Topics such as health and wellbeing are also subject to the current trends. This year, new habits, such as a home gym or the use of apps to relax, measuring your heart rate or practicing sports, have become a daily habit for millions of people. Thanks to the increasingly widespread use of nutraceuticals, which identify nutrients with preventive and curative powers, every year new exotic foods come to the attention of the media, becoming popular and increasingly used in everyday cooking. 2017 was the year of turmeric, avocado and chia seeds. What are the trends that were popular in 2018 so far and what will be the trend in the remainder of the year? We talked about this topic with Professor Daniela Lucini, Head of Exercise Medicine at Humanitas.
Moringa, the new “superfood”
It has twice the protein of spinach and three times the protein of iron, as well as being a significant source of calcium, potassium and vitamin A. Moringa, also known as the horseradish tree (or miracle tree) comes from North America and according to the journal Ecology of Food and Nutrition has an incredible anti-inflammatory and antioxidant power. Shredding the seeds gives a powder that can be used as a food supplement, while the leaves can be used to prepare herbal teas and infusions. What is the recommended dose? From 2 to 4 teaspoons per day. There is also moringa oil on the market, perfect for moisturizing particularly dry skin.
The digital fitness market and home training apps
Today, going to the gym is becoming an outdated habit. More and more people are organizing their own fitness area at home, with equipment and weights to train independently, according to their schedules and needs. In 2018, the innovations of digital fitness have allowed you to enter the virtual training houses within the reach of smartphones. Costs are lower and online lessons streamed to portable devices allow you to follow more or less personalized programs. Trainer-driven audio workouts include running, endurance exercises and even yoga. Experts predict the digital fitness market will reach $27.4 billion by 2022, with an annual growth rate of 33%.
Demand for health and wellness information is growing
Google said that in 2018, searches for self-care were 25% higher than last year.
In an increasingly hectic society, having time for oneself is considered increasingly important, as well as being informed about how to take care of one’s health in the best possible way. That’s why self-care rituals are increasingly sought after on the Internet, as well as certified medical and health news. That’s why quality medical and scientific journalism and certified disclosure has become and will become an area on which companies will focus more and more.
Mental health starts from the organization of environments
The Danish call it “hygge.” This northern European philosophy of life focuses on the importance of being able to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere in your first home.
Increasingly the focus of attention, home and home design is becoming a more privileged place in which to seek and create well-being, also taking inspiration and stealing details of style from studies of meditation and yoga. The concept is simple: the environment is able to reflect our moods and taking care of the arrangement of things and objects can have an extraordinary therapeutic power.
The opinion of Humanitas
“Some things are fashion – said Professor Lucini – and as such are destined to pass. Home fitness, on the other hand, is a good thing because it makes physical activity realistic, but there is always the other side of the coin: in addition to not doing the exercise well, you can run the risk of hurting yourself. Like all things, then, it’s relatively good. It depends on how it is used and on the ability to maintain motivation.