The Best Social Media Influencers for Wellness

Part of the #Social Media #Influencers Series, an ongoing listicle series of food and health-related influencers.

Candice Kumai

Website: https://candicekumai.com/
Social Media Handles:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CandiceKumai (38k followers)
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CandiceKumai (20.3k)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CandiceKumai/ (95.4k followers)
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/CandiceKumai/ (9.8k)
Hashtags: kintsugiwellness
Bio/how she became involved in #wellness: Candice Kumai has been named “The Golden Girl of the Wellness World” by ELLE magazine, and for good reason. In addition to being a regular columnist for Men’s Health and Women’s Health, Kumai’s writing appears in many health-centered publications including PopSugar, Cosmopolitan, Shape, and more. She is also the author of six best-selling books on #healthy eating and wellness. Before taking on her role as a wellness guru, Kumai worked as a classically trained chef, TV host, and model. (Candice Kumai)
What she talks about: Healthy eating, #lifestyle, #inspiration and cooking.
Where she’s currently based: New York, NY
Organization mission/personal slogan: “Original, quality content, imagery + video, created with integrity. I live in the present moment, with moral integrity, with the intent to help you live the most amazing, feel-good life, like, ever.” (Candice Kumai)
How she makes money: Online and paper publications, and partnerships with brands she personally endorses.
From around the web:

#Lee Tilghman – Lee from America

Website: https://www.leefromamerica.com/
Social Media Handles:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leefromamerica/ (372k followers)
Hashtags: leefromamerica
Bio/how she became involved in wellness: Before content creation became her full-time career, Lee played a variety of roles in the food industry (including working on an organic farm and helping open restaurants). She now develops healthy, plant-based recipes, holds wellness workshops, and uses her presence on social media to inspire her followers to live their healthiest lives. (Lee from America)
What she talks about: Recipe development, lifestyle, healthy recipes and cooking.
Where she’s currently based: Los Angeles, CA
Organization mission/personal slogan: “I’m extremely passionate about helping women find the confidence to make healthy choices and feel empowered to live their best lives.” (Lee from America)
How she makes money: Content creation, partnerships with wellness brands, hosting workshops and selling her e-book on meal prepping. (Lee from America)
From around the web:

Gabrielle Bernstein – The Spirit Junkie

Website: https://gabbybernstein.com/
Social Media Handles:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabriellebernstein (580k followers)
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabbybernstein (712k followers)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbybernstein/ (590k followers)
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GabrielleBernstein (155k subscribers)
Hashtags: gabbybernstein, spiritjunkie
Bio/how she became involved in wellness: Also known as the “positive spirit junkie,” Bernstein has made spreading good vibes into a full-fledged career. After struggling with alcohol addiction, Bernstein made the decision to go completely sober in October of 2015. She is now an international speaker and a New York Times bestselling author, and she uses her platform to encourage her followers to bring more positivity, mindfulness, and spirituality into their lives. She has been featured in publications including Elle, Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, OWN, and more. (Gabby Bernstein) (Greatist)
What she talks about: Positive thinking, spirituality, inspiration and lifestyle.
Where she’s currently based: New York, NY
Organization mission/personal slogan: “My mission is to help you crack open to a spiritual relationship of your own understanding so that you can live in alignment with your true purpose, too!” (Gabby Bernstein)
How she makes money: Contributions to online and print media; public speaking events; selling self-help books, online courses, e-books, and exclusive “Miracle Memberships” for followers. Bernstein also sells her own apparel on her website. (Gabby Bernstein)
From around the web:

Arianna Huffington

Website: http://www.ariannahuffington.com/
Social Media Handles:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AriannaHuffington/ (1.3m followers)
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ariannahuff (2.96m followers)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ariannahuff/ (490k followers)
Hashtags: ariannahuff
Bio/how she became involved in wellness: As a seasoned editorial writer, the founder of the Huffington Post – one of the most influential media outlets on the web – and author of more than fifteen books, Arianna Huffington is a force to be reckoned with. But this business mogul also has great advice about self-care, stress management, and wellness for those of us with hectic schedules. When a combination of stress and a lack of sleep sent her to the ER, Huffington was inspired to write Thrive, a book that urges readers to relax just as hard as they work. The success of that book inspired her to launch Thrive Global, a platform dedicated to teaching stress-management techniques to individuals and corporations through seminars, in-person and online coaching, and e-courses. (Arianna Huffington).
What she talks about: Business, stress management, self-care, inspiration.
Where she’s currently based: New York, NY
Organization mission/personal slogan: “Thrive Global’s mission is to end the stress and burnout epidemic.”
How she makes money: Huffington is the founder of the Huffington Post and the CEO of Thrive Global. She also sells books, hosts seminars and workshops, and makes public and media appearances.
From around the web:

Alexia Brue and Melisse Gelula – Well + Good

Website: https://www.wellandgood.com/
Social Media Handles:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamwellandgood (709k followers)
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamwellandgood/ (104k followers)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamwellandgood/ (790k followers)
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/iamwellandgood/ (197k followers)
Hashtags: iamwellandgood, wellandgoodcookbook, wellandgoodeats, wellandgoodretreats, wellandgoodtalks
Bio/how they became involved in wellness: The website Well + Good was launched in 2010 by health and wellness journalists Alexia Brue (pictured left) and Melisse Gelula (pictured right) to report on the nation’s budding wellness scene. Today, it has eight million monthly unique visitors and 800,000 email subscribers. In 2018, Well + Good was named one of the most innovative companies by Fast Company, the world’s leading progressive business media brand. (Well + Good) (INC)
What they talk about: Various wellness topics, including healthy recipes, fitness, stress management, meditation, nutrition, natural beauty and much more.
Where they’re currently based: New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA
Organization mission/personal slogan: “Well + Good is your healthiest relationship. We obsessively cover the wellness scene —fitness, superfoods, natural beauty, and more—from coast to coast.” (Well + Good)
How they make money: Content creation, public events (including wellness retreats, talks and workshops), and sales from the Well + Good Cookbook. (Well + Good)
From around the web:

Andy Puddicombe and Richard Pierson – Headspace

Website: https://www.headspace.com/
Social Media Handles:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Headspace (651k followers)
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Headspace (174k followers)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headspace/ (551k followers)
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Getsomeheadspace (214k subscribers)
Hashtags: headspace
Bio/how they became involved in wellness: Co-founder Andy Puddicombe (pictured right) spent 10 years travelling around the globe as a Buddhist monk before he finally returned to his home in the UK. He knew he wanted to share the benefits of meditation with others, so he began a meditation consultancy service. He and his friend Rich Pierson (pictured left) officially launched Headspace in 2010, and now use online platforms and the Headspace app to give customers can access to hundreds of guided meditation videos at any time in any place. The app currently has 30 million users in 190 countries. (Head Space)
What they talk about: Meditation and mindfulness.
Where they’re currently based: Santa Monica, CA and London, England
Organization mission/personal slogan: “Improve the health and happiness of the world.” (Head Space)
How they make money: Selling subscription plans to Headspace website and app, and partnerships with brands. Andy Puddicombe has also written two books on mindfulness, Mindful Eating and Mindful Pregnancy. (Head Space)
From around the web:

Gretchen Rubin

Website: https://gretchenrubin.com/
Social Media Handles:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GretchenRubin (250k followers)
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/gretchenrubin (142k followers)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gretchenrubin/ (122k followers)
Hashtags: gretchenrubin
Bio/how she became involved in wellness: Gretchen worked was a practicing attorney and even clerked for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor before realizing she wanted to be a full-time writer. Today, she writes books and runs a website dedicated to the subjects that have interested her most: happiness and human psychology. Her books, including New York Times bestsellers including The Happiness Project and Better than Before, have sold more than 3.5 million copies. Rubin’s work gives her followers insights into their own habits, and easy-to-follow tips for making their lives happier, calmer, and more fulfilling. (Gretchen Rubin)
What she talks about: Happiness and mindfulness.
Where she’s currently based: New York, NY
Organization mission/personal slogan: “I believe there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for becoming happier, healthier, more productive, or more creative; when we know ourselves and what works for us, we can change our habits and our lives.” (Gretchen Rubin)
How she makes money: Content creation, book sales and speaking events
From around the web:

Derek Flanzraich – Greatist

Website: https://greatist.com/
Social Media Handles:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greatist (559k followers)
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/greatist (108k followers)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatist/ (714k followers)
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/greatist/ (722k followers)
Hashtags: greatist
Bio/how he became involved in wellness: Derek Flanzraich has been interested in media since he was a college student. He always struggled to understand why it was so difficult to find reliable online content about health, fitness and wellness. He launched Greatist, an online media startup dedicated to covering various health and wellness topics, in 2011 after raising $3.5 million in initial funding. The startup received an additional $4.5 million in funding through angel investors in 2016. Journalists at Greatist place a premium on quality over quantity: the website publishes only two to three informative articles per day, and no article is posted before it is fact-checked by at least two experts on the subject. Their target audience is millennials. (Fortune) (Forbes)
What he talks about: Various wellness topics, including health, fitness, relationships, stress and more.
Where he’s currently based: New York, NY
Organization mission/personal slogan: “Your friend with health benefits.” (Greatist)
How he makes money: Content creation, brand partnerships
From around the web:

Marie Kondo

Website: https://konmari.com/
Social Media Handles:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/konmari.co/ (20,311 followers)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariekondo/ (3m followers)
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNaPKFA1niUFRgzkVqqhJVg (285k subscribers)
Hashtags: konmari, mariekondo
Bio/how she became involved in wellness: Born and educated in Japan, Marie Kondo has always believed in the power a clean environment can have on one’s well-being. She began her first tidying and organizing consulting service when she was only 19 years old. Her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, became an instant New York Times bestseller and brought her philosophy into the mainstream. She currently has her own Netflix Series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, and has been named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people. (Marie Kondo)
What she talks about: Organization, cleanliness, mindfulness.
Where she’s currently based: Hollywood, CA
Organization mission/personal slogan: “We are a lifestyle brand inspiring the world to choose joy.” (Marie Kondo)
How she makes money: Selling books and products related to tidying and cleaning, media appearances, content creation
From around the web:

The Best Social Media Influencers for Wellness

Candice Kumai

#Lee Tilghman – Lee from America

Gabrielle Bernstein – The Spirit Junkie

Arianna Huffington

Alexia Brue and Melisse Gelula – Well + Good

Andy Puddicombe and Richard Pierson – Headspace

Gretchen Rubin

Derek Flanzraich – Greatist

Marie Kondo

Interview with Roy Steiner, Managing Director of Food Initiatives at The Rockefeller Foundation

Celebrity Food Advocate: Alicia Silverstone

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