The new wellness trifecta
Brain rot, Halo effect, rage farming - when the red flags start to look like 6 Flags
RECIPE ROUND-UP
Strawberry Crunch Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette - The candied almonds are amazing, the dressing is trash, it was SO sour. I did: 1/2 cup olive oil, a dollop of dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons of champagne vinegar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 clove garlic grated, salt and pepper to taste, and honey to taste. I also added 1/2 cup of cous cous and chicken nuggets.
I made the viral Sprouts sandwich that I saw on Instagram, but I made it with what I have LOL So it’s: white bread (slightly toasted), kewpie mayo and horseradish, American cheese, salami, thinly sliced turkey, lettuce, and guacamole. It was pretty good!
Protein waffles = added Up2U protein to pancake mix, along with milk and eggs. They’re delicious.
Bows, Halos, and Dietetics in the Glow of Conspirituality
Back in the late 90s early 00s, I distinctly remember seeing HydroxyCut and Relacore ads during my daily "Passions" sessions, which unknowingly began shaping my awareness for quick fixes.
Now, as an adult and a registered dietitian active on social media, I recognize the complexities of nutrition science —a field that's still developing and often lacks conclusive evidence for definitive answers, and am hyper aware of the sparkly, simple quick nutrition fixes social media has to offer. And as Amanda Montell's Cultish reaffirms the importance of maintaining a healthy level of skepticism towards anyone who claims to have all the answers, this skepticism is especially relevant on social media, but for today let’s focus on dietitians on social media. We face the challenge of speaking to our working professional knowledge with the recognition of our field's limitations. But, maintaining this awareness and remembering to keep the ego in check is often more challenging than it sounds. I believe we should embrace this approach more openly because when people follow expert advice without seeing expected results, it can create cognitive dissonance. This mismatch between expectations and reality makes fertile ground for conspiracy theories to thrive and a gateway to conspirituality wellness.
In my experience as both a creator and consumer, discovering a new person to follow on social media can initially feel very exciting—a creator emerges, seemingly tailored to your tastes and beliefs, curated by the all-knowing algorithm. I would know, some of my best friends are internet to IRL friends. Yet, as you engage more deeply, the nature of other connections begins to shift. What starts as a simple parasocial relationship, where you see a reflection of your own ideals mirrored back, can evolve quite dramatically as their content begins to morph. Before long, they might start aligning with other creators who peddle dubious theories — treating preliminary findings from in vivo rodent studies as if they were randomized controlled trials, and advocating for an aesthetic brand of healthism that preaches dietary purity at an unsustainable level. This fast and furious ideological drift towards an extreme emphasis on the personal responsibility of health is not only giving modern-day eugenics but also resonates with the undertones of conspirituality.
Recently, after a bunch of screenshot-swapping sessions with my besties, I’ve been perseverating on just how quickly the radicalization occurs: the transformation from trustworthy wellness influencer into conspirituality. As the boundary between sound wellness advice and sensationalism grows increasingly thin #ozempic, it’s seriously eye-opening how fast the mix of health tips and intense ideology can turn hella sketchy on social media.
And not that I am above any of this. I too love to indulge in the magical thinking of yassified trendy snacks, gentrified UPFs, and functional beverages. I am very much aware of my own privileges and how these impact my health outcomes.
But there’s a special kind of disappointment I feel when I consume someone’s content and one minute they’re all about moderate, science-backed wellness, and the next, they’re slamming processed foods like there’s no tomorrow, all while claiming a nuanced take on health and empowerment.
But why does this happen? I can’t say for certain, but if I had to guess…
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