How Holistic New Age Wellness Movements Promote AND Mask Eating Disorders

In recent years, the wellness industry has seen an upsurge in new-age holistic movements promoting alternative health practices. Billions of dollars have been made by holistic wellness new age influencers promising to help people heal their mind and body. While many of these practices have their merits, it is essential to critically examine their potential negative effects, especially in the wake of recent deaths within the community. One concerning aspect is the way some of these movements inadvertently mask or enable eating disorders by endorsing practices such as pushing people to eat a lot of seafood and beef while encouraging them to avoid carbohydrates and engage in parasite and mold cleanses and coffee enemas. This article aims to shed light on the issue and emphasize the importance of understanding the complexities surrounding eating disorders and their relationship with the wellness industry.

I believe that many holistic wellness new age movements inadvertently mask or enable eating disorders. In a heartbreaking turn of events, news just broke of the untimely demise of a prominent holistic new-age wellness influencer. The untimely passing of Zhanna Samsonova, a passionate holistic wellness advocate with a significant presence on TikTok and Instagram. The influencer, who had gained a considerable following for promoting her holistic wellness new-age-based lifestyle, unfortunately, succumbed to severe malnutrition.

Friends and acquaintances close to Zhanna expressed their concerns about her well-being in recent months. They noticed a gradual deterioration in her physical appearance and suspected that her obsession with holistic wellness which included taking many supplements, avoiding eating bread, pasta, and rice, spending every day taking cold showers followed by a sauna to cleanse herself of toxins and feeling bloated, along with her other dietary choices were taking a toll on her health. Despite their efforts to encourage her to seek professional guidance, their concerns went unanswered. News of her passing has left her friends and followers devastated, prompting a reflection on the importance of balanced nutrition and mental well-being.

This tragic incident highlights the significance of maintaining a balanced and varied diet, regardless of individual dietary preferences. Moreover, the incident underscores the importance of mental health and well-being. Obsessions with ones eating behaviors and restricting oneself from eating certain things can have severe consequences and should never be overlooked or trivialized.

The loss of Zhanna Samsonova serves as a reminder to the online community about the potential dangers of holistic new age wellness-obsessed diets. It is essential to strike a balance between personal beliefs and responsible self-care, ensuring that physical and mental health is not compromised in pursuing any lifestyle choice.

It took me years to realize the subtle yet insidious transformation of my pursuit of "healthy eating" into a full-fledged disorder. What had initially been an innocent intention to nourish my body gradually evolved into a perilous obsession that posed a genuine threat to my well-being.

I kept reading about how we have mold and parasites in our bodies, that I must be suffering from inflammation markers, was bloated in my stomach, and needed daily coffee enemas to “cleanse” myself. That I should drink celery juice every morning and avoid all carbohydrates like bread, rice, or pasta. That weight gain meant I was not emotionally self-regulating myself or addressing unhealed trauma.

Have it be following advice from the Medical Medium, The Holistic Psychologist, CarnivoreMD, or Gwyneth Paltrow - I’ve now come to realize that such teachings often mask serious eating disorders and are associated with demonizing any level of weight gain. That the real thing being pursued was control through diet restrictions and the pursuit of being rail skinny.

I came to realize that so much of their unwavering commitment to maintaining a "healthy" lifestyle is connected to a complex web of eating disorders, with one in particular known as orthorexia—a condition marked by an unhealthy fixation on consuming only "healthy" foods. What had once been presented as a genuine desire to prioritize one’s well-being has now become an all-consuming preoccupation that often costs a lot of money and can jeopardize our physical health but also our emotional equilibrium.

I spent a great deal of money seeing “root cause” specialists who kept pushing me to purchase expensive parasite-removing supplements while going to a sauna daily to remove toxins. I never drank alcohol, so they couldn’t blame that - instead, they kept telling me that I was bloated, and in order to feel better, I had to basically stop eating all sugars. For months at a time, my meals consisted of eggs, beef, and a handful of supplements. None of it decreased my cramps, and what ultimately worked in alleviating my bloating and pain was going on birth control to address my endometriosis. By the way, the “root cause” specialists that I saw during my holistic wellness days are the ones who encouraged me to stop taking birth control by referring to them as hormone disruptors and attributing them to causing mental health issues.

During that time of my life, what I was really doing was exerting control over things that I had no control over through my restrictive dietary choices. The constant monitoring of my weight consumed me entirely. Regrettably, my misguided attempts at achieving optimal health had taken precedence over the more essential aspects of my existence: joy, spontaneity, fun, and adventure. All the things that make being alive worthwhile. Instead, I was obsessed with working out daily, planning my carb free high protein meals around the times I would need to take my dozens of supplements, giving myself coffee enemas regularly, getting a perfect 8-9 hours of sleep, eating perfectly, and making sure that I had enough time for my ice baths and sauna time daily. I spent nearly $7,000 getting an ice bath bathtub installed in my side yard, spent thousands on parasite and mold removal supplements, and so much more on a variety of other things promising to perfect my body. All in the pursuit of self-optimization and being productive. Despite the glaring evidence of its destructive consequences, I clung to this harmful behavior, ignorant of the detrimental toll it was taking on both my body and mind.

In retrospect, I now recognize the warning signs that were scattered throughout my journey. The boundaries between wellness and disorder, once indistinguishable, had become glaringly apparent. What began as a genuine pursuit of holistic well-being had morphed into a twisted manifestation of self-destruction—a paradoxical path that led me astray from the very essence of what it means to be truly healthy. What I was truly pursuing was feeling and looking perfect. What I was truly seeking was control.

It took me years to realize the subtle yet insidious transformation of my pursuit of "healthy eating" into a full-fledged disorder and lifestyle. What had initially been an innocent intention to nourish my body gradually evolved into a perilous obsession that posed a genuine threat to my well-being. I’ve outlined some of the ways in which my pursuit of optimization of holistic wellness and new-age ideologies inadvertently contributed to the development and perpetuation of eating disorders and mental unwellness:

1. The Pursuit of Purity Dietary Perfection:

One of the central aspects of holistic wellness and new age movements is the emphasis on dietary purity and perfection. Followers are encouraged to adopt strict dietary rules, often eliminating entire food groups or demonizing certain foods. This pursuit of an idealized, "clean" diet can lead to an unhealthy obsession with food, resulting in orthorexia. The rigid dietary guidelines can create anxiety, social isolation, and nutritional deficiencies, undermining the very essence of well-being.

2. Spiritual Connections and Body Image:

Holistic new-age movements often intertwine spirituality with wellness, promoting the idea that a pure mind and body are essential for spiritual growth. They claim that if someone is fat, it is due to their unhealed trauma. This connection can lead to the dangerous conflation of physical appearance with spiritual enlightenment, reinforcing societal ideals of thinness and perpetuating negative body image. The pressure to achieve an idealized body can drive individuals towards disordered eating behaviors in an attempt to align themselves with these unattainable standards, jeopardizing both their physical and mental health. Viewing thin bodies as free of trauma and superior is dehumanizing to bodies of all sizes.

3. Detoxification Fads and Extreme Cleansing:

Detoxification practices, such as juice cleanses, coffee enemas, parasite/mold cleanses, avoiding carbohydrates, fasting, and cleansing diets, have become popular within holistic wellness and new age communities. While these practices are often promoted as ways to rid the body of toxins and sugar, they can easily transform into disordered eating patterns. The obsession with purifying the body can lead to restrictive eating behaviors, nutrient deficiencies, and an unhealthy relationship with food. The focus on cleansing can become a trigger for individuals predisposed to or already struggling with eating disorders.

4. Misinformation and Unqualified Advice:

The holistic wellness and new age movements are saturated with self-proclaimed experts and influencers offering advice on nutrition and lifestyle choices. However, the lack of formal qualifications and scientific evidence behind many of these recommendations can be problematic. Misinformation and pseudoscience can mislead individuals into adopting harmful practices, such as extreme dietary restrictions or excessive exercise, and use of saunas to the point of being unhealthy, which can contribute to the development of eating disorders and other mental health concerns. Vulnerable individuals seeking guidance may unknowingly fall into the trap of harmful advice, exacerbating their disordered eating patterns.

5. The allure of "cleanses" and "detoxes":

New-age wellness movements often advocate for various cleanses and detoxes, claiming they can purify the body and improve overall health. Some proponents of these practices assert that the presence of parasites and mold in the body can lead to various health issues. However, this narrative can inadvertently create hyperfocus on internal "cleansing," which can be appealing to individuals vulnerable to or struggling with eating disorders and other mental health issues. The emphasis on purging and eliminating perceived toxins can exacerbate disordered behaviors and reinforce unhealthy relationships with food.

6. The danger of coffee enemas:

Coffee enemas, another practice endorsed by certain holistic movements, involve the introduction of coffee into the rectum. Advocates claim that this procedure detoxifies the liver and enhances overall well-being. However, the use of coffee enemas for cleansing purposes - especially on a regular basis - can dangerously blur the line between wellness and disordered eating habits. This practice can lead individuals to prioritize internal cleansing over proper nutrition and engage in behaviors that may harm their physical and mental health.

7. The masking of eating disorders:

New-age holistic wellness movements, with their focus on cleanses, detoxes, and alternative health practices, often overlook or downplay the way that they view thin bodies as being better than fat bodies. Their unsaid and underlying view is that someone who is not rail thing lacks emotional dysregulation, thus they view fat bodies as being “unwell” By promoting practices that may enable disordered eating behaviors, these movements inadvertently mask the underlying issues associated with eating disorders and mental health issues. Individuals struggling with such disorders may find solace in the language and practices of these wellness movements, further blurring the distinction between self-improvement and disordered behavior.

8. The demonization of weight gain:

Some new-age wellness movements tend to perpetuate the stigmatization of weight gain by equating it with unhealed trauma, failure, lack of self-control, or poor health. The emphasis on achieving a specific body type or size can create unrealistic expectations and feelings of shame for individuals who do not fit the prescribed standards. This mindset also doesn’t take socioeconomic factors into consideration or pursue systemic policy changes to address environmental and societal factors that contribute to eating disorders and people’s inability to access quality food. This can be detrimental to overall well-being, as it reinforces harmful societal norms, institutional issues, and perpetuates negative body image issues.

9. The oversimplification of weight and trauma:

Linking weight gain solely to unhealed trauma oversimplifies the complex factors that contribute to body weight and shape. While trauma can indeed impact one's relationship with food and body image, it is essential to recognize that weight is influenced by a multitude of factors, including genetics, metabolism, socio-economic circumstances, and cultural background. Blaming weight gain solely on unhealed trauma demonizes fat bodies and ignores the diverse experiences and contexts surrounding individuals' bodies.

10. The potential for further harm:

The narrative that connects weight gain exclusively to unhealed trauma can inadvertently invalidate the experiences of individuals who struggle with their weight due to medical conditions, genetic predispositions, class factors, or other factors beyond their control. Additionally, it may create a harmful cycle where individuals feel pressured to heal trauma solely for the purpose of losing weight, rather than focusing on their overall well-being and mental health. A more comprehensive, compassionate, and inclusive approach to wellness acknowledges that weight is not a definitive indicator of health or worth. It emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance, self-care, and overall mental well-being. Recognizing that each person's journey is unique, it is vital to provide support and resources that promote body positivity, healthy relationships with food, and body autonomy.

New age holistic wellness movements have the potential to inspire positive change and encourage individuals to prioritize their well-being. However, it is crucial to critically evaluate the narratives surrounding weight gain and trauma within these movements. By fostering a nuanced understanding of weight and mental health, we can challenge the stigmatization of weight gain, promote body acceptance, and encourage holistic approaches to well-being that prioritize self-care and mental wellness over societal standards.

The promotion of parasite and mold cleanses coffee enemas, daily saunas, and other extreme measures can inadvertently mask or enable eating disorders and cause one to avoid serious medical issues that need medical attention- which ultimately undermines the broader goal of holistic well-being. The pursuit of dietary perfection, the intertwining of spirituality and body image, the promotion of extreme cleansing practices, and the prevalence of misinformation all contribute to the risk of developing or exacerbating eating disorders and breaking down our mental health.

It is crucial for individuals, practitioners, and influencers within the wellness industry to be mindful of the potential harm they can inadvertently perpetuate and to exercise caution, promote evidence-based practices, and prioritize medical and mental health alongside physical health. It is crucial for individuals, practitioners, and influencers within these movements to prioritize the true essence of well-being, which encompasses balance, self-acceptance, and a healthy relationship with food and the mind-body connection.

In memory of Zhanna Samsonova, may her passing ignite a broader awareness of the importance of responsible dietary decisions, avoiding restrictive diets, compassionate living, and acceptance of all bodies. Let us honor her legacy by promoting healthy lifestyles built on knowledge, evidence-based practices, balance, and self-care.