A few years ago, if you told your friends that you were drinking charcoal, going to 7 a.m. raves and drinking bone broth, they probably would have looked at you like you were crazy. There’s no doubt that these activities still seem a little strange, but they’re also considered healthy (at least by some people).
So what’s the deal?
We can’t guarantee that trends like (gulp) snail facials are here to stay, but for the moment, they’re in. Here’s a closer look at what’s cool in the wellness world right now.
Coffee with butter in it
What it is: After going from overweight to wellness-obsessed, entrepreneur Dave Asprey invented Bulletproof Coffee in 2009. The official Bulletproof Coffee recipe includes low-mold coffee beans, 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 1-2 tablespoons of MCT oil. Asprey started selling Bulletproof-branded coffee beans online in 2012, and Los Angeles is getting its first Bulletproof Coffee shop this year.
Why people are doing it: All-day energy. Integrative doctor Frank Lipman, who works with Gwyneth Paltrow, told the New York Times that at a whopping 450 calories, Bulletproof Coffee is ideal for “mind clarity and a bit of pep.”
Does it work? Dr. Donald Hensrud, medical director of the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, is skeptical. “Bulletproof coffee is a dual threat,” he told The Huffington Post. “It not only provides large amounts of calories and saturated fat with minimal nutrients, but if consumed as recommended — in place of breakfast — it will prevent the intake of beneficial nutrients in a healthy breakfast.”
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Why people are doing it: Many think it’s great for detoxifying, whether you drank too much, ate too much or just need a general boost. Charcoal has started popping up at trendy juice shops, and New York’s Juice Generation just debuted three juices with charcoal in them. “You’re feeding your body two pounds of greens and activating a detox, so it’s dual purpose,” founder Eric Helm told Harper’s Bazaar.
Does it work? Hensrud really isn’t enthusiastic about this one. “It has been promoted as a cure for a hangover. This will not be effective, however, because someone with a hangover will likely already have absorbed alcohol in their system, and even if they haven’t alcohol is one of the substances that activated charcoal doesn’t absorb well,” he told HuffPost. “It is also marketed to decrease intestinal gas but is probably not effective … there is a little evidence it may lower cholesterol slightly — but there are more effective and much easier ways!” Plus, the body detoxes itself naturally. You don’t need charcoal, juice or anything else to do it for you.
Rewilding
What it is: Founded by 36-year-old Daniel Vitalis, Rewilding is all about getting back in touch with our “caveman” sides. It’s about hunting and gathering, spending time in the sun and drinking water from natural streams.
Why people are doing it: To revamp the lifestyle many of us have grown accustomed to: too much time spent in front of screens, under artificial lights and eating processed food. “Hunching over a laptop all day and eating supermarket food flown in from God-knows-where never struck me as an ideal recipe for well-being,” writer Eliza Krigman, who spent a month “Rewilding herself,” wrote in the January issue of Marie Claire.
Does it work? The biggest changes will probably happen if you relocate to the wilderness, as some Rewilders have done. Krigman’s Rewilding was a bit more mild, and although she said her lifestyle didn’t translate to a “completely radiant rejuvenated self,” she did notice some changes. “After a week, I felt significantly less bloated than I usually do,” she said. “My sinuses felt clearer. My husband caught a cold and couldn’t kick it; I never got it!”
