Last year I provided my predictions for health trends for 2016. I had a few hits and some misses – kaniwa and kohlrabi are two misses that come to mind. Well it’s a new year and I’m going to take a crack at it again. Here are my predictions for what health trends we may see in 2017.
1. Probiotics
Probiotics and awareness around the importance of keeping the bacteria in our gut in proper balance has started to gain some traction here in North America. Andrew confirms this is so also in Australia. I think the awareness will continue to grow through 2017 and I predict there will be a lot more “buzz” around this subject this year. I believe we will start to see more products hitting the shelf that will be supplemented with probiotics. We already know about the more traditional products that naturally contain probiotics like kefir and yogurt, but I believe that with growing consumer awareness, companies will start to supplement products that don’t naturally contain probiotics, much like we see Omega 3 eggs for example. I also think that this trend will extend beyond the food aisles to personal care products where we will begin to see products such as face and body creams infused with probiotics.
2. Digestive enzymes
This prediction has a direct linkage to my first prediction since it focuses on the gut. As awareness on probiotics begins to grow, there will be more focus on the importance of proper digestion as evidence on the linkage between digestion, a healthy gut, and our health become more mainstream. Digestive enzymes aren’t new, but I believe this year and in the upcoming years we’ll see trendy digestive elixirs hit the shelves and recipe magazines, more companies marketing digestive enzymes, and more products being marketed with digestive enzymes.
3. Alternative Pasta
Stay on the lookout for pasta in different forms that are higher in protein and fibre than their wheat or rice counterparts. I’m talking about pasta made from chickpeas, lentils, and other legumes. As more and more consumers seek alternatives to traditional nutrient poor pasta, I believe more companies will respond and bring these alternative forms of pasta more mainstream.
4. Bone Broth
I’ve been making bone broths for the past two years or so. I enjoy it on its own or add it to some of my cooking to boost the mineral content and flavour. Bone broth has been touted to support gut health and aid those suffering from leaky gut syndrome (there’s that focus on the gut again). It has also started gaining ground for being a more effective alternative to glucosamine supplements for joint health. But I know first-hand that it can be incredibly time consuming to make bone broth. At a few health shows I attended last year, I saw a company that is actually creating it and packaging it for sale in grocery stores, making it more convenient for those who want it. I predict that we will start to see bone broth soup being offered in more trendy restaurants and juice bars and stocked on the shelves of speciality grocery stores. I also predict more information, articles and recipes on making bone broth extending beyond health magazines to more mainstream one.
Well, there you have it. Those are my predictions for 2017. Time will tell if I got them right this year or not 🙂
To fitness with love,
Tanya
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