New Year Resolutions are done and it’s that time of year to kick the tires again on a fresh start. Fads, restriction, and hunger may all cross your mind at some point, but where to start? There will be 100 new tips on every magazine cover, your coworker will tell you they are on this new trend for 2017 or you may consider restricting yourself for better or worse. My suggestion is to start in your own home. Look through your pantry and fridge and pick one thing in there that is not healthy. Remove it entirely or replace it with a healthier option that is sustainable. Prepare yourself to be bombarded with an assortment of new information and new trends for a healthier you.
A quick search on nutrition trends of 2017 turns up the following:
Meat free foods – A movement towards meat alternatives using plant based proteins to emulate the properties of popular meat based food items. An expert in the article used the word “flexitarian” which is a fad word for omnivore. Whatever your choice is finding the right balance of macronutrients is optimal. Being an omnivore, one who eats plant and animal based foods, strikes the greatest balance. Moderation and balance is key.
Functional foods – Stop overpaying for marketing ploys on such “superfoods”. A movement towards foods that have solid evidence based benefits such as turmeric, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, bone broth and manuka honey will all become newsworthy again.
Clean eating and not cleansing – moving away from detox diets based off of juicing is hurting more than it’s helping. Your liver and kidneys do an excellent job detoxifying the body. By juicing you are stripping the fruits and vegetables of the fibrous skin you would normally eat. You not only get the vitamins and minerals from your fruits and vegetables but you also load up on a lot of fructose (sugar) by doing so. ‘Detoxing’ and clean eating spurts should not be something you consider after a bad weekend, week or month of eating. A balanced approach should be consistent and enjoying any nutritional vice should be done in moderation. Take yourself off the rollercoaster ride of good, bad then back to good choices and make healthy eating and exercise a consistent habit.
Make a sustainable change and try not to get caught in up trends or fads that seem poorly supported by evidence. If you can set a goal to maintain your new habits to a goal date, you will have a stronger chance of continuing with your lifestyle change throughout the year and beyond.
