Fattening Foods You Should Never Eat !!!

                Diet busters ahead! Here are foods that can wreck the best laid diet plans.

Bad news foods

It really is a shame. Some of the best-tasting foods are actually some of the worst in terms of fat and calories. But it can be hard to avoid them, especially in places—like malls—where nutrition information usually isn’t available.

So we did the work for you; take a look at a list of foods you should skip—or pick—at a mall, restaurant, or grocery store.

(A 2,000-calorie-a-day diet should have no more than 66 grams of fat, less than 20 grams saturated; 2,400 milligrams of sodium; and 300 grams of total carbohydrate, including sugars.)

Smoothie King's Hulk Strawberry Smoothie

Fruit and yogurt can’t be bad, right? Wrong. Smoothies are often made with ice cream or milk and can be crammed with sugar. At least this treat gives you a heads up: It’s listed on the menu as a smoothie for people looking to gain weight.

But the calories are excessive—more than two Big Macs put together. And that’s just the small.

One 20-ounce smoothie: 1,044 calories, 35g fat, 120g sugar.

Choose this instead: Low-Carb Strawberry smoothie: 268 calories, 9g fat, 3g sugar.

Starbucks' Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino Blended Creme with whipped cream

Sure it sounds bad, but how bad is it? This afternoon pick-me-up delivers nearly one-third of the maximum fat you should consume in a day, and over half a day’s saturated fat.

One 16-ounce Grande: 510 calories; 19g fat, 11g saturated; 59g sugar; 300mg sodium.

Choose this instead: Your best bet is a regular cup of coffee without all the bells and whistles. If you just can’t live without a Frappuccino, make it a Coffee Frappuccino Light Blended Coffee: 130 calories, 0.5g fat, 16g sugar.

Coldstone's PB&C Shake

Chances are you already suspect that milkshakes aren't all that healthy. But this particular shake, made with chocolate ice cream, milk, and peanut butter, is in a class of its own. This frosty monster delivers an entire day’s worth of calories and almost three and a half times the daily limit for saturated fat.

One "Gotta Have It" (Coldstone speak for "large"): 2,010 calories; 131g fat, 68g saturated; 153g sugar.

Choose this instead: A better bet is the 16-ounce Sinless Oh Fudge! Shake, with the same chocolaty taste, but a quarter of the calories and only 2 grams of fat.

Auntie Anne's Jumbo Pretzel Dog

Auntie Anne’s sells snacks, not meals. But this concoction—a Nathan’s hot dog wrapped in a pretzel bun—contains almost half your daily upper limit of fat and sodium.

One Jumbo Pretzel Dog with butter: 610 calories; 29g fat, 13g saturated; 1,150mg sodium.

Choose this instead:  Go for the original pretzel without the butter and salt and you’ll whittle your treat down to 310 calories and only 1 gram of fat. Now that’s more like a snack!

Cinnabon's Caramel Pecanbon

The luring scent of Cinnabon is a mall staple. But just one of these decadent pastries means trouble. They deliver about half the calories and just about all the fat you should consume in a day.

One bun: 1,092 calories, 56g fat, 47g sugar.

Choose this instead: Cinnabon has no options that are particularly healthy, but you can try a Minibon, designed for smaller—and smarter—appetites: 300 calories, 11g fat.

Wendy's Sweet and Spicy Boneless Wings

In June, Wendy’s launched this item, claiming it was “as far as it gets from fast food."

Calorie-wise, this meal isn’t that bad if it makes up your entire lunch. But it has more salt than you should have in a day, let alone at one sitting.

One order: 550 calories, 18g fat, 27g sugar, 2,530mg sodium.

Choose this instead: Try the Ultimate Chicken Grill, a grilled chicken breast on a sesame-seed bun: 320 calories, 7g fat, 8g sugar. Still, with 950 milligrams of sodium, don’t make it a daily habit.

Dunkin' Donuts' Coffee Cake Muffin

Muffins are often mistaken for the doughnut's healthy cousin. But muffins can be surprisingly high in fat.

This one is particularly offensive; you’d need to eat about three glazed donuts to match its nutrients and calories.

One muffin: 620 calories; 25g fat, 7g saturated; 54g sugar; 93g carbs.

Choose this instead: For an alternative—but equally decadent—breakfast treat, one glazed donut is a better bet: 220 calories, 9g fat, 12g sugar, 31g carbs.

Olive Garden's Grilled Shrimp Caprese

Shrimp are low-fat, low-cal, and high in protein and iron. What’s not to like?

In fact, the garlic-butter sauce in this dish helps rack up nearly two-thirds of your daily fat and about one and a half times your sodium limit.

One plate: 900 calories, 41g fat, 3,490mg sodium.

Choose this instead: Get a lighter version of this dish without the melted cheese and with marinara sauce on the side. The Venetian Apricot Chicken is another option; it has one-third the calories and 1/10 the fat, but still packs a good deal of sodium.

Chili's Onion String and Crispy Jalapeno Stack

Diners and bloggers alike were outraged by the fried-onion Chili’s appetizer, the Awesome Blossom.

The unhealthy behemoth was removed from the menu, but its replacement is only a bit better. This appetizer is meant to be shared, but even one-quarter of the dish delivers an entire day’s limit for fat.

One appetizer: 2,130 calories; 213g fat, 31g saturated; 1,320mg sodium.

Choose this instead: Chili’s doesn’t have particularly healthy appetizers. If you must have one, try the Chips and Hot Sauce (470 calories). However, the chips' sodium is 2,790 milligrams—500 milligrams over the maximum daily intake.

Macaroni Grill's Kids' Fettuccine Alfredo

Kids’ meals, in theory, are smaller than adult portions; children simply don’t need as many calories.

The average 10- to 12-year-old, the upper age limit for many kids’ menus, needs about 1,600 to 1,800 calories daily. This meal puts them at half of that, with more fat than a grown adult needs in a day.

One order: 890 calories, 67g fat, 1,480mg sodium.

Choose this instead: Coax your little ones into ordering the Grilled Chicken and Broccoli: 390 calories, 8g fat. It’s still high in sodium, so ask for sauce on the side and use sparingly.

Quiznos' Chicken With Honey Mustard Flatbread Salad

Unhealthy salads lurk everywhere. They promise grilled chicken, leafy greens, and fewer carbs, but often deliver bacon, cheddar cheese, and high-fat dressing.

Don’t be tricked; this salad will cost you half a day’s calories. The dressing alone has 48 grams of fat, nearly your daily max.

One salad, dressing and bread included: 1,070 calories, 71g fat, 1,770mg sodium.

Choose this instead: The Cantina Chicken Sammie, a 205-calorie, low-fat, veggie-filled flatbread sandwich: 455mg sodium, 12g protein.

Pizza Hut's Meaty P'Zone

The TV commercials for this 1-pound monster feature hungry dudes who don’t want to share. One chows down and tells another, who looks on longingly, to order his own. But these pizza-crust calzones should be shared—preferably with a crowd. Eating the whole thing is akin to consuming about six cheese slices in one sitting, and it delivers one and a half times your daily limit for sodium. One serving size is one-half of a P’Zone.

One whole P’Zone: 1,480 calories, 66g fat, 3,680mg sodium.

Lunchables' New Wholesome Deep Dish Pepperoni Fun Pack

Ideally, a lunch box should strike a balance between taste, fun, and nutrition.

However, an easy prepackaged solution like Lunchables may not deliver. The nutrition info is based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet—that of a grown adult. The processed food is too high in fat and sodium for the average 8-year-old’s daily recommended intakes.

One Fun Pack: 470 calories, 20g fat, 880mg sodium.

Choose this instead: For the same ease, try another variety of Wholesome Lunchables, like the Turkey and Cheddar Club, which comes with water and applesauce instead of cookies and fruit punch, and has 360 calories, 8 grams of fat, and 600 milligrams of sodium.

Ruffles' Cheddar & Sour Cream Flavored Potato Chips

Ruffles don’t just have ridges, they’ve also have 17% of the upper limit of daily fat in just one serving. The calorie count is low, but chances are you’ll eat more than a serving, as most packages are the larger 1.5-ounce size.

The 1-ounce serving size: 160 calories, 11g fat, 230mg sodium. The larger size: 240 calories, 16.5g fat, 345mg sodium.

Choose this instead: Try Baked! Ruffles in the original flavor. The 1-ounce serving has 120 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 200 milligrams of sodium, plus 2 grams each of fiber and protein.

Haagen Dazs' Dulce de Leche Low-Fat Frozen Yogurt

Frozen yogurt is often relatively healthy; even the most decadent flavors tend to have less fat than ice cream.

However, not all fro-yo is created equal. To be fair, this flavor does have 15 grams less fat than the regular ice cream flavor, but one serving packs 25 grams of sugar.

One serving (1/2 cup): 190 calories, 2.5g fat, 25g sugar, 35g carbs.

Choose this instead: Try a brand that offers no-sugar-added options, such as Edy’s. The French Vanilla flavor has only 100 calories, 3 grams of fat, 14 grams of carbs, and 4 grams of sugar in a 1/2 cup serving.

Kar's Yogurt Apple Nut Mix

Words like yogurt, apple, and nut make this snack seem healthy. But a serving size is 1 ounce. The tiny snack, often found in vending machines, contains nearly three times as much—2.75 ounces. Bags in stores contain five times as much.

Eat a whole 2.75-ounce bag and you’ve consumed 412 calories—the equivalent of one and a half Snickers bars.

A 1-ounce serving: 150 calories; 10g of fat, 2.5g saturated; 90mg sodium; 3g protein; 2g fiber.

Choose this instead: Select a healthier trail mix, like Peeled Snacks. A 2/3-cup serving of the Fruit & Nuts FigSated mix has 150 calories and 6 grams of fat.

Arnold's Whole Grain Country White Bread

Don’t fall for the “whole grain” marketing trick without knowing all the facts.

While “whole grain” sounds good, this product doesn't have nearly the amount of heart-healthy whole grains as products that say “100% whole grain.”

Two slices: 220 calories, 4g fat, 420mg sodium, 42g carbs, 4g fiber.

Choose this instead: Try two slices of Arnold’s Light line of breads, like the 100% Whole Wheat: 80 calories, 1g fat, 160mg sodium, 5g fiber. Or try the new Deli Flats from Pepperidge Farm. One 100% whole-wheat roll has 100 calories and 5 grams of fiber.

Reese's Puffs Cereal

Starting your morning off with this bowl of sugary puffs may be worse than getting up on the wrong side of the bed. One serving of this breakfast treat has more sugar than an actual Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

A 3/4 cup serving with 1/2 cup skim milk: 160 calories, 3g fat, 12g sugar. (One Reese’s Cup has 7 grams of sugar.)

Choose this instead: For an organic and natural take on the peanut-buttery puff, check out EnviroKidz Peanut Butter Panda Puffs from Nature’s Path. The same serving size with milk has slightly more calories, but less sugar: 170 calories, 2.5g fat, 7g sugar.

PowerBar Performance Energy Cookies & Cream

PowerBars are often shaped like candy bars and can taste like them too.

This particular PowerBar has only 1 gram of fiber and nearly three-fourths of the upper limit of daily added sugar, so there may be healthier options. (The USDA says to limit added sugar to 40 grams, or about 10 teaspoons, per day.)

One bar: 240 calories, 26g sugar, 45g carbs, 8g protein, less than 1g fiber.

Choose this instead: Try the PowerBar Harvest line. Made with whole grains, 1 Oatmeal Raisin Cookie bar still has 250 calories, 43 grams of carbs, and 22 grams of sugar, but offers 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Healthy Choice Sweet and Sour Chicken

This meal is better than a TV dinner, but there are healthier options from this generally trustworthy brand.

The calories are reasonable, but the meal is high in sugar and sodium, and it has more fat than most other Healthy Choice options—even the Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo and the Country Breaded Chicken!

One meal: 400 calories, 13g protein, 5g fiber—but 10g fat, 20g sugar, 500mg sodium.

Choose this instead: The Oven Roasted Chicken meal: 260 calories, 5g fat, 9g sugar, 520mg sodium, 15g protein, 6g fiber.

VitaminWater

VitaminWater uses the old trick in which the nutrition information on the label is based on a serving size, but the bottle contains multiple servings—leaving you to do the math.

Each bottle contains 2.5 servings of the sugar-sweetened water, so a whole bottle delivers 33 grams of sugar (a can of Coke only has 6 more). That’s a lot of calories when plain water could do the trick.

One bottle (2.5 servings) of the Charge flavor: 125 calories, 32.5g sugar.

Choose this instead: New VitaminWater10 has only 10 calories per serving, or 25 if you finish the bottle. But it contains zero-calorie sweeteners.

Quaker Natural Granola, Low-Fat

Granola is tricky. Although the name is practically synonymous with healthy, some types—including this cereal—contain a startling amount of sugar per serving. One serving contains 18 grams of sugar, as much as a Twinkie.

A 2/3-cup serving: 210 calories, 3g fat, 4g protein, 3g fiber—but 18g sugar.

Choose this instead: A 2/3-cup serving of Health Valley's Low Fat Date Almond Flavor Granola: 180 calories, 1g fat, 10g sugar, 5g protein, 6g fiber.

Top 10 Harmful Effects of Using Cosmetics.

       Cosmetics, they have become the need of society. People spend monthly on these and the amount of variety is so high that cosmetics are available for different seasons and climates as well. The makers claim to have their own RnD and make one of the finest products for us. We all know that it is very difficult these days for someone to just make a product beneficial for its customers; he ought to make a huge profit out of it. Quality is compromised most of the times and generally a common man is unable to raise the voice or submit complain on which action would be taken. Many times it happens that the ingredients mentioned are not true and that affects us. So there is an ugly side to these beauty products as well. I don’t mean to say that they don’t work; they do work but have harmful effects also along with.  There are many harmful effects of using cosmetics; here I have listed the top ten of them.              

1) SKIN DISEASES AND REACTIONS

 1.      Skin diseases and reactions have been a common problem with use of fairness creams, sunscreens and sunblocks. There may be a permanent discoloration of skin or severe damage to skin. Believe me a damage to skin especially on face may be very torturing. every now and then a person from the crowd may pop up and ask what happened or would have loads of advice to give you because his relative had the same problem.  There can be much severe issues with the skin like skin cancer, presently skin cancer is not that easily treatable at mostly fatal.

2) ALLERGIES

2.      There are different types of allergies possible with excessive use of cosmetics and at times there side effects even if the usage is limited. The allergies can be of skin, breathing, eating, hair etc. Skin allergies may be allergy to certain kind of lotions or creams. Breathing allergies are damage to nose and nasal passage due to intake of cosmetics by mistake or even deliberate. Eating difficulties as it may result in glucose intolerance as mentioned earlier as well. Hair allergies are like allergy to usage of shampoos or conditioners or intolerance of scalp to certain oil. So with the benefits of cosmetics comes a parcel of never ending list of allergies you are at risk of. Be careful while choosing your products.

3)  HARMFUL FOR EYES

3.       Eye shadow, mascara, kajal and other forms of eye makeup can harm the eyes of user very badly. Girls who wear lenses may harm their eyes even more because the chemicals present affects the lens material and can result in something very damaging like thinning of eyelashes and eye infections. Mascara can cause blindness as it contains pseudomonas aeruginosa which is a very harmful therapy bacteria. Resistant to heat and cold this bacteria is very difficult to remove from mascara and often pollutes it despite many precautionary measures.

4) DAMAGE TO NAILS

4)      Nail paints, Nail polish, manicures and pedicures all seem very hygienic but are actually damaging to nails if done very regularly or frequently. The quality of nails decreases and they become fragile. Keeping long nails becomes a big issue after that; extra care has to be taken. The nails become thin and lose their natural color starting to look pale.

5.   CANCER AND OTHER CHRONIC
DISEASES

5.       With the benefits, cosmetics also bring danger of diseases like cancer and many other chronic ones. Lipstick contains aluminum which may cause long term anemia and even glucose intolerance. Many products contain chemicals like zinc oxide, BHA, barium sulphate etc. are very harmful for body and may result in many organ failures like that of kidney and liver. Further if swallowed even by mistake; generally the lip cares, lip balms and lipsticks go in with food can lead to many respiratory diseases also. It has also been reported that cosmetics like body moisturizers can cause trouble to endocrine system as well and disturb the thyroid content of body.

6. AGEING

6.      Yes one may start looking older than heshe actually is. All the makeup and moisturizers actually do some damage to your skin and with prolonged use wrinkles and other signs of ageing may be visible. The cosmetic makers are so smart that they then release anti- ageing creams and lotions. These cosmetics then fight the signs of ageing. They are making money and it is us who have to suffer. Be careful while choosing your products and make sure if their reviews are correct and genuine because not all products in market may be harmful.




   

7) DANGER TO REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS 

7.     Use of bubble baths or certain oils may affect your reproductive organs if in direct contact. They can even lead to infertility. It has been found that any cosmetic containing asbestos like talcum powder when in direct contact with organs can even affect the menstrual cycle leading to other imbalances. Shower gels and shower creams during bath may also prove to be harmful. We will definitely feel that they did the cleaning but once after getting inside they may affect severely. There can be vaginal infections or even danger or prostate and ovarian cancer if the cosmetics are flawed and low on quality.

8. HAIR PROBLEM

8.    Funky hairstyles are very popular and eye catching. Today’s youth and children find it very cool and thus make a move for them. Use of shampoos, conditioners, hair colors, gels and serums may actually harm your tresses pretty badly. They look great when used and one may receive many compliments for the style or even help you get a girl but these cosmetics keep on affecting the hair quality and quantity. There can be thinning of hair, redness in scalp, hair fall or even excessive dandruff. The use of hair sprays is even more dangerous with sources suggesting that long term usage may result in scalp skin damage and permanent discoloration of hair color.

9. HEADACHES

9.    Headache is a very common issue after putting up make up for long periods of time. Generally ladies feel dizziness, tired and nausea after prolonged exposures to high makeup. Even men must have felt that during the long wait for performance in annual function with full make up. even if the performance was not so tiring but you would feel sleepy and dizzy, its the effect of makeup. A lot of care is therefore taken while removing of makeup. Absolutely nothing should be left behind. It has been found that cosmetics contain certain ingredients which on exposure to humans directly in large amount may lead to a state of unconsciousness. So wear makeup, but make sure its not for just too long and if you have to spend a large amount of time then prefer light makeup to avoid headaches.

10) UNWANTED DEPENDENCY ON COSMETICS

10.    The common notion among people is that they cannot look beautiful or handsome if they missed out on a cosmetic or just ran out of it. This dependency can lead too many troubles and is nothing less than an addiction for them. From my personal experience I would like to add that here are people who can skip occasions or get-togethers if there cosmetics are not with them or if they can’t do make up. Well with god’s grace everyone has been given with a good face and I can’t find myself a reason to be so dependent on cosmetics. Believe me you can look even better without them.

10 Habits to quit in 2017 if you want to Live A Long, Healthy, Happy Life.

 
This year, do more good by doing less bad.

If you’re jonesing to give your life a major upgrade in 2017—and beyond—setting a few doable goals is the first step. That means nixing bad habits that may be sabotaging your progress in addition to promising to do more stuff that’s good for your health. Out with the old, in with the new, right? In that vein, experts discuss 10 of the most harmful habits you should leave behind in 2017.

1. Spending so much time on the couch your skin might fuse with the upholstery.
While downtime is good for both your body and mind, too much of it can be damaging. “People living a sedentary lifestyle tend to be less healthy,” women’s health expert Jennifer Wider, M.D., tells SELF.
As a general rule, you should get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week, or some combination in between.
You should also be strength training, not just because it keeps your metabolism running like a well-oiled machine and makes it easier to lose or maintain your weight, but because it’s great for your bones, muscles, and health in general. Aim for at least two days of strength training per week. To see exactly how to fit it all in, here’s what a perfect week of working out looks like.

2. Regularly drinking your way into hangover city.
Drinking a lot is a clear (if enjoyable) way to compromise your health. Moderate drinking is one drink a day for women, and heavy drinking is around eight or more per week, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Routinely blowing past these parameters can lead to issues such as weight gain, unintentional injuries like falls, and chronic diseases like liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis, and various cancers.
But! It’s not all bad news. “Drinking in moderation can be healthy, especially with red wine,” namely because of its antioxidant content, Wider says.

3. Starting a strict diet, then falling off the wagon time and time again.
Yo-yo dieting is the result of routinely embarking upon diets that are too restrictive. When you inevitably dive into a pile of food, you’ll eventually gain back any weight you lost, and your baseline weight will inch up bit by bit, Wider explains. “It’s much better to adopt habits that will sustain a healthy weight—you don’t want to always be looking to lose weight,” she says.
But if you do want to lose weight and keep it off for good, it’s about building your life around eating patterns that aren’t rooted in deprivation, even though extreme cleanses and quick fixes might sound more appealing. They just don’t work—here’s what does.

4. Using electronics before bed.
You already know you should be getting between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. Putting a moratorium on before-bed Instagram scrolling will help you turn in for the night more quickly, sure. But it can also help you get better quality Zs, Wider says, by lowering your exposure to sleep-disturbing blue light, which can disrupt your circadian rhythm.

5. Smoking.
Quitting smoking: Easier said than done? Yes. Completely, utterly worth it? Also yes, Wider (and every expert worth their salt) says. Smoking lowers life expectancy in many terrible ways, including boosting your risk of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and cancers anywhere else in the body, and issues like emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
E-cigarettes aren’t exempt. According to the American Lung Association, “Initial studies show that e-cigarettes contain nicotine and also may add in other harmful chemicals, including carcinogens and lung irritants.” Here are seven things that can make it easier to quit smoking cold turkey.

6. Comparing yourself to others on social media.
“Watching other people put forward manufactured lives on social media can leave you feeling bad about yourself, so you want to limit that,” Wider says. But social media can also give your happiness a lift by keeping you connected with people you love and admire.
It’s not about scrubbing your phone of all things social, but browsing mindfully. Know that no one’s life is really what it seems on social media, and remind yourself of that whenever you start to feel down (then go do something that helps you remember all the kickass parts of your own life). Also, maybe unfollow those accounts that always, without fail, leave you feeling like chewed gum stuck on the underside of a table.

7. Convincing yourself that everything you worry about will happen.
Worrying yourself into a mental tizzy is one of those common, sneaky bad habits most people indulge in without realizing it. “If you want to live a long, happy life, rein in the things that cause stress, like worrying,” Christine Carter, Ph.D., senior fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center and author of The Sweet Spot: How To Find Your Groove At Home And Work, tells SELF.
“Anything you’re worrying about is usually just a thought, and here’s the funny thing: It’s not necessarily true,” Carter says. Take a moment to breathe, be present, and ask yourself if there’s any logical basis to your worry, Carter says. That should help you separate fact from unnecessary fiction. And if it still feels like your tendency to worry is unmanageable, reach out to a mental health professional for help.

8. Complaining non-stop.
Although it’s counterproductive, complaining actually feels great. “If things feel out of control, it tricks your brain into thinking you’re doing something about it,” Carter says. “But you’re not fixing anything when you complain.” You’re actually priming your brain to only look for the bad instead of the good: “Your brain doesn’t register everything in your environment; you train it to look for relevant patterns. When you complain, you train your brain to look for patterns in things you don’t like,” Carter explains.
When you catch yourself complaining, redirect your attention to something good about the situation, or start working on a plan to change what isn’t up to par. “It doesn’t necessarily mean accepting what you don’t like, but training your brain to look for things you appreciate,” Carter says.

9. Using distractions to numb your negative emotions.
“Every time you feel uncomfortable, the world offers you a host of ways to numb that discomfort. You can check Facebook endlessly, eat a pound of brownies, or have a couple of cocktails,” Carter says. Instead of actually cutting down anxiety or sadness, these tactics just bury those emotions so they can stew and eventually erupt.
You also can’t pick and choose what you’re numbing. To truly experience happiness, you have to let yourself experience the less shiny side of the coin sometimes and work on better coping habits for stress, like these.

10. Making outsize goals that are hard to achieve.
This might sound incongruous after all of the above, but it actually meshes perfectly. “There’s a misconception that if you set a goal, you can achieve it through willpower. But humans change very slowly and incrementally, and people try to change too much too fast,” Carter says.
Instead of setting overly ambitious goals, take small steps and introduce change slowly so you can form the neural pathways that are essential in cementing habits, Carter says. Once you succeed at those, you can take on larger goals from there.

THE TOP WELLNESS TRENDS OF 2017.

 No. 1

WHY INFLAMMATION-FIGHTING FOODS ARE FILLING UP YOUR GROCERY CART

        Fighting inflammation with food is quickly becoming a major health priority—and for good reason, considering inflammation is linked to everything from bloating and acne to life threatening illnesses, say physicians and researchers.

“We expect to see the market for inflammation-fighting foods to grow 7 percent by 2020 and expect 2017 to be a big year in terms of new product announcements and continued research and development,” says Deborah Barrington, a senior editor at Industry Dive.

Inflammation-fighting ingredients are already trending on Pinterest. “Turmeric was one of our trending flavors in our recent Pinsights Flavor Report and specifically turmeric lattes. Ginger tea is also a trending search, up 20 percent,” confirms Stephanie Kumar, partner insights lead at Pinterest.

It’s no coincidence that many healthy food trends—from the zoodle (zucchini noodle) and cauliflower rice to nut milks and vegan cheese—are substitutes for inflammatory ingredients like gluten, grains, and dairy.

Expect to see food brands to capitalizing on the buzz in 2017: Starbucks just planted its flag with a new anti-inflammatory drink made with cayenne called the Chile Mocha.

No. 2

MEET WORKLEISURE: ATHLEISURE IS TAKING ON THE WORKPLACE

       Thanks to athleisure, life has become a lot more comfortable. But the one place fashionable fitness clothes have yet to fully infiltrate? The office. And major brands are taking note, designing what Well+Good has termed workleisure—activewear’s answer to machine-washable, office-appropriate business attire.

From new lifestyle brands like Aday, Betabrand, and Kit and Ace to activewear stalwarts like Lululemon and Under Armour, the companies that dress you for the gym now want to dress you for the office. “For years, I’d been bugging our design team to make pieces that were athletic, on-trend, work appropriate, machine-washable, and beautiful,” explains Katie Warner Johnson, co-founder of Carbon38.

“Women who hop on planes like they’re taxis and race between meetings need workwear with activewear DNA. So for each new collection, we include pieces that can transition from the bicycle to the boardroom,” says Johnson.

No. 3

CANNABIS GETS SERIOUSLY COMMERCIAL

      Retail brands now want to be your cannabis dealer, with pot-infused foods, beauty products, and other consumer goods that bottle the plant’s much-buzzed-about healing benefits.

These very legal products won’t make you high (sorry!). They use non-psychoactive extracts from the plant—most notably, cannabidiol or CBD. (The psychoactive THC content is also below the US legal limit of .03 percent.)

“A growing body of scientific research shows CBD has the power to reduce anxiety and stress, lower inflammation, relax the body and mind, and subtly lift the mood,” explains Whitney Tingle of Sakara, which recently introduced CBD-oil chocolates to its line of superfood snacks.

CBD is also showing up in skin-care brands, like CBD For Life and Lord Jones, which make anti-inflammatory creams. Aceso’s cannabinoid drink powders and sprays help reduce anxiety, while Foria Relief’s suppositories soothe menstrual cramps.

And as states continue to legalize marijuana, you’ll see it moving into cooking, winemaking, and even fitness. “Look for cannabis use to become part of people’s wellness routines,” says Lord Jones’ co-founder Cindy Capobianco, who predicts “cannabis workouts.” (LA’s Goda Yoga already offers a 420 class for medical marijuana card holders.)

“The taboos associated with cannabis are falling away,” says Capobianco. “Soon the market will be legitimized.”

No. 4

NEXT-GEN WELLNESS RETREATS WANT TO ADD STAMPS TO YOUR PASSPORT

      Wellness travel’s always been a thing, but now curated experiences developed by leading wellness insiders and top tier fitness instructors are trending—and retreats are getting more sophisticated as a result.

“Women don’t want to go on a vacation that takes them away from their healthy approach to life,” says Kyle Miller, co-founder of Love Yoga, a bicoastal studio with its own travel program. “Retreats are the answer—and you get to experience a new culture.”

It’s not just doing yoga for 60 minutes every morning and calling that wellness travel.

Instead, you can join your yoga teacher in Cuba, or spend a week of clean eating, custom workouts, daily massage in an up-and-coming destination like Botswana on Escape to Shape.

Recently, even retailer Free People got into travel with FP Escapes, encompassing nutrition, yoga, and natural beauty treatments. It’s about shoppers’ “sharing their lifestyles with each other,” says Free People’s director of brand marketing Abby Morgan.

Taryn Toomey hosts several high-touch “Retreatments” a year in such locales as the Dominican Republic, setting a healthy menu for the whole week, bringing vetted healers and experts, and creating bonding opportunities that feel bespoke and authentic.

Without distractions of “to-do lists, families, and responsibilities,” these vacations are where we “meet one’s true self,” explains Toomey, not escape from it.

No. 5

WELCOME TO THE ERA OF MENSTRUAL REALNESS

      Remember the girl from the tampon ads? Wearing all white, and riding a horse? She was a veiled advertiser’s message—cueing women viewers without offending the sensitivities of the non-menstruating audience. But in 2016, everyone woke up.

We’re now moving into an era of menstrual realness inspired by Kiran Gandhi’s free-bleeding 2015 London Marathon run, and led by better-for-you feminine product brands that are speaking to directly to young women with in-your-face, laugh-at-the-patriarchy campaigns.

Think: Lola’s tongue-in-cheek marketing to “Make Periods Great Again” or Thinx underwear’s too-blunt-for-the-subway ads, which made founder Miki Agrawal a poster child for cool-girl entrepreneurialism this year.

Another thing women (specifically female voters) woke up to in 2016? The fact that tampons and pads were getting taxed as “luxury products” instead of necessities. Forty states had such taxes at the start of 2016, and thanks to the outcry many have since voted to repeal them. So 2017 could be a big year.

With less effort spent hiding the “shame” of a natural bodily function every month, more attention can go to listening to what our periods say about our overall health, says Well+Good Wellness Council member Alisa Vitti, a women’s hormone expert. Our culture “would have us believe that cravings, cramps, and out-of-control emotions are inevitable parts of womanhood,” she says. “I’m here to tell you: It’s just not true.”

No. 6

PLANT PROTEIN BLOSSOMS IN A BIG WAY

     Gone is the idea that protein has to come from an animal. Pea and hemp proteins are popping up everywhere, in increasingly delicious powders for smoothies, in nutrition bars, in potato chips—and also at trendy restaurants like By Chloe and Momofuku Nishi, where the veggie burgers seem so real they sizzle and “bleed.”

Beyond Burger CEO Ethan Brown says plants are the future of protein. “Our sole mission is creating plant-based meats that allow people to eat more of the traditional dishes they love while feeling great about health, sustainability, and animal welfare. We see 2017 as a time where the meat case is going to be called the protein case, and consumers will be able to buy plant-based and animal protein side by side.” Tyson’s recent investment in Beyond Meat is a big sign that meat manufacturers see it this way, too.

“Millennials are growing this market. They want what’s good for them—but also what’s good for the people and the environment,” says Vega’s founder Brendan Brazier. In the smoothie powder aisle alone, he adds, plant protein is growing 2.5 times faster than whey, and will soon outpace it.

Plant protein is no longer a niche market for vegans or athletes, confirms Vega’s Kim McDevitt. Their research shows that 80 percent of households have meatless Mondays.

No. 7

"WOO-WOO" WELLNESS GOES MAINSTREAM

     When you can fill your shopping cart at Target with Crystal Light as well as crystals, you know something’s seriously changed. But for a generation raised on yoga, meditation, and green juice, formerly fringe “woo woo” wellness concepts are becoming downright mainstream.

Crystals are increasingly celebrated as life-enhancing, whether as jewelry or in home design, by everyone from Jennifer Aniston and hip-hop stars to fitness phenom Taryn Toomey. (She’ll soon be teaching The Class on a crystal-embedded floor in her new Tribeca studio “to protect and balance the energetic flow of the space.”)

Acceptance for things like cupping continues to grow, too: Just a few years ago, the world gasped (and rolled their eyes) when Gwyneth Paltrow revealed bruises from a cupping session. And this summer, everyone simply nodded when Olympian Michael Phelps’ shared his cupping recovery session.

Even reiki, one of the spa menu’s most mysterious items, is becoming an in-demand service, says Lisa Levine, founder of Maha Rose, a Brooklyn mecca for holistic healing. Millana Snow, co-founder of online wellness resource SereneBook, confirms that “more people—and brands—are eager to explore things like energy healing and even shamanic journeying.”

Why? Thank the anxiety-inducing era we’re living in, says Levine: “Intense times call for serious magic.”

No. 8

COLLAGEN’S BOOST TO IT-INGREDIENT STATUS

     Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s collagen? For a growing number of women, the fibrous protein is the secret to glowing skin—not to mention shiny hair, strong nails, and healthy digestion.

“The majority of the body is collagen—our skin, our bones,” explains Kurt Seidensticker, founder of collagen powder brand Vital Proteins. “But after the age of 25, people are less efficient at making it, so your body has to get it elsewhere.” Unfortunately, the Western diet offers up few such opportunities.

Cue the bone broth boom—and its new grab-and-go versions (via brands like Epic and Bonafide Provisions), and a nascent category of the amino-acid-packed nutrition bars (from Bulletproof and Primal Kitchen).

Collagen-rich powders and supplements are a growing category (sourced from grass-fed cows, chickens, fish, and, in the case of beauty brand Reserveage, vegan-friendly plant sources) as are bottled drinks (both Dirty Lemon and Fountain have collagen “beauty” tonics).

“Consumers are becoming educated about the importance of a long-term approach by beautifying and nourishing from within, versus short-term solutions provided by topicals,” says Reserveage founder Naomi Whittel. The ultimate sign that collagen is about to go big? It’s a staple in Jennifer Aniston’s daily smoothie.

No. 9

NESTING AT HOME IS THE NEW GOING OUT

     If your dream Friday night involves Netflix and tea in your Instagram-worthy bedroom sanctuary versus getting dressed to go out to dinner or dancing, you’re not alone. Nesting is the new going out.

Gen Xers may have been too embarrassed to opt out of weekend social plans, but Millennials are unabashedly dialing theirs back with more “me time.” Whether to decompress after a crazy work week or prevent early professional burnout, they’re getting cozy and getting down with a self-care mindset, confirms Pinterest researcher Larkin Brown. “Self care searches are up 121%,” she says.

On social media, we’re glamorizing our nesting habits, and our pretty, carefully designed bedrooms in a way that decor sites like Apartment Therapy might. (Posts about bedrooms are their top performing “by room” types, second only to kitchens.) “Interest in bedroom photos across Pinterest accounts for 450 million searches per year,” confirms Janel Laban, executive editor at Apartment Therapy.

And the nesting mentality has sparked businesses that celebrate homebodism, like the Stay Home Club—”a club that never meets,” and makes popular hoodies and tees. It’s a lifestyle founder Olivia Mew has seen grow “from creative types in 2012 to the masses.”

And while socializing isn’t going away, “people are prioritizing personal comfort, and a more casual approach to quality time with friends,” confirms Pinterest’s Brown. “Girls night in is trending upwards 35% year over year,” she says. Next year’s going to be all about re-charging.

No. 10

THE FUTURE OF FITNESS IS FRANCHISED

     Cool-kid indie (and now semi-corporate) brands like SoulCycle and Barry’s Bootcamp started the boutique fitness craze. But the companies using a franchise model are largely the ones scaling it, with hundreds of studios opening all over the world.

Leading the charge are Orangetheory with 500 studios and Pure Barre with 400, both of which got recent private equity infusions. Orangetheory opened a new studio every day in 2016 and has more under development in 20 countries. Pure Barre opened upwards of 60 studios in 2016 and anticipates similar growth in 2017.

Other franchise-based boutique brands growing like crazy include CycleBar and Australia-based F45 Training, which is in 18 countries. But it’s the barre scene, filled with examples like barre3, Barre Code, and Bar Method where the business model is thriving the most.

“The franchising model offers companies an accelerated, ‘capital-light’ pathway to growth—with an ability to open new locations faster than a traditional owned and operated strategy,” explains Aarti Kapoor, an investment banker at Moelis & Company who specializes in boutique fitness and wellness. The challenge for these unstoppable businesses? Ensuring a quality experience location to location.

No. 11

HYPER-FUNCTIONAL BEVERAGES, YOUR NEW HEALTH TONIC

     Forget sugary, vitamin-dusted waters—new hyper-functional, ultra-healthy, virtually medicinal beverages are about to flood the market.

Whether you’re in need of an energy boost, focusing your thoughts, or quality shut-eye, there’s a drink for that—no specialty store required. Rebbl’s organic blends are available at supermarkets for $3.99, Torii Lab’s Awake tonic is stocked in cool hotel mini-bars, and you can order a case of Dirty Lemon’s ultra-stylish range by text message. Next year, these tonics will get even more purse-size and portable.

What’s responsible for the functional beverages boom? More people are turning to ancient remedies for their modern maladies. “In the medicinal community, it’s overwhelmingly accepted that herbal and natural extracts with proven efficacy can have significant impact on attitude, appearance, and overall well-being,” says Zak Normandin, Dirty Lemon’s co-founder. “This format takes the guesswork out of the pills and powders which have traditionally dominated the function-specific product space.”

And there’s no need to hold your nose as you sip. As Sheryl O’Loughlin, CEO of Rebbl (whose reishi-mushroom chocolate drink is the grown-up version of Yoohoo), puts it, “Why would I have to take a pill and then eat my food if it’s all in one—and tastes so good?”

No. 12

EVERYONE’S DITCHING THEIR MAKEUP FOR THE NATURAL LOOK

     It seems like every week, another celebrity posts a proud makeup-free selfie, exclaiming her enthusiasm for joining the #NoMakeup movement.

Alicia Keys, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cameron Diaz, and even Kim Kardashian have recently gone bare faced and au naturale because of its empowering message of self-love.

And the idea’s catching on.

Makeup-free enthusiasts are growing in number—the Instagram hashtag #nomakeup shows over 12 million fresh-faced results. Skin care enjoys twice the market share of makeup, indicating that more women prefer a glowy complexion to covering up.

And authenticity, as a sentiment, is winning out over perfectionism, note makeup artists. “It’s refreshing and powerful to see women reclaiming and redefining beauty on our own terms,” says Rebecca Casciano, a New York-based artist. She sees the bare-face trend as an expression of self-acceptance (much like the body positivity movement).

“For years, we’ve been trained to emphasize or create what we do or do not have,” adds Shirley Pinkson, a former creative director of makeup for NARS and the co-founder of W3LL PEOPLE. “This movement towards ‘less’ guides a woman to embrace what makes her most beautiful—her unique, gorgeous features.”

While makeup isn’t going away, authentic beauty is going to be a hot topic—for women and beauty brands—in 2017.

No. 13

THE SOCIAL SCENE IS SOBERING UP

     If you steer clear of sugar, chug green juice, and schedule daily workouts in your calendar, there’s bound to come a time when alcohol—and the ensuing hangover—starts to lose its luster. For many New Yorkers and Angelenos that time is now, and a tide of booze-free social gatherings is rising to meet the sober crowd where they are.

“If you’re used to having a drink with dinner or when you go out, it can be really uncomfortable to break the habit,” explains Ruby Warrington, who co-founded NYC’s Club Soda event series with meditation guide Biet Simkin. Their events address how to navigate sober life, from sex and dating without alcohol to avoiding the bar at holiday parties.

Happenings like these are getting easier to find. In New York, a new pop-up party, called The Softer Image, combines herbal tonics, dancing, and energy healing. And in May 2017, wellness luminaries Gabrielle Bernstein and Elena Brower will speak at the first SheRecovers conference, which will look at sobriety through a variety of modern lenses. In Los Angeles, dry dinner parties and yoga-fuelled DJ events are providing social alternatives to the bar scene.

And since Perrier can get boring really fast, in 2017 you’ll see healthy mocktails—like the new Curious Elixirs—on more bar menus.

No. 14

BEAUTY COUNTERS ARE GETTING CLEANER

     Women are now reading the labels on their beauty products as carefully as food labels. They’re scanning moisturizers for ingredients to avoid and seeing skin care as an extension of their health. As a result, chic, cleaner beauty products are getting way more accessible.

“Women come into our store having done a lot of research on ingredients and are hungry to know more,” says Annie Jackson, VP of merchandising at Credo Beauty, one of an expanding number of non-toxic beauty stores across the country.

Natural and organic brands are sprouting up almost daily, and becoming a very viable industry that’s estimated to reach $16 billion by 2020.

All of this is why mega stores like Target, Millennial lifestyle retailers like Urban Outfitters, and chains like Sephora are rapidly expanding their clean beauty offerings. “We’ve definitely seen an increase in the use of natural ingredients,” says Priya Venkatesh, Sephora’s VP of skin and hair merchandising. “Brands such as Herbivore Botanicals and Drunk Elephant have an enthusiastic fan base.”

And, for the first time since 1938, a discussion about cosmetics regulation is happening on a governmental level. If passed next year, the Personal Care Products Safety Act would empower the Food & Drug Administration to evaluate skin-care ingredients for safety.

One of the biggest health movements brewing in the US? It’s all about clean beauty.

No. 15

RECOVERY NOW RULES FOR FITNESS FANATICS

     High intensity workouts continue to be one of the hottest and fast growing (according to our observations and the ACSM’s Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends). But an obsession with them has led to over-training and injuries, ushering in a new let’s-slow-down mentality that’s going to keep spreading.

Tough workouts aren’t fading away, but people are finally focusing on good habits, recovery classes, and self-care products to offset their physical toll. “I think we’re finally getting some balance back, which is why we’re seeing a resurgence in restorative techniques—the popularity of foam rolling is a great example,” says Lauren Roxburgh an alignment expert and author of Taller, Slimmer Younger: 21 Days to a Foam Roller Physique, whose clients include athletes like LeBron James and Gabby Reece.

“People are becoming more educated on the importance of recovery,” agrees Daniel Giordano—a go-to New York City physical therapist, who also created Rove, a travel-friendly foam roller that’s one of many recovery products coming to market. There’s also Whoop, a fitness tracker that measures your sleep and recovery, and WellWell, a science-backed recovery beverage. And expect to see more fitness classes dedicated to recovery like ACCESS, LIT Method’s low-impact HIIT, and a renewed interest in gentle (as opposed to power) yoga.

As more people recover properly and see how much better they feel, the habit is likely to become more ingrained.