“Move over financial equity. That is so 2019 and wellbeing equity will trend this new year. Wellness is the unstoppable trend for 2020 and the entire next decade. This new decade we will see Gen Y and Gen Z more concerned with their health creation than their wealth creation. Everyone from the busy mum to the productive CEO is not only reading the research on nutritional power but also feeling the impact of nutrition with their improved sleep, energy, brain clarity and ability to connect and be present.”
Michele Chevalley Hedge, Trends 2020
The unstoppable wellness trends you MUST know about in 2020 – including ‘internal cosmetics’, ‘hard hydration’ and the never-ending collagen craze.
- Michele Chevalley Hedge has shared the top 10 wellness trends of 2020
- She has been working with companies on their wellness initiatives for staff
- Among the trends are food wearables, ethical eating, and ‘puffed’ snacks
The past 12 months have seen plant-based meats, blue light glasses, jade rollers, and acupressure mats take over the beauty and wellness world.
But according to leading Australian nutritionist Michele Chevalley Hedge, there are a host of powerful new health trends set to sweep the nation in the coming year.
‘Poor lifestyle choices cause pebble pooping, moobs, cortisol cravings, and tired but wired humans; but now everyone from the busy mum to the productive CEO is reading the research on nutritional power and feeling the impact when they adopt changes,’ she said.
Here Michele, who has collaborated with more than 130 Fortune 500 companies on their wellness initiatives over the past year, shares the 10 ‘unstoppable’ wellness trends that everyone should know about in 2020.
1. Food as an Internal Cosmetic
According to Michele, people are using food for function as much as flavour to improve their skin, cleanse their livers and heal themselves from the inside out.
‘Trendsetting consumers of all ages are asking themselves “if I eat this how will it benefit me? Will I be calmer? Will it help me think clearer? Assist my sleep? Will I look healthier if I feel healthier?”.’
‘My go-to botox barriers are sweet potatoes, avocado, olive oil, lemons, and eggs because they are full of vitamin A, C, E, good fats and strengthening proteins with no sugar.’
2. Junkless Power Foods
More than ever, consumers have become ‘label readers’.
‘People know if they can pronounce and recognise the ingredient they are more likely to eat it,’ Michele said.
‘If sugar is in the first three ingredients, the wellness warrior within will look for an alternative power food – one that sustains their energy and their brainpower that includes fibre and protein.
‘A perfect example of this is pea protein smoothies with protein powders that simply just consist of clean protein without all the additive fanfare.’
3. Food Wearables
All kinds of gadgets will help consumers make healthy choices this year – from apps to devices such as smartwatches, contact lenses, scanners. and implants.
‘Soon there will be wearables on the market that not only track how hydrated we are but which apple is the freshest and has the highest fibre or antioxidant content,’ Michele said.
‘Smart voice-activated food logging will be commonplace.’
Michele’s Glossary of Australian Symptoms
Pebble Poopers – no explanation necessary, a case of not enough fibre, dehydration and too much sugar.
The Slender Ruster – healthy looking on the outside, rusting on the inside. Leanish women, running on cortisol who eat fast processed food on the go. Eventually catching up, their poor diet can cause polycystic ovaries, adrenal exhaustion, chronic fatigue, and thyroid dysfunction.
Light Lunchers and Afternoon Munchers – people suffering from sitting person syndrome, working too hard and making regular visits to the vending machine.
Moobs – a sudden appearance of female breasts on males, caused by too many grab-and-go foods and not enough planning for real nourishment.
Cortisol Cravers – the addiction to cortisol from high sugar foods, excessive caffeine, or stress – real or perceived – causing belly fat.
Wired but Tired Humans – going to bed early because they know sleep is important but as they are full up on food, monkey chatter, and blue lights the quality of their sleep is impacted.
4. Bio-Individual Diets
As we all have unique genes and individual metabolism, nutritional plans personalised to your own DNA and gut are most effective.
‘Taking time to seek professional guidance for your own bespoke lifestyle regime will become as mainstream as a trip to the hairdressers,’ Michele said.
‘At home, the new wave of consumer DNA tests which analyse genetic makeup and propensity to different kinds of cancer, heart conditions and obesity will be normalised.’
5. Ethical Eating
Consumers are demanding more sustainable and natural ingredients, less meat and more plants so locally sourced food will be a priority this year along with limited packaging.
‘Expect to see more wonky vegetables in the supermarket as conscious consumers want to do their bit to reduce waste and buy from more responsible businesses,’ Michele said.
6. Puffed Snacks
In 2020, expect to see an abundance of puffed up crunch snacks with ingredients like chickpeas, beets, quinoa, and kale.
‘These protein-packed vegan snacks are touting less puff in the tummy and are appearing front and centre at cafe counters globally,’ Michele said.
7. Gluten-Free Flours
This year, gluten will remain ‘guilty until proven innocent’ in the eyes of the wellness seeker as consumers continue to use it as a scapegoat for distressed, bloated digestion.
‘While the world is waiting on more research, consumers are eating less wheat and seeking out gluten-free alternatives,’ Michele said.
‘Lupin, once only used as animal fodder, is a great source of gluten-free plant protein in flour or flake form will become more readily available.’
8. Real Vegan Foods
From beetroot burgers to hoisin ‘duck’ rolls, hot dogs and ‘chick’ nuggets, imitation meats are everywhere.
‘True vegans are seeking proteins from real, whole foods, not ones crafted from soy isolates and additives,’ Michele said.
‘Fake meats will be passe and foods made from tofu, mushrooms, legumes, nuts, seaweeds, and nutritional yeasts will trend along with an increasing number of flexitarians.’
9. Hard Hydration
Australians are always seeking ways to reduce sugar and calorie intake without feeling dusty the next day.
‘This has led to lower alcohol consumption across the board, with brands developing a variety of hard seltzers, spiked sodas, and hard kombuchas,’ Michele said.
‘Hard seltzers usually have between 5-7 percent alcohol content making them a more responsible choice compared to wine, some beers, and cocktails.’
10. Collagen craze
Although research is still in its infancy the current studies on edible collagen are promising a reduction in wrinkles, relief from joint pain, improved bone health and sleep. Powder supplements are poured into coffee, yogurt, smoothies or packed into cereal bars.
In Michele’s recently published book, Eat, Drink & Still Shrink, she advocates that adopting micro-changes to your lifestyle are vital to health and happiness long term.
This article appears in The Daily Mail UK
PUBLISHED: 22:35 EST, 6 January 2020 | UPDATED: 02:52 EST, 7 January 2020