Kale bubble

Have we reached kale bubble yet?

Anyone who has been reasonably in the loop on health trends has seen this “nutrient dense” green powerhouse applied to every recipe under the sun, from sushi (see: Uchi’s Yokai Berry) to chips (see: Rhythm Chips) t0  juice bars (see: One Lucky Duck in NYC).

The people behind the kale public relations campaign touting the benefits of kale and its health properties are doing an outstanding job. Look, I eat lots of kale and while agree that there is little doubt that kale does have tremendous health properties (rich source of vitamin C, K, A, loads of fiber, iron, and calcium) there are numerous other forgotten greens, vegetables, and superfoods that kale has overshadowed:

• Bok choy
• Sea greens
• Mustard greens
• Turmeric
• Spirulina/Chlorella (sea algaes)
• Wheat/Barley grass

Personally, I am still waiting for sea vegetables to get their due praise such as kombu and dulse. Japanese people eat them and don’t they have like the highest life expectancy in the world?

In the mean time, enjoy this spoof on “kale fad diets” by Healthy Choice Frozen Yogurt. The good news is that the big boys (multinational corporations) are watching the kale trend and clearly pushing back with marketing health products of their own. It shows we have come a long way on our countries’ path towards a culture of health prosperity.

Always going for glory,

Craig

6 bold health predictions for 2013

Genome Sequencing for all!

One year ago I discussed my predictions for the health trends of the year 2012.  As 2012 winds down and we all begin to reflect on what we have all accomplished this year, let’s take a moment to look forward to our year ahead, and what to expect in the realm of health and wellness.

But first a recap on prior predictions for 2012:

Functional food has continued to grow at an astounding rate, with more consumers seeking out their vitamins and minerals from food sources, not supplements and vitamins. More and more millennials are seeking their full nutrition from plant-based products, as the market has grown almost 20% over the past year.

Paleo and Gluten free have continued to surge with the Gluten Free market alone reaching $4.2 billion. The paleo explosion is still nigh.

Omega 3 essential fatty acids are now more recognized as ever by the consumer as a protector of heart health with 38% of consumers believing omega vitamins are “very effective” for heart health.

6 Bold Health Predictions for 2012: 

1. Look for pharmaceutical companies to get a piece of the gluten free pie. I suspect they are currently in beta-test mode for enzyme products to be available over the counter that can help digestive-related issues in those with gluten intolerance and celiac disease.
2. Corporate wellness will continue to be a dominant component in the conducting of business. As premiums continue to rise at rates faster than inflation, coupled with the health care law that will force employers to cover their employees or pay penalties, companies will do anything to reduce the burden of health problems on their bottom line. Corporate wellness will be immensely important in 2013 and beyond…
3. Health technology integration: As we continue to build new apps, technologies, health trackers and health care IT, there will be great fragmentation in the delivery of care and data about our health. Look for start ups looking to create turn key interfaces with all of our health data, stored in cloud technologies. It will look much like the mint.com of health but instead of integrating all of our financial data, it will have all of our health data with web-based portals. It will show trends, data, and even key biomarkers that can help us improve our health, and prevent disease.
4. Democratized health: With apps and technology on the rise, we are quickly gaining the ability to have complete control to diagnose and treat our own illness. While it’s ways away, Vinod Khosla (famed silicon valley entrepreneur) believes our primary care doctors are becoming even more obsolete than ever with 80% of what doctors do becoming obsolete in the coming years. Silicon valley based start-ups are even offering genome sequencing for $100!
5. Juice, Juice, and more Juice! People are continuing to turn to “liquid nutrition” diets to “cleanse, detox, and just be health.”  So go ahead and thank your local celebrity for making this trend hot in NYC, LA, and a city near you! Again this is could be considered a sub-category of the growth of functional foods and corporate health too, as many companies are turning to “corporate, office-wide juice cleanses” for improved employee health.
6. GMO battle will continue to heat up. Yes, prop 37 in california did not pass (thanks in part to millions spent by large agro-conglomerates to spread fear about it), but this war is far from over. Look for more state and federal legislation (farm bill, state bills) that will continue to get more clarity on this emerging issue.

What are some emerging health trends you’re noticing that are ripe for massive growth in 2013?

—

Craig E. Steinfeld, MPH

Sources:

http://www.ingredientsnetwork.com/news-content/full/top-10-functional-food-trends-of-2012

http://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/news_home/Consumer_Trends/2012/10/Gluten-free_market_to_42_billi.aspx?ID=%7B3BA3114F-5584-4EBD-B052-113B8CF85BD2%7D&cck=1

http://www.physiciansmoneydigest.com/lifestyle/Health-Premiums-Grow-Faster-than-Wages-and-Inflation

http://thehealthcareblog.com/blog/2012/08/31/vinod-khosla-technology-will-replace-80-percent-of-docs/

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/08/27/juiciest-trends-in-juicing/

The trend of trackable fitness continues: Misfit Wearables

Check out the video of the beautiful innovation happening with the “Misfit” Shine fitness tracker. Not only will it track your fitness and integrate seamlessly in to your life, but the quarter-sized device is waterproof, wearable, and beams wirelessly on your mobile device.  All-in-all, a product like this can create a paradigm shift in the mobile health tracking and fitness space.

In my view, mobile fitness trackers are beginning to pose serious questions to humanity:

• At what point are man and our use of technology completely integrated, and when will the age of cyborgs be fully realized?
• Do we have any remaining excuses to be sedentary anymore? Mobile fitness devices, ubiquitous gyms, apps and motivational tools abound make it difficult to come up with any excuses.
• Are tools like mobile fitness trackers strong enablers of fitness, or do they distract us from the big picture of what it is to be healthy?

What problems and solutions do you see unfolding as technology and innovation continues to push the progress of humanity in the health and fitness space?

(You can help fund misfitwearables on indiegogo here )

 

Greatist Manifesto

M

I’m jazzed about this company, Greatist, and their manifesto. In fact, it’s who I am and the “why” I exist: To inspire others to seek their highest wellbeing. Companies like this empower their users and employees by pushing the next generation of health seekers and entrepreneurs forward, empowering people to achieve their highest purpose and to help obtain the most important gift of all:

Health

“He who seeks health, shall obtain it.”

Greatist also helps illustrate the concept discussed in my previous blog: The fusion of man and technology for optimal health. What health trends and companies are inspiring you?

Always going for glory!

Craig Steinfeld

More must-read health & fitness news and information at Greatist.

Health + technology

The future of wellness is now.

By wellness I mean, no longer are we attempting to remain disease free and to stay healthy and “fit,” with the occasional doctors visit, check up, and gym visit. Instead,  we are working towards something greater by harnessing modern resources, innovation, and technology. Some might fear this fusion of technology and biology as a slippery slope, leading us down the road of becoming human cyborgs.

In my view, by better harnessing technology, we can not only prevent disease and have a better understanding of our genetics, but we also work towards reaching our own, unique Genetic Capacity, or our unique ability to become as strong and fit as we are biologically able.

Start ups are running with this concept and they have and will continue to crop up. Here are a few examples of start ups that exist to improve our quality of life and overall wellness:

• Wristbands (and accompanying apps) to track our sleep cycles and exercise habits (see FitBit, Jawbone UP),
• Apps to monitor our runs, swims, bikes, calories burned, mileage logged, elevation changes (Map My Fitness, RunKeeper)
• Apps to track biomarkers as a preventive measure for disease and body composition improvement (WellnessFX)
• Social media and apps to motivate and incentivize us to work out (GymPact, Greatist.com).

The list goes on….

The general trend towards Augmented Wellness means that we all have accessible tools in the form of technology  that allows us to continually strive towards reaching our own unique genetic capacities.

I’m excited to see just how far we can run with this as technology continues to build on itself…

Always going for glory!

Craig E. Steinfeld

@CESteinfeld

No GMO bro!

The hottest trend in the natural products and organics industry has been the fight to control GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) in our food supply. The fundamental question posed has been whether or not GMOs sold in stores should be labeled for consumer transparency.

The Just Label It campaign being petitioned across California has garnered national buzz and could lay the groundwork for future laws in other states regarding GMOs in respect to their need to be labeled or not (http://newhope360.com/blog/californias-gmo-petition-danger-industry)

Seems like a no-brainer, right? We have essentially no clue how GMOs impact human health and longterm effects so why not label them in the interest of safety and transparency.

What we do know:

• GMOs contribute 400 million pounds of additional pesticides to the environment annually (http://newhope360.com/regulation-and-legislation/mark-retzloff-i-think-locally-act-globally-my-store?cid=nl_360_daily).
• More than 40 countries around the world, including Japan, China and all of Europe, have made it necessary to label all GMOs as such and even banned them from production
• The Center for Food Safety, filed a petition (Docket FDA 2011-P-0723-001/CP) calling on the FDA to require labeling of genetically engineered foods (6 months created149,967 public comments)
• More than 91% of Americans want them labeled!

Let me be clear, the notion of using science and innovation to solve world problems is something I am fundamentally in favor of, but at the same time, creating one of the most massive scale human and environmental experiments in history just seems unfair without further research. At the very least, give consumers a choice to use their hard earned dollars to vote for the products they desire.

One things for sure, I will do what is in my own power to commit to being a “No GMO bro,” at least until more is discovered, and spend my dollars accordingly.

Always going for glory!

Craig

@CESteinfeld

Non Animal Protocol (N.A.P)

When you hear the word, Vegan, what comes to mind?

The crunchy hippie with dread locks?

The conscientious young child who likes her bug collection too much to eat meat?

The rise of the vegan has been something of a health trend to watch for some time. Now, it has become a near mainstream approach for preventing and reversing heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. President Clinton, ultra marathoners Scott Jurek and Rich Roll, celebrities abound are all vegan converts. All moral arguments aside on eating animals, research proves this diet can actually lead to better health outcomes.

I posit that the inherent connotation that vegans eat as such to preserve animal rights is beginning to shift, medically speaking. A diet once reserved for “pansies,” hippies, animal rights activists, and the like has become a “prescribed” approach by doctors as a means to improve poor health.

Books like The China Study, works by Dr. Dean Ornish, and The Engine 2 diet are redefining how we view veganism. Social norms are changing dramatically as a result of this push to get vegan mainstream.

As such, I believe veganism should receive a new name, a fresh start, that properly defines this seismic diet shift.

Non Animal Protocol or NAP for short. Not only would a new name help continue to drive society to “eat more plants,” but it would also continue to allow doctors to use this approach medically to improve their patients outcome. No longer would patients recoil in terror at the sound of their cardiologist and rheumatologists recommending veganism as a prescription for health.

On a side note, I eat animals (in moderation) but understand the value in that a Non Animal Protocol could facilitate societal acceptance and progression towards improving health outcomes and general wellness of the population.

What are your thoughts on redefining veganism?

Health is simple: Walk around + eat plants

Extremism in  health is rampant. Fad diets are garnering lots of attention and research. Food advocates are going full-on locavore, shunning any food that does not come from within 20 miles of their home or grown in their own backyards. Vegans are mainstream, even calling their veggie-endeavors “plant strong,” and prescribing “green” drinks for their alkalizing properties. These approaches to health are all fantastic for those who have the means, education, and capacity to stick to them. The overarching health problems remain and obesity is still the massive public health problem of our generation.

Why has health become so extreme, complicated, and confusing?

Some of the recent “foodumentaries” that have come out over the past few years display an interesting trend:

Extreme health protocols as a means to health. 

Some examples include: Drinking only juice for months at a time (no chewing here!), never eating another piece of bread (gluten is toxic for everyone!), eating meat only (saturated fat is actually good for you!), or eating things that never had a “face or mother” (red meat kills and dairy makes you fat!).

As a population, we are on a crash course with rampant obesity.  In another five years, more than half the population will be obese and diabetic with the potential to bankrupt our entire health care system and to cripple our economic development.

I posit that the beauty of health lies in its simplicity.   Walk around,  and eat some fruits and veggies!  Recent research actually shows that by watching less T.V. and eating more fruits and vegetables  people can dramatically improve their health. In short, simple lifestyle changes can lead to dramatic health results.  

I harken back to Michael Pollan here: “Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.” But I might alter this a bit:

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Walk around. And easy on the T.V. watching.”

You might even occasionally imbibe a cold beer or nice glass of red wine.

Always Going for Glory!

@Cesteinfeld

Stairs or escalator?

It always amazes me how little decisions we make every single day can impact our health and societal health on a greater scale. The incremental choices, that we often view as trivial, end up amounting to the greater picture that comprises our health.

For instance:

To watch the latest reality show on television, or go outside for a walk?

To start the day with another soda, or opt for water?

To try incorporating more veggies in my diet, or sticking to fries only like I’m used to?

To snack on a twinkie, or eating fruit instead?

Maybe if we can tweak just a few little things about ourselves, the big picture of “health” and wellness would be less daunting.

Every decision we make, counts.

Craig E. Steinfeld

@CESteinfeld

(Special thanks to my brother, Alec @ALsteinfeld, for the image used and inspiration)

Meat Fuels Man’s Greatness

The following is an essay submitted to the New York Times ethicist contest on: “Why it’s ethical to eat meat.”

—

As humans we have always explored. We have built structures unrivaled by other species. We have pushed ourselves beyond what previous generations of humans thought was possible. Ethically speaking, we have an obligation as a species to progress, to push society forward, and to continue using our intellect and brain-power for the highest human achievements.

Without the consumption of animal proteins, early hominoids would have lacked the energy to keep pushing forward. Our brains would have lacked the essential fatty acids that have allowed them to develop to the bodily super computers they are today. Omega-3 fatty acids, specifically DHA (not found anywhere in land-based plants), as well as cholesterol and saturated fat make up a large majority of the fats that fuel and promote cognitive processes. Ketones, from animal fats, supply carbon for brain lipid synthesis. They provide sure source of brain energy when glucose is not present, a far too common problem for early hominoids.

We have an ethical obligation to fuel our brains properly as they are our competitive advantage over all other species. In fact, we have a distinct obligation to continue pushing humanities development forward. Meat, specifically seafood has played a significant role in keeping our brains sharp and ever-evolving. Early civilizations were most advanced (based on fossil records) when near water sources (ex: Lakes Turkana and Lake Victoria). Shore-based civilizations were breeding grounds for early brain development. In addition, iodine, another essential nutrient found abundantly in seafood, leads to intellectual increases. Many anthropologists posit that Neanderthals died off due to iodine deficiency as they left coastal areas to explore new lands.

From a nutritional standpoint, without animal proteins and DHA fats from seafood, our development as humans would have stagnated around 200,000 years ago. We would not have progressed enough as a species and society to be cognizant of the notion that eating meat may or may not be ethical to begin with. Without animal proteins, we would have not only halted our own evolutionary process, short-changing ourselves as a race and society, but we may have suffered a similar fate as our ancestral Neaderthals. Survival, after all, is our ultimate ethical obligation.

Fortunately, brave many numbers of hominoids continue to eat meat, contributing to our continued development, evolution, and survival.

@CESteinfeld