2018: The year Plant Based everything went mainstream! From celebrities and athletes going vegan to new definitions of what to expect from the food world. Does milk have to come from a cow? Does cheese have to come from dairy? Do eggs have to come from chickens? This is the year where the world gets a little more plant friendly and social activism becomes the norm! Last year we predicted that adaptogens, cold showers, intermittent fasting, minimalism and mushrooms would all be big.
Scroll down to see what we feel is going to be the buzz in health and wellness.
Health and Wellness Trends for 2018
Plant Based Everything
From Kyrie Irving to Will.i.am, athletes and celebs are leading the plant based movement. 2018 is the year of the plants! For the longest time Veganism lived in the fringes but with companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods at the forefront, you can now find burgers that taste, look, and smell like meat but are made entirely of plants. The future of meat is meatless and dairy is going cow free! Nut based cheeses like Miyokos and Kite Hill have been making waves with major retailers but we’ve got some local hot shots here in Vancouver with Blue Heron Creamery, Pulse and Black Sheep. Plant Based Butchers like The Very Good Butcher and YamChops will be changing the conversation of what to expect from your local butcher. Stores like Vegan Supply are stocking up on goods like ribs, bacon and pulled pork from Plant Base. All of your meaty needs without compromising flavour and texture, and most importantly without harming any animals! Plant Based living is going beyond the plate from fashion to cosmetics. Look out for plant based everything in 2018!
CBD Oil
Go Green! The Marijuana plant is abundant in its health benefits, from the all mighty hemp seed to Mary Jane herself. CBD oil is the next big marijuana trend. CBD is a non psychoactive part of the plant… aka, it’s not going to make you high. However it can help chronic pain and inflammation, anxiety, sleep and nausea…just to name a few of the many benefits. Fleurs Tea, Hemp Hydrate and Grind Bar are a few of the brands bringing CBD to the mainstream.
Activism for Everyone
In 2018 everyone holds a social responsibility. We are all activists. From #metoo to #blacklivesmatter we saw activism take the mainstage in 2017. This is only the beginning. Equal rights for all beings, people, animals and nature alike is becoming more and more a point of how we identify with our values and purpose. Gone are the days of activists being fringe or alternative. 2018 is the year that everyone becomes an activist. So find your calling and be part of the change!
Zero Waste
If Captain Planet was still airing, he would be telling us to commit to a zero waste lifestyle. Bulk and reusable are in and the world is a happier place because of it. With plastic islands the size of Texas floating through the ocean and packaging for everything we can all work harder to reduce our footprint. Check out NADA and The Soap Dispensary and get down with that Zero Waste lifestyle.
Tai Chi
Yoga's cool cousin. Bruce Lee, Doctor Strange and Yoda all championed the benefits of Tai Chi. Think meditation in movement or martial arts meets yin yoga. Good for the mind, body and soul. This ancient practice is making its way back into the mix. All good things come back around and who doesn't want to practice their chi like Bruce Lee!
Non-Toxic Beauty
If you wouldn’t eat it… you shouldn't put it on your face! Natural beauty is the new organic food and it makes sense... our skin is our largest organ. If we care about what we’re putting in our mouths, it’s only logical to care about what we’re putting on our skin. Don't forget to look out for beauty products that don’t test on animals while you're at it! Harlow Skin Co, Woodlot and K'pure are a few brands to check out.
Ethical Fashion
Similar story…different medium. Across the board, it’s all about transparency. Where does your clothing come from and what is the impact of our consumer choices? Vegan fashion is making some major strides. Gone are the days where leather has to come from an animal. Matt and Nat has some incredible options. We’ve seen leather products made from pineapples and mushrooms. Anything is possible! Check out ARC Apparel, Nicole Bridger, Everlane and Patagonia. lululemon also recycles and reuses everything that doesn’t get sold. That’s pretty cool in our books.
Instant Pot
Topping off Martha Stewart's wish list, this years cooking sensation the Instant Pot. An old classic has found its way again. Millennials have taken a liking to Instant Pot cooking making it the modern way to make dinner again! Search #instapot on Instagram to see what all the craze is about!
Moringa
Every year a new ‘superfood’ makes it big. This year everyone will be wanting more Moringa! It’s a name that rolls off the tongue. Moringa is every bit worth the attention too. It’s packed with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. It’s a good source of vitamin A, C, and E; calcium; potassium; and protein. It's also an antioxidant that helps fight those free radicals and it helps prevent inflammation. We could go on and on… but trust us, Moringa is something every smoothie maker should have in their cupboard. You can get a high quality Moringa from us in store or online.
Pine Pollen
Our favourite supplement to make it into the limelight. Pine Pollen is here to stay. Some say it’s the new maca. Pine Pollen is libido boosting and is an incredible source of plant based testosterone, great for balancing hormones and for getting a little extra boost for your exercise regime. For those in the baby market, it also boost fertility. It’s adaptogenic so it will cater to exactly what your body needs and treat areas of distress. Pine Pollen is packed with Vitamins A, B-Carotene, B1, B2, B3, B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin D, and Vitamin E and full of minerals like Calcium, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium, Molybdenum, Phosphorous, Potassium, Selenium, Silicon, Sodium, and Zinc. One more plus: Pine Pollen contains over twenty amino acids and all eight essential amino acids! That makes it a complete protein! Basically… a little shake of pine pollen in your daily smoothie or tea is good for just about everyone. You can get it at our store and online or through Harmonic Arts!
Craft Kombucha (and Ferments) are The New Craft Beer
Kombucha has been a staple for most of the past decade. This year we’re going to see a new look in kombucha and in ferments...it’s going craft and its going local. In Vancouver, look out for Hoochy Booch and Oddity Kombucha. Looking to sample them all to see what fits your fancy? August Market has over 15 kombuchas on tap. Squamish Water Kefir Co and Moonbrew Tonic Co are mixing up Kefir and Jun… Kombucha's lesser known cousins in the fermented beverage game. In the fermented food sector check out Pure Earth Superfoods.
Podcasts Take Over The Waves
Podcasts have been around for sometime now, but this is the year they take over radio. The quality of content and diversity in podcasts has reached a tipping point where radio can’t keep up. Veganism, business, running, meditation… whatever your interest there are dozens of podcasts that cater to whatever you’re into. A few of our favourites; The Rich Roll Podcast, Finding Mastery, How I Built This, Masters of Scale, Serial, On Being and The Ezra Klein Show.