Welltodo Today: A Meat Tax?, Extreme Wellness Retreats, Athleisure Takes Over The Office

Today’s key global wellness news articles from around the world, impacting the industry and influencing the business of wellness

Beyond Meat Boss Endorses Meat Tax, Says Customers Are Ready

Ethan Brown, the founder and boss of global vegan meat giant Beyond Meat is backing a tax on meat consumption. He believes it will further skyrocket the plant-based meat industry, and that it’s in line with consumer demand. A ‘pigouvian’ tax – similar to that of sugar and tobacco – would have benefits on wider society, Brown revealed in an interview.

Fiture’s smart mirror aims to disrupt fitness with Tencent’s backing

Chinese smart fitness unicorn Fiture, which has been backed by Tencent Holdings and New World Development’s Adrian Cheng Chi-kong, is eyeing expansion in Europe and the United States.

Ties are out and stretchy pants are in: The office wardrobe might never be the same

Johnny Reynolds has been spending a chunk of his paycheck at Lululemon lately. Not for the gym, but in preparation for his return to the office. The 27-year-old public relations professional from the Philadelphia area expects to rejoin his colleagues after Labor Day.

How Crunch Fitness Stayed in Shape During Covid

Fitness clubs have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. State and local governments shut gyms for months as the virus spread, with 17% of facilities in the U.S. closing down permanently last year, according to IHRSA, a health and fitness association. Crunch Fitness has been spared much of the pain.

Can plant-based milk beat conventional dairy?

Plant-based milk makers are whipping up billions in investment and trade with new products coming to market and more buyers turning to non-dairy alternatives. But as the FT’s Judith Evans reports, plant-based milks have some way to go to match the popularity, nutrients and earnings of traditional cow’s milk, which continues to cream the largest profits.

Inside the weird world of extreme wellness retreats

Nine years ago I stayed at Kalari Kovilakom, a wellness retreat in Kerala, India. This was no ordinary wellness retreat. Instead of fluffy robes and champagne-drinking in the hot tub, my phone was whisked away on arrival, I was obliged to wear white pyjamas the entire time, and I had to rise in the darkness, like a monk, to do yoga before dawn.

This tiny fitness tracker slips into your T-shirt and helps prevent running injuries

(Image credit: Incus Performance) If you’ve been thinking of picking up a new running watch, there’s an alternative that you might want to consider first. The Incus Nova is a small device that, unlike most fitness trackers, is worn at the top of your spine, which allows it to track a different range of motion.

NotCo’s $1.5 Billion Valuation Comes With Big Expectations

When NotCo founder and CEO Matias Muchnick closed a nine-figure series C round of financing two months ago, he predicted that his company would be a unicorn by the end of the year. That milestone arrived far sooner than expected for the 32-year-old, who just raised an additional $235 million, which values his alternative protein company at $1.5 billion.