Ever wonder why toxic wellness culture has us dropping $80 on serums that don't work while wellness scams rake in billions specifically targeting women? I used to be that girl—clutching my overpriced celery juice, convinced the next biohacking trend would finally "fix" me, completely oblivious to how the wellness industry profits off our deepest insecurities.

My conversation with Amy Larocca, author of "How to Be Well," completely shifted how I see this $3.7 trillion industry. And honestly? It made me both enraged and relieved to finally understand why we keep falling for the same expensive promises.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Why Wellness Industry Targets Women

Here's what Amy helped me realize: the wellness industry specifically targets women because we've been conditioned to believe our own bodies are mysteries to us. Think about it—we're told we need nine-step skincare routines when our skin already knows how to regulate itself. We're choking down Greek yogurt before bed because some influencer said we need 100 grams of protein, even when our bodies are screaming "I don't want this."

"What wellness does is it makes you buy your own body back as if it's a luxury good," Amy told me. "And the truth is you don't have to buy your own body. It's already yours."

That hit me like a freight train. How many times have I ignored my body's signals because someone else claimed to know better?

Why Aging Is Not a Disease (Despite What Every Ad Tells You)

One of the most powerful insights from our conversation was this: aging is not a disease. But the wellness industry has convinced us it is, selling us "neat, tidy, attainable solutions" to something that's completely natural.

I'm 50, and I've been guilty of this. I dye my hair every four weeks. I've spent money on wellness retreats hoping to "get back" to some earlier version of myself. But Amy's right—that person is gone, and clawing to get her back is just going to drive me insane.

The dangerous "get back to you" messaging in wellness culture sets us up for failure. We're not supposed to return to who we were before kids, before menopause, before life happened. We're supposed to evolve.

The MLM Schemes Disguised as Essential Oil Wellness

Let's talk about how MLM schemes prey on women's desire for community and financial freedom. I've watched friends with chronic illnesses get bombarded by well-meaning MLM affiliates promising their "happy juice" or essential oil wellness products will cure everything.

This is where the wellness industry gets truly predatory. When traditional medicine fails people—especially women whose health concerns have been historically dismissed—these companies swoop in with expensive alternatives that rarely deliver.

Why Debunking Wellness Scams Doesn't Work

Here's something that blew my mind: debunking has no power against wellness scams. Amy shared how the founders of Blueprint cleanse would get terrible press about juice cleanses being dangerous, and their orders would actually double.

We want to believe so badly that there's a magic solution, a secret we haven't tried yet. Even when we know better intellectually, emotionally we're still reaching for that hope in a jar.

Biohacking Trends: When Tech Bros Think Bodies Are Machines

The biohacking chapter was both hilarious and infuriating. These are mostly white men who've successfully changed society with technology, so they think, "How hard could a human body be?"

Amy told me about Dave Asprey believing he might want to get pregnant in his 80s. Only a man who's never dealt with the reality of a female body would think aging and reproduction are just technological problems to hack.

Bodies aren't machines. They're complex, intuitive systems that actually know what they're doing—if we'd just listen.

Wellness Retreats: The New Organized Religion

One thing that really stuck with me was how wellness has replaced organized religion for many of us. Since World War II, fewer Americans go to church, but our need for community, ritual, and belonging hasn't disappeared.

Enter SoulCycle, Peloton, and expensive wellness retreats. We get the music, charismatic leaders, routinized gatherings, and preaching about community—all around exercise or "optimization."

I've been to wellness retreats that felt exactly like this. The group bonding, the shared belief system, the feeling that we're all on this journey together. It fills a real need, but at what cost?

What I'm Doing Differently Now

After this conversation, I'm being way more selective about where I spend my wellness dollars. Amy said she only invests in things with "deliverable outcomes" now, like Pilates, because it actually works.

I'm also trying to trust my body more. When my face feels fine at the end of the day, I don't automatically strip it with a nine-step routine. When I'm full, I stop eating instead of forcing down protein I don't want.

The Bottom Line

We're all susceptible to wellness industry profits because we're craving something real to believe in. But maybe what we're actually looking for isn't found in a $200 supplement or exclusive retreat.

The real wellness revolution might be learning to trust our own bodies and stop outsourcing our intuition to people who profit from our insecurities.

I'm not saying I've transcended all of this—I'm still dyeing my hair every four weeks, still hoping my crystals work, still tempted by the next wellness trend. But now I'm doing it with my eyes wide open, aware of the manipulation, and way more protective of my time, money, and mental energy.

What if the secret we've been seeking was never secret at all? What if we already know what we need to feel well?

Amy Larocca's book "How to Be Well: Navigating the Self-Care Epidemic, One Dubious Cure at a Time" is available everywhere books are sold. Trust me, it's worth the read—and probably the last wellness book you'll ever need to buy.

And if you feel inspired to amplify your own voice, let’s talk about starting your podcast journey. Book your free clarity call here. Your message deserves to be heard.

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If you’ve got a podcast or an idea that won’t leave you alone, here's your sign to take it seriously. Not just because it's fun (it is), but because it can change how people see you, connect with you, and trust you. That's the magic.

And if you're wondering how to make it actually work? Book a free clarity call with me at allisonhare.com/freecall. I'll help you turn that idea into a tight, bingeable, client-attracting machine.