5 Greatest Health Trends of 2021 and the Healthy Beverages That Go With Them

ephor

Living through months in a pandemic has lent many to less-than-healthy habits, extra weight, and reduced physical activity. 2021 brings new hope with priorities set to improving mental health, personal relationships, fitness, and appearance.

Downtown Weekly and Murphy Research teamed up to bring you the 5 Greatest Fitness Trends of 2021 and the healthy beverages that go with them. 

Murphy Research is a 10-year-old leading market research firm known for creative research design, rigorous execution and enduring insights.

The trends are derived from Murphy Research’s State of Our Health (SOOH) syndicated study, the largest and most comprehensive ongoing food and fitness tracker in the U.S. 

Not just New Year’s Resolutions, but trends that propel us towards health and wellness Our downtown community can implement in the fight against COVID-19 here in the City.

In Downtown, mental illness doesn’t solely resonate within our homeless population. Depression and anxiety disorders case numbers have soared all over California. According to Mental Health in LA County, 17% of the state’s population has been diagnosed with a mental health disorder of some kind. 

Studies show Mindfulness Meditation almost certainly sharpens your attention. Long-term, consistent meditation does seem to increase resiliency to stress and mindfulness meditation seems to reduce many kinds of bias.  For example, one study found that a brief loving-kindness meditation reduced prejudice toward homeless people. 

Early this year, Downtown Weekly met up with Ken Guoin and Christen Brown own and distribute Ophora Hyper-Oxygenated Water for Wellness. 

Ophora uses patented technology to filter water to medical-grade purity, structuring, balance pH, and the ONLY oxygenated water that provides 40+ppm of bio-available oxygen. 

ephor

These are unmatched levels of pure bio-available oxygen in any water proven to increase hydration on a cellular level. 

“Ophora is free from any and all contaminants including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, hormones, biological contaminants, heavy metals, and radiological contaminants, “ Ken told us. 

Ophora’s 14 levels of filtration, proprietary re-structuring and hyper-oxygenating technologies are protected by 4 US patents. Water travels through state of the art, all-natural re-structuring including rose quartz crystals.

Ophora provides taste and provides the body with high levels of oxygen good for expediting athletic recovery time, increasing natural energy, supporting a healthy gut microbiome, and overall natural health. 

For local spas and developers with a sustainable edge, Ophora also offers state of the art whole home water purification systems, point of use drinking water systems, and 100% chemical-free pool systems to help ease our minds as we continue to the trend towards new health and wellness technologies for DTLA.  

In Downtown, mental illness doesn’t solely resonate within our homeless population. Depression and anxiety disorders case numbers have soared all over California. According to Mental Health in LA County, 17% of the state’s population has been diagnosed with a mental health disorder of some kind. 

Studies show Mindfulness Meditation almost certainly sharpens your attention. Long-term, consistent meditation does seem to increase resiliency to stress and mindfulness meditation seems to reduce many kinds of bias.  For example, one study found that a brief loving-kindness meditation reduced prejudice toward homeless people. 

Early this year, Downtown Weekly met up with Ken Guoin and Christen Brown own and distribute Ophora Hyper-Oxygenated Water for Wellness. 

Ophora uses patented technology to filter water to medical-grade purity, structuring, balance pH, and the ONLY  oxygenated water that provides 40+ppm of bio-available oxygen. 

These are unmatched levels of pure bio-available oxygen in any water proven to increase hydration on a cellular level. 

“Ophora is free from any and all contaminants including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, hormones, biological contaminants, heavy metals, and radiological contaminants, “ Ken told us. 

Ophora’s 14 levels of filtration, proprietary re-structuring and hyper-oxygenating technologies are protected by 4 US patents. Water travels through state of the art, all-natural re-structuring including rose quartz crystals.

Ophora provides taste and provides the body with high levels of oxygen good for expediting athletic recovery time, increasing natural energy, supporting a healthy gut microbiome, and overall natural health. 

For local spas and developers with a sustainable edge, Ophora also offers state of the art whole home water purification systems, point of use drinking water systems, and 100% chemical-free pool systems to help ease our minds as we continue to the trend towards new health and wellness technologies for DTLA.  

www.ophorawater.com

Medical journals show the best source for antioxidants comes from consuming foods such as kale, blueberries, strawberries, spinach, oranges, beets, and a longer list of natural occurring unprocessed fruits and vegetables. Robeks DTLA blends these fresh fruits and vegetables from the chopping block to the juicer daily, from open to close. 

In an age when slacking off on your health is no longer an option, enhance your body’s natural detoxification system with Robeks DTLA. 

They whip up wellness smoothies with light-hearted names like the TROPI-KALE complete with Fresh Kale, Pineapple, Pineapple Sherbet, Non-Fat Frozen Yogurt, Papaya Juice.

Robeks creators knew way back in the 90s the combination of juicing with a splash of fun would take on the world someday and developed a franchise specifically set to take on the task. 

When Robeks came to South Park downtown LA finally had a place where  people could order all their healthy vitamins and precious antioxidants in one serving. 

Robeks fresh juices come with cool titles  like “Cool Cucumber” with juiced 

Cucumber, Apple, and Lemon Ginger. 

Robeks creates some of Downtown’s most highly revered açaí bowls every time, like their best-selling ACAI STRAWNANA BERRY delightfully arranged Acai, Banana, Blueberries, Strawberries, and Vanilla Almond Milk. Topped with Fresh Banana, Fresh Strawberries, Fresh Blueberries, Granola, and Raw Honey.

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but what can a Robeks Smoothie, Juice or Açaí bowl do? www.robeks.com

Medical journals show the best source for antioxidants comes from consuming foods such as kale, blueberries, strawberries, spinach, oranges, beets, and a longer list of natural occurring unprocessed fruits and vegetables. Robeks DTLA blends these fresh fruits and vegetables from the chopping block to the juicer daily, from open to close. 

In an age when slacking off on your health is no longer an option, enhance your body’s natural detoxification system with Robeks DTLA. 

They whip up wellness smoothies with light-hearted names like the TROPI-KALE complete with Fresh Kale, Pineapple, Pineapple Sherbet, Non-Fat Frozen Yogurt, Papaya Juice.

Robeks creators knew way back in the 90s the combination of juicing with a splash of fun would take on the world someday and developed a franchise specifically set to take on the task. 

When Robeks came to South Park downtown LA finally had a place where  people could order all their healthy vitamins and precious antioxidants in one serving. 

Robeks fresh juices come with cool titles  like “Cool Cucumber” with juiced 

Cucumber, Apple, and Lemon Ginger. 

Robeks creates some of Downtown’s most highly revered açaí bowls every time, like their best-selling ACAI STRAWNANA BERRY delightfully arranged Acai, Banana, Blueberries, Strawberries, and Vanilla Almond Milk. Topped with Fresh Banana, Fresh Strawberries, Fresh Blueberries, Granola, and Raw Honey.

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but what can a Robeks Smoothie, Juice or Açaí bowl do? www.robeks.com

From the same people behind the beloved Parrot coconut products and juices, comes a brand that exclusively focuses on high-quality, natural coconut products, including the product that started it all, non-GMO 100% Parrot coconut water. No preservatives. No additives. It even comes in recyclable paper packaging. “I think you can have a very exciting and complicated life, but the foods that you eat should always be simple,” says Julie, the founder and general manager of Coco Dealers. 

On the menu, Cocodealers offers Parrot coconut water, Parrot coconut milk, and on weekends, and fresh coconuts, all of which can be pre-ordered on the Coco Dealer website and picked-up or delivered if you live in DTLA. If you’re in the area, you can stop by in the afternoon to get your daily coconut fix. The Cocodealers will gladly open the coconut for you and show you how to do it at home. For those that are eager to do it themselves, Julie laughs, “of course you can do it yourself, but wielding a big old knife is risky, get a kit from Amazon, make life easy on yourself.”

The most fascinating aspect about Cocodealers is the variety of coconut related products. The fresh coconuts offered are from Mexico, available on weekends only. These coconuts are hand selected to be the freshest possible and never frozen. To put this in perspective, most retailers offer shaved coconuts from southeast Asia which are prepackaged in plastic and kept in freezers for months at a time before being displayed in the markets. While that doesn’t mean the coconuts are bad, it’s always best to get the freshest possible, which is something that the Cocodealers are extremely passionate about. Pro tip: When choosing coconuts, shake it, fresh young coconuts should have lots of water 

inside. Also, look for browning around the “eyes”, pick ones that are clean without bruising. 

parrot

inside. Also, look for browning around the “eyes”, pick ones that are clean without bruising. 

Come Spring, the Cocodealers will be expanding their product line to include coconuts from, hopefully, all over the world as well as packaged goods like coconut oil and coconut toothpaste. 

“There’s so much you can do with coconuts” says Julie, “there’s something made from every part of it and it should play a bigger role in our mission to be part of a sustainable economy. It’s always fun to talk to our customers about the many different ways to coco.” 

The most unexpected product of all that will also be launched in spring are reusable coco bowls. These bowls are made from the shell of the coconut. This brings the coco cycle full circle, using all parts of the coconut for the ultimate eco-friendly coconut shop. We can’t wait to see the new products coming soon. 

Coco Dealers is located at 1308 Factory Place and is open to the public Monday through Saturday, 1:30PM to 5:30PM. As the slogan goes, Get the Good Coco! www.cocodealers.com

Boketto Cold Brew on Broadway doesn’t just serve cold brew coffee – it also specializes in cold-brew and loose-leaf teas, great for helping you detox.

Talking with Ben Wesley, Boketto’s owner, it becomes clear almost immediately why his café devoted to changing the flavor of cold brew coffee is so successful: Boketto not only differentiates itself from other cafés with its delectable brew and artisan teas but its ability to partner with other local businesses. Ben stresses the importance of manifesting success for not only Boketto but for its neighbors as well. 

HOW IT STARTED: 

Ben started as a head concierge at an office building downtown, where he would eventually be given an old espresso machine and the idea to weld an espresso cart to go with it. Inspired, Ben began contacting all of his barista connections and eventually linked with an award-winning roaster from Australia, who offered Ben the best cup of coffee he had ever tasted. 

Shortly after, the two got to work brewing 15-20 pounds per week. 

Ben set his cart made from a vintage bicycle up on movie sets where he worked the graveyard shift, gave restaurants in his building free kegs of cold brew, and would eventually put cold brew kegs in the spaces of much larger corporations and companies.

Boketto cold brew

He marketed his espresso cart to the best of his ability with the support of his boss and business partner – in fact, Ben’s boss owns the building the café is in and helped build space to have a business. 

Excitement was building as Boketto blossomed into a business, the transformation described as “really kind of serendipitous” by Ben, whose innovative ideas for Boketto’s future had only just begun. The 5-foot space soon became home to some pretty momentous energy, a place that would not turn anyone away.

Boketto Cold Brew and its neighbors are proof that small business is going to go farther for you; when small businesses show love to their community, the community will support them right back. So, support your local businesses! Your purchases will mean more, and we guarantee the brew at Boketto will be worth it. 

Ben works with his roaster to make a special blend of beans that is ordered on Friday, gets in on Monday, cold-brewed on Tuesday, and ready to serve on Wednesday. Boketto’s cold brew even has more caffeine than anyone else’s, because of the lighter beans used. 

Fortunately, the café was never dine-in, so this became its advantage during the pandemic, as it is unaffected by any indoor dining bans. 

HOW IT’S GOING:
Boketto sends customers home with is reusable. Ben created his own ready-to-serve cold brew pouches that are 100% recyclable and hold 54 ounces of cold brew; Coffee lovers can purchase their own re-fillable coffee pouch subscriptions through Boketto’s website. www.bokettocoldbrew.com

Boketto carries apparel, skateboards, accessories, books and art from the most minority and women-owned brands and gives free rein to local artists to paint and showcase their art outside of the café, keeping 100% of profits earned. Boketto is constantly moving forward and attracting other energy to build with.

According to the National Library of Medicine, the human body is equipped with everything it needs to defend itself naturally, however, mechanisms of the body will need ta steady supply of antioxidants to stay healthy in order to work effectively. 

It’s not a question of if working out is the number one health trending 2021, its a quesiton of online fitness, street training or outdoor gym? 

In 2020, the pandemic prompted fitness-engaged consumers to find new ways to get their fix, and online fitness was it. Data suggests this is no flash in the pan. But, there’s a catch. Online fitness users are also more likely to be gym members. This means that, while online fitness is here to stay, it’s likely to shift toward occasions and activities that are complements to the gym rather than replacements once gyms open again in 2021.

After a vigorous workout, we suggest treating yourself with some bubbly. Maybe not the bubble we would usually suggest, but still a wonderful bubbly in its own rights known to the world as HUBBLE. 

From the moment Dave Burchianti sold his first bottle of Hubble at the Hollywood Farmers Market in 2017, he knew taking vibrant cold-pressed juices and adding carbonation was a healthy fit. 

Hubble (the healthy bubble) is a “breakthrough in bubbles” combining the fresh taste and nutrient power of cold-pressed juice with the refreshing bubbles we crave.

A truly fresh and functional sparkling cold-pressed juice with only 3-4 ingredients, no preservatives, no artificial ingredients, no concentrates, and NO ADDED SUGAR.

Hubble Comes in Three Sparkling Flavors:

Watermelon with a splash of mint for clean hydration, Ginger Lemon for digestive wellness and Golden Citrus with the immunity boost of orange, lemon and turmeric.

Made with High-Pressure Processing utilized by the leading pressed juice brands to keep them fresh tasting and to maximize vitamins, nutrients and enzymes, Hubble was the first company in the world to apply this process to a carbonated beverage.

Find Hubble at Whole Foods on 8th and Grand. The fresh bubbly taste never before available in a sparkling beverage…as well as the “good for you” nature of the product. 

“I think people are a bit bored of the bland taste of sparkling waters which have no nutritional benefits.”

With new flavors on the way, the amazing cultures and friendly people of Downtown are about to get their first taste of what Hubble has to offer. www.drinkhubble.com

Author: Keri Freeman

Military mom and proud parent, artist, writer, musician and film maker. Cocktail connoisseur. Publisher of DTLA Weekly.