15 YEARS WELL: A RECENT HISTORY OF WELLNESS

Originally Published Summer 2019 for Aspen Peak Magazine

For the 15th Anniversary of ‘Aspen Peak,’ I look back at the recent revolution in all things well.

Ah, 2004. A simple time, when no smoking, moderate exercise and a low-carb, low-fat diet meant you were destined for a long and healthy life. We were so innocent! — so  blissfully unaware of gluten and parabens and the misery of ketosis. 

Culture moves so fast these days, here’s a timeline of how America, and Aspen, has made being well an art form.  

2004 - Morgan Spurlock documents a 30-day diet of McDonalds in his film, “Super Size Me.” Spoiler alert: he gets fat and grumpy. Whilst hyperbolic in the extreme, the world never looks at fast food quite the same way again. 

2006 - The New York Times describes The Standard Hotel in Miami as, “more spa than hotel.” Replete with hammam, mud baths, and a hydrotherapy playground,  suddenly a spa (not just a room for massages) becomes a de rigueur hotel amenity.  “Wellness retreat” and #detoxretox enter the zeitgeist. 

2008 - Gwyneth Paltrow sends out the first Goop newsletter to approximately 10k subscribers with recipes for turkey ragu and banana-nut muffins. 

2010 - Jayne Gottlieb of Shakti Shala takes over the yoga program at the Sundeck. 

2011 - Portlandia premiers on IFC with the skit, “Colin the Chicken,” in which a hipster couple (played by Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen) interrogates their waiter about the origins of the free range chicken. After reviewing the chicken’s dossier, Carrie explains, “it tears at the core of my being the thought of someone just cashing in on a trend like organic.” They decide the only way to be sure is to visit the farm where “Colin” was raised. “Hold our seats. We’ll be right back.”

2012 - Aspen’s first 100% organic eatery, Spring Café, opens on the corner of Spring and Hopkins.

2012 - Jerry Seinfeld goes on a press blitz on behalf of the David Lynch Foundation. “Comes out” as a 40-year devotee of transcendental meditation. TM goes main stream. 

2013 -  Santa Claus turns out to be gluten intolerant on an episode of Family Guy. “Hey, hey what’s in these cookies?” Santa asks as he wakes up a sleeping boy, “I’m OK if it’s like coconut flour, but anything with actual grains I can’t do.” 

“I’m not sure,” the little boy responds.  

“Well, who IS sure!?”

2013 - Jüs opens in the Ute Building. It remains Aspen’s only cold-pressed juice retailer. Yummy sandwiches too. 

2014 - “We’re on a cleanse” replaces, “couldn’t get a sitter,” as most popular excuse for parents to get out of social obligations.

2015 - Organic Avenue, facing over expansion and a juiced-up competition, closes all its New York stores.

2016 - Opened in 1985, Aspen’s beloved McDonald’s closes. 

2017 - The Remède Spa at the St. Regis adds a CBD oil massage to their menu.  Carl’s starts carrying Colorado-made CBD oils and lotions. 

2018 - O2, Aspen’s oldest yoga studio, expands into to three-levels across from the bus station. 

2018 - Grass-fed Kerrygold Irish Butter becomes the second most popular butter in America. 

2018 - A goop pop-up opens in Aspen for the summer, replete with jade eggs and Elvie Trainers to strengthen Aspen’s pelvic floors.  

2019 - All Keihl’s products go paraben free.

2020 - SkiCo replaces “powder day pancakes” with free tumeric lattes made with your choice of nut milk.