The 9 Most Influential Wellness Trends of 2019
Your team at The Parlor has reviewed all of the latest & greatest wellness trends out there and picked the nine that we think will be the most influential in 2019.
WELLNESS TREND #1: FOOD
So much is happening with food and wellness it warrants its own article! But for now, here are our top highlights for 2019:
Vegan Seafood – In 2018, plant-based or plant-forward diets went mainstream. In 2019 these diets will have more choices with lines of vegan seafood coming to a grocery store near you from brands like Gardein, Sophie’s Kitchen and New Wave Foods.
Oat Milk – This gluten-free, lactose-free and sugar free option is surpassing almond and soy in popularity. It packs more protein than almond or soy and is lower in fat than traditional dairy plus is higher in fiber than all three. If your local barista has it, give it a try.
MCT OIL and Intermittent Fasting or Ketogenic Diets – Expect to see Keto and Intermittent Fasting diets continue in popularity and an increase in products containing MCT Oil to help. Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) are shorter length fats that can be digested easily and quickly converted into energy. MCT oil helps weight loss efforts by suppressing hunger. It also helps keep the keto and IF dieters in ketosis while providing energy and is purported to have brain boosting and improved memory benefits.
Mesonutrients – Expect to see an increased focus on mesonutrients. You all know about superfoods (think blueberries, leafy greens etc.) that have a variety of health benefits. Mesonutrients are the nutrients inside of these superfoods that make them so super. Example mesonutrients are ECGC found in green tea, lycopene as found in tomatoes and watermelon, curcumin found in turmeric, saffronal found in saffron and anthocyanins found in blueberries and blackberries. Many of these mesonutrients are now available as supplements as well.
Gut Health Foods - Science continues to grow around the benefits of good digestive health. Probiotic supplements have been available for some time but the focus as of late has turned to foods that can provide these same benefits. Expect to see your Kombucha, yogurt, kraut, kimchi and fermented veggies shelves at your local grocer edge out more and more of those “baddie” processed foods.
WELLNESS TREND #2: CBD IN PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING
CBD caught on big-time last year and is continuing to grow like gangbusters with a slew of new products including CBD beer, gummi bears, dog treats, skin creams and even peanut butter. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive chemical compound derived from the hemp plant. It is purported to do a variety of wonderful things such as alleviating joint pain, reducing anxiety and working as a sleep aid, just to name a few, all without the THC high. This is still science-in-progress and a lot of the companies out there are selling less-than-stellar products. As the field gets even more crowded this year, we suggest doing your homework before you buy.
WELLNESS TREND #3: BIOHACKING FOR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH
Biohacking is defined as a means by which you achieve peak physical and mental condition. A variety of services fall in this field, helping everyone from athletes to entrepreneurs to over-stressed students and parents relax, recover and elevate to the next level. Expect to see services grow in areas like compression therapy, infrared saunas, whole body cryotherapy, and hydromassage, which can help with circulation, fatigue, pain relief and faster recovery from injuries and intense exercise, reduced inflammation, an improved immune system, sleep issues and stress as well as improve cognitive function.
WELLNESS TREND #4: LIIT TRAINING
Over the past few years it has been all about HIIT training. Well, now new studies are extolling the virtues of LIIT Training or low-intensity interval training. Similar to HIIT, LIIT is about intervals with lower and then higher intensity. The difference is that the high intensity is not as intense and there are longer rest intervals. You can still have the same results as HIIT training, it just takes a bit longer to achieve but it is a great option for those just starting out who want to avoid injury or those just too out of shape to tackle the fast pace and jumping and pounding in an HIIT workout.
WELLNESS TREND #5: TRACKING AND OPTIMIZING SLEEP
The importance of sleep (seeing as we spend 1/3 of our life doing it!) has finally come to the forefront of wellness. Some say a good night's sleep can be more important than proper diet and exercise. Expect to see more and more products on the market from sleep logs to wearable tech and smart mattress pads that help you hack and track your way to that always elusive 8 hours.
WELLNESS TREND #6: ONE-STOP BEAUTY & WELLNESS CENTERS
We at The Parlor just might know a little something about this trend! There is a new wave to have a one-stop shop for your beauty & wellness needs. Wellness clubs, centers (and Parlors!) are popping up around the globe to address a person's entire beauty & wellness regime. The concept of having a variety of beauty & wellness practitioners in one place with a relaxing club-like setting for in between appointments has a certain appeal to our hectic lifestyles. Learn more about The Parlor’s beauty & wellness suites here.
WELLNESS TREND #7: WEARABLE WELLNESS TECH
It’s no longer just Apple Watch and Fitbit; this field of products and their connected software continues to grow like crazy. From smart rings and necklaces that can track your fitness, sleep and your stress levels to nail art that checks your UV exposure and smart tattoos that help monitor blood sugar, we are bound to see more exciting things come out this week from the CES show in Vegas!
WELLNESS TREND #8: ENERGY HEALING
From Healing Touch to Acupuncture to Crystal Therapy and Chakra Cleansing, Energy Healing practices are gaining popularity as well as more scientific credibility as a remedy for mental and physical woes. Working with your body’s energy fields, energy healing helps to unblock or rebalance your energy flow to help trigger the body’s own ability to heal itself. Expect to see more of these practices find their way into traditional medicine regimes in 2019.
WELLNESS TREND #9: PRIMARY CARE AND THE RISE OF INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
The increase in popularity of a “different kind of primary care” with physicians who specialize in integrative medicine continues to grow. Integrative Medicine is a practice where the doctor works to treat the root causes of an illness rather than the symptoms. The goal is to treat the patient as a whole person, evaluating mental, physical, lifestyle and environmental factors to treat illnesses. In 2019 expect to see more and more physicians move to this type of service.
Do you see a trend in wellness that we did not cover? Send us a note here. We would love to hear from you!