Weird Wellness Trends That Make Us Go WTH

Embrace yourself! Here are some weird wellness trends that you won’t believe that they actually exist.

Otonamaki or “adult wrapping”

Many Japanese working professionals develop posture problems and stiffness due to long working hours. Otonamaki therapy is done to alleviate posture problems and stiffness. It is inspired from Ohinamaki, whereby babies are wrapped in a similar fashion. During this therapy, the client lies on a large piece of freshly laundered cloth, hugging their knees into their chest while the therapist ties the fabric over and around their entire body.

Once safely (or claustrophobically, depending on how you feel about it encased inside) wrapped, the client is then rocked gently back and forth for twenty minutes to improve flexibility and calm the nervous system. It is believed to make you feel relaxed by recreating the comfortable feel of mother’s womb. It is done for about 12 to 15 minutes. There are a lot of scepticism regarding this trend popularised in social media. People are comparing this practise to mummification technique or to a Japanese horror film.

Worm diet

It has been reported that Chinese females in China have been eating roundworm eggs to lose weight for job interviews. They believe that this method would help them to shed pounds easily to land jobs. However, they are unaware of the great risk that it possess. When the eggs hatch in the stomach, those who consume them will shed extra without exercise or diet but roundworm infection can cause serious illnesses such as pneumonia, respiratory failure and spleen enlargement.

Another type of worm used in this ‘diet’ is tapeworm, where a person swallows a pill that has tapeworm egg inside. When the egg hatches, it grows inside your body and eats the food that you have consumed. Dangerous complications includes neurocysticercosis, a complication of the brain and nervous system which can cause dementia and vision issues, and also disruption in the function of various organs in your body including the lungs and liver. Potentially, it could lead to death.

The tapeworm diet began during the Victorian era with women who wanted to achieve the social standard of beauty, which was to have a tiny waist (this still seems like the current beauty standard). This diet is still being used by some people today because, in theory, it seems like an easy way to lose weight without dieting or exercising regularly. In effect, it seems to be a “magic” pill. However, the reality is that its result may be far less than magical but deadly as your body isn’t getting all the nutrients necessary to survive while feeding these parasites.

Slime therapy

There are around 3 million Instagram posts with the hashtag #slime and also endless YouTube tutorials on how to make your own slime. Ideal slime has dazzling visual elements and it is also very tempting to play with. There’s crunchy slime, magnetic slime, sparkle slime – all available in any colour or in multicolour combos perceivable by the human eye. That textural and visual range of complexity is part of the art of slime. But is it actually therapeutic?

As described by the Atlantic, playing with slime is a sensory experience that triggers an autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR), or “brain orgasm”. It produces tingling sensation from the scalp from certain auditory, olfactory, or visual stimulation. The sensation was supposedly discovered by YouTubers who expressed that they experienced similar feelings of relaxation while playing with slime, especially when watching videos with sounds such as whispering or brushing, or with repetitive visual patterns such as laundry being folded. They describe the feeling as soothing and hypnotic. According o Craig Richard, PhD, professor of biopharmaceutical sciences at Shenandoah University, “Subtle sensory experiences elicited by ASMR videos likely creates a sense of intimacy for viewers.”

Apart from that, squishing fingers into slime may provide feeling of personal attention. It is likely that it activates our brain to release neurotransmitters such as oxytocin, dopamine, endorphins and serotonin that soothes us .

Jade egg

In 2017, Gwyneth Paltrow founded the lifestyle website Goop. Goop offers exercise and fashion advice, as well as tips on spirituality and relationships. It has been criticised for featuring new-age philosophies, as well as for promoting items that most people would not be able to afford, such as a 21-day detox for US$425 (£283) or £1,000 jackets. The product that went viral and received the most backlash is the vaginal jade egg.

This jade egg costs about US$66 and is a piece of jade designed to be inserted into the vagina. It is believed to help connect the second chakra and yoni for optimal self-love and wellbeing. Not only that, the jade egg is assumed to make a woman feel more in touch with her sexuality and therefore, more empowered. Many health experts criticised this claim, mentioning that jade is porous that it could harbour bacteria. This could put users at risk of all types of vaginal infections, including potentially fatal toxic shock syndrome.

Originally, the jade eggs were part of Daoist sexual practise. It was developed by courtesans in the courts of China who were trying to keep themselves healthy for the emperor. They trust that strong vagina and pelvic floor intensifies life. Yet till now, many still practise this though many medical experts are against it. However, the validity of this practise still remains unanswered.

Baby Mice Wine

Baby Mice Wine is a traditional Chinese and Korean “health tonic” believed to cure any illness, especially asthma. This wine is also said to have the capability of healing hepatic and liver diseases. The origin of this wine is still debatable, its either from China or Korea. Oriental people have long been known for their highly advanced medical knowledge that defies all explanations by western medicines. It is said during ancient times, villagers could not afford expensive medicine, therefore the relied on this wine to cure themselves.

Modern science or research has yet to confirm the effectiveness of wine. Those who have tasted this say that it tastes very much like gasoline! The after effects is definitely feeling high but worse than normal. What is actually inside the bottle other than the mice of course? Firstly a dozen baby mice are collected. There are specific requirements too! You have to ensure that these baby mice should not have opened their eyes nor have any hair on the body. Then they are dropped one by one in a bottle of rice wine while they are still alive. They are left for fermentation for 12-14 months. Then, they are assumed safe to drink.

 

Feeling uncomfortable? Curious to try them out? Some adventurous people have claimed that they tried them. However, whether to try them or not is totally your choice and at your own risk.


Photo Credits: always foodie, Daily Mail, Facts Legend, Felt Magnet, Tokyo Weekender

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