It seems there is a new diet or health trend introduced every other day. It’s difficult to keep up with the media flurry about each of these ideas. Inevitably, many of the so-called trends, products, and ideas tend to fade quickly, while others seem to last for the long haul.
We scoured the research and comments on the topic and came up with the following 7 health trends that appear to be sticking around for quite a while.
Intermittent fasting. Much scientific research has been focused on the result of intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting can mean many things; from fasting for 16 hours and eating during an 8-hour window during the day to eating normally for 5 days and fasting completely for 2, fasting every other day, fasting once every 10 days for two days, and more. To date, investigators have reported that intermittent fasting can reduce inflammation, help with weight loss, lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, improve sleep and slow the aging process.
Read about is intermittent fasting right for you?
Healthy eating. More than a single eating plan or program, the trend of healthy eating (or what some call non-diet diets) is strong. This trend is based on the idea that it’s critical to eat for strength, energy, vitality, and overall health and wellness. This takes a different form for different people; for some, it may be vegetarianism or veganism, while others may choose Mediterranean, DASH, or keto. Some programs such as Weight Watchers have switched to a healthy eating plan rather than a weight-loss program. Convincing scientific arguments exist for each of these eating approaches, so it’s up to you to find and adopt the program that works best for you.
Conscious consumption. This is about more than mindful eating; it’s about being aware of the environmental impact of your food, beverage, and fitness choices. Conscious consumption is about making sustainability, reusing, recycling, and redistribution a part of our daily lives as much as possible. Avoid excess packaging, say no to plastic, choosing local and organic, supporting eco-conscious producers, composting, not wasting food, and more are all efforts to be a conscious consumer.
Read about living plastic-free as much as possible
Meal delivery. Our busy home, school, and job obligations don’t seem to be ending anytime soon, so a growing number of companies and stores are jumping on the meal delivery bandwagon. As more and more people are saying goodbye to fast food and hello to healthier options, we don’t always have the time to prepare nutritious meals, that’s where meal delivery services come to the rescue. Pick your pleasure: vegan, paleo, organic, smoothies, juices, veggie platters, breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks. Your box arrives with all the instructions and ingredients—you provide the skills and appetite.
Plant-based diet. Whether it’s vegetarian or vegan (no animal products at all), there has been a steadily growing number of people turning to this lifestyle. Sales of vegetarian and vegan foods in supermarkets and restaurants are growing, and more and more people are seeking these choices when dining out or cruising the grocery store aisles. The Nestle company commented on plant-based diets, saying that the demand for plant-based foods will continue to grow and this food trend is “here to stay.”
Fun fitness. It may be that we finally get it: physical activity is essential for our overall health, and fitness can be fun. Or at least we are trying our darnedest to make it so. There’s a fitness activity for just about every taste, level of fitness, and desire. From trampoline classes to Zumba, participating in team sports, dance, aerial yoga, tai chi, water skiing, snowboarding, roller skating, aerobic classes and jumping rope—there’s a fun way to stay fit. Find your niche, whether it means joining a gym, going solo, working out with a friend, or following a video on your computer. Make it yours.
Healthy travel. In our highly mobile society, it has become increasingly challenging to make travel healthy—but you can! Fortunately, a growing number of hotels and resorts are answering the call, especially for business travelers, and we can expect to see more such efforts in 2019. Check out your destination to see if it has in-room fitness options, organic and/or locally sourced food choices, courtesy massages for stress relief, and that it uses natural cleaning products in their rooms.
Sources
Dukoff R. Proof that these 10 big wellness trends of 2017 are here to stay. 2017 Feb 8
Tsuei C. 7 wellness trends that are here to stay. Style 2018 Jan 24S
Why the global rise in vegan and plant-based eating isn’t a fad. The Food Revolution Network 2018 Jan 18
