Get Inspired by 5 Cutting Edge Health Trends
Atkins dieters stay ahead of the curve on all things health. However, even for these leaders of the pack, it can be easy to get sidetracked from fitness goals. (Especially with the bevy of barbecues, weddings, and other social events that fill calendars come summer.) If you started your summer with big ambitions to get and stay fit, but have fallen off now that the dog days are here, you’re not alone. Get inspired with five major health trends we’ve shared below.
High Intensity Interval Training
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a fitness technique that intersperses short, intense bursts of activity (think sprinting, jumping, etc.) with lower-intensity recovery periods. Tabata, named for the Japanese researcher who invented it, is a popular HIIT workout that pairs 20-second intense intervals with 10-second recovery breaks. All forms of HIIT keep your heart rate elevated and torch fat. To boot, they’re more efficient than traditional aerobic exercise like jogging and save you time at the gym, which explains why they’ve enjoyed a resurgence in recent years.[1]
Seaweed
Low on carbs, bursting with iron and potassium, and surprisingly high in protein and B12,seaweed has long been a nutritious staple of Asian diets. Today, recipes featuring sea vegetables, nori, dulse (pronounced like “pulse”), and kombu—all different types of seaweed—dominate food blogs and magazines. You’ve probably encountered seaweed salad at your favorite Japanese restaurant, but to use it at home, buy crumbles or flakes at your local health foods market and sprinkle it onto salads, soups, or roasted vegetables. You’ll not only be benefiting from myriad vitamins and minerals, you’ll be eating a sustainable food with a negative carbon footprint[3].
Wearable Technology for Fitness
In recent years, the popularity of Fitbit and other biometric-tracking wristbands has exploded. Experts predict the trend will only expand, as more and more sophisticated wearable technology becomes available. Beyond your basic step counters and accelerometers, heart rate monitors and GPS trackers are becoming de facto features in wearable fitness bands. New models may even feature elevation tracking and UV sensors.[4]
Aerial Yoga
Yoga and mindfulness have remained top-of-mind in the health world for years now thanks to celebrities like Deepak Chopra as well as a bevy of popular yogi Instagram accounts. Aerial yoga riffs on the millennia-old tradition by enabling students to do postures mid-air thanks to suspended silks. It’s a little bit yoga, a little bit circus act, and a major workout for your core.
Cloud Bread
This low-carb bread alternative has been lighting up Pinterest boards in recent months. Made with eggs, softened cream cheese, cream of tartar, and honey (optional), the grain-free bread contains about half the calories of traditional bread and only one gram of carbs. This makes it a great choice if you’re eating on the Atkins plan or trying to limit gluten.[5] Straight from the oven, the bread has a crispy texture, while storing it overnight gives it a softer consistency.[6]
[1] http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/high-intensity-interval-training-the-ultimate-guide.html
[3] http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/11/02/a-new-leaf
[4] https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/whats-inside-fitness-tracker-anyway/
[5] http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/cloud-bread
[6] http://news.health.com/2016/01/14/10-health-trends-that-will-be-huge-in-2016-according-to-pinterest/
