The Nutritionist<\/p>\n
Dr Sarah Mitchell Weston, founder of Mitchell Weston Nutrition.<\/p>\n
Aucklander Dr Sarah Mitchell Weston, a registered nutritionist (NSNZ) with a PhD in nutrition, has seen trends come and go, but after years working with clients, she\u2019s noticed that the most important thing has never changed. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest predictor of someone\u2019s health isn\u2019t a single product or hack. It\u2019s consistency: the same reasonably good choices, repeated for years, rather than a handful of perfect ones repeated for days\u201d.<\/p>\n
While wellness advice often chases novelty and intensity \u2013 \u201cthe quick fix, the miracle protocol, some new extreme\u201d, for Weston, less is always more. One of her non-negotiables? Waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends. <\/p>\n
\u201cA stable wake time does more for hormone regulation than people realise. You don\u2019t need a strict bedtime to get most of the benefit, just an anchor point in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for what\u2019s on your plate, Weston agrees protein is key, but the variety of plants matters just as much. <\/p>\n
\u201cDifferent plants feed different gut bacteria, and a more diverse microbiome is linked to better digestion, immunity, and even mood\u201d.<\/p>\n
So, no, you don\u2019t need to \u201cprotein maxx\u201d or \u201cmaxx\u201d anything for that matter. \u201cOptimising every metric, tracking every input, chasing the theoretically perfect protocol is so over-hyped. It\u2019s exhausting, often unnecessary, and can easily tip into disordered territory,\u201d Weston says. <\/p>\n
\u201cGenuinely good health outcomes don\u2019t require perfection. They require the boring stuff, done consistently, most of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Academic<\/p>\n
Grant Schofield, professor and director of AUT\u2019s Human Potential Centre.<\/p>\n
If anyone should know how to live a long, healthy life, it\u2019s Grant Schofield. A professor of public health at Auckland University of Technology, Schofield is also director of the university\u2019s Human Potential Centre. After decades in the field, his personal philosophy to wellbeing is simple: \u201cChoose your hard. Training before work is hard, but so is being able to get off the floor at 70. Cooking real food is hard, but so is Type 2 diabetes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of all the \u2018hards\u2019 one can choose, he believes movement is the best.<\/p>\n
\u201cCardiorespiratory fitness is one of the strongest predictors we have of how long and how well you\u2019ll live,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n
His other underrated but powerful wellness hack is not avoiding stress but harnessing it. <\/p>\n
\u201cStress, just enough, with the right recovery, is the fundamental building block of wellbeing. Every system rebuilds stronger: muscles, bones, brain, the immune system. No stress, no signal to adapt. No signal, you decay. That\u2019s not a motivational poster; it\u2019s how cells work.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for the wellness messages he considers the most overhyped? \u201cSupplements. They might help sometimes, but they hardly ever address the root cause.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kara Sweney. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
The Yogi<\/p>\n
Kara Sweney, yoga teacher and owner of Yoga Ground Studio.<\/p>\n
As a yoga teacher and owner of Yoga Ground studio, Kara Sweney has tried many wellness practices and after years of experimentation, learned that the best habit is the one you\u2019ll do consistently.<\/p>\n
\u201cLife can be stressful, expensive and busy, and the things that have benefited me are the ones that don\u2019t require a lot of time, money or gear. They\u2019re just practices that have become part of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Sweney, one such practice is breathwork, which includes mouth taping (\u201cabsolute game changer\u201d), nasal breathing to regulate the nervous system and reading books on the topic. <\/p>\n
\u201cBreath by James Nestor introduced me to the science behind it, and how mouth taping can help facilitate that. It\u2019s also good for getting better quality sleep\u201d.<\/p>\n
Sweney also has regular acupuncture appointments and the \u201cserious underrated\u201d act of having fun. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be tricky to do when times are tough, but I try to lean into the playful side of my personality because it helps me connect with people, and connection is such a huge part of wellbeing,\u201d she explains. <\/p>\n
Much like connection, Sweney says performing acts of kindness is another wellness practice that doesn\u2019t cost a cent. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt sounds like the least \u2018wellness\u2019 wellness hack, but I honestly think it\u2019s one of the best. Being kind is a gift to both you and the other person. If you think kind thoughts, it has a positive effect on you. If you say them out loud, the other person benefits too\u201d.<\/p>\n
Geena Pannett. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
The Fitness Pro<\/p>\n
Geena Pannett (Ng\u0101puhi), national group fitness manager at Les Mills.<\/p>\n
As a fitness manager and personal trainer, Geena Pannett (Ng\u0101puhi) spends her days leading group fitness classes and coaching clients one-on-one, so her underrated wellness hack may come as a surprise: rest. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re often quick to celebrate training hard, but we don\u2019t always celebrate recovering well. Knowing when to push and when to recover is a real skill\u201d.<\/p>\n
This ethos is behind Les Mills\u2019 decision to add cold plunge facilities to several locations, including a Women\u2019s Cold Plunge designed for female physiology at the Taranaki St, Wellington location. <\/p>\n
When it comes to what is over-hyped, Pannett says the idea that more is always better. <\/p>\n
\u201cMore workouts, more supplements, more intensity, more of everything we see plugged on social media. Often the biggest improvements simply come from sleeping well, eating enough, moving consistently in a way you enjoy, and actually giving your body time to recover\u201d.<\/p>\n
Kristen Teo. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
The Spa Expert<\/p>\n
Kristen Teo, co-founder of Wellington\u2019s Numa Skin and Body Club and founder of Spa Nomad.<\/p>\n
For Kristen Teo, the power of therapeutic touch can\u2019t be underestimated. <\/p>\n
\u201cI hear it constantly from our therapists,\u201d says Teo, \u201cpeople arriving with levels of tension they didn\u2019t know they had until they\u2019re on the treatment bed. Whether it\u2019s facial massage, lymphatic drainage or bodywork, we underestimate what happens when we give ourselves permission to pause. It\u2019s simply giving your nervous system a moment to switch off.\u201d<\/p>\n
She laments how wellness has become something we consume via countless supplements, gadgets or trends \u201cpromising a shortcut to perpetual happiness and eternal youth\u201d when most people need to do simple things, consistently. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe healthiest people I know aren\u2019t chasing the latest fad \u2013 they\u2019ve found a handful of rituals that work for them and keep returning to them. For me that\u2019s exercise, a scalp wash and head massage, a present meal with a friend at a favourite cafe. Habits that fit into your life and rebuild your energy reserves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rawinia Buchanan. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
The Wellness Manager<\/p>\n
Rawinia Buchanan, wellness manager at Te Arai Links.<\/p>\n
Rawinia Buchanan is the wellness manager at Te Arai Links north of Auckland, with nearly 20 years\u2019 experience in retreat and spa management. <\/p>\n
Like Sweney, she believes the best wellness practices are simple and often free. \u201cMeaningful relationships, regular movement and time in nature, which may not be particularly exciting, but they\u2019ve stood the test of time for good reason.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her morning walk is a non-negotiable and is \u201cone of the most magical parts\u201d of her day, as it clears her mind and sets the tone for the day. She also points out that \u201cno supplement, treatment or wellness trend can compensate for chronic sleep deprivation\u201d, and champions quality sleep.<\/p>\n
This is made easier by skipping the evening vino or weekend cocktail. <\/p>\n
\u201cLimiting alcohol consumption is one of the simplest preventative measures available, potentially saving significant time, effort and money trying to reverse its effects later on,\u201d Buchanan explains. <\/p>\n
As for what\u2019s overhyped, Buchanan says her hunger to escape on a wellness retreat has lessened the more she\u2019s focused on the basics. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhere I once recalibrated with a wellness holiday in a tropical destination, these days I find consistency and routine are far more effective in creating a steady baseline for productivity, resilience and overall quality of life\u201d.<\/p>\n
Sophie Carew. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
The Retreat Founder<\/p>\n
Sophie Carew, founder of Bali Garden Matakana.<\/p>\n
After a near-fatal car accident forced Sophie Carew to rebuild her life, she trialled many wellness modalities to support recovery. Today, she\u2019s poured her expertise into Bali Garden, a Matakana spot that offers daily yoga, wellness therapies and seasonal retreats. <\/p>\n
Carew believes wellness can be found \u201cin the most unexpected places,\u201d and as a single mother with two small children, it absolutely must be simple and accessible. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt might be walking barefoot, surfing, having meaningful conversations\u201d, and if time allows, lymphatic drainage massage and cranial sacral therapy. <\/p>\n
What it isn\u2019t is a universal formula. \u201cWhat restores one person might completely overwhelm another. It\u2019s about discovering what genuinely supports you and then making it part of your everyday life,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about being honest about what actually makes you feel well, and having the courage to do more of that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Nutritionist Dr Sarah Mitchell Weston, founder of Mitchell Weston Nutrition. Aucklander Dr Sarah Mitchell Weston, a registered…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":580847,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[308,138,3043,5658,114845,1437,12340,38060,4508,2454,225,111,139,69,109575,286179,5659,7563,2044,77447,92897,286178,5510,4576,9192],"class_list":["post-580846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-actually","tag-business","tag-call","tag-experts","tag-fixes","tag-global","tag-habits","tag-helene","tag-hits","tag-industry","tag-market","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-overhyped","tag-ravlich","tag-say","tag-those","tag-time","tag-trillion","tag-underrated","tag-us112","tag-wellness","tag-work","tag-writes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/580846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=580846"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/580846\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/580847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=580846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=580846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=580846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}