As we continue to strive for greater fitness and improved wellbeing, innovative ideas and recent scientific data are setting the health trends for 2017. Here are four of the top interesting trends to motivate you on your health journey!

Inflammation-Fighting Foods

Well+Good recently named “inflammation-fighting foods” as the number one wellness trend for 2017. Using food to fight inflammation in the body became a new health strategy — and for good reason, considering that we now know that inflammation is the root cause of most illnesses. “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 to Well+Good. Pinterest’s partner insights lead, Stephanie Kumar, strongly agrees. She describes a massive spike in Pinterest searches for things like turmeric lattes and ginger tea. Even Starbucks has joined this health trend, releasing their anti-inflammatory Chile Mocha Latte earlier this year.

Diet and its impact on gut health play huge roles in combatting excess inflammation throughout the whole body. Gut bacteria are essential in establishing and maintaining strong immunity. Probiotics, such as those found in yogurts, provide your gut with healthy bacteria. Another way to get your dose of good bacteria is through organic fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, and sourdough bread.

Sober Scene

A drink with dinner – and a few more if you go out – can be a tough habit to break. However, if you work out daily, ditch sugar, and love your NutriBullet green smoothies, there’s bound to come a time when excessive alcohol loses its appeal. For many people, now is the time. A very recent trend of alcohol-free gatherings is gaining momentum. “Dry-dinners” and pop-up parties such as New York’s The Softer Image, which combines herbal tonics and dancing, are providing fun and social alternatives to the bar scene. It doesn’t mean never drinking alcohol again; simply cutting back to a single serving of alcohol makes a huge difference. As more people reduce their alcohol consumption, healthy and low sugar mocktails will definitely become a trend in many bars this year!

All About Recovery

High-intensity training continues to be one of the hottest fitness trends, backed by strong scientific data. However, an obsession with intensity and over-training has led to both injuries and burnout, ushering in a new trend: slow-down and recover!

Super tough workouts aren’t fading away just yet and more types of HIIT (high-intensity interval training) franchises are popping up everywhere. Now, many fitness fanatics are finally focusing on stretches and recovery time, as well as massages and good self-care. “I think we’re finally getting some balance back, which is why we’re seeing a resurgence in restorative techniques” explains Lauren Roxburgh, an alignment expert whose clients include athletes like LeBron James.

“People are becoming more educated on the importance of recovery,” says Daniel Giordano, a New York City physical therapist for many celebrities. Fitness classes dedicated to recovery began to trend this year, focusing on areas like gentle (as opposed to power) yoga, low impact training, and good old fashioned ‘rest’ days.

Part-Time Vegan

Choosing a vegan diet today seems like a “cool and hipster” thing does, along with growing a full beard and wearing organic shoes. Notwithstanding this apparent fad, there are several extremely good reasons to explore this trend. A growing concern over the environmental impact of meat production and the inhumane factory farming process raised concerns amongst many health-conscious and compassionate humans.

The good news for meat-lovers is that you don’t have to give up meat altogether in order to make a real difference. There are several (tongue-twisting) terms. such as Reducetarian or Flexitarian. used to describe a mainly plant-based vegan diet with occasional animal products including eggs, dairy, fish, and meat.

If you love meat, the good news is that you don’t have to give up animal products altogether in order to make a real difference. There are several tongue-twisting terms, such as Reducetarian or Flexitarian, used to describe a mainly plant-based vegan diet with the occasional animal products including eggs, dairy, fish, and meat.

Vegan diet choices continue to grow in popularity. Brian Kateman, the cofounder and president of the ‘Reducetarian Foundation’ who gave a TED Talk on the topic, predicts a real spike in people significantly reducing their meat intake.

The USDA expects a continued decline in meat consumption, with the average American eating 12.2 percent less meat today than in 2007. The Guardian Newspaper reported that veganism in the UK has increased 350 percent in the past ten years, largely amongst millennials. You can be a part-time vegan and, in doing so, help your health and the planet!

The year is still young, so start exploring these new health trends and see what they can do for you and your body!