointment with a GP, with whom you only have 15 minutes to spend with just for them to prescribe something to get you to go away - or for them to dismiss you completely, it’s understandable why people lose faith and turn elsewhere, such as to alternative medicine and wellness practices.
Unfortunately, as Larocca explains in her book, there are a lot of snake-oil salespeople recognising these exact co-occurrences, capitalising on people’s vulnerabilities and willingness to do whatever it takes to optimise their well-being in order to avoid being reliant on a broken mainstream healthcare system. Wellness gurus will paint this picture that to avoid spontaneous combustion, we must protect our poor, frail bodies like the delicate little rose petals we are, shielding them from the poisonous nasties of non-stick frying pans, diet soft drinks, polyester clothing, receipt paper and mean words like when people say ‘what an entitled attitude to have’. Bad vibes cause oxidative stress and inflammation; stay clear.
This pattern of pointing at the myriad of things that are ‘bad’ for us is exactly how the wellness industry also profits from us. An influencer talking about mould toxicity also happens to have a discount code for a mould-testing kit, with an add-on mould-eradication system (am I a peasant for just using spray and wipe?). Another influencer talking about her ‘cortisol face’ transformation happens to be selling a 7-day meal plan that supposedly lowers cortisol.
As a nutritionist, I’ve read and learnt about all of the aforementioned tips. I’ve taken certifications run by naturopaths and watched lectures from highly regarded functional medicine practitioners who suggest patients reduce their toxic burden as much as possible and take multiple, expensive supplements. But in my experience working with real people, for extended periods, coaching them (instead of just saying here’s your meal plan and supplements, now off you go), not only have I found it unrealistic to ask a busy, working mum on a budget to switch out all of her cleaning products, skincare, hair products and frying pans as well as start eating a strictly plant-based, sugar-free, gluten-free, organic diet and exercise 5 days a week, but we don’t even have proof that all of it’s even necessary.
The evidence that living according to this perfect ‘wellness’ ideology is so limited, because no one can even successfully do it, especially for their entire life. It’s so much pressure, and so difficult to adhere to, and we don’t even know how much of a difference it will really make. If it gives somebody peace of mind to choose the aluminium-free deodorant and put coconut oil on their skin instead of moisturiser, then all power to them, but it doesn’t mean that you’re better off because of it, and it certainly doesn’t make you superior in any way to people who do the ‘regular’ version of these things either.
What we do know, based on people who live long, healthy, fulfilling lives, is that the general principles of wellness are far less complicated than the wellness industry would make them seem. Eat plenty of wholesome food, exercise regularly, get fresh air daily, have a strong circle of social connections, and try to get enough sleep (when you can). You don’t see centurians swearing by the power of supplements to keep them active and healthy. I saw an article recently about a 106-year-old man crediting ‘daily custard’ to his longevity and vigour.
Basically, try not to stress out too much about keeping up with the barrage of tips and supposed discoveries about how to optimise our health.
Focus on getting consistent with the basics, and lean into what makes you feel good on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes that might mean having a burger and beers with a friend on the weekend, and sometimes that might mean getting an organic green juice the next day.
If your version of wellness means compromising having fun, keeping relationships and having a functioning body and nervous system, maybe it’s not that healthy for you after all.
I’d love to hear your thoughts,
Lx
