As wellness concepts shape industries from retail to travel, even the food and drink industry, which already has a close association with wellness, is evolving. From green juice and smoothies to edible antioxidant powders, food has become another way to manage weight, mood, and overall wellbeing.
Today, “eating healthy” is even a tool in some doctor’s toolkits. And at the same time, new services are making it easier to follow doctor’s orders, turning food into a more quantifiable, but still enjoyable, factor in managing chronic conditions like heart disease and obesity.
“There’s no question people can take things a long way toward reversing diabetes, reversing hypertension, even preventing cancer by food choices,” Dr. Daniel Nadeau Orange County, CA told NPR recently, calling the moment a “cultural shift.”
Nadeau is part of a “Shop with Your Doc” program, one of several initiatives nationwide that have doctors and patients tackling diet together. According to a February Nielsen survey, 60% of Americans say they already make conscious diet choices to prevent medical conditions, including diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity. But having a doctor present eliminates ambiguity about what is and isn’t healthy.
Some brands are already positioning themselves to take advantage of this new mindset. Euphebe is a health company whose prescription is food. A full-immersion, 28-day ReBoot includes prepared, plant-based meals, as well as a tech-based coaching platform that provides education, motivation and support to drive long-term behavior change. The cost for the program is $650 for a full month, including 48 lunches and dinners.
