2017 was the year of bulletproof coffee, health tracking apps and devices, probiotics, mindfulness, golden lattes, Korean beauty products, and fancy sauerkraut. So what wild, innovative, strange, and fun things will we be doing, buying and consuming to stay fit, strong, and healthy in 2018? Here are just a few health, food, and fitness trends to watch for in the new year:
- Meat with meaning: Although plant-based diets are gaining popularity, most of us are not totally ready to give up having a good old fashioned cheeseburger every once in a while. But the options for fake meat have gotten much better. In 2018, you might be eating coconut bacon with a straight face; supplementing your ground beef with mushrooms for a slightly healthier burger; or maybe even going all the way with foods like the "Impossible Burger" (a completely meat-free burger that actually "bleeds" just like the real thing).
- "Coffee" with "Milk": Maybe you got into the bulletproof coffee trend of last year, but drinking your coffee with butter is just the beginning. Soon we'll be buying coffee alternatives made from herbs, mushrooms, spices and other unusual ingredients, and adding other atypical health-enhancers, like collagen and something called "adaptogens." Similarly, it seems as though the list of things we can make milk out of is never-ending: right now nut milks are taking center stage, but watch out for milk made from barley, flax, quinoa, and even peas.
- Mature mocktails: Actual sobriety may still not be trendy, but restaurateurs have finally gotten the hint that there are plenty of folks who would sometimes like to order a fruity, possibly fizzy, definitely interesting drink, maybe with an umbrella, but without alcohol, thank you very much. Now that bartenders are taking mocktails seriously (no pun intended), it's finally safe to order a non-alcoholic drink without having to worry about getting funny looks from your friends, and to sip easy knowing you're getting all the flavor and refreshment without the hangover.
- Future skincare: Protecting your skin from "the elements" used to mean the sun and wind, but now there are so many more invisible things to worry about. The next generation of masks, creams, and serums will go beyond treating aging, acne and dark spots to address environmental toxins, the effects of technology, and poor air quality, among other things.
- Group fitness: Willpower is out, accountability buddies are out: good old-fashioned peer pressure is in the good kind, that is. We now know that living a healthy lifestyle is much easier when you set up your environment to conspire for your success, and surround yourself with people who share the same goals. If you've never been able to get into Crossfit or yoga classes, don't worry: you'll be able to sign up for small group sessions at your local gym, so you can still workout alone, but together.
- Personalized vitamin regimens: Whether you're tired, sun-deprived, or just plain stressed out, in 2018 you'll be able to find a vitamin cocktail especially tailored to your personal wellness needs. Pick up a box of these individually tailored packets at your local drugstore or, better yet, join a subscription service that will design a made-to-order regimen especially for you (think Birchbox, but with vitamins).
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