Nutrition Trends for 2024

A Multifaceted Approach To Nutrition In Shaping Dietary Paradigms And Consumer Choices

A prominent focus emerges with a heightened emphasis on Nutrition for Aging Well (Active Aging/Older Adults programming is the #1 focus in both Health & Fitness and Group Fitness Trends), spotlighting dietary strategies tailored to promote longevity, vitality, and cognitive agility in older populations. Alongside this, Mindful Eating and Behavioral Nutrition are gaining substantial traction, encompassing a holistic understanding of the psychological, emotional, and environmental factors influencing our food decisions. Furthermore, as consumers become increasingly discerning about the quality and origin of their food, the Whole Foods movement is experiencing an extraordinary surge. This entails a shift toward foods that are free from preservatives, additives, and synthetic chemicals, emphasizing natural, unprocessed, and nutrient dense alternatives. Collectively, these trends herald a holistic and personalized approach to nutrition, intertwining science, mindfulness, and ethical consumption in 2024’s dietary landscape.

Tosca Reno, New York Times Bestselling author, coach, and founder of the Eat Clean™ revolution, applauds the news that eating clean continues to support all nutrition trends arising in 2024. Reno discusses how nutritionally dense, well sourced, and properly prepared foods have always been our original medicine. However, she sees a focus on creating personalized nutrition plans using clean foods to support specific wellness goals, particularly in gut and brain health. Reno advises that anchoring foods for these plans will include protein, plenty of plants, especially leafy greens, foods rating high on the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) scale, and fermented foods. Think Super Gut yogurt, squid ink, and anthocyanins.

1. Nutrition for Aging Well

Nutrition for aging well transcends mere calorie counting; it delves deep into understanding gut health, anti-inflammatory foods, and dietary patterns that bolster cognitive function and mitigate age-related ailments. This tailored approach emphasizes nutrientdense foods rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and essential vitamins and minerals to support cognitive function, bone health, and immune resilience as well as recognizing the significance of protein intake to preserve muscle mass and strength, mitigating age-related frailty. This trend encapsulates a holistic dietary paradigm, promoting physical vigor, mental clarity, and overall well-being from young to old.

Colin Milner, Founder/CEO at International Society of Active Aging, believes that this indicates the paradigm has shifted from mere fitness to a broader emphasis on overall health. He adds that a recent report from Edward Jones and Age Wave highlights the evolving definition of healthy aging, underscoring the ability to engage in desired activities at one’s own convenience, and enabling your clients and members to achieve this is THE bottom line.

Funk Roberts, CEO and Founder Funk Roberts Fitness Inc, is extremely happy that nutrition is a top focus in 2024 as he considers this the biggest struggle for most people. With the rise in chronic health issues like diabetes, cancer, dementia, etc., Roberts says, nutrition should be at the forefront of any fitness, health, and wellness program. For instance, Roberts specifically created a nutrition system to support male clients over 40 in this area.

Dr. Joey Shulman, DC and Registered Nutritionist, says her approach is to educate and teach on metabolic health (blood sugar balance) with aging. Dr, Shulman says this is significant because metabolic health is health. According to Dr. Shulman, maintaining healthy blood sugar control takes education. She advises that as we age, we tend to be more insulin resistant which can lead to a variety of disease processes and weight gain. In Dr. Shulman’s experience, simple metabolic techniques can be a game changer for prevention and aging well.

2. Mindful Eating & Behavioural Nutrition

Mindful eating encourages individuals to cultivate a heightened awareness of their eating habits, fostering a deeper connection with food and promoting a more intuitive approach to consumption. Complementing this is the growing field of Behavioral Nutrition, which investigates how our behaviors, routines, and surroundings shape dietary choices, paving the way for personalized interventions that resonate with individual lifestyles and preferences.

Again, Dr. Shulman comments upon how many of her clients first present in sympathetic nervous system response (e.g., fight or flight). Dr. Shulman finds that mindfulness comes with slowing down, stopping the rush, putting away the screens. With her clients, once proper steps are taken to switch into parasympathetic (the rest, digest and repair response), Dr. Shulman says her clients can focus on mindful eating and the proper timing of foods. processed) food.

Bianca Cordeiro, RD and 2023 canfitpro Delegates’ Choice New Presenter of the Year winner, believes that it is encouraging that people are starting to care more about the intricacies of healthy eating! Cordeiro observes that behaviour change is complex and has little to do with willpower. Instead, Cordeiro says that bringing awareness to how your mind/ body responds to food using mindfulness at mealtimes can be super helpful for a healthy relationship with food. With mindful eating and behavioural nutrition being a trend for 2024, Cordeiro is ecstatic to work on this with her clients.

Dr. Shulman’s advice is to practice daily and consistent detox steps. Dr. Shulman says that detoxing is not just a trend - it has become a necessary part of our daily lives due to our constant exposure to chemicals and endocrine disruptors. Dr. Shulman adds that eating organic when you can (e.g., the clean 15 vs. the dirty dozen), getting off screens, avoiding plastics, using clean beauty and home products, getting outside, focusing on your microbiome, liver and lymphatics - these are some beginning simple steps to lower your toxic load. With autoimmune disease and cancer rates rising, Dr. Shulman says this is more prevalent today than ever before.

3. Whole Foods

The whole foods trend is booming and underscores a preference for natural, unprocessed, and nutrient rich options. Beyond nutritional benefits, this trend champions environmental stewardship, supporting organic farming practices and reducing ecological footprints. The gravitation towards whole foods signifies a collective embrace of authenticity, health consciousness, and sustainability, shaping dietary preferences and paradigms in contemporary food culture.

Carol Harrison, RD, says health and wellness are a mega trend, making it such an exciting and opportune time to be in the business of promoting optimal health. canfitpro’s top trends align extremely well with everything she sees forecasted in nutrition trends. Harrison believes the biggest health gains will come from showing people how to swap ultra processed food with nourishing, delicious whole (and minimally

More emphasis on nutrition is being fully embraced in the fitness and wellness industry. Personalized Nutrition Plans harness technology and genomics to tailor eating plans to individual needs and health goals. Concurrently, Meal Prep and Cooking Workshops empower individuals with skills to optimize nutrition amidst busy lifestyles. The trend towards Holistic Nutrition and Health Condition Specific Diets offers tailored dietary interventions for specific health conditions, promoting overall wellbeing. Gender-specific nutritional needs gain prominence with Nutrition for Men’s Health/ Women’s Health, recognizing distinct requirements. Additionally, Food/Nutrition Economics explores socio-economic factors influencing food choices and accessibility. Addressing individual sensitivities, Food Sensitivity and Elimination Diets guide dietary modifications for enhanced health. Lastly, an increased focus on Digestive Health and Microbiome Balance highlights the vital link between gut health and overall wellbeing, emphasizing dietary strategies like probiotics and dietary fibers.

Together, these trends highlight a nuanced, holistic, and individualized approach to nutrition in 2024 which is reflected in our canfitpro ASPIRES Nutrition event happening March 1, 2024!