Wellness Trends I’m Not Buying Into, and What I Recommend Instead
The wellness world can be wonderfully inspiring, but it can also be very loud. Every week there seems to be another routine, powder, protocol or “hack” promising better energy, flatter stomachs, glowing skin or balanced hormones. For many, these wellness trends can create pressure rather than clarity.
At The Heart of the Matter Nutrition, I believe health should feel supportive, not like a never-ending list of rules. So today, let’s look at a few wellness trends I’m not buying into, and what I recommend instead.
1. Detox Teas and Cleanses
One of the wellness trends I’m not buying into is the idea that you need to regularly detox your body with teas, juices or restrictive cleanses.
Your body already has detoxification systems. Your liver, kidneys, gut, lungs and skin all play a role in processing and eliminating waste. The British Dietetic Association explains that detox diet claims are often exaggerated and not based on robust science, and that a varied diet and active lifestyle are better long-term foundations.
What I recommend instead: support your body daily. Eat enough protein, include colourful vegetables, drink fluids, support bowel regularity, sleep well and move gently. It may not sound as dramatic as a detox tea, but it is far more sustainable.
2. Huge Supplement Routines
Supplements can be helpful in the right context, but another of the wellness trends I’m cautious about is the oversized supplement routine. More capsules do not automatically mean more health.
The British Dietetic Association notes that no supplement provides the same nutritional benefits as a healthy balanced diet. The NHS does recommend that people in the UK consider vitamin D during autumn and winter, but this is very different from taking a long list of products without a clear reason.
What I recommend instead: food first, testing where appropriate, and targeted supplementation when needed. If you are tired, bloated, low in mood or struggling with your skin, it is better to ask why rather than simply adding more tablets.
3. Extreme Restriction
Cutting out gluten, dairy, carbohydrates, sugar, caffeine, alcohol and anything processed can look “healthy” online, but extreme restriction is one of the wellness trends that can quietly backfire.
Unnecessary restriction may reduce dietary variety, lower fibre intake, make social eating stressful and increase fear around food. The British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine highlights balance across food groups, including fruit and vegetables, starchy carbohydrates, protein foods, dairy or alternatives, and healthy fats.
What I recommend instead: only remove foods when there is a clear reason. If you have coeliac disease, allergy or a diagnosed intolerance, elimination may be necessary. Otherwise, the first question should often be, “What can we add to support your body?”
Related reading: Why Your “Healthy” Diet Isn’t Working for You
4. Glucose “Hacks” and CGMs
Blood sugar balance matters, but supporting it does not mean that every meal needs to become a science experiment.
Continuous glucose monitors, or CGMs, can be incredibly useful tools. Although they are widely used in diabetes care, I also use them selectively with clients who do not have diabetes. When used in the right context, they can provide valuable real-time information about how an individual’s glucose levels respond to food, movement, sleep, stress and everyday routines.
Sometimes, this additional information can highlight patterns that are worth exploring further. It can also help someone understand their own body better and make more personalised nutrition and lifestyle choices rather than relying on generic wellness advice.
However, CGMs need to be interpreted carefully. Diabetes UK highlights that CGMs cannot diagnose diabetes or prediabetes, which requires appropriate blood testing, and research into their wider use in people without diabetes is still developing.
They are also not suitable for everyone. Constant access to glucose data can become anxiety-provoking for some people or encourage an excessive focus on individual glucose rises and falls. Normal glucose fluctuations happen, and a single spike does not automatically mean that a food is unhealthy or should be avoided. Recent research has also raised concerns that focusing too heavily on glucose numbers can lead some people to unnecessarily restrict nutritious foods.
What I recommend instead: use glucose information as one piece of the puzzle, not the whole picture. Whether or not a CGM is appropriate, the foundations still matter: regular balanced meals, adequate protein, fibre-rich carbohydrates, healthy fats, movement, good-quality sleep and stress support.
When CGMs are used, I prefer them as a short-term, personalised tool alongside professional interpretation and the wider clinical picture. The goal should be greater understanding of your body, not fear of food or chasing a perfectly flat glucose line.
5. Cortisol Trends
Cortisol is often described online as if it is always bad. In reality, cortisol is an important hormone that helps with the stress response, energy regulation and daily rhythm. The issue is not that cortisol exists. The issue is when stress, poor sleep, under-eating or overtraining place ongoing pressure on the body.
Harvard’s Nutrition Source explains that stress affects the body through hormones including cortisol, and sleep restriction has been linked with increased cortisol levels.
What I recommend instead: support your nervous system gently. Eat enough, sleep consistently, walk, rest, set boundaries and avoid turning every symptom into a hormone panic.
6. Perfection Disguised as Wellness Trends
The biggest of all wellness trends I’m not buying into is the idea that health requires perfection. Perfect meals, perfect routines, perfect glucose curves, perfect cortisol, perfect supplements and perfect discipline are not realistic.
A healthy lifestyle should make your life feel more supported, not smaller. You are allowed to be human. You are allowed to enjoy food. You are allowed to rest.
At The Heart of the Matter Nutrition, I support women across the United Kingdom to move away from trend-chasing and towards realistic, root-cause nutrition. We look at digestion, hormones, energy, stress, blood sugar, symptoms and real life.
A Better Way Forward
Some wellness trends contain a small piece of truth, but they often miss the bigger picture. Your body does not need more fear, rules or pressure. It needs nourishment, consistency, curiosity and personalised support.
Instead of asking, “What trend should I follow next?”, ask, “What does my body actually need right now?”
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