Another year has passed and with that people are jumping into the trend of New Year Resolutions. Whether you want to increase your water intake, read more books, improve your mental health, or exercise, the most important aspect to a resolution is being consistent. If you don’t enjoy the activity and/or goal you have set for yourself, it can be difficult to reach your desired objective. With this in mind, wouldn’t it make sense to choose an activity that has great health benefits and is easy to do?

  As we enter the new year there are a few health trends already beginning to gain traction in the fitness and health world. A few of the trends springing up are cold plunges, saunas, adaptogens, and collagen supplements. These activities are being done separately as well as in conjunction with each other in hopes of increased benefit for mental and physical health. When discussing these new trends there will be a breakdown of each activity separately then an overview of the benefits when combining trends.

Saunas have been around for hundreds of years, and their benefits have been utilized by people around the world. There are many variations to a sauna, but overall function and health benefits are mostly the same. There is dry, steam, infrared, and hybrid saunas. Dry saunas utilize fire, hot stones, gas or electricity to heat an area. Steam saunas, as the name implies creates steam by applying water on a heating element. Infrared is a direct heat to the skin using infrared light that is then absorbed by our skin. Hybrid saunas is as it sounds a combination of any of the prior saunas together. The benefits include cell regeneration, detoxifying, reduced blood pressure, improve blood flow, and igniting your immune system.

Jumping from one extreme to the next let’s dive into cold plunging now. Cold plunging is the immersion of your body in “cold” water (33-60 degrees Fahrenheit). It is important to know that people’s sensitivity to cold is very different and beginners should find a temperature that is uncomfortable to be immersed in, but you are still able to lay in for at least 5 minutes. Research suggests that in order to experience the benefits of cold plunging you have to be immersed in the water for at least 3 minutes, but the goal should be to work yourself to 10-15 minutes. The benefits of cold-water immersion include decreased tension and fatigue, pain relief for individuals with arthritis and fibromyalgia, decreased upper respiratory infections, boosted antioxidant protection, production of a protein that protects the brain from degenerative disease, and improve mood.

Slowly but surely people are becoming more and more aware of adaptogens and the benefits these herbs serve. Adaptogens are herbs used to promote balance to the body with reduction of stress, antioxidant applications, and supports overall well-being.  A few adaptogens include:

Ashwagandha: Indian Ginseng

• Lowers cortisol levels leading to a decrease in stress.
• Effective against fighting several types of cancers.
• Boosts Testosterone and increases fertility.
• Decreases Inflammation.

Rhodiola: Siberian Ginseng

• Contains antioxidants
• Treats stress and fatigue
• Improves memory

Cordyceps: winter worm/summer grass

• Boost energy by increasing the body’s production of ATP
• Reduce fatigue and boost strength
• Slows the growth of tumors
• Helps manage type 2 diabetes

Holy Basil: Tulasi

• Improves metabolic conditions (diabetes, hypertension, etc.)
• Reduced inflammation and improved immunity
• Improved stress and brain health

Schisandra

• Reduced inflammation
• Skin protection
• Improved digestion and Liver Function

Staying with the topic of supplements, collagen supplementing is becoming more and more popular as people are looking to reduce the effects of aging. Collagen makes up 70% of our skin’s composition and is the most abundant protein in our bodies. This protein is found in cartilage for cushioning and shock absorption as well in our connective tissue and joints. Collagen is found in egg yolks, bone broth and citrus fruits. If you don’t believe you get enough collagen in your diet, which most of us don’t, you can supplement collagen into your drinks or your ingredients while you are cooking. Most collagen powders are tasteless and have no texture, so they are easy to add and forget about.

Now that you are aware of the benefits of these trends as they are separately, we can gradually start combining the activities with supplements and activities with each other. Let’s look at cold plunging and saunas side by side:

Michael Kummer, Benefits of using sauna and ice bath together, March 2022

When taking supplements, it is wise to notice how the supplement affects your digestion and bowel movements in order to get the dosage right. Start with the recommended amounts and reduce as needed. Adaptogens and collagen have no contraindications with cold plunges or saunas so doing all of them together has no known side effects. When deciding on which supplements to take it is important to know the benefits in comparison to your symptoms so that you aren’t taking a supplement you aren’t deficient in or have no symptoms too. Jump on the trend by easing yourself into one or two of these new health options.