Though ketogenic, Paleo, low carb, and lectin-free diets didn’t make the cut, the Mediterranean, low FODMOP, Flexitarian, and DASH were declared fab diets. While all of us struggle with our eating habits and wonder recurrently what to and what not to eat, people struggling with an eating disorder have an even harder time. It is time to put the lapses behind you, unfollow fad diets, get collected, and pledge to follow some healthy diet trends throughout the year to achieve and sustain good physical and mental health.
Diet Trends to Follow
Listed below are some of the healthy diet trends that one should follow:
Probiotics
Probiotics comprise live microorganisms which are indispensable to maintaining a healthy gut environment. These can be consumed through fermented foods and supplements. Emerging studies have shown that gut bacteria imbalance is linked with several health disorders like allergies, obesity, autoimmune, and mental health ailments. Probiotics help in preventing and managing diarrhea, maintaining heart health by lowering blood pressure and LDL levels, and reducing weight and belly fat. These are also known to improve one’s mental well-being.
Non-dairy milk
Many people continue to move away from dairy products, including milk, because of dietary restrictions, allergies, and health risks. Keeping this in mind, a number of other non-dairy milk substitutes are available. These include almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, cashew milk, oat milk, quinoa milk, and rice milk. While one should try making plant-based milk at home, if buying from outside, be watchful of added sugar, fortified calcium, vitamin B12, and the overall amount of additives present.
Plant-based diet
Many diet experts have signaled that a whole food plant-based diet offers many health benefits as it is the least processed and devoid of excess sugar. It helps in losing weight and maintaining the overall fitness of the body. Moreover, it helps in alleviating the risk of heart diseases and many types of cancer, cognitive decline, and diabetes.
Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is an eating style where one alternates between periods of eating with fasting. It offers multiple benefits like weight loss, improved hormonal health, reduced risk of type-2 diabetes, reduced inflammation and oxidative stress in the body, induced cellular repair, and may even prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Diet Trends to Unfollow
As there are a number of diets that need to be followed, there are many that need to be dropped. Some of these are:
Carnivore diet
This diet primarily consists of beef, chicken, mutton, pork, fish, and dairy products. It doesn’t contain fresh fruits and vegetables. This is a highly inflammatory diet as it disturbs the microbiome of the body. Therefore, one must strive to add more plant-based products to their diet to achieve overall health.
Activated charcoal
These days, people consume foods laced with activated charcoal as it is considered a detoxifying agent. However, it has a downside in that it binds to minerals, vitamins, and some prescription drugs. Therefore, this product should be used in moderation.
Faux meats
Vegans and vegetarians in many countries are eating faux meats, which are highly processed and contain many questionable ingredients. These meats can also increase the amount of sodium that one consumes. It is, therefore, best to shun this practice of eating imitation meats and instead focus on eating rawer and unprocessed whole food plant-based foods.
We live in a diet-obsessed culture where people are swayed by new diet fads and exercise trends because of the massive advertising strategies used by the companies. People follow trends blindly and get into the vicious cycle of dieting, harboring great dissatisfaction with their bodies and developing eating disorders. It is, therefore, important to quit following fad diets, start eating logically and emphasize more how one feels rather than how one looks.
Originally posted 2022-07-06 12:29:53.
