LIVESTRONG's 2017 Wellness Predictions
Our LIVESTRONG editors have their fingers on the pulse of the latest trends in fitness, food and wellness. Here are our predictions for what's hot in 2017.
At LIVESTRONG.COM we provide the blueprint for simple healthy living to an audience of more than 27 million people in the U.S. alone (comScore August 2016). Our editors and fitness and nutrition experts keep their fingers on the pulse of the latest wellness trends of interest to our audience so we can provide up-to-date info on the topics our readers care about most.
The LIVESTRONG editorial team talks with the top health experts each week and obsessively reviews our content's performance on Google Analytics and on Facebook and Snapchat to determine what hits home with our audience. We also look at overall internet search trends on Google Trends.
Here are our top predictions for 2017. Find out why aerial yoga and acroyoga, kava, kefir, cold-brew coffee, matcha and more made our list:
1. Kava, a Buzzy Drink That's a Super-Chill Alternative to Alcohol — Our editors have noticed that interest in kava is on the rise worldwide. The drink is a healthful, relaxing alternative to alcohol and is made from grinding the roots of the kava plant. It's been a staple of South Pacific cultures for thousands of years, and now kava bars are popping up throughout the U.S., including Kavasutra locations in Florida, New York and Colorado, MeloMelo Kava Bar in Berkeley, Rooted Kava Bar in San Diego, Mystic Water Kava Bar in Huntington Beach, California, and Wow-Wee Kava Bar in Maui. According to chef Ariane Resnick, author of LIVESTRONG's recent piece on kava A Super Chill Alternative to Alcohol and How to Drink It, enthusiasts claim it produces a more euphoric and relaxing effect than alcohol.
2. The Body Positivity Movement Continues in Full Force — After kava, the body-positivity movement is our very favorite recent health trend! LIVESTRONG has always had the goal of helping real people of all body types become the best versions of themselves that they can be. In fact, for more than six years we've featured thousands of people of all body types who've been inspired by our workout programs, recipes and support community to make the choice to get healthy. The LIVESTRONG team has always believed that health is not about weight, BMI or shape. We believe health is about overall wellness and happiness driven by the pillars of good nutrition and fitness, and it's great to see the rest of the world gravitating to this concept!
Recent pieces we've published on body positivity include Why Body Acceptance Can Actually Help You Lose Weight, A Healthy Body Is the New "Bikini-Ready" Body, and The Best Fitness Apparel for Fuller Figures. Body positivity saw a huge spike in summer 2016 on Google Search Trends, and we expect the term and movement will continue to build steam in 2017. We're also huge fans of an emerging side trend: body positivity for new moms.
3. Aerial Yoga and Acroyoga — 2016 saw baby goats doing yoga on Instagram. What will we see next? Now yoga is moving beyond the studio floor! Christopher Harrison created antigravity yoga in 2007. In antigravity yoga (or aerial yoga, as it's more commonly known) practitioners perform poses and inversions suspended above the ground with the help of a hammock or carnival silks. Aerial yoga has really taken off in popularity over the past two years, and we predict it will be huge in 2017. From Air to Unnata Yoga, there are studios popping up in Los Angeles, New York and nationwide.
Similarly, acroyoga is another type of off-the-ground yoga that is really getting off the ground lately! Acroyoga is a blend of acrobatics and yoga developed by Jenny Sauer-Klein and Jason Nemer in 2003. It fosters communication and connection with your partner, and it requires a ton of legs, arms and core strength to lift the other person into the air (when you are the "base") and to keep yourself supported in the air (when you are the "flyer"). I had the chance to try it this past summer, and I can confirm that it's fun and incredibly challenging for your legs and core!
Ever since Lena Dunham, Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady started Instagramming photos of themselves doing it in 2015, acroyoga has taken off. From what we're seeing on Google Trends, it's growing in popularity, as is aerial yoga with silks. Both of these forms of yoga are essentially Instagram gold: There are already more than 198,000 photos of #AerialYoga and over 976,000 photos of #acroyoga! Yoga blogger Steph Gongora (aka @casa_colibri) has been practicing acroyoga poses with her husband and taking #RelationshipGoals to the next level.
4. Avocado Oil Is the New Cure-All Oil! — Coconut oil has been increasing in popularity for years and is now known for its copious health benefits. It's attracted some skepticism, too. (See Is Coconut the Miracle Cure-All It's Cracked Up to Be?) But now there's another miracle oil trending in healthy-living circles. Avocado oil is now surging in popularity on Google Trends, and we expect to see it spike even higher starting in January 2017. In October 2016, LIVESTRONG had the opportunity to interview Jillian Michaels at the MindBody BOLD Conference in Hollywood, and she told us, "Avocado oil is the new coconut oil." Avocado oil has many health benefits, including lowering blood pressure and helping relieve arthritis and psoriasis.
5. EFT Tapping — Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), also referred to as "tapping," is essentially emotional acupuncture without any needles. It's a self-help technique in which you use your fingers to tap on certain acupuncture points located along energy pathways of the body, or meridians. At the same time, you think about a particular issue, problem, memory or event. Thinking about an issue while tapping on the meridian points is thought to release or reduce the emotional intensity of the issue, potentially enabling you to think about it without feeling emotional distress. It is a noninvasive way to help reduce stress, anxiety, depression, phobias, PTSD and pain and prevent food cravings. Interest in EFT has been spiking in 2016, and we predict it will increase in 2017. We published a piece on the topic: What Is EFT Tapping? And Should You Try It?
6. Alkaline Water Is Everywhere — Many alternative health experts say that alkaline water (whether purchased in bottles or created from your own tap with a pricey, do-it-yourself ionizing purifier) is a healthier type of water to drink, with claims that it slows the aging process, increases energy, helps people with fertility issues, regulates your body's pH level and prevents chronic diseases like cancer. But many wonder if it lives up to the hype. My article titled Is Alkaline Water Extra Healthy or a Hoax? explores the claims and the science, and the piece has been shared more than 5,000 times on social media. Google Trends showed that interest in alkaline water is growing. With all the bottled alkaline waters on the market (such as Waikea, Iceland Spring and Essentia), we predict it will grow in popularity in 2017.
7. #LadyBosses Are Gaining Visibility — Instagram contains more than 788,000 inspiring photos tagged with #ladyboss, and Google Trends shows that searches for "ladyboss" are increasing. We expect the #ladyboss trend to continue full speed ahead in 2017. At LIVESTRONG, we have many female managers and leaders, and the majority of our writers, experts and influencers are whip-smart women too.
8. Dragon Fruit — Dragon fruit is an unusual-looking anti-aging fruit that is high in vitamin C and carotene. It's been growing in interest on Google Trends over the past several years and looks like it will be of strong interest in 2017. Our recent Simple.Healthy.Eats Dragon Fruit Smoothie Bowl video (embedded above) got 178,000 views on Facebook.
9. Meditation and Mindfulness Are Coming to You — From Facebook notifications to emails and Slack messages, there are so many more distractions in our lives now. And people seem to be busier than ever. We've all heard again and again that meditation will help us relax and "be present." But for busy people with busy brains, meditating can feel like such a challenge. Still, influential and incredibly busy celebrities like David Lynch, Ellen DeGeneres, Jerry Seinfeld and Howard Stern have continually mentioned in interviews how meditation helps them. In order to help us meditate, we can turn to apps (Headspace, Calm, OMG I Can Meditate and Stop Breathe and Think), and drop-in meditation studios (Unplug in L.A. and Pause in Portland, Oregon) are becoming increasingly popular.
Many excellent apps and gadgets have launched with free guided meditations to help users set daily and weekly meditation goals and stick to them. For $20 a class, drop-in meditation studios help make meditation simple and accessible to anyone. They also provide a sense of community and connectedness. We've published several pieces about quick, easy ways to meditate that have performed well this year, such as Deepak Chopra's One-Minute Meditation You Can Do at Your Desk With Your Eyes Open and 8 Easy Mindful-Meditation Techniques.
10. Burning Man Is Growing Increasingly Relevant — Although there have been rumors in the past few years that Burning Man had jumped the shark, the week-long music and cultural event in Nevada's high desert is still gathering steam, and writer Daniel Pinchbeck this year declared it "the greatest cultural movement of our time." As the modern world continues to make us stressed and anxious, there's a growing demand for authenticity and the type of spirituality associated with indigenous people. Pinchbeck writes, "As somebody who has written on shamanic cultures in the Amazon and Africa, as well as traditional myth-based civilizations like the classic Maya, Hindus and Egyptians, I find many resonances with their ceremonies and practices at Burning Man."
The event continues to grow in size and scope: In 2016 there were 70,000 attendees from all over the world there to hear talks, take yoga classes and explore giant art and experimental gifting culture. My experience attending over the past 18 years tells me that each subsequent year is generally more impressive than the previous. 2017 will certainly be something to experience. Will it be your year to go? See our 16 Reasons to Put Burning Man on Your Bucket List.
11. Cauliflower Rice and Cauliflower Pizza Crust — These have both been growing hugely in popularity since January 2015, and after viewing the latest Google Trends data, we are confident these cauliflower low-carb substitutes will spike even higher in interest in January 2017! They are low-carb, grain-free, Paleo, nutrient-rich substitutes for regular rice and regular pizza crust. Packaged premade versions of cauliflower rice are now found in grocery stores like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.
With just 25 calories per half-cup of cauliflower rice, compared with about 140 calories per half-cup of cooked white rice, you can see why diet and health-conscious people are loving this. We published 9 Healthy and Delicious Cauliflower Recipes, Including Cauliflower Rice and Cauliflower Pizza! Also, our Simple.Healthy.Eats How to Make Cauliflower Pizza Crust video (embedded above) got 1.3 million views and more than 4,000 shares in September 2016.
12. "Workleisure" Wear, i.e. Athleisure Wear at Work — Just like "business casual" was a huge deal in office wear that began in the 1990s and never really went away, workout clothing you can wear to work and to brunch (i.e., athleisure) is a revolution in women's wardrobe that is beyond a trend. It's essential to have a wardrobe with activewear — such as yoga pants and hoodie sweatshirts — that you can wear to work and to the gym. The term "athleisure" started to trend on Google in 2014, and it really spiked in 2016. From what we've seen, we expect it to continue strong in 2017.
13. Black Garlic — According to LIVESTRONG writer Katie Farmand in her piece The 5 Best Foods You Aren't Eating, black garlic has a less pungent flavor and nearly twice the antioxidants of fresh garlic. It's long been valued in Asia, but only made its debut in Western markets in the past several years. Farmand writes, "The powerful antioxidants in black garlic protect your cells from disease and can even help you stay younger longer. The gentle, sweet flavor of black garlic makes it a versatile superfood. Add it to any recipe in which you'd use fresh garlic — from pasta dishes to soups and stews.
The best part? No garlic breath." In September 2016, FritoLay launched Black Garlic Doritos in Japan, and searches for black garlic spiked incredibly high on Google Trends, though it was already building in popularity. As Geekologie describes it: "Black garlic is made by slowly heating garlic cloves over several weeks until they caramelize, resulting in a sweet and syrupy flavor 'with hints of balsamic vinegar and tamarind.'"
14. Earthing" as a Natural Way to Get Grounded — In October 2016, LIVESTRONG had the opportunity to interview world-renowned speaker, endocrinologist and spiritual icon Deepak Chopra at the Mindbody BOLD Conference in Hollywood. Chopra told us about the benefits of "earthing." Chopra says earthing will reduce levels of pain and lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. As Chopra explained it, earthing is something free and easy that everyone has access too and everyone can do. It's essentially walking barefoot on the bare earth, such as grass, sand or dirt — not pavement. You can also touch the earth with your hands, as during gardening.
Chopra says that earthing allows excess positively charged particles to leave our bodies and run off into the ground. In ancient times, people were always connected to the ground — walking barefoot, growing plants in the ground and sleeping in huts with dirt floors. They were in touch with the earth (literally) and lived in sync with nature. Today in our busy modern lives we spend far less — if any — time outdoors and wear rubber or synthetic-soled shoes that insulate us from the earth's electrical rhythms and free electrons. Furthermore, we currently live in a world where our bodies are bombarded by cellphone signals, Wi-Fi and TV signals. Chopra says that this leads to a buildup of excess positive ions in our cells that can cause health problems in the long term.
According to Chopra, walking barefoot on the earth allows us to tap into the earth's natural healing energy in the form of negative ions, which fight inflammation in our bodies by reducing positively charged free radicals. He says earthing alleviates (chronic) pain, improves sleep and normalizes circadian rhythms. It can also lessen headaches and relieve body tension. Google Trends shows earthing growing in popularity, and we expect it to continue in 2017.
15. Eco-Friendly Tampon Alternatives — Did you know that each year, women around the world use more than 12 billion sanitary napkins and disposable tampons? That's equal to 250 to 300 pounds of waste over the course of a woman's life! LIVESTRONG writer Moira Lawler recently wrote a popular piece for us called 5 Products That Will Make You Ditch Tampons for Good that got over 3,000 social shares. She mentions popular period underwear brand Thinx, which are super absorbent, leak-proof, antimicrobial and reusable. We are huge fans
16. Turning to Probiotics, Prebiotics and Fermented Foods to Fix Issues in Our Microbiomes — More and more, researchers are drawing connections between our health and the universe of bacteria that lives inside guts. Scientists have even discovered that irritation in our gastrointestinal system can cause depression and anxiety, both of which are on the rise. If you want to find out more about your gut health, there's a test kit you can order called uBiome that helps you analyze the function of your gut by sequencing your microbiome using a saliva sample. Dietitian Lea Basch wrote on LIVESTRONG, "There are also strong linkages being drawn between our microbiomes and our immune health, autoimmune disease, inflammatory conditions and even obesity." To help combat these issues and to promote gut health, people are turning to probiotics and prebiotics!
Probiotics are live microorganisms (bacteria) that are similar to the beneficial microorganisms found in the human gut. They're available mainly in the form of supplements and foods like yogurt, kombucha, cottage cheese, kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi. As Basch points out, "Prebiotics are the indigestible carbohydrates that feed probiotics. They are found mainly in foods like Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, bananas, oatmeal and chicory root." Popular content we've published on gut health includes: 7 Signs Your Gut Is Out of Whack and 13 Surprising and Beneficial Probiotic Foods. Based on the pattern we see in Google Trends, probiotics will continue to grow in interest and spike in January 2017.
17. Maca Powder — According to LIVESTRONG writer August McLaughlin in The Secrets of 16 Strange and Popular Superfoods, "Maca powder comes from a Peruvian root vegetable. It's believed to promote energy, stamina, fertility and sex drive. According to the New York University Langone Medical Center, most of the research on maca has been conducted on animals, but there have been a couple of human trials that yielded interesting results. One study showed increased sex drive — not function — in males.
Another study showed that it can increase sperm count. However, this study did not have a control group, thus making the findings meaningless in the scientific community. As a rich source of B vitamins, vitamins C, D and E, iron, copper and potassium, maca powder unarguably provides a simple way to increase your micronutrient intake. Just add the powder to baked goods, smoothies, yogurt, tea and cereals." Maca is growing in popularity in searches as seen on Google Trends. And due to its fertility and sex-drive tie-in, we predict it will spike in February 2017. More sex in 2017? Yes!
18. Creating Capsule Wardrobes, Reducing Clutter and Minimizing Possessions — The LIVESTRONG team has been obsessed with the idea of capsule wardrobes since 2014: That's when we first read Caroline Rector's blog Unfancy, which documents how she limits herself to only 37 items of clothing in her wardrobe per season. When Marie Kondo's book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up became a New York Times bestseller, we couldn't put it down. And then her 2016 follow-up, "Spark Joy," became an organizational manifesto. Going minimalist and getting rid of items and clothing that don't "bring you joy" is a great way to reinvigorate and bring energy to your home and life. Plus, the Kondo method of folding is addictive and creates way more space in your drawers! We published 50 Things to Throw Out Now. It has been incredibly popular, with 73,545 social shares as of publication. Our sister site Sapling recently published Capsule Wardrobe: A Beginner Guide to Paring Down. Google search interest in capsule wardrobes is going into a rather high spike at the end of 2016 and into 2017.
19. Matcha Tea — This green beverage exploded in popularity among the wellness set starting in 2015 — right around the time Gwyneth Paltrow posted an Instagram pic of her matcha latte. We first published a piece called Why Everyone Is Drinking Matcha Tea at about the same time. Matcha is a stone-ground powdered green tea used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. When you drink standard green tea, you're drinking a steeped infusion of the tea leaves. With matcha, you're drinking a powder made from the ground tea leaves mixed with water.
This means matcha provides a more potent amount of both caffeine and antioxidants than regular green tea. Matcha is rich in polyphenols, which have been tied to protection against heart disease and cancer as well as better blood sugar regulation, blood pressure reduction and anti-aging benefits. Another polyphenol in matcha called "EGCG" has been shown in research to boost metabolism and slow or halt the growth of cancer cells. Google Trends shows that search interest in matcha has been hugely popular in 2016, and we predict it will grow even more in 2017.
20. Cold-Brew Coffee — Bulletproof Coffee was one of our top trends for 2016, and this year a newer coffee trend — cold-brew coffee — kicked off in earnest. According to LIVESTRONG writer Deborah Day in Is Cold-Brew Coffee Actually Better for You?, unlike traditional iced coffee (in which hot-brewed coffee is poured over ice), cold-brew coffee is the product of a process that some claim can trace its early history to Dutch traders in the 1600s looking for a way to produce coffee that traveled well.
The method creates coffee concentrate by soaking grounds in cold or room-temperature water for 12 to 24 hours. The filtered final product is diluted with two or three parts hot or cold water and milk or dairy substitute to one part coffee. The concentrate, or "essence," can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to six weeks or frozen for an even longer period. Cold-brew coffee has a more balanced, smoother flavor and slightly less caffeine than brewed coffee. It is also less acidic and less likely to raise your LDL ("bad") cholesterol than hot-brewed coffee. From Google Trends we can see how interest has been gaining throughout 2016 and looks to spike as we head into 2017.
21. Reducetarianism, Flexitarianism and Vegan and Plant-Based Diets — With growing concern over meat production's environmental impact and the inhumane factory farming process, interest in reducetarian and vegan diets as well as other plant-based eating and flexitarianism continue to grow in popularity. The term "reducetarianism" was coined when Brian Kateman (cofounder and president of the Reducetarian Foundation) gave a popular December 2014 TEDx Talk that was posted on YouTube, and the term continues to spike in popularity. We recently published 6 Reasons to Try Reducetarianism and How to Gain the Health Benefits of Going Flexitarian.
The USDA expects a continued decline in meat consumption, with the average American eating 12.2 percent less meat today than in 2007. In May the Guardian reported that veganism has increased 350 percent in the past 10 years in the UK, largely among millennials who are becoming exposed to vegan eating options and recipes via Instagram. Many celebrities, such as Beyonce and Jay-Z, have tried part-time vegan diets. Others like Ellen Page, Alicia Silverstone, Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth, Miley Cyrus, Russell Simmons and Ellen DeGeneres are full-time vegans. As we head toward January 2017, Google Trends shows that interest in veganism is spiking.
22. Sweet Potato Toast — Yes, friends, avocado toast is still growing in popularity in 2017, but now there is a gluten-free newcomer that is high in beta-carotene and spiking in popularity: sweet potato toast! The "toast" is actually made from baked sliced sweet potatoes, and the toppings can be sweet or savory. Our Simple.Healthy.Eats video showing three ways to make sweet potato toast (embedded above) got 270,000 views on Facebook. To help feed our readers' interest in toasts, we created 10 Toast Recipes Under 250 Calories. Google Trends data confirms that sweet potato toast has seen some huge spikes in interest in 2016 and is growing in popularity as we head into 2017.
23. Sound Baths — In a sound bath, a participant typically lies on the ground on a yoga mat, pillow and/or bolster while gongs, crystal singing bowls and other instruments are played by the sound healer. Sound baths typically last about one hour. If you're going to a sound bath, you may want to bring your own blanket, mat and pillow. In Los Angeles you can do a sound bath with Jamie Ford at Sound Space, a sound bath studio in Silverlake. Or you can do a sound bath with "gong master" Guy Douglas at Unplug Meditation in West Los Angeles. (Guy's sound baths are so relaxing that your mind feels like it's visiting another planet.) There's also the experience of going to the Integratron out by Joshua Tree for their 60-minute sound bath. Sound baths have been incredibly popular, and spots in the room generally need to be reserved in advance because they often sell out.
The experience is incredibly relaxing, and the sounds transport your mind and take it on a sensory journey — similar to the way a movie soundtrack does. Sound baths can be a way to force your brain into a meditative state. Historically, sound has been used in various cultures for healing and wellness, from music and chanting/mantras to drumming, gonging and playing crystal bowls. Sound baths can not only provide deep relaxation and the best night of sleep you've ever had, they can also help you feel more grounded and connected to the earth and the universe. Importantly, sound baths can also help alleviate issues like anxiety, PTSD, sleep disorders, pain, stress and depression. I'm a huge fan! Google Trends shows that interest in sound baths is growing and mostly focused in North America and the U.K. We expect to see more interest in sound baths in 2017.
24. Watermelon Water — In October 2016 LIVESTRONG had the opportunity to interview Jillian Michaels at the BOLD Conference in Hollywood, and she told us, "Watermelon water is the new coconut water." You can find it in the grocery store under the brand name WTRMLN WTR, and it's really just cold-pressed watermelon. WTRMLN WTR's founders created it with the goal of being sustainable by finding a sellable use for watermelons that would have been discarded simply because there was a blemish on an otherwise delicious melon. And juicing watermelon or drinking watermelon water has several benefits. Watermelon water has been rising in popularity in Google Trends, and we predict it will be hugely popular in June 2017 because it tends to spike even higher in summertime.
25. Nutritional Yeast — According to LIVESTRONG writer Katie Farmand in The 5 Best Foods You Aren't Eating, nutritional yeast (also known as nooch) is deactivated yeast, so it won't rise during baking. Its cheesy, nutty flavor makes it a great healthy topping for salads or salty snacks like popcorn. Nutritional yeast is a rich source of vitamin B-12, a nutrient that boosts your energy, protects your brain and promotes healthy skin, hair and nails. It's also a complete protein (a protein source like meat, eggs and milk that contains all nine essential amino acids), so it's a great addition to vegetarian and vegan diets. Nutritional yeast is growing in popularity in Google Trends, and we expect it to spike up in January 2017.
26. Bone Broth — Often confused as "stock," bone broth differs from stock by the duration of cooking time and the lack of need for any meat (stock generally contains meat and vegetable aromatics), according to chef and LIVESTRONG writer Ariane Resnick. "Stock you buy in a box is a liquid; bone broth is cooked for long enough to allow the gelatin and collagen to be released from bones and will gel into a solid when cold," explains Resnick in Why Bone Broth Is Good for You. Interest in bone broth began in 2015, and it will continue on into 2017. Some experts say a cup of bone broth a day will help resolve leaky gut syndrome. From what we see on Google Trends, we predict that bone broth is going up, up, up in 2017.
27. Float Therapy and Sensory Deprivation Tanks — We've written about sensory deprivation tank experiences on LIVESTRONG in the past year. Float therapy is another easy way for stressed modern people to relieve stress, improve sleep, reduce chronic pain and even enhance athletic performance. Being suspended and floating on the Epsom salts is an amazing feeling, and it brings you to a deep meditative state. Interest in float therapy has spiked on Google Trends in 2016. Float therapy seems to be becoming more mainstream, at least in Los Angeles, with tank studios popping up all over town! There is Just Float in Pasadena, Float Lab in Westwood and Pause in Venice. And rebranding "sensory deprivation tanks" as the gentler-sounding "floatation therapy" will likely lend it wider appeal. Plus, the tanks have been made larger, which will help make this therapy more accessible to those with claustrophobia.
28. Cashew Milk — Watch out, almond milk! There's a new plant-based milk product in the grocery stores, and it's gaining in popularity. It's cashew milk, and we predict it's going to get even more popular in 2017. Look for Forager Project's organic cashew milk. Google Trends shows that cashew milk has been spiking in interest since early 2015, primarily in North America. Try our easy recipe to make your own cashew milk — it's easy! There is also nondairy cashew ice cream (which is also spiking in popularity now) starting to appear in the freezer section.
29. Kefir — Similar to yogurt or buttermilk in taste, this fermented dairy drink is like a thick, protein-packed smoothie. According to LIVESTRONG writer Katie Farmand, "The complete proteins in kefir are easily digested, so even people who are lactose intolerant may consume the drink. Because it's packed with gut-friendly bacteria called probiotics, kefir has been shown to enhance the immune system, balance digestion and even lower cholesterol. It's also an excellent source of vitamin D and calcium." Farmand included kefir in The 5 Best Foods You Aren't Eating. On Google Trends kefir is growing in popularity, and I predict that interest will spike up in January 2017.
30. More Integrative Wellness Studios — In 2017, we predict we're going to see more studios integrating fitness, juice bars, healthy food and places to socialize or work remotely. In L.A. we already have Wanderlust Hollywood, The Springs Wellness Center and Mystic Water Kava Bar and Yoga Studio.
31. Stylish Workout Wear for Women of All Sizes — The business world is finally realizing that women of all sizes and shapes participate in sports and fitness activities. SuperFit Hero, a new company founded by Los Angeles-based roller derby athlete Micki Krimmel, creates stylish athletic clothing for women sizes XS to 3XL for activities like running, yoga, CrossFit and more. In a similar story, Minnesota resident Anne Kelly often had trouble finding gym clothes in her size. So she created JunoActive, a fitness clothing line for women sizes XL to 1XP . We ran a piece titled The Best Fitness Apparel for Fuller Figures, and we hope to see more open-minded fitness fashion companies popping up in 2017!
32. Foods Made From Bugs, Such as Roach Milk and Cricket Flour! — In order to feed the world's rapidly expanding population in an environmentally friendly way, some people are turning to insects. It may sound gross, but this year I tried EXO's protein bars made from cricket flour. These taste just like any other protein bars, and they are free of soy, dairy, grain and gluten. They're Paleo and incredibly environmentally friendly. Crickets produce 100 times less greenhouse gases than cows, and cricket flour is 65 percent protein. Interest in cricket flour has been growing since 2014.
When we published Is Roach Milk the Next Superfood? this summer, it performed incredibly well on Facebook. According to LIVESTRONG editor Tiffany Lin, researchers from the Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in Bangalore, India, have been analyzing the "milk" produced by the Pacific beetle cockroach. The researchers found that the milk protein crystals from Pacific beetle cockroaches contain four times the nutritional value of cow milk. These crystals slowly release proteins, fats, sugars and essential amino acids over time, which can help maintain steady energy levels.
33. More Sophisticated Wearables — Wearable fitness technology is expanding into new territory. Biometric measurements are getting incredibly sophisticated, and the wearable devices are getting smaller and smaller. With Lumo and UpRight (posture trainers) and the Spire and Bellabeat Leaf (which track your breathing and stress levels), we will see wearables that will assess biomechanical advantages and musculoskeletal misalignments and imbalances. These devices will be able to give accurate caloric expenditures and monitor heart rate. Until now these measurements were only estimates. We published 20 Fitness Gadgets That Actually Work, and it was a huge hit with our audience. And we also mentioned some of these new wearables in our LIVESTRONG Healthy Holiday Gift Guide.
What Do YOU Think?
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Goat Yoga?Goat Yoga seems to be getting a trendy lift.
Are there any hot trends for 2017 that we missed?
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Any other trends you might think of?Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below or on our Facebook page.