“Kind of creepy here, don’t you think?” These are the first words I hear over my granola and almond milk as I eavesdrop on a nearby group of bankers – bad suits, slicked hair – here for a business conference. “I feel like I’m on The Truman Show,” says another. It’s not hard to see his point. Earlier, driving to breakfast in my golf buggy, I passed through a picture-perfect postcard of country Americana, complete with rolling pastures, horses and grandparents sitting on their porches. The sun was shining and the locals waved at me (avoiding eye contact with strangers while keeping 1.5 metres apart wasn’t a thing yet). Without exception, everyone seemed jubilantly happy – a far cry from my usual, dreary commute. The parallels between my current reality and the Jim Carrey classic were enough to make me worry my buggy would crash into the horizon.
But this is not Seahaven Island, the counterfeit town created for Truman Burbank. It’s Serenbe, a purpose-built wellness community 30 minutes south of Atlanta, Georgia. While the name – a portmanteau of ‘serene’ and ‘being’ – might elicit a raised eyebrow, the concept isn’t without logic. Research by the World Health Organization suggests that up to 90 per cent of health outcomes are tied to where and how we live, with non-communicable diseases (such as cancer and heart disease), many of which are linked to your environments and behaviour, now expected to account for nearly three quarters of all deaths worldwide. A big problem then, to which a town founded expressly to promote the wellbeing of its residents offers a radical, albeit wacky, solution.
Denne historien er fra June 2020-utgaven av Women's Health Australia.
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Denne historien er fra June 2020-utgaven av Women's Health Australia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Clean Up Your Digital Act
The realistic way to make over your relationship with tech
9 Biggest Lies In Wellness
Whether activating your glutes or your almonds, the struggle to decipher #fitspo fact from fiction is real. Between social media influencers, Reddit zealots and that pushy guy at the supplement store, some seriously ridiculous – and potentially dangerous – ideas have moved from fringe theory to health gospel. It doesn’t help that the booming wellness industry, worth an estimated $4.5 trillion, is difficult to regulate. So to help you navigate these heavily filtered waters, here are the new health virtues that shouldn’t be – and a few simple tactics you can use to actually improve your life.
Kate The Fighter
Actress Kate Beckinsale is stronger than ever thanks to a no B.S diet, near-daily workouts and a refreshingly optimistic outlook. (oh, and she’ll date whoever she wants, thank you very much)
Welcome to the land of Oat Milk & Manuka Honey
Nestled in the rural outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, lies the town of Serenbe: a revolutionary wellness utopia designed to keep its residents fit, thriving and happy – for life. Could it hold the cure for the maladies of urban living? Or should its promises be taken with a healthy pinch of Himalayan salt? Before the world went into lockdown, one zen-seeking writer made the journey to find out
Ride Big
Laura Enever walked away from her pro surfing career to conquer the big waves as a freesurfer. Here, she reveals why she followed her heart
OUR KINDA GIRL... Elle Ferguson
Take a scroll through Elle Ferguson’s Instagram and you’d be forgiven for thinking the mogul had it easy: an impressive following, a successful tanning product range, and better locks than a haircare commercial. What you won’t find on there are the sleepless nights, countless rejections and the time she spent relabelling bottles on her living room floor. Here, the 32-year-old talks backing yourself and the secret behind her beauty brand, Elle Effect.
If it's not a Hell Yeah, it's a NO!
Sure thing! No probs! Of course! Happy to help! The word ‘yes’ easily rolls off the tongue in a million agreeable ways. But what if we told you that, contrary to everything the world has taught you so far, saying yes isn’t actually the key to winning at life? In fact, it might just be holding you back.
How to Live to...120
Jennifer Aniston, J.Lo and Jane Fonda have nailed the art of defying time, but us mere mortals don’t have their kind of dough (or specialists). Instead, take a lesson in longevity from the “blue zones”, hot spots that are home to the planet’s longest-living populations.
The AI Revolution Is Coming: Here's How To Future -Proof Your Career
Robots are coming for your job. Not only yours, but another 20 million jobs around the world over the next 10 years. That’s how media outlets reported on the results of a 2019 paper released by global forecaster Oxford Economics. If you think that sounds rather dystopian, wait until your anxiety-fuelled googling brings up news headlines claiming it’s actually 800 million jobs – not a meagre 20 mill – that will be eliminated by robots by the time 2030 hits.
Where Have All The Drinkers Gone?
Teetotalism has become a badge of honour, the alcohol-free market is booming and mindfulness has ousted getting messy. But while millennials are showing up for sober club nights, the next generation has opted out of drinking culture entirely. WH finds out why...
