Remember when protein powder was just a bodybuilder thing? Or when no one bothered to wonder what all those hard-to-pronounce ingredients on their food labels were? If the new millennium taught us anything about self-care, it’s that eating right and getting regular exercise aren’t optional if you want to live a long, active life.
Today, the world of wellness is bigger than ever, and encompasses nutrition, fitness, beauty, and even wearable technology. At The Vitamin Shoppe’s Product Education Conference (PEC) on August 14th, we’re sitting down with some of the buzziest names and most innovative brands in the supplement industry—from fitness icon and Kaged Muscle CEO Kris Gethin to plant-based chef and Ora Organic co-founder Ron Chang—to talk about the trends shaping the future of health and wellness.
Join us live on The Vitamin Shoppe’s Facebook page from 3 p.m. EST to 7:30 p.m. EST this Tuesday, August 14th, to get in on the conversation!
Here’s the full lineup:
Learn more about what our guests will be discussing:
Training Like An Elite Athlete on a Plant-Based Diet: Don Saladino—Garden of Life Athlete, Celebrity Trainer
Many people still don’t seem sold that you can work out—and look—like an athlete without a diet that features plenty of milk and chicken breast. Saladino, who uses plant-based supplements with his celebrity clients, knows that’s not the case. He’ll discuss how plant-based foods and supplements can contribute to fitness goals like building muscle, becoming stronger, and shedding fat, and share what a successful plant-based approach to fitness looks like.
Is Bread Really The Enemy?: Yemeni Mesa—KNOW Foods CEO
KNOW Foods was founded with the goal of creating a ‘better bread’ to address the negative impact of conventional bread and similar foods on health in the U.S. Yemeni will walk us through the low-carb revolution, the rise of keto, and how re-thinking high-carb staples like bread and cookies can help us better our health.
Pushing The Limits of Fitness Beyond Bodybuilding: Kris Gethin—Kaged Muscle CEO, Fitness Icon, Endurance Athlete
Not only is Kris Gethin a renowned bodybuilder, but he’s also run an ultramarathon and completed an Iron Man triathlon, proving that his fitness knows no limits. Gethin will discuss how and why he’s pursued such ambitious and varied feats of fitness, and what his training has taught him about discipline, and the capabilities of the human body. He’ll also address how supplementation and nutrition have helped him achieved his goals and how his experiences have shaped Kaged Muscle.
The Importance of Sustainability In Product Innovation: Ronald Chang—Ora Organic Co-Founder, Chef
Ora is all about organic, plant-based ingredients from sustainable sources—and while we’ve heard about organic for years, the importance of sustainability may not fully be on everyone’s radars. Ron will discuss why Ora uses sustainably-sourced ingredients, and why consumers should care about where their supplements come from.
The Rise Of The Keto Trend: Chris MacKenzie—BPI Sports CCO, Competitive Bodybuilder
One of the first sports nutrition brands to really embrace the keto trend, BPI has helped more and more bodybuilders embrace the high-fat, low-carb trend. Chris will discuss why keto has become such a hit with the bodybuilding community, how it’s changing the way competitors think about macros, and what supplements can help make it successful.
How Community Commerce Spreads Health And Wealth Across The Globe: Lanaia Edwards—Shea Moisture Senior Director Of Marketing
Shea Moisture has donated more than two million dollars to community commerce programs, including minority women-owned businesses, clean water initiatives, and more to date. Lanaia will discuss how Shea Moisture’s origins inspired its mission to support women and under-served communities, how this mission has grown with the company, and why you should support brands who give back.
Technology As A Tool for Healthy Living: Matt Hesse—Performix CEO, Founder of the FitOps Foundation
The conversation about technology lately seems to focus a lot on some of the ways it’s negatively impacted our health (such as excessive screen time making us increasingly sedentary). Hesse will discuss the flip-side. After all, his brand Performix is all about utilizing cutting edge technology to enhance supplements. Hesse will explain how technology will continue to revolutionize the supplement industry, and how he uses technology as a health and fitness tool in his own life.
The Evolution of Protein Supplements: Kris Gerulski—Glanbia Marketing Director
Optimum Nutrition, BSN, and Isopure have endured as some of the biggest brands in the world of protein—but protein supplementation has come a long way since the birth of protein powders! Kris will discuss how these brands have remained on the forefront of protein’s transformation, why protein is for everyone, what innovative products they’re buzzing about, and where the future of protein is headed.
How Everyday Athletes Can Train And Fuel Like The Pros: Matthias McKinnon—BodyTech Ultimate Athlete
Since his days playing college football, Matthias McKinnon has continued to pursue his fitness goals with the intensity and rigor of a competitive athlete. BodyTech’s first-ever Ultimate Athlete will talk about how the right attitude, training, and supplementation can help the everyday fitness enthusiast make incredible gains.