Kaboutjie SA Mommy Blogs by Lynne Huysamen
If anything, our two-year pandemic experience has only sharpened our focus on the importance of our holistic well-being and self-care. In 2020, the non-profit Global Wellness Institute valued the world’s wellness economy at $4.4 trillion, and predicts robust growth post-pandemic, reaching almost $7trillion by 2025. Taking an interest in experiences and choosing products that help us improve our health, fitness, nutrition, appearance, sleep and mindfulness is integrated in the lifestyles of many middle-income South Africans. According to the 2021 Euromonitor International report on health and wellness in South Africa, the pandemic had little impact on the size and value of the wellness market. The report also noted that pandemic movement restrictions helped to position e-commerce as a growing health and wellness distribution channel in the country.
According to Michele Carelse, CEO of Feelgood Health, one of the country’s pioneering online health and wellness stores, South Africans are embracing the top global trends of 2022. “We’re seeing an increasing demand for normalising mental health which is, at this time, probably the dominant global wellness trend,” Michele says, “Due to the stresses and strains everyone has experienced during the pandemic, conversations are really opening up and stigma is starting to fall away from topics such as depression, anxiety, stress and burn-out. There’s growing mental health awareness and far more focus on regarding ourselves, our loved ones and our colleagues more holistically. In support of this proper consideration for mental health, more South Africans are seeking natural remedies and holistic solutions to support stress reduction, boost mindfulness and mitigate the impacts of mental health issues on our whole being.”
Other trends that are currently influencing the South African wellness market include supporting our immune systems and concentrating on other preventative health measures. Fitness remains a lifestyle priority for many; and awareness of restorative sleep is increasing. Ingredient conscious consumers are more aware of nutrition through reading food labels, understanding food ingredients and their impact on health. Personalised health services are helping people identify unique patterns of food sensitivities, and the ‘free-from’ segment, such as gluten-free, is a large and growing market. Plant-based and flexitarian eating are on the rise, and many are open to exploring dietary changes that are better for our bodies, and the planet. “We’re also seeing more interest in sexual wellness for both women and men, and there’s a growing acknowledgement of how sex positivity impacts on the overall health and well-being of adults,” Michele adds.
South Africans are also in-step with the global wellness market trend for health and wellness services and products that are customized and connected.
Michele says, “One of our main intentions as a company is to build relationships with our customers and meet them on whichever platform they prefer. This supports the wellness customer’s wish for personalized information and service and ensures connection and integration across the different aspects of their health care and self-care.”
For those who want to give momentum to their wellness and lifestyle goals, Feelgood Health recommends taking a few key steps towards a more natural and holistic lifestyle:
- Follow a healthy, mostly plant-based diet
- Get regular exercise by taking up physical activities that you enjoy
- Grow your own veggies and herbs. Whether this is in your garden, herbs and microgreens on your windowsill, or sprouts on your kitchen countertop, you can’t get more organic or healthier than that!
- Shop locally and shop online, choosing planet-friendly products and supporting businesses with purpose
- Reduce your household waste, especially plastic waste, re-use and recycle
Here are some of Feelgood Health’s top picks for anyone starting out on their personal wellness journey in 2022:
Yogi Relax Tea – A unique Ayurvedic calming and relaxing tea blend of chamomile and linden flowers, rose hips, orange peel and raspberry leaf.
Ohm Peppermint Essential Oil – One of the most diverse and versatile aromatherapy oils, known to improve blood flow, circulation and brain functioning. It also acts as a natural analgesic and is thus beneficial as an aromatherapy oil for headaches, muscle aches, to soothe inflamed skin and inflammation.
Flaxi Eye Pillow – Calm your mind, emotions and energy with this weighted hot or cold eye compress. It provides gentle acupressure to the eye muscles and contains a tranquil, holistic aromatherapy oil blend for balance and peace.
Feelgood Health Serenite Plus – A safe, natural homeopathic remedy for insomnia without the risk of addiction. It relieves night time anxiety, worry and stress and treats the symptoms of intermittent, sleep onset insomnia, and assists in the treatment of chronic insomnia and sleep maintenance problems.
Skin Creamery Skin Tonic – This natural two-phase skin tonic hydrates, restores balance and nurtures the skin – ideal after cleansing or shaving.
Earthly Tooth Bits – The reinvention of toothpaste, without the plastic waste. These eco-friendly, 100% plant-based Tooth Bits whiten your teeth and leave your breath minty and fresh.
Back2Nature Hair Growth & Scalp Treatment – Promote hair growth and shine naturally, with deeply hydrating jojoba, while hemp oil – which is rich in amino acids – soothes an irritated scalp, and basil root extract adds moisture and prevents dry ends.
beBare Crowd Pleaser Shampoo Bar – Reduce your plastic use, save water and feel how soft and hydrated your hair is after using this eco-friendly shampoo bar. Enjoy sweet notes of indigenous rose geranium with a hint of zesty citrus oils.
Nut Butter Jar (Cinnamon Macadamia) – 100% handmade in South Africa using home-grown Macadamia nuts. An excellent source of healthy fats, this nut butter has a naturally sweet taste with a spicy, comforting cinnamon flavour.
Feelgood Health Thanda Passion Booster – This herbal remedy improves female sexual health and libido naturally. Using ancient ingredients including Ginkgo Biloba, Ginseng and Sarsaparilla, these vegetable capsules act as a natural herbal aphrodisiac, increase and promote orgasmic strength and increase general energy levels.
