According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number one health problem in the world is surprisingly not a virus or a disease – it is depression — which is linked to insomnia, stress, weight gain and a trickle-effect of other symptoms that can spiral into disease. WHO also reports that there are 1.6 billion overweight adults globally and that most of the leading diseases are lifestyle induced.
Facts like these just astounded Belgin Aksoy – an executive in the Aksoy Hotel Group and the owner of Richmond Nua, the only destination spa in Turkey. A cancer survivor, she knew how much proactive wellness and mind & body fitness helped improve her own life and the lives of her guests. So starting in 2012, she claimed the second Saturday of each June for Global Wellness Day (GWD) and organized educational and wellness-oriented events open to the public.
Aksoy’s goal was to try to to try to raise awareness of ‘living well’ both for individuals and for our society in general asking people to think ‘How do I live a healthier and better life?’ even if for just one day. Her hope was that this day dedicated to good physical and mental health that originated in Turkey would grow into an official celebration all over the world.
We are thrilled with the response we’ve received so far. Although we come from the spa world where the topic of wellness is central, we encourage people to keep it simple and start with even the very basic things on Global Wellness Day like: eating organic, drinking more water, taking a walk with their family, not using plastic. – Belgin Aksoy
5 Fungi-Inspired Ideas
Here at Fantastic Fungi, we support Global Wellness Day and we are happy to provide 5 fungi-inspired ways to live a healthier and better life, starting today.
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- Serve up some mushrooms at your next meal. Freshly picked, purchased from your local organic grocery store or even dried varieties add more than flavor. Mushrooms are relatively high in protein, averaging about 20% of their dried mass. Further they contribute a wide range of essential amino acids. Low in fat and high in fiber, mushrooms also provide several groups of vitamins, particularly thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, ascorbic acid and Vitamin D.
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- Apply topically to naturally fight age-related symptoms. From aging skin to stiff joints, mushroom-infused products help improve blood flow, reduce swelling, drain toxins and fluid, and stimulate the body’s natural healing response.
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- Boost immunity and fight disease with mushroom supplements. The best we’ve found is Host Defense Mushroom Supplements by Fungi Perfecti.
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- Support your local mushroom grower. Visit your city’s farmers market and search for a mushroom stand. Learn about their process, workshops, events and favorite foraging spots.
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- Improve your garden’s soil with Fungi Perfecti’s MycoGrow™. These products are designed for everyone from the home gardener/landscaper to the professional forestry manager, promoting faster growth, speeding transplant recovery and reducing the need for fertilizers and other additives.
Want to get involved? Follow GWD on social media at these accounts below:
Twitter: @wellness_day
Instagram: @globalwellnessday
Facebook: Global Wellness Day
YouTube: Global Wellness Day
Website: http://www.globalwellnessday.org/en/
Be sure to use hashtags #GWD2015 #GlobalWellnessDay #ISayYes and post a comment below sharing how YOU celebrated Global Wellness Day this year.
Global Wellness Day Events World-Wide
As of today, 37 Ambassadors and over 300 brands in 35 countries – and counting – are supporting GWD, which falls on Saturday, June 13 this year.
With ongoing updates on www.globalwellnessday.org, a sampling of activities already planned around the world includes:
Thailand: There will be a special day of activities at the iconic Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, Bangkok with 15 different presentations on wellness topics for the entire family.
Australia: GWD will be tied in with the Happiness and its Causes event on June 10 and 11 in Sydney (www.happinessanditscauses.com.au) where the Dalai Lama will speak. Already over 200 spas, 120 health clubs and 3 ski fields in the country are committed to recognize GWD.
Philippines: GWD is being promoted every week on the radio and a t.v. special will be built around an educational event on June 13.
Turkey: Preparations are underway to celebrate GWD in one of Istanbul’s largest public parks with a full day of complimentary wellness seminars, Pilates & yoga workshops, children’s activities and healthy food corners.Discussions are ongoing with Turkish Airlines to distribute GWD apples with the in-flight meals for 80.000 passengers on June 13.
Austria: Outreach has begun to insurance companies, airlines, hotel groups, university’s and schools. So far, the following entities are supporting GWD: the five-star Hotel Zürserhof,
FH Johanneu, the University of Applied Science and TIROL Tourism.
Greece: Events offering yoga and cooking classes, etc. will be organized in Mykonos, Thessaloniki and Athens.
Romania: Eden spas in Romania will organize a GWD event with yoga for stress relief workshop, Pilates for a healthy spine, a nutrition/detox presentation and more.
USA: Spa organizations based in the U.S. — like ISPA, Spa Finders, Live, Love Spa, the Green Spa Network – are being invited to lead the charge for special events at the thousands of spas in the country and throughout wellness and green oriented companies on Global Wellness Day.
The best fungal products to either “boost immunity” or “fight disease” are those backed by well controlled clinical trials. The next best are those clinically and chemically demonstrated to be equivalent. For those reasons, Host Defense Mushroom Supplements by Fungi Perfecti are not the best that could be found.