Six Health Trends for 2014
Many people resolve to have a healthier lifestyle as a new year begins. Making dietary and exercise changes can have a big impact on how you look and feel.
Foods that are made without gluten will continue to be very popular. Gluten is found in foods made from wheat and other grains such as barley and rye. Foods that contain gluten include bread, pasta, cereal, cookies and beer. Most beer is also high in gluten. People who have celiac disease can become very sick if they consume foods with gluten, and rely heavily on gluten-free free. Another growing group believes eating gluten free makes for a healthier diet. There are not strict regulations in place to regulate gluten-free products. Anyone with severe gluten allergies or celiac disease should consider the source carefully before consuming.
- If you don’t have celiac disease or an insensitivity to gluten, there really is NO reason to avoid it though. I think it’s become too big of a trend in the “name of health”. See this post of mine on this 🙂
Try my Gluten Free Graham Crackers or my many other GF recipes!
What’s Old is New
“Ancient grains” are another health trend for 2014. They include quinoa, polenta, bulgur, buckwheat, faro, amaranth and spelt. These grains have been around for thousands of years and are believed to be healthier, due to higher fiber content, than some of their modern day over-processed relatives. Many ancient grains also have the added benefit of being gluten-free.
Try this wonderful Quinoa Butternut Squash recipe or my Creamy Protein Quinoa!
Locally Sourced Foods
Another trend that will perpetuate in 2014 is a heightened awareness and preference for locally sourced food. This includes produce, meat, dairy products and even honey. Products that travel a shorter distance to someone’s table don’t require as much handling, tend to taste better and support local farmers and merchants. They may also be more environmentally friendly since the reduced travel distance to their end destination consumes less energy. Some restaurants are touting the use of locally sourced foods on their menu as part of their marketing strategy.
I’ve been loving to use raw honey lately, like seen in my Blueberry Coconut Scones or my loved Banana Pumpkin Muffins and Bread featuring Quest Bars.
Hemp is Hip
Hemp seeds have very high protein content. They also contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids which are great for heart health and can reduce inflammation. Hemp seeds are a great alternative for vegetarians and vegans. They can be sprinkled on salads, mixed into baked goods and into alone. Hemp comes from marijuana plants, but has an incremental amount of THC which produces the high.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is making a comeback. In recent years, this nutrient packaged vegetable has taken a back seat to the likes of kale and broccoli, but times are changing. One of the appealing features of cauliflower is its versatility. It can be steamed, roasted, pureed and eaten raw with dips. Cauliflower can give soup a creamy taste minus the cream and be a healthy substitute to starch heavy potatoes.
Try out this Cauliflower Pizza Crust Recipe for a great healthy take on pizza!
Wearable technology
The production of all types of devices to monitor, analyze and store work-out data (otherwise known as wearable tech) shows no signs of slowing down. Consumers are increasingly interested in taking the collected information to and trainer and customizing a fitness plan to meet their needs.
2014, like every other year, brings another crop of health trends. Some of note includes the popularity of gluten free products, ancient grains, locally sourced foods and cauliflower. Wearable technology for exercising is expected to continue as a hot item.
Through this post am I no way supporting any of these trends or saying I myself follow them, it’s simply just an informative post 🙂
Lauren Hill writes for AAPP.org, an organization supporting private healthcare practitioners.
Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rachel-berman/healthy-living-news_b_4508392.html
http://www.coreperformance.com/daily/nutrition/12-ancient-grains-you-may-have-never-tried.html
http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/6-top-healthy-food-trends-2014-185600702.html