As we come out the other side of an ‘interesting’ two years (are we right?)It feels like we are all starting to look inward, finding new ways to heal ourselves through ways that speak to our mental and spiritual well-being as a whole.
Most of our community following along are here on the Island of Bali, an environment abounding with spirituality in many forms, be it religion, movement or way of life. There is one thing that appears to connect us all and that is our collective striving for health and happiness.
Health trends come and go but here we take a look at 5 “trends” we think are here to stay and why we love them too!
Microbiome gut health is apparently trending but we think looking after your gut health as a whole biome needs a permanent spot on the agenda.
The words on everybody's lips are PREbiotic and PRObiotics and there are many new products being marketed out there for them. Before you go adding these (usually expensive items to your shopping carts), it might be helpful to know you can get both pre and probiotics directly from the foods you eat!
Prebiotics (the lesser known of the two and the ones gaining in popularity) are the ones that help to feed the beneficial bacteria that live in our bodies. These can be found in foods like legumes, beans and peas, bananas, berries, oats, garlic and onions.
Probiotics you may be more familiar with - these are live bacteria, most commonly found in foods like yogurt, fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir and kombucha.
Start adding these pre and probiotic rich foods into your meals every day to start seeing the benefits not only in your gut health but in your mental and wellbeing too.
There’s a lot happening in the world right now, leaving many of us constantly thinking about the state of the planet we live in. Terms like eco-anxiety have started to appear and it makes complete sense. If you are feeling this anxiety -it’s normal and you definitely aren’t alone. We all want to feel like we are doing our part to live a greener life but it never seems to be enough right? Actually, if we as a collective all believed the little changes can make a difference, it would have a really positive knock on effect! Every little change does make a difference.
Starting small by making one or two changes to your everyday life that you can actually stick to is the way to go. (Here’s an article we wrote with 21 small changes you can make that are actually easy to stick to!)
We love to choose local, seasonal foods wherever possible. There is a reason we don’t always have your favorite fruits and veggies in stock at Alive Wholefoods - this is because we support local farmers through whatever season they are going through. For example - the rainy season brings smaller broccoli - well that doesn’t bother us! P.S. Friday 22nd is World Earth Day - what better time to pick an achievable change to make to your every day life in a greener way!
Nervines are types of herbs intended to nourish and support the central nervous system including the brain and all nerves in the body (all 7 trillion of them!).
These herbs include Chamomile, Oat Tops, Lavender and Valerian.
Nervines are similar to adaptogens, which are a group of herbs used to support our body’s natural responses to stress, and fatigue (like chaga mushroom, maca powder and ashwagandha). Nervine herbs however are more targeted to the nervous system. Adaptogens support your body on a broader level.
Nervine herbs are not a new thing, but it’s understandable that people are looking now, more than ever, for natural ways to restore balance and restfulfulness in the body.
We love Chamomile - a medicinal herb that can help to reduce anxiety and promote sleep. Of course like anything, it’s best to seek advice from a trusted professional when it comes to herbs. If you’re in Bali, Bali Healing is a great place to start.
SOUND HEALING
Sound healing is a form of therapy through music that often incorporates vibrations for a full-body experience. Gongs and Tibetan singing bowls are common instruments used in sound healing practices. Many enjoy using sound healing for overall health and stress reduction and have used it as a way to meditate but it’s also said to help reduce pain and improve focus in the mind!
In a slightly more modern take on sound healing there is also another term which we have started to hear and that is psychoacoustics! The science of sound healing, technology that actually uses a person's own body responses to generate sounds that are specially soothing to that person. Therefore healing that person's specific needs by using sound. Read more here if you’re intrigued.
Bali Udara has a great article if you want to learn more about sound healing, they also run sessions and workshops if you’re in Bali or planning to visit. We personally also love to visit The Pyramids of Chi in Ubud, it was an incredible experience whilst pregnant and after birth for healing.
You’ve probably already heard about lymphatic drainage, you might own a crystal gua sha or use trampolining as a way of getting the lymphatic system moving? There is definitely a link to people discovering the amazing benefits lymphatic drainage has for fighting infection in the body and its recent spike in popularity!
Getting or giving yourself a lymphatic draining massage is an effective way to support the immune system, circulate blood throughout the body, and maintain proper fluid balance.
If you’re in Bali you can find a great Lymphatic draining massage at the Body Lab or the Spring Spa. If you’d prefer to try it out yourself at home here’s a great article.
What health “trends” have you jumped on the bandwagon of? We’d love to know in the comments.
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