2026 “Detox”
and trends that are so last year
Just when I think we’re past the trendy diets and workouts, another one surfaces.
I felt more pressure to add cottage cheese to my diet in 2025 and optimize my protein intake than to do my taxes. If the amount of viral #cottagecheese recipes I have saved in my “Noms” folder on Instagram isn’t embarrassing enough, the lack of recipes I actually tried sure is.
Even when they appear simple and delicious, like the last one I saved…
If cottage cheese really helped people meet their fitness goals or get over their exes, or whatever it was supposed to do, then I consider it a win for soft cheese everywhere!
But the truth is, not every workout regime and healing vegan recipe that your favorite influencer swears by is going to agree with everybody. The only way to figure out what works for you, what really works for you, is through trial and error… Through listening to your body and honoring your unique circumstances.
As for 2025, let’s just say there are more than one health and wellness trend we don’t need to take with us into 2026.
Out for 2026
“pushing through” in the name of dedication
strict fasting diets*
“boundaries” as an excuse to isolate
“a little treat” as self-care
doom-scrolling Hinge for an ego boost and ghosting after one date
sauna, cold plunge, repeat
In for 2026
exercising in accordance to the female menstrual cycle
eating when hungry
balanced social life
regular self check-ins
phone-free dates
choosing an aligned romantic partner
heating and cooling the body depending on individual internal circumstances
* without speaking to your healthcare provider
As we close the chapter on the year of the snake, according to Chinese zodiac, we’re called to shed anything that doesn’t serve us. This includes any trend sugarcoated in words like “health” and “wellness” that do not feel aligned.
If there’s one way to detox in 2026, it’s to move with intuition. To listen to yourself over the noise of social media and do what is right for you — even if it means ditching the cottage cheese.
