2023 Wellness, Beauty, Food, Fitness & Mental Health Trends
Written by Jill Levy on January 26, 2023
Original article appears at Ancient Nutrition
2022 was the year of climate-friendly eating plans, home workouts, probiotic drinks, and personalized skincare and nutrition. What will be trending in health and wellness in 2023?
Many of the most prominent wellness and beauty themes we saw in 2022 — such as eating fewer animal products, focusing on holistic health, and prioritizing sleep and stress management — are expected to keep pace in the coming year. We’ll likely also see more emphasis on in-person wellness visits and fitness classes.
Let’s look below at the types of supplements, personal care products, fitness equipment, and mental health practices that many people are projected to spend their time and money on in 2023.
Wellness Trends
1. Supergreens
Most of us can afford to get more “superfoods,” including greens, herbs, berries and algae, into our diets consistently. Even if you regularly eat salads and other veggies, taking an Organic Supergreens supplement is a super convenient way to boost your antioxidant and other nutrient intake each day, helping to make “getting your greens” easy.
Simply stir a scoop into water or smoothie every day, and you’ll be on your way to meeting your fruit and veggie goals.
2. Regenerative Foods and Supplements
More than just being organic, regenerative foods refer to those that help give back to the planet. When foods such as herbs, greens, fruits, and root veggies are grown on regenerative farms, they’re done so in a way that limits the use of resources, helps to build healthy topsoil, and pulls CO2 out of the atmosphere. This fights climate change, plus it produces foods and supplements that are brimming withessential nutrients.
To know if a food or supplement was grown on a regenerative farm, look for the label on the package. You can also do your homework about companies’ standards and practices. FYI, many of Ancient Nutrition’s products are sustainably produced on our own regenerative farms.
3. Multi-Organ and Liver Supplements
Although organ meats, also called offal, are packed with nutrients including iron, zinc, vitamin A and B12, only some are up for eating organs. Here’s where organ and liver supplements — such as those made with lamb and beef liver, heart and kidneys — come into play. They make it convenient to consume “superfood” organs without cooking or tasting them.
Try Ancient Nutrition’s Organ Blend capsules or Grass-fed Liver capsules, which help support organ health, cognitive health, liver health, healthy blood, a healthy immune system and more.
4. Eating More Protein
Plant-based diets and “climatarian” eating plants certainly have their benefits for both your body and the plant. However, one downside to avoiding all animal products is that you may not eat enough protein (although this isn’t always the case).
By aiming to get about 20 percent of your total calories from protein, you’ll typically experience a decrease in hunger, support for lean muscle growth and potentially help with healthy weight management. Try upping your protein intake by focusing on sustainable protein sources such as eggs, small fish like sardines, beans and legumes, algae and sea vegetables, and organic dairy products.
5. Probiotic and Collagen Gummies
Not a fan of taking capsules or powder supplements? Then consider trying gummies instead, which make it fun and appealing to boost your nutrient intake.
Ancient Nutrition offers several types of gummy supplements, including SBO Probiotics Gummies, which help support healthy digestion and healthy gut function, and Collagen Peptides Gummies, which support healthy connective tissues, including healthy skin and joints.
Beauty Trends
1. Taking Care of Your “Skin Barrier”
Your skin barrier includes the top layers of your skin. It serves as the first line of defense from environmental threats such as pollution and more. A healthy skin barrier will also determine how your skin looks, including how even, glowy and hydrated it appears.
To build and maintain a healthy skin barrier in 2023, there are several products to include in your daily skincare routine. Look for gentle cleansers and exfoliants that remove dirt, extra oil and dead skin cells, and then apply moisturizers and serums regularly. Seek out those that contain nourishing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and ceramides to hydrate and smooth your skin.
Another way to practice skincare from the inside out: Take collagen supplements daily, which help promote healthy connective tissues, including your skin, contributing to healthy skin elasticity, less obvious crow’s feet and a more even texture.
2. Chemical/Acid Exfoliants
Exfoliation is important because it helps slough off dead cells, opens up your pores and makes other beneficial products more absorbable. It’s beneficial to exfoliate during the winter and colder months of the year before applying serums, creams and lotions since this allows your skin to soak up other products better.
If your skin responds well to sugar or salt scrubs, keep using those 1–2 times per week. But also consider adding trendy “facial acids” to your routine that chemically exfoliate your skin. Examples include glycolic acid and lactic acid, which work by cleaning out pores.
3. Healthy Hair Growth
Hair oils and hair masks can help take care of your scalp and protect your strands. Look for those made with antioxidants and hydrating ingredients such as: coconut oil, avocado oil, aloe vera, argan oil, rice water, rose hip, honey and pomegranate extract.
You can also support healthy hair growth by supplementing with biotin and collagen protein, which are needed to build hair strands.
4. Microneedling
You can think of microneedling much like acupuncture, only for your skin. It involves inserting tiny needles into the surface of the skin, which isn’t very painful at all, in order to stimulate fibroblasts and a small amount of inflammation. This causes the skin to repair itself, growing back stronger naturally.
Microneedling is typically done at dermatologists’ offices and can help treat fine lines, discoloration, and scarring.
5. Sunscreen Year-round
The sun doesn’t stop shining once the summer is over, so for the best protection against sun damage and signs of aging, use sunscreen all year long — including for your winter skincare routine.
Opt for mineral sunscreens, such as those made with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which doesn’t seep into your pores, but rather sits on top, forming a protective barrier. Apply sunscreen in the morning over other skincare products and reapply after several hours if you’re spending lots of time in direct sunlight.
Food Trends
1. Canned Fish
We all want to benefit from healthy fats in our diets, including omega-3s, which are known to support healthy responses to inflammation, heart health and cognitive health. The problem is that omega-3 fats aren’t always easy to come by, considering they’re mostly found in oily fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines.
If you’re not one to cook fresh fish at home several times per week, consider buying wild-caught, sustainable canned fish instead. Canned fish is usually just as healthy as fresh fish but a lot more convenient. For example, try canned salmon in salmon patties or in place of tuna, or canned sardines in pasta sauces.
2. Sipping Broths
Have you tried Bone Broth Protein powders yet? If not, you will love how versatile they are in coffee, smoothies and baked goods. Well, there’s a new way to reap the benefits of bone broth: Bone Broth Protein “sipping broths,” which have savory flavors such as Chicken Soup, Tomato Basil and Butternut Squash.
As a nutritional powerhouse and great source of collagen, protein and minerals, sipping broths support an overall healthy metabolism and a healthy gut.
3. Plant-Based Everything
Cutting out animal products, especially red meat and factory farm-raised foods, continues to be a priority for many adults. Vegan diets, climatarian diets and similar vegetarian spin-offs are easier to follow than ever before, thanks to the growing market of plant-based options, including meat alternatives, nut and seed-based milks, and plant-based protein powders.
Even most major food franchises now cater to plant-based eaters, offering things like Impossible burgers, milk alternatives and grain bowls.
Fitness Trends
1. Heading Back to the Gym
Did you pause or cancel your gym membership over the last couple of years? You’re not alone. But in recent months, many people are heading back to gyms and fitness studios for reasons including greater accountability and variety.
Now’s a great time to score deals on new memberships, so shop around and try something new such as group circuit classes, personal training, yoga or Pilates.
2. Walking As a Workout
There’s nothing quite like walking outdoors when it comes to providing both physical and mental health benefits. Outdoor walks are free, can be done just about anywhere, are suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels, and don’t require any equipment (besides good sneakers!).
Not only does taking walks regularly for exercise help to tone your legs and back, but it’s also been shown to lift your mood, and even boost problem-solving and creativity.
3. Booty Bands
There are lots of ways to build your glutes and earn a butt that you’re proud of, such as doing squats, lifting weights or using a stair climber at the gym. But one of the most effective and simplest ways is to purchase “booty bands,” which you wrap around your thighs and use in conjunction with other lower-body exercises.
Wear booty bands to help maintain proper form when doing bodyweight movements or when lifting heavy. By adding extra resistance to your glutes, they help target and tone the muscles that give your butt a lift. Find them online for as little as $10.
4. “Exercise Snacking”
Knowing that any and all types of exercise counts towards meeting one’s daily fitness goals, some are opting to squeeze short bursts of activity into their days instead of one longer workout.
Exercise snacking can look like: taking a couple of short walks outside, biking to work and doing some bodyweight exercises at home. Not only does this approach seem less overwhelming than traditional workouts, but it’s also a good way to add variety to your fitness routine.
Mental Health Trends
1. Return to In-person Therapy
What is the future of the wellness industry? Some would argue that taking care of your mental health is the foundation of your entire well-being. Online therapy gained a big following over the past couple of years when therapists’ offices were closed and when more people were struggling with their mental health.
Now that offices have opened back up, more patients are returning to in-office visits, which may be more effective since face-to-face interactions tend to be most powerful. If you’re struggling with issues such as anxiety or depression, consider seeing a mental health specialist, especially before diagnosing yourself which has unfortunately become more common due to internet use and technology.
2. Forest Bathing
Nature has many healing effects, including the ability to make us feel calmer, centered and connected. In Japan, the power of nature has been appreciated for centuries, which is why “forest bathing” has long been encouraged to maintain people’s mental well-being.
As the name implies, forest bathing involves spending time in green spaces and nature. The point is to be quiet and still in a serene setting without doing much besides observing and thinking. You can try destressing with help from nature by lying in a park or on the beach, meditating outdoors or walking outside.
3. Microdosing
Recreational and medicinal cannabis have had their moments for the past several years. But now, more people are becoming interested in the health perks of psychedelics, such as certain types of mushrooms, taken in very tiny amounts.
In the coming years, it’s expected that these substances may become more widely available and even used by some trained doctors to support people’s moods and mindsets.
4. “Sensehacking”
Tuning into your senses is one of the best ways to practice mindfulness; hence, why sensual experiences and products are taking center stage in the self-care space. From specific types of beats that you listen to in order to focus better or fall asleep more easily to specially crafted candles that provoke certain feelings, we’re paying closer attention to what we taste, smell, hear and touch.
Being more attuned to our senses can help improve our cognitive and emotional well-being; therefore products like oil diffusers, room and pillow sprays, noise-canceling headphones, and weighted blankets are selling in record numbers.
2022 Wellness Trends to Kiss Goodbye
What are some of the latest health trends that you should actually steer clear of? Experts tell us that the trends below tend to do more harm than good; therefore, it’s best to replace them with better alternatives.
1. Too Much Melatonin
While it can make you feel sleepy, melatonin should actually be saved for special occasions, such as when you have jet lag or another major issue disrupting your sleep. It should also be used according to label directions and after consulting with your healthcare professional prior to use. Instead, stick to a consistent bedtime, avoid electronic devices close to bedtime, and limit alcohol and caffeine.
2. Toxic positivity
Whether we’re talking about your body, career or relationship, it’s not realistic to feel joyful and content all the time. Expecting yourself to always be happy actually causes guilt and shame. Therefore, learning to embrace a wide range of emotions is actually better for your outlook.
3. “What I Eat in a Day” Social Media
Each of us has a different body and genetics, not to mention different food preferences. Therefore, it doesn’t make sense to follow anyone’s specific diet without tuning into your own needs and “biofeedback.”
4. “Quiet Quitting”
Find yourself doing the bare minimum at work, yet you don’t want to quit and move on for good officially? If so, you might be “quietly quitting,” which describes staying at a job even when it’s not fulfilling or moving your career forward.
While taking the easy road and staying at a dead-end job can be appealing, it’s not actually addressing your problem or allowing you to find a better match that will contribute to greater long-term life satisfaction.
5. At-home Massage Devices
Massage devices are appealing because they can be used at home between workouts or following an injury to speed along recovery. However, it’s possible to misuse or overuse them and actually cause more damage.
Get help from a professional instead. Also, focus on the foundation of physical health: good sleep, enough rest, relaxation, nutrition and hydration.
Of course, for any wellness trends you follow or are considering following, you should always consult with your healthcare professional prior to making any dietary or lifestyle changes.
