I have two elderly kitties, Kiwi (a 17-year-old Siamese) and Callie (a 15-year-old tabby). Kiwi is a prickly and vocal cat who has recently discovered that plopping her backside down in my office doorway and delivering a pleading stare, accompanied by a bellowing meow, will bring hunger relief. Kiwi, the dominant of the pair, has declining kidneys but eating is still her primary joy in life. Digestive issues have plagued Callie for many years. The inconsistent availability of many pet food brands has aggravated the situation making it difficult to settle Callie’s eating routine.

“According to market analyst firm Mintel, three in five U.S. pet owners are willing to pay more for foods that are customized to their pet’s specific dietary needs, a trend being eagerly met by more than 700 brands and 10,000 products,” says Ronica O’Hara in our Natural Pet column Pet-Pleasing Food Trends: What Dogs and Cats Will Eat This Year [page 32]. Feeding my cats new food is a game of trial and error. When it comes back up onto the floor, that isn’t very cost efficient. It is worth paying a little more for a food that will stay down and support a delicate digestive system. I am hopeful that in the coming year, pet food supplies will return to normal, and I can once again stabilize their diet.

In this first issue of the new year, we examine the trends for 2022. In our feature article, Health in the New Year: 10 Top Wellness Trends for 2022, we look at plant-based food, telemedicine, wearable devices, epigenetics, health apps and more [page 22]. If overconsumption of coffee results in side effects for you, A Better Morning Jolt: Healthy Coffee Alternatives and Hacks offers suggestions for alternatives as well as options for coffee lovers to enhance their beloved coffee bean [page 26]. Parents will appreciate the strategies in Zen Zone for Kids: Create the Perfect Calm-Down Corner at Home for highly sensitive or stressed children to decompress [page 28]. In our Wisewords column, find inspiration for your New Year’s resolutions with advice on the Healing Power of Letting Go [page 30]. And the wellness tools in Whole-Person Fitness: Current Trends in Wellness Tools can help support your fitness resolutions [page 34]. As we embark on a new year, I hope your new year trends include peace, health, happiness, and many blessings.

Happy New Year!

Kris Urquhart, Publisher