Dr. Dawn Ann Molina, DAOM, LAc., of Tampa Bay Holistic Wellness, joined Gayle Guyardo the host of the global health and wellness show Bloom to talk about the growing trend of “self-care”.

“Self-Care has grown 107% over the past 5-years. To put this in perspective, per the American Medical Association in 2021 health spending in the U.S. was approximately $4.3 trillion and only 4% of that was spent on wellness and prevention.”, said Dr. Molina.

She went on to say, “However, where we are seeing this shift in self-care is amongst millennial’s, people born between 1981 and 1994. Wellness and illness prevention services, meditation, sleep hygiene, organic food, and exercise have been the highest growth categories in self-care amongst millennials. We are hopeful that this awareness amongst millennial’s will be passed onto their children and that this will result in a healthier America over time.”

Dr. Molina provided the below health trends of 2023:

• The #1 most popular eating pattern is now intermittent fasting or “time-restricted eating. Intermittent fasting is the practice of avoiding all food and beverages except water, coffee, and unsweetened tea for an extended period. A person can choose to intermittent fast daily, with a window of restriction and a window of eating. Or a person may choose to intermittent fast for 24-hours weekly or a few times a month, abstaining from everything except for water, coffee, and unsweetened tea for the entire 24-hours. Intermittent fasting has proven to be a valuable tool to help those with glucose/insulin imbalances, metabolic conditions, and those seeking to lose weight. In addition, recent studies have shown that longer fasting windows can protect the heart, reduce the risk and symptoms of neurodegenerative disorders, and improve life span.

• Increased Focus on Mental Health. The 2021 State of Mental Health in America Report (see below link) showed that 19% of Americans are living with a mental health condition. That’s more than 47 million people, which is 1.5 million more than in 2020. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that more than 30% of adults in the US currently report symptoms of anxiety or depression (see below link). That’s an increase of 29% compared to pre-pandemic levels. As a result workplaces have made mental health a higher priority, thereby creating a dialogue around mental health, tackling the stigma surrounding mental health, and ensuring access to comprehensive mental health care.

• Biohacking therapies for the pursuit of longevity. Biohacking services certainly fall into the category of self-care but are more targeted and focused on illness prevention and promoting life span. This includes a myriad of adjunctive therapies (e.g., cold plunge therapy, red light therapy, oxygen therapy, magnet therapy) as well as supplements and medications that may reduce excessive activation of the mTOR signaling pathway. Biohacking cocktails using rapamycin, metformin, and NAD+ are very popular right now to help those interested in combating and slowing aging. Intermittent fasting has also been shown to reduce excessive activation of the mTOR signaling pathway, as well a the supplement Berberine which we commonly use in the holistic health space to help control blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), self-care is “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.”

BLOOM is Tampa Bay’s only daily 1-hour TV show focusing on health & lifestyle.

You can watch weekdays at 2:00pm only on WFLA News Channel 8 — with an encore broadcast late night 3:00am. Tune into BLOOM and watch your life grow!

Bloom is also part of DBTV Network Seen In Over 300 Million Households worldwide, including Roku TV, and Amazon Fire. 

The health and lifestyle show also airs in 40 markets across the country, with a reach of approximately 36 million households, and in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Madison, WI.