It seems like with each year and generation new trends come rolling around. Often theyāre just a rehash of old trends (nothing new under the sunā¦). In todayās post, Iām covering which health trends Iām predicting for 2025, if theyāre worth following, and how you might want to adopt some.
Many of these are really a return back to the basics of health!
Iām not always one to follow the latest trends, but Iām encouraged by what Iām seeing so far this year. More people are trying to make friends with their bodies and support them in a sustainable way. You may start to see these wellness trends on social media and even in the news.
1. Focus On Minerals
The first health trend I think weāll see is a better understanding of and focus on minerals. If youāve heard me talk about minerals before and how important they are then this wonāt be new to you. But I think minerals are going more mainstream with how much our bodies need them.
Iāve switched to consuming lots of salt and noticed a big improvement in my own health. It seems like weāre finally moving away from demonizing salt and embracing it as a health tool. Unfortunately due to modern day farming practices, many foods just donāt have the nutrition and minerals they used to. However, by purposefully adding in more minerals through sea salt, silica, magnesium, electrolytes, and others we can help with this deficiency.
I take several types of minerals from different sources and like to have a variety. Here are the minerals I use:
Actionable tip: Pay attention to the mineral sources in your everyday life and experiment with adding some in. Try putting a teaspoon of healthy salt in a quart of water at night. Drink it in the morning after itās dissolved.
2. Functional Movement
Maybe itās just because Iām so focused on it, but I think more people are moving towards functional movement (no pun intended). Low-level movements like walking, climbing, and Kinstretch are popular. More women are working out regularly and lifting weights (not just cramming in tons of cardio).
I had Dr. Gabrielle Lyon on the podcast and we discussed how important gaining healthy muscle is for longevity. Even the mainstream is acknowledging how important functional movement is for overall health. As a side note, Iāve noticed those in my life who really focus on mobility also have great heart rate variability.
Here are some of the movements Iām focusing on this year:
- Kinstretch
- Calisthenics (with my daughter!)
- Functional movements like climbing, slacklining, hanging, monkey bars, etc.
Actionable Tips: Want to boost your metabolism and improve sleep and muscle tone? Try taking a 10-minute walk or doing 30-40 air squats after every meal. Studies show it supports muscle growth and shuttles glycogen from carbs into our muscles.
Also, try incorporating more functional movements into your everyday routines. Or start by switching out your office chair to something like this!
3. A Return to Whole Foods
āHealthyā foods have been a trend for decades, but expertsā definition of healthy has changed over the years. Instead of highly processed foods (even supposedly healthy ones), I think weāll see more single-ingredient meals. Food-based bars, food-based substitutes, and overly complicated meals are no longer as much of a focus.
If you follow me on Instagram youāll notice Iāll often eat some eggs, sardines, and a raw veggie for breakfast. Eating healthy doesnāt have to be complicated! The key is focusing on nutrient density, not just calories and macros.
When we donāt get enough of our macros or micronutrients our body will continue to crave food. By focusing on nourishing our bodies we send a safety signal telling our body we have enough nutrients.
Actionable Tip: Try to focus on nutrient-dense whole foods to give your body what itās really craving. Donāt forget the micronutrients too!
4. Light and Circadian Rhythms
It seems like more people are finally talking about the impact of light on our health. Light is likely the most important signaling factor for our circadian rhythms. In our modern world of LED lights and bright screens, weāre exposed to midday light levels at all hours of the day.
Getting morning sunlight and avoiding blue light after sunset helps our hormones, cortisol, hunger cues, and more. For me, this means I try to only eat during daylight and switch to lower, soft lighting after sunset.
Actionable Tips: Try to get more natural sunlight outside during the daytime (especially morning). Reduce artificial light (especially at night). Try switching out your lightbulbs for these circadian friendly ones.
5. Exploring and Managing Health Data
With Apple watches, Oura rings, and other wearables, tracking our health data has never been more within reach. While we can work with a practitioner, at the end of the day weāre our own primary healthcare provider.
You can now get affordable lab testing with tons of metrics to keep a pulse on your health. And thanks to functional medicine doctors and even AI you can get personalized feedback on the results.
Actionable Tips: Try using a wearable like the Oura ring (what I use) to track health metrics. For lab testing, I love Function Health. Theyāre affordable and offer a lot of data.
6. Community and Social Wellness
This is more of a return to the age-old focus on healthy community ties. Over the past several years more of us have been missing our communities and unfortunately, itās had negative effects. In person connections simply canāt be replaced by social media!
In person meetups through church, school, gatherings, moms groups, etc. are vital for our health. Itās one of the big reasons people in Blue Zones live so long!
And anytime we can do something wellness related in a group weāll get extra benefits. Things like wellness centers, using a sauna with friends, etc.
Actionable Tip: Look for communities in your area for you and your family to join. Make intentional, in-person connections! If you canāt find one that fits you, create your own and invite others to join.
7. Sleep Hygiene
After nearly a thousand podcast episodes and hundreds of guests, thereās one thing they all agree on. The importance of quality sleep! I mentioned before the importance of healthy light exposure and how that also ties in with how well we sleep at night.
There are several aspects to this, but I feel more people are noting the role light plays in sleep. Ideally, you want it so dark you canāt even see your hand in front of your face. If you live in an area with light pollution, blackout curtains are a great way to fix that!
Actionable Tip: I switched to uBlockout Shades which guarantee 100% blackout (way more than typical blackout curtains). Get your light exposure dialed in for your circadian rhythms and better sleep.
8. Natural Clothing Fibers
You may have noticed some moms on Instagram going back to cotton and linen Little House on the Prairie dresses. While thatās not really my style, I am noticing more of a focus on natural fibers, like organic cotton, linen, silk, and wool.
I love comfy synthetic leggings as much as the next girl, but Iām transitioning more to natural fibers. While theyāre comfy and trendy, plastic based clothing isnāt good to have next to our skin all the time. Especially when weāre sweating and working out.
Actionable Tips: Shop thrift stores or buy from secondhand groups/stores for vintage and natural fiber clothing. Many new brands, like these, are also offering more natural and organic fabrics.
Try switching to linen sheets and linen (or cotton) pajamas at night. A third of our life is spent in bed so itās an easy way to make a positive clothing change!
Change For the Better
It can be tempting to try drastic changes for the New Year, but research has shown they donāt usually stick. Instead of following all of the latest fads, take an audit and decide what strategies and habits will work best for you. Making easy, simple changes and staying (mostly) consistent pays off in the long run. Iām a big believer in the 80/20 rule to make things sustainable and that will look different for each person.
Itās all about having some balance and trying new things to make lasting changes! And as moms, we can help our kids to have healthy habits too.
What new health habits are you trying this year? Anything from this list or something different? Leave a comment and let us know!
