Some health trends show up once and then never seem to leave — take a look at kale, for instance. The king of the trendy superfoods first made a big splash in 2011, and we thought it was going to peak in 2012, which Bon Appétit magazine named "the year of kale," in honor of the impact that the bitter, leafy vegetable was making with chefs and home cooks around the country. Others that peak for a while and mercifully go away after a year or two — we're thinking of those vile, chemically flavored fat-free yogurts our mom used to buy in bulk. These yogurts were ridiculously popular, and were touted as healthy, but the truth is, they were replacing the natural fat from yogurt with a bunch of sugar and chemically created flavors, producing unsatisfying, soggy versions of "key lime pie" and "chocolate cherry sundae," that always tasted like tragic versions of the real thing.
In 2019, like any other year, we've seen some serious health trends we've been paying attention to — and more than a few we have come to love and hope stick around for a long time to come. Read on to find out which we believe should have some solid staying power! But first, take a look at some of the trends we are officially finished with. They haven't all left the spotlight yet, but we can't wait for them to start heading that way. When kiddos are in the mix, look for healthy food trends your kid will actually love for some inspiration on ways to get the little ones to eat better. And when mom's trying to sneak those vegetables in, some hidden vegetable recipes can help get more veggies into the kiddos without them even knowing it. These tricks work great on or spouses and ourselves, too. For anyone feeling like these health trends are passing us by and we can't make it work, check out why it's never too late to get in shape to get inspiration to strap on those gym shoes and switch to healthier snacks.
Nootropics
Everyone we know has been mixing mushroom-based powders into their coffee this year, and frankly, we're into it. Nootropics are supposed to help increase focus and concentration without giving us that unfortunate caffeine buzz.
Turmeric Everywhere
We may have sipped our first golden milk in 2018, but we haven't stopped drinking it since. Warm almond or coconut milk, freshly grated turmeric, black peppercorns, and ginger make for a delicious and slightly spicy drink. Whether the anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric are supported or not, we don't really care — the mild spice is good in a lot of other ways, and we'll be eating and drinking it next year, too.
Oat Milk
Oat milk is a better source of riboflavin than cow's milk — and baristas love it because it foams up far better than common competitors like almond milk and soy milk. We're a fan of the easy-to-digest milk — and we think its mild taste goes great in coffee.
Intuitive Eating
Intuitive eating is all about rejecting the whole culture around dieting and instead learning how to really, truly listen to our own bodies to determine what they need. It involves being judgement-free about our own cravings, and learning to love our bodies as they are — and we're into it.
Prebiotic Foods
We've been incorporating more probiotic foods, like kimchi, kefir, and yogurt, into our diets for a few years now. But prebiotic foods help those probiotics take root, so lately, we've been upping our intake of Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, leeks, and asparagus, too.
Jackfruit for Everything
What a miraculous ingredient! This spiky, gigantic fruit somehow turns into a dead ringer for pulled pork, and it's a much more sustainable version. Jackfruit was everywhere in 2019, and showed up on shelves in cans to make vegan taco night easy.
Intermittent Fasting
We learned this year that going 12 hours — even sometimes longer — without eating CAN be a healthy way to lose weight or manage blood sugars. But that's only if it's done in the right way. There's an art to intermittent fasting, and this year, everyone has been doing it. We see this one as having some upsides but some down, but overall, it's pretty great.
Collagen
Collagen showed up everywhere, with people stirring it into their tea and coffee, sprinkling it onto their granola, and taking it in supplement form. The benefits aren't proven, but we could swear our nails got a little stronger, our hair a little thicker, and our skin a little clearer. Anyway, we bought an enormous bucket of it, so we'll definitely stay with the collagen trend at least until we finally run out.
Anti-Pollution Skin Care
This year, we saw skin care product lines designed to protect skin against more than UVA and UVB rays. They claim to protect and repair our skin from the effects of ozone and pollution in the atmosphere, which helps us age well in the city.
Probiotic Skincare
We may not always think of bacteria on our faces as a good thing — and we'd be right. Often, facial bacteria can lead to acne. But just as we want good bacteria in our gut microbiomes, we learned this year that we also want good bacteria on our faces — and to use pH-balanced products to make that happen.
Home Fermenting
At some point last year, we were all making our own pickles and krauts. We loved this trend, and this year, it expanded. Not only has fermenting upped our cooking game and gotten kids to eat vegetables, but the reported probiotic effect also makes us feel extra virtuous (and less bloated).
Disappearing Sugary & Diet Sodas
Who even remembers drinking a soda in the last year? We can't, and we won't next year either. Between weight gain from sugar or the way artificial sweeteners make our teeth feel, we don't even miss it these days. (We're still all about seltzer, though).
Work-Ready Athleisure Wear
It used to be that we'd get home from work and change for the gym. Now, we go right from work and straight to working out since we're already suited up. "Athleisure" has gotten office-appropriate, and we absolutely love the comfort and convenience. Consider the trend our new lifestyle.
Nutrition Scanners
Food scanners could change the way we shop and eat. Some have the ability to detect gluten and other ingredients, while others let us scan labels to make choices. Either way, the information is helpful and makes us feel more in control.
Women in Health Tech
Women are dominating in tech spaces that address specific needs, lifestyles, and health. From Kegel counters to period trackers designed by women, "femming up" the tech space is something we want even more of in 2020.
