As a health food store in Ballarat, we like to stay up to date with the health trends.
In 2023, we predict what health and wellbeing trends will come in and go out.
The health trends we expect to see IN in 2023:
Yang Sheng
Yang Sheng is a term we expect to hear more of in 2023. Yang Sheng is a Chinese term that translates to “nourishing life.” Yang Sheng refers to habits and practices that help enhance health and longevity. It is about fostering all aspects of health and well-being; body, mind and spirit.
More Plant-Based Eating
Australia has one of the highest percentages of vegans per capita. It is estimated that there are already 2.5 million vegans and vegetarians in the country and it is growing. Concerns about climate change and a desire to ‘eat cleaner’ are some of the motivating factors for switching to a plant-based diet. In addition to that, vegan-friendly products are much more accessible and an increasing number of athletes and celebrities are touting the benefits of ditching animal products.
Being Skin-tellectual
According to Blingy “the Skintellectual generation is a generation of self-educated and knowledge-hungry consumers who are interested in not only the ingredients and science behind their skincare products, but also the brand culture and values”.
Gen Z-ers are using beauty products much earlier than the generations before them, and as a result, they are self-educated beauty aficionados. Because Gen Z-ers are also the most concerned about climate change, they are looking for skin care products that are cruelty-free, inclusive, sustainable, and are made from toxic-free ingredients.
Mind Dieting
Not to be confused with the MIND diet, “mind dieting” is about understanding the environmental and psychological factors that lead to undereating, overeating or making poor food choices. Mind dieting is about raising your awareness of how certain actions, behaviours, and environments contribute to food choices and habits.
Natural Insect Repellents
The recent weather conditions have been favourable for mosquito breeding. As a result, the risk of mosquito-borne diseases (such as Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses) is high. Due to the risk of such diseases, or just the problematic ‘mozzie-bites,’ people are reaching for repellents on a daily basis. However, due to the frequent application of repellents, people are becoming more reluctant to use DEET-based formulas. In 2018, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) ran a targeted campaign to raise awareness about the legal requirement for insect repellents to be registered. This campaign sparked a number of manufacturers of natural insect repellents to reassess their formulas and made the necessary changes to become registered. As a result, there are now more family-safe and APVA registered repellents on the market. Mental CPR
It is expected that in 2023, more people will learn Mental CPR so that they can support others who are going through an emotional crisis.
Learning Mental CPR (also known as Mental First Aid or Emotional CPR, or eCPR) gives people the confidence to recognise and respond to someone who is experiencing a mental health problem.
Covid 19 caused a significant rise in mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, and stress. As a result, people are looking to become better equipped on how to listen, support, and connect to people who are experiencing a mental crisis. The Red Cross, Mental Health First Aid Australia, and St John all offer courses in Mental First Aid.
Exercise Snacks
We are expecting to see Exercise Snacks rise in popularity in 2023. Despite the name, Exercise Snacks does not refer to small portions of foods you consume while working out. In fact, it means short bursts of exercise spread out across the day. Think a 20-minute weight session in the morning, a 20-minute walk at lunchtime, a 10-minute stationary bike ride after work, and a 10-minute yoga session before bed.
Exercise snacks are all about getting the recommended 30-60 minutes of daily activity, but broken into bite-sized chunks of time.
In 2023 we expect the following to go OUT.
Greenwashing
Greenwashing is the marketing spin manufacturers use to suggest their company has environmentally conscious policies, but they aren’t actually making any notable efforts towards better sustainability. It is an attempt to capitilise on the growing demand for environmentally sound products.
Greenwashing companies use marketing tactics such as the colour of the packaging, images, and the exaggeration of terms such as Eco, Green or Natural to give the impression that the products are environmentally friendly.
Tik Tok Health Influencers
We expect that in 2023 people will become warier of online health influencers who have plenty of followers but no qualifications.
Instead of using “brand ambassadors,” “motivators” or “content creators” to get their health, fitness and wellness advice people will return to their qualified health practitioners (personal trainers, dieticians, naturopaths, and doctors) to get the best guidance.
Binge Drinking
As the range and availability of non-alcoholic drinks increase, we’re excited to think that binge drinking will decrease.
We expect that binge drinking will lose popularity in 2023 and instead, classy gatherings sans alcohol (or with much less) will take their place.
Excessive Screen Time
People have hit their limit and screen time and are starting to see the impact. It is estimated that Australians currently spend an average of 150 minutes on their phone per day. Our addiction to our screens is contributing to posture problems, decreased mental health, disturbed sleep, and obesity, and we think in 2023 people will start to make better choices before doom-scrolling.
Fake Plants
Fake plants are out.
Intense Exercise
Whilst we don’t want people to hang up the runners entirely, we do anticipate that people will start to move away from some of their intense exercise habits. Running will stay on the regime, but might decrease in frequency or duration to make way for more gentle options such as Pilates, yoga, hiking, and meditation.