The year was spent getting in sync with nature and prioritising self-care above everything else

MILLENNIAL FARMERS

This was the year of young, urban farmers. If stats are anything to go by, it was for the first time since the 1970s that the number of farmers aged 30 and under were on an incline. Farmto-fork movement reached more households with young farming entrepreneurs delivering healthy goodness at your doorstep.


BIOME BOOSTING

Research has shown that your gut microbiome – the bacteria inside your digestive system – can influence your brain and your moods. Kefir, kombucha, tempeh, sauerkraut, kimchi… these words ruled menus and kitchen slabs in 2018.

NOOTROPICS

Brain health was big in 2018. Just like the body improves with proper nutrition and exercise, so can the brain with proper brain training techniques and mental nutrition – otherwise known as nootropics. Curcumin, ginseng, caffeine and bacopa are some natural brain boosters one can bank on.

PLANT-BASED EVERYTHING

Growing awareness about health and nutrition research with plantrich diets, environmental impact, and food waste amongst others, find more people opting to eat plant-rich meals, no matter what lifestyle they identify with. Recent studies have shown that choosing plant-rich food has less of an impact on energy, land and water resources than meat-based diets.

SNACK THAT

A food habit judged unhealthy for the longest time became the most exciting genre to indulge in this year. With kale and sweet potato fries, savoury desserts, nuts and seed mixes and grab-and-go yogurts, the snacking scene changed and how. According to Mintel, millennials are more likely than any other generation to snack four times a day!




CALL OF THE WILD

More people opted for safari vacations to see the remaining habitats of endangered or extinct species. The scarcity, in such a case, triggers the rise of wildlife tourism’s economic value.


FORAGING VACATIONS

Culinary travel trends got bigger this year with foraging trips. Connecting ecotourism and cooking classes, travellers lined up to look for local ingredients with an expert before heading into the kitchen. Hunting down truffles or herbs in forests and plucking scallops and seaweed from shorelines were popular across the globe, from England and Portugal to Australia, Cape Town, and Abu Dhabi.


THE MULTIGENERATIONAL VACATION

Parents need a break, don’t they? That’s why the grandparent-grandchildren vacation was big amongst the emerging travel trends this year.


YOU CAN’T BEAT THE EXPERIENCE

Travellers took more thrill-seeking adventures, engaged in cultural immersion experiences, and set their sights on extreme regions of the world.


THE EXTENDED BREAK

The digital workplace meant that more people were able to go on extended working vacations to some of the world’s most exotic locations.

BAREFOOT FITNESS

Going to the gym sans sneakers was such a good idea this year. Known to be the best way to exercise, barefoot training invaded not just yoga, barre or Pilate classes, but also cardio and weightlifting studios.

SLEEP GOT EXTRA ATTENTION

Tech wearables tracking sleep and number of REM hours got popular this year. Sleep wellness and sleep hygiene earned cult status. The world realised how lack of sleep not only makes you fat, sick, inflamed, and imbalanced but long-term sleep deprivation can also lead to diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and stroke.

TAKE YOUR GYM FOR A WALK
Your couch was your workbench, office stairs your cross trainer and neighbourhood park your outdoor fitness zone this year. Taking the gym out of the gym was a trend worth celebrating in 2018.