The Wellness Conspiracy

building foundational health that lasts, and reconnecting with intuition

Have you ever started scrolling on social media out of boredom, and after 30 minutes your wallet ends up a little bit lighter? I’ve been there, many times unfortunately. Brands use platforms like social media to instill fear and insecurity, or have us chasing an unachievable outcome. Producing this desire to fill a void with things we don’t need.

Today, health and wellness are no longer just personal pursuits. It has become a billion dollar industry, fueled by marketing and borderline propaganda. No matter where you look, someone is trying to sell you the next heal-all product or solution.

Vintage Cigarette Ad - “In this 1931 ad, an ear, nose and throat doctor holding a "germ-proof" pack of Camel cigarettes”

It is so easy to get swept up in the promise of glass-skin, deep sleep, and a clearer mind, all packaged up into a pretty lil’ product. I mean, who doesn’t want all that? We as humans desire a short-cut way of getting things done, we prioritize optimization. However, there is no fix-all supplement, no one-sized fits all, and most of the time these products are doing nothing for us but draining our wallet.

Marketing vs. Intuition

Marketing in the world of health plays on two powerful emotions: fear and aspiration. We often get hammered this idea that something is wrong with us, something’s missing in our life, and that we need a specific product to fix it. Whether it’s the newest greens powder, “weight-loss” gummy or even more expensive treatments (don’t even get me started on “preventative” botox…) — they’re all designed to tap into our insecurities. It is all about the idea that we are never enough as we are, BUT we could be, only if we buy this.

The health and wellness space is ripe with noise. It seems like every week a new trend or product surfaces, a new life-changing diet. But at its core health and wellness is not a trend at all. It is so easy to get caught up in the endless loop of consumption, trying to keep up with the trends instead of coming back to the fundamentals.

Your body knows you better than any brand, any company, any influencer. Intuition is a powerful thing, yet we are more disconnected from it than ever. There is so much noise, so much distraction pulling us away from it. Intuition, if you tune in and listen closely, has the answers and will tell you what you need to thrive.

People live abundant and fulfilled lives by focusing on the basics — eating nourishing food, prioritizing movement, daily nature sunlight & grounding, building meaningful relationships, laughing, learning, being creative and doing things out of love and passion. Truly LIVING. Everything else is just fluff without these core pillars in place.

True health is not that complicated, but when you look online it comes off as so confusing. People will try to distract and trip you up in the mundane. One expert is saying something is horrible for you and another is telling you it’s life-changing. Maybe neither of them are correct, maybe the truth lies somewhere in the middle, but either way neither of those experts are YOU. We are all different based on all the circumstances and variables around us, so what works for one person may not work for you. Focus on the basics, focus on the foundational pillars of health and building those, and go from there.

Re-Connecting with our Bodies

Listen to your body. It is one of the most important things you can do for your health. When we have a problem, a symptom, it is our body trying to communicate with us. Constant bloating, stagnant digestion, breakouts, all of these things are signals from our body telling us that there is an imbalance. Instead of trying to mute those symptoms, to cover them up with a product, we need to ask WHY they are happening to begin with.

We have an inclination (and marketing plays on this) to tune outward to fix our issues and figure out what’s going on. The answer lies within ourselves, our personal lifestyle. We need to tune in and listen to that voice, listen to our body communicating, instead of shutting it down and working to mask the symptom. Our bodies are incredibly smart, and they have the tools to heal us. It is integral to go back to the basics and simplify things, build that foundational layer, and then once that is solid you can add and optimize.

Trusting yourself in a world that constantly tells you to do otherwise — (the amount of times doctors told me I was fine and nothing was wrong with me feels infinite) — is a revolutionary and freeing act. It involves questioning everything, including the popular and trendy advice sold online. It means tuning into how things make you feel, instead of blindly following something because it is marketed as healthy and effective.

Going Back to Basics - Where to Begin?

In a world obsessed with more, the answer is simplicity. Tuning out the constant stream of marketing, noise, products & trends allows us to connect with what really matters. Instead of starting a new diet or taking a new supplement when you’re not feeling well, I encourage you to ask yourself these questions:

• Are you getting sunlight in the morning & throughout the day?

• Is there something causing you excess stress? Do you incorporate daily habits that allow you to deal with and move past that stress? To reconnect with your intuition and mind, “you-time”? Are you tapping into your parasympathetic nervous system?

• What is giving you energy and what is draining your energy? How can you do more of what gives you energy?

• Are you spending time in nature, fresh air & grounding?

• Are you nourishing your body? Are you eating local, seasonal, preferably organic nutrient dense foods? Are you getting quality protein consumption daily (organic/regenerative, pasture raised, grass-fed/finished, wild)? Are you connected with the source of your food?

• Are you properly hydrating your body? Are you drinking clean water and re-mineralizing?

• Are you moving your body daily? Are you sweating?

• Are you spending time with people who uplift you and bring you energy?

• Are you building loving, caring relationships with friends and family?

• Are you spending time laughing and learning?

• Are you spending more time consuming, or creating?

• How is your quality of sleep every night? Do you feel well-rested and energized?

• How much time are you spending on the screen every day?

• Are you using clean ingredients in your daily skincare, cosmetic and household items?

• Is there an overuse of drugs, alcohol, or pharmaceutical drugs?

• Are you making decisions out of fear or love?

• How is your mindset? Are you operating from a negative mindset: (anger, jealousy, envy, fear, victim mentality)? Or a positive: (gratitude, abundance, joy, forgiveness, empathy, empowerment, accountability, growth)?

These questions will give you a better sense of where you are at in life, which foundational pillars are lacking, and where to spend more energy rebuilding. I notice when I am feeling not-so-good, I am usually overly stressed by something I have yet to deal with, I am holding something in, I am spending more time on my phone and TV than nature, sunlight and creativity. I am not sleeping well or spending time with loved ones, not moving my body. Usually when I shift those back into priority, I tend to feel a lot better than I did before.

That is not to say there isn’t value in modern products or even supplements, I have benefitted from many. However, I got value from them once I worked on and prioritized my foundational pillars of health first. You wouldn’t start building a house if the structure wasn’t strong, it would collapse. Same goes with the foundational health and the other add ons. They should complement your journey, not define it. If you don’t have that base - it’s fluff and worthless. If you have that base - it may help optimize even further. Start with the basics. The more we tune into what we genuinely need, the easier it is to resist marketing ploys trying to convince us otherwise.

True health is not something you buy. It is cultivated from within. Tune out the distractions, go back to the basics, be curious & ask questions, and trust that your body and intuition will guide you to what you really need.

---

Just something that was on my mind recently that I wanted to dive a lil’ deeper into. I’d absolutely love to hear from you all, what are your thoughts on this matter?

Love ya, grateful for ya, and talk to ya soon. XO - Ella