December 10, 2019 at 08:00AM by CWC Atmospheric pollution is a hot topic right now, but did you know that indoor air quality is often two to five times worse than what’s outside? If not, you’ll be hearing (and thinking) a lot more about this in 2020, as new air-purification technology allows us to assess the quality of the air we breathe and to take the steps necessary to improve it. New peer-reviewed data clearly articulates that air pollution—especially ultrafine particles generated from burning substances like natural gas, wood, and incense—has the potential to harm every organ in the body. Chemicals given off by carpets, paint, and cleaning supplies can also linger in the air and cause health issues, according to the American Lung Association. “The particles of concern are the ones you can’t see,” says Jake Read, advanced design engineer at Dyson. As more new information emerges, experts predict that the global air purifier market will grow at a healthy rate of 9 to 12 percent annually between now and 2023, which would have it valued at over $33 billion in three years time. The race is on to create a product that meets this rising consumer demand. Companies like Dyson and Molekule have recognized that people are willing to pay a premium—upwards of $700, in some cases—for towering air purification units that remove and destroy pollutants from the air, many of which we bring into our own homes in the form of cleaning products or aerosol beauty products
Category: Your Healthiest Relationship
Chickpeas Are Getting the Cauliflower Treatment (AKA They’re Everywhere)
December 10, 2019 at 07:00AM by CWC Hummus has long been a wellness staple—a tub of it would be right at home beside a bag of home-cooked granola and a stick of Palo Santo in your wellness starter kit. But this is a new decade, and chickpeas are being transformed into healthier, high-protein versions of classic comfort foods, from pasta and rice to chips and ice cream. And consumers are eating it up. Kelly Landrieu, the global coordinator of local brands for Whole Foods, says she’s definitely seen an uptick in the number of chickpea-based products lining store shelves, from both new brands and established ones. To name just a few: Banza’s chickpea pasta and rice (a plant-based boxed mac-and-cheese is coming in January 2020), Hippeas’ and Biena Snacks’ chickpea puffs, Delighted By’s dessert hummus, Lebby Snacks’ chocolate-covered chickpeas (AKA the new Whoppers), Nutriati’s chickpea mylk, P.S. Snacks’ chickpea cookie dough, and Little Chickpea’s chickpea ice cream. In 2020, chickpea comfort foods will even be entering the restaurant space, a priority Banza co-founder Brian Rudolph announced after the brand secured $20 million in funding in November. Why the garbanzo explosion? “Chickpeas are versatile, nutritionally dense, allergen-friendly, and inexpensive as an ingredient,” Landrieu says. “They’re also familiar to consumers, so even if the product isn’t something they’ve seen before, it’s easier to convince them to give it a try.” (For the record, registered dietitian Shawn Wells, RD, says this trend gets his stamp of approval, citing the ingredient as a good
The Blooming Fertility Industry is Delivering More Options for Parents-to-Be
December 10, 2019 at 06:00AM by CWC It’s been 40 years since the first baby was born through in vitro fertilization (IVF), yet today, infertility treatments, including egg freezing, intrauterine insemination (IUI) and IVF, have stayed largely a place of last resort. The prohibitively high costs of these treatments—as much as $20,000 for just one round of IVF—make them inaccessible to most of the one in eight women struggling to have children. But as consumer interest in fertility options has grown in recent years, a slew of new startups and innovations have risen to meet demand. In 2020, they’re poised to make IVF, IUI, and egg-freezing available to more people than ever before. Due to the high barrier to entry the number of people seeking fertility assistance remains relatively small. “Somewhere between 3 and 4 percent of all births [in the United States] are from IVF,” says Norbert Gleicher, MD, FACOG, and founder of the Center of Human Reproduction. But, those numbers are growing at rapid rates, especially as people continue to delay pregnancy and parenthood. According to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, in 2017 (the most recent data available), over 72,000 babies were born from approximately 263,000 cycles of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) performed during that year. Nearly 11,000 of these were fertility preservation cycles for patients choosing to freeze and bank their own eggs—a 24 percent increase from 2016. Investors want in on this growing space: By some estimates, the market for fertility solutions is growing by
Megaformer workouts will become mega-popular
December 10, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC The past decade of fitness has been set to the tune of “harder, better, faster, stronger,” but the only thing fast about next year’s “it workout” is how quickly you’ll see it pop up in a city near you. Pilates-reformer-inspired Megaformer workouts—which use a machine that looks like a medieval torture device to activate slow-twitch muscle fibers that help build endurance and stamina—aren’t themselves new, but in 2020, they’re going to be inescapable. Haven’t yet joined the ranks of Michelle Obama and Meghan Markle as a Megaformer devotee? Here’s a crash course. In the early aughts, certified Pilates instructor Sebastien Lagree began experimenting with a way to add bodybuilding techniques to the classic Pilates reformer workout. And in 2010, he debuted the Megaformer, a souped up version of the reformer that features two platforms and a series of pulleys, springs, bars, and handles that can be mixed and matched to create hundreds of exercises. The workout that results, says Gauri Dhamnaskar, senior physical therapist at NYU Langone Health’s Sports Performance Center, is a low-impact “combination of cardio, Pilates, and strength-training.” In the years since Lagree began teaching Megaformer technique at Lagree Fitness, studios like SLT, BodyRok, and Solidcore (which opened in 2011, 2012, and 2013, respectively) developed small but loyal followings to their own Megaformer-inspired classes. But just like your favorite indie band, this style of workout is poised to hit the mainstream in 2020—in a big, big way. According to the fitness
Skin care is the reigning beauty queen—and in 2020 she’ll rule the world
December 10, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC If you’re a human who has gone to the drugstore, logged onto YouTube/Instagram, or gotten caught in a wild conversation about the multiple-weight hyaluronic acid serum your friend Suzy uses, allow us to state the obvious for you: Skin care is having a major moment. And we will see Phase Two of this mega-trend dominate 2020… and beyond. Conservative projections state that in five years’ time, the global skin-care market will be valued at $180 billion. To put that into perspective, that’s a 30-percent climb from 2018. The expansion is so huge that skin care has dethroned makeup as the top seller at L’Oreal Paris, the world’s biggest beauty company, and market-researchers at The NPD Group place 60 percent of all growth within the beauty industry squarely at skin care’s baby-soft feet. Fueling 2020 growth, new indie brand launches soar to numbers we’ve not seen before—look out for huge growth from Necessaire, The Inkey List, and Corpus Naturals. And big, old-guard beauty companies are modeling their businesses differently by creating internal incubators that are nimble enough to launch trending skin-care products more quickly. For example, Unilever, the maker of heritage brands like Dove and Suave, has launched and acquired over 10 new skin-care-focused brands in the past five years, with another two set to reach consumers in 2020. While Proctor & Gamble brought their lighthearted 2018 New Zealand skin-care acquisition, Kiwi, Stateside late this year and have plans to grow its presence over
We’ve got a crush on sports bras that finally work with your body
December 10, 2019 at 03:30AM by CWC It’s time to prepare a eulogy for the uniboob: Sports bras are getting the high-tech engineering treatment once reserved for sneakers, resulting in options that are more comfortable, stylish, and performance-friendly than ever before. And we say it’s about damn time. Until recently, people with breasts have either had to choose between a bra that compresses their chest like a literal booby trap (sometimes using two of them at the same time), or one that leaves their breasts bouncing. This has historically created a major barrier to entry for physical activity. For instance, researchers in Australia found that women opt out of higher-intensity activities because their breast size negatively impacts their ability to work out. But as we move into a new decade, activewear brands are investing in technology that solves for these issues, indicating that a sports-bra revolution is underway. There’s certainly a demand for it: The sports-bra market has grown 10 percent in dollars spent and 2 percent in units sold in the last year, according to Maria Rugolo, a Fashion Business Analyst with market research firm NPD Group. This means that not only are people buying more sports bras, but also that they’re willing to pay more for them. “We think that we’re going to continue to see growth in this space for the next few years as the product and technology continues to get better,” says Rugolo. Indeed, Market Watch expects the sports-bra market to grow at a compound
New tech is putting our health data at our fingertips—and our health care in our hands
December 10, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC When the Apple Watch was first announced in late 2014, the general public’s reaction was, basically, “Why?” Why do I need a mini phone on my wrist when my phone is in my pocket? Why do I need to pay $350 (or more) for a step tracker when my Fitbit costs less than a third of that? Now, five years later, the answer is becoming clear: Thanks to rapid advances in technology, the Apple Watch and other wearable fitness trackers aren’t so much mini smartphones as they are personalized health-care devices, arming users with easy-to-digest snapshots of their activity and recovery data in order to optimize their health and wellness. And in 2020, new gadgets, features, and health-care applications for this tech will reach more people than ever before. The smart wearables market is booming—by 2022, it’s estimated to be worth $27 billion, which is double its 2018 value. Market analysis firm CCS Insight projects that 85 million smartwatches will be sold globally in 2019, with the Apple Watch accounting for approximately half of all smartwatch units sold between January and June (the Chinese brand iMoo, Samsung, and Fitbit are second, third, and fourth in sales). In November, Google’s parent company Alphabet threw its weight behind Fitbit, purchasing the step-tracking pioneer for $7.35 per share in cash (the equivalent of about $2.1 billion). That same month, the sleep and activity tracker Whoop secured an additional $55 million in funding for “consumer acquisition, membership
Step Aside, CBD—Another Crowd of Cannabinoids Is Ready for Its Moment in the Spotlight
December 10, 2019 at 02:30AM by CWC There’s no question that the U.S. market for CBD products is riding high—analysts believe it could be worth an estimated $23.7 billion by 2023. (To put this number into perspective, that’s almost as much as the alt-dairy market, which is tipped to be worth $29.6 billion.) But in a landscape that’s becoming saturated with CBD-rich tinctures, balms, and beauty products, how’s a brand to stand out? For many, it’s now about looking beyond CBD and elevating other non-psychoactive compounds in the hemp plant—namely, minor cannabinoids such as CBC, CBG, and CBN—to star-ingredient status. Although CBD, or cannabidiol, is the most abundant cannabinoid found in hemp, it’s just one of many that are thought to be supportive in the face of mental or physical stress. CBG (cannabigerol) and CBC (cannabichromene) have been touted as anti-inflammatory agents. CBN (cannabinol) shows some promise as a sleep aid. While CBD is also believed to have these benefits, some product developers believe they can create more nuanced, targeted solutions by incorporating higher levels of these secondary cannabinoids. “CBC, CBG, and CBN are all being isolated and purified by formulators so they can reintroduce them into bespoke product formulations,” says Mills Miller, founder of hemp wellness brand Mineral. “We have created proprietary hemp genetics on our farm to produce plants which are higher in each of the different cannabinoids to serve our different products.” Mineral’s post-workout Recovery tincture and Maison salve include high concentrations of CBG alongside a broad
Alt-Meat Moves Beyond Beef
December 10, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC It started with the alt-burgers. Meat eaters—who make up 70 percent of the people buying products from Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods—couldn’t believe the “bleeding” patties they were biting into were made from plants. While you can expect the burgers to continue to make headlines in 2020 (look for more fast food chains jumping on board), don’t expect the alt-meat conversation to end with beef. Consumers want variety in their plant-based proteins—and brands are innovating in never-done-before ways to meet the demand. In 2020, get ready to see plant-based chicken and fish alternatives reach alt-burger status. Established vegan brands, like Gardein, have changed their formulas to rely less heavily on soy, and new brands, like plant-based seafood company Good Catch, are joining the fray. Even restaurants are getting in on the trend. This month, vegan cult-favorite By Chloe launched “chicky,” plant-based chicken made from tempeh, which they added to the menu in the form of chicken nuggets, a crispy chicken salad, and chicken parm. Fast-casual chain Tender Greens has also introduced a soy-free vegan chicken (comprising only pea protein and wheat protein, plus spices) sourced from Abbot’s Butcher, and Chiptole investing in vegan seafood brand Sophie’s Kitchen, a hopeful hint of what’s to come. “When people are looking to go plant-based or meatless, they want more than just burgers,” says Tara Rozalowsky, the vice president and general manager of Gardein’s parent company Conagra Brands, of why the trend is taking off. “Chicken is
I literally use bottled sunshine to get myself through the dark days of winter
December 10, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Except in the sense that it’s dark by 4 p.m., in which case it is the bleakest and most awful time of the year and I hate it. I find it so hard to get out of bed, weighed down with layers of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), my year-round dysthymia, and my crumb-covered but oh-so-cozy comforter. You probably know that a natural light lamp can help you rise and shine whether you’re dealing with SAD or going into the frigid temperature just makes you feel sad. My solution? Grabbing a bottle of sunshine. Okay, so that makes it sound like I ran to the bodega, picked up a can of sunlight, and now my depression is cured. There were a lot of like, middle steps that factored into this, but let’s first recap the very nature of SAD. The Mayo Clinic notes a few symptoms of SAD as feeling depressed day-in and day-out, having low energy, feeling sluggish or agitated, and having problems sleeping. While there isn’t a clear-cut explanation as to why individuals experience SAD, one theory is that the lack of light messes with circadian rhythms. Natural light or rather a lack of it is what signifies our body that it’s time for sleep. A lack of natural light also decreases feel-good serotonin levels, if you see where I’m going here. Just as Daylight Saving Time started to mess with my biological clock, I