2025 Trend Forecast: Health & Wellness

Wellness has become a conversation everyone is part of, and for good reason – it impacts every part of our lives! Over the past year, health and wellness has received increased visibility through movements like Make America Healthy Again  and media coverage of voices like the Food Babe. From awareness of how to make smarter choices in our own day-to-day lives, to learning how to use our voting dollars to change the culture of the food system in the United States, this momentum is exciting. All signs point towards even bigger shifts in the new year. 

Check out my trend forecast for health and wellness habits I think will take center stage in 2025:

Blood Sugar: Achieve Balance & Optimize Energy Levels 

Blood sugar (glucose) is our main source of energy, produced by breaking down carbohydrates that we consume in our diet each and everyday. Sometimes blood sugar can get a bad reputation, but it is vital to our health – it ensures that the foods we eat are used to fuel our lives.  

Insulin is blood sugar’s counterpart – the hormone that helps turn food into energy and regulates blood sugar. Over the past year, insulin resistance has become a household term, occurring when our bodies can no longer effectively manage and regulate blood sugar levels. Amongst other effects, this can lead to serious sugar cravings. When insulin tells our body that it already has plenty of energy available from a spike in glucose following a sugar fix, the extra energy can be stored as fat. 

In 2025, balancing blood sugar will continue to take center stage, and rightfully so – achieving blood sugar balance can support healthy energy levels, hormone harmony, and overall health. Below are four strategies that you can use to support balanced blood sugar: 

  • Limit Sugar Intake – Simple carbohydrates, or sugars, are metabolized quickly and can contribute to unbalanced blood sugar levels. Glucose, fructose, lactose (look for words ending in -ose!) and highly processed grains like many pastas, breads, and white rice should be limited. Focus on complex carbohydrates like beans, whole grains like quinoa, and vegetables instead, which are more nutrient-dense and filling. 
  • Prioritize Protein – In addition to adding complex carbohydrates to your plate, add high quality protein. It can slow absorption, help you feel satisfied for longer periods of time, and regulate blood sugar when eaten as part of a meal. 
  • Incorporate Movement After Meals – Try some easy movement after your meals to help regulate your blood sugar after an increase. Post-dinner walks are a great option, but any form of movement will work! 
  • Experiment with Apple Cider Vinegar – I love this Substack article by Balance with Kenz explaining the benefits of apple cider vinegar and how it can be used as a tool to decrease glucose spikes. While this isn’t something that I personally have implemented, I have suggested it to a few sugar-loving family members. 

Reducing Microplastics 

Reducing microplastics will be a major trend in 2025, after a Consumer Reports test of nearly 100 popular packaged foods showed the presence of phthalates (plastic chemicals) in almost every food tested. I wrote about phthalates and their presence in home fragrances in this Substack article, highlighting the importance of reducing exposure to these known endocrine disruptors. From our home and beauty products to our food system – microplastics are everywhere, but there are a number of relatively simple changes you can make to help prevent exposure: 

  • Switch to glass and/or steel cups and containers. As Austinites, we are a proud YETI household, but any glass or stainless steel cup will help to reduce your exposure to plastic chemicals. To-go cups and containers have been found to contain microplastics, so a change I’m hoping to make in the new year is to be more proactive in bringing along a stainless steel cup if I want to get a tea or coffee on-the-go. Additionally, it’s important to move away from storing food in plastic containers – switch to glass instead. Never microwave in plastic (even plastic designated as microwave safe, which simply means that the plastic will not melt when heated). 
  • Choose products designated as “BPA-Free” or “Phthalate-Free” wherever possible. Specifically, look for “BPA-Free” on canned goods, or consider choosing glass-containers from brands like Jovial Foods, which offers glass jars of organic, glyphosate-free beans (hooray)!  
  • Limit processed, packaged foods. Choose real, fresh foods that are not wrapped in plastic wherever possible. 

I have a feeling that “microplastic-free” will become a marketing term that we hear more often in the new year. I’m optimistic about companies becoming more cognizant of the unnecessary exposure that production and packaging can add to products, and the subsequent improvements that could be made to products of all kinds. 

Healthy Fats are a Friend 

I am a big fan of using healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil for cooking.  Other healthy fat-rich foods like avocados and walnuts make fantastic snacks. Healthy fats are rich in omega-3s, which can support heart health, brain health, and reduce inflammation… so many good things! 

Fats have been viewed as the enemy of a healthy diet for many years, but these high-quality, healthy fats are a vital part of any healthy lifestyle. However, it is important to limit unhealthy fats, like seed oils, which can release aldehydes and cause serious oxidative stress on the body. While seed oils are not the only source of aldehyde exposure, new studies suggest that they could be a contributor to the increase of colon cancer in young people; I find this particularly disturbing after two otherwise healthy friends in their 30’s were diagnosed with colon cancer within the past three years.  

One of the best ways to limit exposure to riskier fats like seed oils is by cooking at home with high-quality fats like extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil. Instead of ordering out, try cooking a meal at home and making a few extra portions (to be stored in glass containers) for days when you are in a pinch. 

Prioritizing Rest & Recovery 

Gone are the years of the ‘Girl Boss” and celebrating constant work and hustle. While fierce determination and productivity are inherently good qualities, in recent years it feels like the pendulum swung too far in the direction of 5AM-9PM schedules and booking out every moment of the day. 

This year, I’m already seeing a swing back towards balance. Goal setting is a little more gentle – prioritizing rest and recovery in addition to setting more active, engaged intentions. Healing and energy comes from rest, and I’m forecasting that this year we see recovery and sleep more widely considered as a vital part of health. 

Personally, I’m excited to incorporate more active-recovery style workouts like walking, stretching, and yoga into my routine. I’m also making an effort to listen to my body and take intentional rest days, so that my body is able to maximize the benefits of workouts and build back stronger. Yoga has been a mainstream workout for many years, but I think it will be more widely used as a tool for recovery this year. Walking has been increasing in popularity (hello, hot girl walks) and I don’t see that trend going anywhere anytime soon. 

I’m also forecasting better bedtime habits, considering circadian rhythm and light exposure (see my #5 forecasted trend, Light Therapy, below). With increased awareness of stress hormones, we’ll see less doom-scrolling at night, which can release cortisol and other hormones that keep us alert. Rounding out the circadian rhythm, I think awareness of the benefits of morning light will also become popularized – get ready to become a morning person! 

From Anti-Aging to Reducing Inflammation: Light Therapy 

In addition to limiting blue light before bedtime and incorporating natural, morning light into our routines, I think we will continue to see a surge in the use of red light for skin health and its anti-inflammatory properties. We saw a huge increase in the use of red light masks to boost collagen production and promote youthful skin within the past year, and I think this year we will see usage expand to other areas of the body. 

Believed to increase blood circulation and decrease inflammation, I think light therapy will be more broadly used for pain management and recovery this year. While red light masks have been all-the-rage over the past year, red light panels like LUMEBOX will continue to increase in popularity moving forward. 

Note: If you are considering purchasing a red light product, do your own research to ensure that your preferred mask or device has the appropriate wavelengths to achieve desired results. While these devices can be an investment, if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is too cheap to be truly effective. Omnilux offers an easy-to-understand description of required wavelengths for skincare benefits. Personally, I own and love the Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLite mask. 

I’m excited to see how these trends play out in the new year, and I’m optimistic that by starting with raising awareness around these topics, we will become a healthier America in 2025. What other health trends are on your radar this year? 

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