Health and Wellness Trends of 2019
We saw quite a few health and wellness trends this past year. The most common trends had to do with diet or weight-loss. Here are some of the trends that we saw gain popularity in 2019.
Oat Milk
There are all sorts of milk alternatives available on the market including soy, almond, coconut and rice milk. Oat milk has also emerged as a dairy-free alternative. This type of milk gives those that are vegan or lactose intolerant another type of plant-based milk that they can enjoy. Oat yogurt and oat ice cream have also hit the store shelves recently.
Veganism
Plant-based diets have been around for quite some time. However, veganism seemed to gain a lot of momentum in 2019. This is in part due to a lot of restaurants offering plant-based options. These options include vegan burgers at Burger King and vegan sausage at Dunkin’ Donuts. Even Disneyland will be offering vegan options this year.
The Ketogenic Diet
Every year it seems like there is some new diet that becomes the latest diet craze. The ketogenic diet has become 2019’s diet craze thanks to numerous celebrities , like Vanessa Hudgens, who have jumped on the keto bandwagon. How the ketogenic diet works is that dieters consume less than 50 grams of carbs each day. This allows them to enter into ketosis. When they are in this state, they will burn fat at a quicker rate.
CBD Oil
You have probably heard a lot of things about CBD oil recently. This oil is made from the cannabidiol plant, and it is commonly used to cure a variety of conditions. These conditions include epilepsy and depression. CBD oil is available over-the-counter without a prescription.
Intermittent Fasting
If you are looking to lose weight this year, you may be interested in intermittent fasting. This diet trend became rather popular in 2019. It involves not eating for a set amount of hours every day. For example, many people choose to eat for eight hours, but fast for 16. For those that have tried intermittent fasting successfully, they report being able to lose weight and keep it off.
In conclusion, there always seems to be some sort of health and wellness trend that makes news every year. The trends mentioned above are some of the most popular ones of 2019. Keep in mind though just because a trend is popular, it doesn’t mean that it’s healthy.
Following a Soft Food Diet After Weight Loss Surgery
After weight loss surgery, you might think that you can eat the same foods that you did before the procedure but in smaller amounts. While some foods that you enjoyed can be consumed on a smaller scale if they provide the essential nutrients that your body needs, there are many foods that you should try to avoid. You will usually be on a liquid diet for the first few weeks after surgery before you can begin eating any kind of solid foods.
When Should I Add Pureed Foods?
It’s important to wait for your doctor’s go-ahead before moving on from your liquid diet. The liquid diet is an important transitional stage and also allows your doctor to evaluate how well you are healing. Even if you feel ready to eat foods, wait for your doctor to give the all-clear.
The Pureed Diet
Once you’re able to tolerate liquids and the incisions from your surgery have healed, you can begin eating pureed foods. You can put foods in a blender or get foods that are already soft, such as yogurt or cottage cheese. Your meals won’t be large because your stomach will be much smaller than what it was before. Most of the time, you’ll only be able to eat about six tablespoons at each meal.
Eating Tips
Try to enjoy the food that you eat, taking the time to let your food digest so that the nutrients can be absorbed. Scrambled eggs, lean meats, cereals that you can cook, and steamed vegetables are good foods to puree that will give you the vitamins that your body needs to heal.
There are a few foods that you should avoid eating after weight loss surgery. These foods include bread, pasta, meats that are fried, and vegetables that have a lot of fiber in them. Listen to your body when you eat because you can begin to sense when your stomach is truly full and which foods don’t agree with your digestive system.
New Study: Carbohydrates & Weight Loss
If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you likely know that avoiding carbohydrates is a popular method. However, a new study finds that following a high-carb diet can actually contribute to weight loss and can even improve insulin function. But this doesn’t mean you should fill up on bread.
For the study, researchers from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a non-profit organization that supports following a vegan diet, recruited 75 overweight adults to take part in a 16-week trial. Of these participants, 38 were asked to follow a low-fat, plant-based diet that allowed for as many carbs and calories as each individual wanted. However, they had to avoid foods with added oils and animal products and could only consume 30 grams of fat or less per day. The other participants were told to continue following their current diets.
The results showed that the diet following the plant-based, high-carb diet shed considerable amounts of visceral fat (which accumulates around the belly) and also reduced body mass index, as well as insulin resistance. There were no notable changes in the control group. This study fits in well with other recent research that has pointed to low-carb diets contributing to a shorter lifespan.
The findings of this research were published in the journal Nutrients. The study’s lead author and the director of clinical research for PCRM, Dr. Hana Kahleova, notes that healthy carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can be the key to fueling the body in the healthiest way.
New Year’s Resolutions & Cancer Risk
If your New Year’s resolutions involve any kind of healthy lifestyle adjustments, you may find that the benefits are more long-term than more energy or a slimmer waistline. According to a new study performed by researchers at Cardiff University, taking on healthy changes (and sticking to them) can lower your risk of developing cancer in the future.
The researchers looked at preliminary data on more than 343,000 adults between the ages of 40 and 69 years. The data was obtained from the United Kingdom’s Biobank, which is a research services that collects and monitors health data from its participants. Of those 343,000 adults, about 14,000 were diagnosed with cancer in a five-year follow-up of data.
Adults who followed five main healthy behaviors (often chosen as New Year’s resolutions) were evaluated. These healthy behaviors were:
- Limiting alcohol consumption
- Maintaining a healthy body mass index (BMI)
- Avoiding smoking cigarettes
- Eating healthier
- Exercising regularly
Those who incorporated all five of these behaviors had a third less of a risk when compared to participants who only adopted one of the behaviors—or none at all. The authors of the study hope that this will encourage patients to keep up the sometimes-difficult work of maintaining a healthy lifestyle change, by reminding them that healthy changes have long-term effects that can lengthen life spans.
The Best Times to Eat for Weight Loss
Even if you are working hard to make smart eating choices, you might still discover that weight loss is a struggle. This is because when you eat can be just as important as what you eat. For best results, your food intake needs to go along with your body’s circadian rhythms to avoid causing your blood sugar to elevate.
Breakfast
Ideally, you should eat a high protein breakfast between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., but no later. If you wake up before or after that time span, try to eat within an hour of waking up. Eating a healthy breakfast at the right time can help you to be more active throughout the day and curb your hunger.
Lunch
Research has shown that the earlier you eat lunch, the better. Try to make sure you eat your lunch before 3:00 p.m. The sooner in the day you consume the bulk of your calories, the more time your body has to burn what it doesn’t need.
Dinner
You should aim to eat dinner between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., and avoid eating at all after that. Snacking after dinner contributes to an intake of calories that you do not need if you are eating nutritious and filling food for the rest of the day.
Snacks
Snacks aren’t necessary, but sometimes you need to boost your energy levels before your next meal. It can also help you avoid overeating at the next meal. If you’re truly hungry, try a handful of nuts or some fruit, raw vegetables, or cheese. Keep in mind that it takes between two and four hours to fully digest your food, so time your snacks carefully.
Not hitting these time slots every day does not mean that your weight loss efforts are fruitless, but you might notice a difference in your success and energy levels if you follow these guidelines. If you have an unusual work or sleep schedule—for example, the night shift—talk to your doctor about the best way to space out your food intake.
