An important new study from the National Institutes of Health is the first randomized trial to show that ultra-processed foods actually drive people to overeat and gain weight compared to whole/less processed foods. Those on an ultra-processed diet ate 508 more calories a week, gaining two pounds over the two-week study period, versus those on the unprocessed diet who lost two pounds a week. Key…
The recent landmark UN report on biodiversity comes to the sobering conclusion that the decline of the world’s biodiversity is such that “it is eroding the foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide.” Demographics are a major culprit: We were 1.5 billion people a century ago, 6.1 billion in 2000, and 7.2 billion today, but what the report also…
There is a mountain of research on how time in nature impacts people’s physical and mental health, from lowering stress and blood pressure to increasing life expectancy. Which is why more doctors are now actually prescribing nature. But what’s the right dose? A new UK study (20,000 people) provides an answer: two hours a week. People who spent 120 minutes outdoors each week reported being in…
The Future of Marketing Is Bespoke Everything (especially for wellness) – The Atlantic, June 11, 2019 Thanks to advances in manufacturing, data collection, and the direct-to-consumer nature of online shopping, personalization is becoming the hot new thing at much more accessible prices—especially in the wellness space (whether customized vitamin cocktails or face serums). This trend taps into something powerful: the idea that we’re all special enough…
Meditation and vacations appear to have overlapping effects. A small study from the University of Groningen (Netherlands) found that 15 minutes of meditation led to similar emotional states as a day of vacation: low levels of negative emotions such as irritation and high levels of positive emotions such as gratitude. ACCESS THIS STUDY
We predict that concerns about the cost to the environment of air travel will come to the boil in 2020. The backlash is growing, and the wellness industry must prepare for it. The “do no harm” (to your community, to the environment) principle will become an obligation, and travel companies will be held accountable. But the air industry is far from the only culprit. A…
