5 Key Shifts Driving Personal Health(care) + Wellness in 2023

I very actively track the health and wellness conversation. Not only because I work in health care - I'm also an (amateur) endurance athlete and LOVE to understand how I can optimize my personal health and sport performance through nutrition and behavioral shifts. I consider and consumer a lot of information from "thought leaders" that have developed influence and trust - or at the very least notoriety. I monitor the surrounding consumer conversation and I see the confusion, frustrations and hopes that lead many to listen to them.

With all that listening and analysis in mind, I see 5 key shifts underlying what large swaths of health and wellness consumers (read: people) are seeking solutions for - and who they're seeking them from. These are not really health and wellness trends - a few of which are cited as examples here - these are more so the shifts in thinking or behavior underlying them.?

1) A lingering sense of feeling "unwell" is fueling demand for DIY home testing - and for legitimate functional?medicine assessments:

People that have have felt "unwell" for some time, gone to their primary care doctors,?maybe had some tests run - but were ultimately told that there is nothing wrong with them - are driving demand for Functional and Integrative Health Practitioners and home testing panels.?These symptoms may range from?low energy, fatigue, brain fog, moodiness, depression, hair loss, poor sleep, anxiety and/or depression, irregular menstrual cycles or the inability to lose weight (among many others).?The focus of many health and wellness experts (particularly those trained in functional medicine) seeks to understand the "why" - with often-cited culprits including hormonal imbalances, heavy metal buildup (and toxicity in the body),?inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and even emotional repression (more on that later on).?

This shift is important to recognize because it affects who people go to if their primary care doctor is unable to provide answers - and even the questions that?patients ask their doctors from the?get-go (i.e., requesting specific labs, like hormone panels or metabolic testing before their doctor has an opportunity to recommend them). For this reason,?the global functional medicine lab testing market is estimated to generate revenue of $5,566m by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 10% during the forecast period 2018–2025. The Americas is the leading market for functional medicine lab testing due in large part to an increasing demand for personalized medicine.?Which leads me to...

2) With physical health as the bare minimum, total?human optimization is the ideal - and health + wellness protocol is the leading currency:

From Joe Rogan and Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop, to Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Will Cole, Dr. Daniel Amen (credentialed experts) and a wide range of thought leaders in between - it's evident from top performing podcasts that people want experts to tell them exactly how they should eat, and what they should DO, to feel better. This is where the emerging and trending topics get interesting. Gut biome support, adaptogen-rich foods and beverages, carnivore diets vs. plant-based diets, testosterone-enhancing diets, cold plunging, red light therapy, EMDR therapy, supplements to address heavy metal buildup, liver detox remedies, daily electrolytes (and gasp - sodium!) for effective daily hydration (something endurance athletes have known for years) - are all among the growing conversations. But I'm saving my favorite for last:?(nutritional) supplement stacks. In the quest for?optimal health and well-being, improved athletic performance and recovery and boosted cognitive function, we are increasingly hungry for supplements to make us feel better (or, our best). And we're willing to pay a premium for personalized protocol to address our individual "issues", ranging from cognitive support to hair wellness, healthy hormone balance and optimal liver function - to deeper, more restful sleep and less anxiety.

In 2022, the dietary supplement market was estimated to be worth $163.9 billion in 2022. One industry study forecasts growth?towards $327.4 billion by 2030. While some of this growth will come from established supplement categories like multivitamins, Vitamin D, and whey protein powder, a substantial amount of the growth will come from entirely new product categories - including sleep gummies and sea moss (Irish moss). Mary Shenouda, a respected Performance Chef/Specialist to professional athletes, is known for developing personalized meal planning, training and game day fuel (natural foods and nutrient-rich "cocktails"), and other performance protocols for competitive pro athletes and the like - tailored to address their individual lab work. While we don't all have the budget of a professional athlete, many seek to mimic the protocol of those they respect - which may explain why so many thought leaders in that functional medicine space have their own nutritional supplement lines - or are invested in the companies they refer to. Cases in point: Dr. Stephen Cabral's "Equi.Life",?Dr Joe Dispenza's BioSyntropy supplements, Dr. Daniel Amen's BrainMD, goop and many more.

3) Health coaches will NOT replace doctors - and are (actually) improving health outcomes:

The scope of work of a health coach makes it clear that they cannot order lab tests, diagnose or recommend specific treatment - but they can and do recommend diet and lifestyle protocols (there's that term again ;) to help their clients adopt new health behaviors and influence outcomes. Health Coaching has emerged as a $7 billion service industry according to the US Health Coaching Market Report (January 2021). A clinical trial at Louisiana State University found that obese patients assigned to work with a health coach showed “decreased blood sugar levels and improvements in cholesterol as well as cardio-metabolic risk scores.” Additionally,?a systematic meta-analysis of 10 randomized controlled trials showed that health coaching has a significant positive effect on health-related quality of life and leads to a significant reduction in hospital admissions related to chronic lung disease (COPD). In other words - health coaches are in demand when and if their guidance helps people feel better. And many corporations, hospital systems, and other institutions are finding ways to work WITH health coaches to improve health outcomes - and reduce health care costs.

4) To heal the body, we may need to first heal our emotions - and consider alternative healing modalities.

The brain-gut connection is not new, particularly as it pertains to GI symptoms. But the question around what is on our minds (anxiety, chronic stress) that may be leading to GI dysfunction is taking on additional nuance. Recognizing that the vast majority - if not all of us - have and will encounter?major?stressors that can impact our?health, the conversation then shifts to what we can do to regulate our nervous system. While that might include tactics like prayer, meditation, exercise, journaling, mindful movement and time outdoors - sometimes that's not enough. There is a deeper, more nuanced conversation around unlocking and processing the emotions that many of us have repressed over time in order to function and survive. Emotions triggered by trauma, loss, or other deeply painful experiences. When those emotions are repressed long enough - or are traumatic enough - they may require more targeted, specialized treatment.

Alternative healing modalities have been part of the conversation for some time now, as it pertains to treating persistent psychological and emotional disorders. These modalities may include psychedelics (particularly for those suffering?from PTSD), ayahuasca ceremonies, and even micro-dosing Psilocybin to treat severe anxiety and depression. They may not be mainstream modalities - but they are certainly being researched, considered and explored by many for whom a regulated, balanced life has been feeling out of reach.

5) Lastly, "big" everything is being questioned (and in some circles, rejected).

It's not just conspiracy theorists. It's widely stated that the healthiest foods at the grocery store are those in outer perimeter. Nearly everything on the shelves is up for discussion. Several respected voices take it a step further - encouraging audiences to avoid the corporate food system as much as possible. This includes packaged cereals, snacks, frozen prepared meals, bottled sauces and dressings, plant-based milks, plant-based proteins (which have become the source of particular ire for being a far more processed alternative to whole protein sources), and nearly any food product that would require a nutrition label (and more than, say, 3 or 4 ingredients). If Big Food is being questioned and discouraged among particular communities - I won't even get into Big Tech. Despite using social media to share content, many experts are equally encouraging setting strict limits on screen time and social media use?- including eliminating?electromagnetic field exposure 2-3 hours prior to bedtime.

This is scratching the surface, and can easily be expanded upon in further detail with data. Do any of them resonate with your own experiences, or captivate your attention? I'd love your thoughts.