We are back with another blog breaking down some of the latest wellness trends that have inspired buzz in the wellness community. Many people are working to improve their health and wellness routines this year, and these are just some of the many ways they are looking to improve their lifestyle. However, it is crucial to research a trend before adding it to your own routine to ensure that it fits your needs and to truly understand their purpose. From mouth taping to consuming sea moss, are these trends really going to revolutionize your health routine? Let’s find out.
Why People Are Mouth Taping and The Potential Dangers
Have you seen people on your social media feeds with tape on their mouths? Mouth taping is a wellness trend that involves a person taping their mouth with a special type of tape before heading to bed. The idea behind mouth taping is that it will help you to keep your mouth shut while you sleep and eliminate the chances of mouth breathing during the night.
Mouth breathing — while sleeping and while awake — is known to cause a variety of issues from dry gums, an imbalance of bacteria, tooth decay, sinus congestion, and make a person more susceptible to infections. This is because you are supposed to be using your nose to properly inhale and exhale. Your nose has the proper tools to filter out dust and allergens, give you the oxygen you need, and humidify the air as you inhale. Whereas your mouth does not have these tools and thus creates complications.
So, does mouth taping solve the potential setbacks that are caused by mouth breathing? Let’s break down the different reasons why people might look to use mouth tape.
Snoring while you sleep can feel very disrupting to your rest and can be an indicator of sleep apnea. While some studies have noticed an improvement in snoring when mouth taping, it can be dangerous to do so if you are susceptible to sleep apnea. Moderate to severe sleep apnea can cause a host of other health issues if left untreated.
Mouth taping is not a complete solution to the issues surrounding sleep apnea, and can actually be dangerous to do. If you are someone who has an obstructed nose or deviated septum, it can be hard to breathe through your nose entirely — meaning if you are mouth taping, you will struggle to breathe entirely. It is incredibly important to keep this in mind when it comes to mouth taping.
Some have claimed that sleeping with mouth tape has helped them feel more rejuvenated when waking up. This comes to no surprise due to the complications that tend to accompany mouth breathing; however, there are other ways to help support your sleep that do not have the potential dangers that mouth taping does.
Mouth taping can cause anxiety due to the discomfort from putting tape on one’s mouth, it can increase your chances of struggling to breathe rather than helping your breathing, and it opens up the possibility of accidentally swallowing the tape in your sleep. If you are struggling with your sleep quality, sleep apnea, and/or mouth breathing, it is best to reach out to your physician to solve these issues. Mouth taping will simply be a band-aid to the issue so it is best to turn to an expert to help you solve the root issue.
Why Traveling for Wellness and Relaxation is Trending Right Now
Over the past couple of years, traveling has seen a dip and rise due to a variety of different reasons from lockdown, work responsibilities, and financial reasons. However, recently people have started to seize those opportunities to travel. We have seen a rise in the trips that are focused on rejuvenation, relaxation, and wellness.
Whether it was the recent pandemic that was felt across the world or the simple desire to put more emphasis on one’s health, it is impossible to deny the communal shift towards taking better care of one’s health. From exercising to eating healthier, a healthy lifestyle requires consistency on a day-to-day basis and this does not change when traveling.
While it is most definitely normal to treat yourself when on a trip, we have seen a shift towards finding ways to still incorporate these healthy lifestyle activities into one’s travel itinerary. People are finding ways to exercise while traveling, whether that's through taking a local fitness class or going on runs/walks around the area in which they are traveling. Some have even gone as far as going on trips that are entirely focused on wellness. From yoga retreats to healthy cooking classes, the options are endless.
Will you be joining this trend of travel and taking your wellness rituals along with you?
The Potential Benefits of Consuming Sea Moss
Sea moss, also known as red seaweed, can be found in tide pools and inlets in certain areas across the world. While sea moss is most generally harvested for an ingredient called carrageenan, recently people have also been raving about its potential benefits for consumption. Sea moss can be found in its most natural form or in the form of a supplement similar to a slim supplement for bloating or a gut health enzymes supplement
Even though sea moss has been consumed by humans for quite some time, we only recently have started to gain studies regarding its potential benefits. This being said, the nutrient levels of sea moss is not a new development. Sea moss contains nutrients such as vitamin B2, magnesium, iodine, potassium, zinc, and sodium. Due to these nutrients, sea moss may help boost immunity levels and regulate one’s metabolism.
However, it is crucial to note that sea moss can also be damaging in some ways. The ingredient carrageenan found in sea moss can be converted into something called poligeenan which is linked to a host of health complications. While it is not clear if the body can transform carrageenan to poligeenan, it is also not ensured that poligeenan is not already naturally present in sea moss. It is cautions like these that make it important to speak to your physician before adding any new wellness trend to your routine.