Key Health Trends for the New Year.

It has been a long and difficult few years for many people, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start the new year feeling refreshed and revitalised.

A global health pandemic has highlighted the importance of caring for your health.

As technology becomes increasingly advanced, there are several natural and technological ways to boost your immunity by improving sleep, digestion, stress-levels, skin and overall wellbeing.

Stephanie Taylor, Managing Director of StressNoMore, highlights some key health trends to look into for a healthier, happier 2022.

Sleep Tech.

Considering you spend about a third of your life sleeping, it’s no surprise that there is an increasing demand for sleep technology. While sleep may be a non-issue for many people, advancing sleep technology can highlight whether or not you are having a restful eight hours each night.

One study found that reasoning and verbal abilities were two of the actions most strongly affected by sleep. 

Recently, sleep trackers have become more widely available to consumers and offer some interesting insights into sleep patterns. While sleep trackers monitor inactivity rather than sleep specifically, they can highlight periods of restlessness, how long you sleep for each night and help you to recognise patterns to achieve a good night’s sleep.

Meanwhile, something we’ve spotted in 2021 was the emergence of the TikTok famous ‘wake up light’. Alarm clocks which simulate the sunlight can help you wake up easier on darker morning and regulate the circadian rhythm, your body’s internal clock that signals when to rest. 

Light Therapy.

Light therapy technology will be increasingly popular as it boasts several benefits. Whether it’s for anti-ageing or treatment for seasonal affective disorder, lighting can have an impressive impact on your health. 

LED light therapy devices use UV rays to target skin concerns like fine lines and wrinkles, plus a variety of skin disorders. With dermatologists already giving them the green light, as these devices become more advanced at tackling skin concerns, there may be a shift in women turning to these safe, non-invasive treatments that you can do from the comfort of your own home

Bright Light Therapy has also been used as a treatment for seasonal affective disorder since the ’80s. That’s because a lack of sunlight can stop a part of the brain called the hypothalamus from working properly, effecting the body’s production of melotonin.

Consider investing in a light therapy device for the darker months which can replicate sunshine, regulate melatonin and boost those much needed serotonin levels 

Digestive Health.

A healthy gut is vital to improving overall health, including mental health. One study on gut health found that healthy gut microbiota contributes to normal brain function, while an imbalance in the gut bacterial community can result in depressive-like behaviours.

A healthy gut microbiome refers to the bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microscopic living things within your gut. Understanding how to care for this microbiome will contribute to improving your quality of life.

As interest in gut health grows in 2022, there will be an increasing focus on more natural remedies to improve gut health. One report estimated that the global probiotics market was valued at $34.1 billion in 2020 and is expected to hit $73.9 billion by 2030.

Probiotics - the healthy bacteria that live inside your gut - can be found in food products such as kefir and yoghurt. Probiotics tablets can even include types of bacteria that tackle specific concerns like intimate health.

There is also increasing interest in postbiotics which are the bioactive compounds the probiotic bacteria produce when they consume prebiotics (fibre). While these aren’t as popular as probiotics yet, they boast a number of health benefits. 

Postbiotics have properties that may help strengthen your immune system, reduce problems with digestion and diarrhoea. 

As postbiotics are relatively uncommon, they may be more difficult to find in stores. However, you can naturally increase your postbiotic production by eating foods rich in pre- and probiotics. 

Stress Tracking.

According to one study, over 79 percent of adults in the UK have admitted to experiencing stress at least one day a month, with women reporting that they experience stress more often than men. These levels of stress are only compounded by the pandemic.  

With high stress levels proven to have an impact mentally and physically, identifying triggers can be hugely beneficial.

Triggers can include major life changes, unpredictable events, changes in your environment and workplace.                                                                                                                                                 

The good news is that while stress levels increase, so do advances in technology, which enable people to track and identify triggers.

Smartwatches with heart rate monitors are already incredibly popular for fitness, but using this technology can also benefit your stress levels. Meanwhile, stress trackers allow you to measure stress quantitatively, identifying what causes stress.

And if you’re having trouble dealing with stress, there are now stress relief devices available to assist with stress relief techniques.