With a New Year comes a bunch of new health trends. Science is always pushing out new information as it pertains to the nutritional benefits of all kinds of different foods and ingredients. And health “gurus” tend to pick up that science and use it to make some of those foods become parts of a new trendy diet. We see this happen every year and many of those diets end up fizzling out by the end of the year. But some have withstood the test of time so far, such as juicing.
How will 2017 trends measure up?
I believe it is too early to make a judgement call like that, but something you should expect is that plant-based food products are set to have a breakout year this year. This is because of the fast ascent to popularity of vegetarian and even vegan diets. Not to mention, advancing science is making it possible to genetically modify plants to make them more nutrient packed. In addition to that, science is also testing out new plant-based foods that can be seen as healthy substitutes animal products – which vegans and vegetarians alike will love.
Without further ado, it is time to actually take a look at some of the foods that will be trending in the new year of 2017.
#1: Inulin
Make sure you are reading it as inulin, not insulin. The two are quite different. Anyways, what is inulin? It is a sweetener. And before you exit the page or scroll down to the bottom to write a nasty comment about how artificial sweeteners cause cancer, you should first hear me out. Inulin is not an artificial sweetener. It is all natural just like raw sugar, but much healthier.
Inulin is found mostly in pulses like lentils and chickpeas, as well as in asparagus and bananas. And if we are going to continue the comparison to sugar, inulin has been found to only be 10 percent as sweet as sugar, so it may not satisfy your sweet tooth.
But here is where it gets good. In various trials, inulin has been found to be quite potent in decreasing the stomach fat of those who consume it. Experts attribute this to inulin’s rich concentration of high-resistance starch which eliminates stomach fat. One particular study found that those who take inulin supplements are more likely to lose more weight than those who do not take inulin supplements. You can find inulin supplements as a stand-alone powder or as part of a protein powder supplement. Check the labels.
#2: Maqui berries
These berries are grown in the South American country of Chile and they are jam-packed with healthy nutrients. They are a rich source of the antioxidants vitamin C and anthocyanin. Both of these antioxidants have cancer-fighting and anti-aging properties, which is why maqui berries are set to explode in popularity in this coming year.
You are able to purchase maqui berries in both a powdered supplement form and in their natural raw berry form. Watch out though, the bitter taste of a maqui berry might catch you off guard.
#3: Nut oils
A lot of promising science came out in 2016 that showed that eating all kinds of nuts can be beneficial to your health. It is because of this that I think that nut oils are bound to soar in popularity this year. With the already immensely popular nut spreads like Nutella, it is easy to see how a nut-based oil product could become a popular fixture in one's pantry.
Health experts suggest that you do not go nuts (pun intended) on eating these oils, as overconsumption of anything can lead to health problems. They also suggest consuming it uncooked because cooking the oil could kill the healthy fat content contained in it.
#4: Watermelon seeds
It all started with sunflower seeds and now that those have been proven as a highly successful and popular idea, new kinds of seeds are about to hit the market in 2017. This includes the aforementioned watermelon seeds, as well as chia and pumpkin seeds.
2017 just started and we already seeing these seeds show up in stores in a variety of different flavors. There is even a mild chili flavored watermelon seed, and with flavors like that you just know these will become a widely popular healthy snack. What a world!
#5: Chaga mushrooms
I remember listening to my favorite radio show and hearing a bunch of advertisements about something called chaga. And I literally had no idea what it even was. Then I did some research and I found some interesting information about it.
Chaga is a kind of mushroom that provides a truckload of health benefits when consumed. These benefits include making your immune system stronger because of its microbe fighting properties. On top of that, chaga contains a lot of antioxidants, which helps protect your cells from damage from oxidation.
The one downfall is that chaga in tea form does not come cheap at all. If you want a box of 20 chaga teabags, you will have to shell out over 20 bucks. A cheaper option is out there, however. You can purchase chaga in a concentrated powder supplement form for just a little over 10 bucks. You will just have to figure out a way to consume it.
#6: Algae fats
Oily fish are one of the greatest sources of the insanely beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. This makes it difficult for those who do not eat fish, such as vegans and vegetarians, to get those essential fats.
Last year, they would eat flaxseeds but flaxseeds are not a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and do not even contain the main acids known as DHA and EPA. These acids are exclusive to oily fish and the human body does not naturally make them.
Enter algae.
Since algae live in the same area as these oily fish and the fish often brush past them, they also become rich sources of the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA. This means that vegans and vegetarians now have a way to get these healthy fatty acids into their bodies.
Conclusion – Will You Try These New Food Trends?
As you can see, 2017 is going to be an exciting year for health trends. Many new products are set to hit the market and become immensely popular. Especially since eating healthy is becoming the new craze, these products are going to capitalize on just that. What foods on this list are you looking forward to trying the most? Let us know! Have a happy new year!
About the Chaga: it is worth mentioning that Chaga is a ‘mushroom’ and can be bought as supplements.
However, just like other mushroom supplements, the deceiving thing is -the manufacturer does not reveal this- that unless you purchase an extract, you can not digest it properly. And extracts are expensive, because extraction costs money. The cheap powders one sees for sale everywhere will just work as a laxative for 80% of people.
The supplement facts label should mention active ingredients like ‘beta-glucan’ or ‘polysaccharides’, if there’s no such thing on the label, and it’s low-priced as well: 99.99% it’s not an extract and you will not benefit from it. Don’t be fooled !!