Health trends come and go over the course of generations, but they will always be just trends. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle all year round should be a goal that people act on with or without outside influences. Do it for yourself, because that’s when it will feel most rewarding.
One of the most popular goals people like to fall back on is to eat healthy and exercise. There’s either someone you know who tries achieving that goal every year, or you are that someone. I admit it, I’m usually that someone. Everyone knows eating healthy and exercising is good for you and is recommended by most doctors, but it almost seems impossible to do.
Can this generation be healthier than previous ones? With the endless creations of food trends and healthy lifestyles, people start to wonder if these trends are actually beneficial to our health.
People have become more health conscious due to media exploitation and health trends, many of which I have fallen into. Celebrities and models advertise their favorite exercises and food kicks on television and social media.
In recent years, to be “fit” has become the new “skinny.” Some women don’t obsess over the “model skinny,” as seen in the late 1900s because they strive to be strong and healthy instead.
CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program that focuses on high intensity workouts. This type of workout has become a kind of cult following in people’s fitness lifestyles over the last decade.
In this past year, there have also been dozens of food trends that have made its way to fame. The acai bowl which is a really thick smoothie with a variety of toppings such as fruit, coconut shavings and pretty much anything you want was a big talk of the summer. A pricey bowl that markets and frozen yogurt shops all became invested in.
“Tasty” videos on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat have also become extremely popular, many of which consumes hours of my day. These are collections of videos that teach viewers how to make a variety of delicious, healthy meals. What makes them even more popular is that they are sped up videos that give you all of the information you need within seconds.
With the circulation of health advertisement and food crazes, we are exposed to more health awareness and education as well. We all deserve a McDonald’s 10-piece McNuggets or a burrito bowl from Chipotle every once in a while because it’s what we crave.
There’s no harm in indulging in greasy food sometimes, but knowing the consequences of too much consumption of the “good” and the “bad” without a balance of both is also part of a healthy lifestyle.
Know what your body needs but also what it wants. Exercising, adding some greens into your meals and even munching on a cheeseburger sometimes can get you to a healthier and happier state of self-reflection. It’s a trend for you to start.
Email Emily Kim at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
