The New Year is just a few short weeks away and this time of year resolutions run rampant. See what trends you should avoid like the plague and what trends may be your key to seeing success in 2020.
We've all done it. "New Year, New Me." Something about a new calendar year makes us want to fit into our skinny jeans again and we'll try just about anything, and I mean anything, to do it. But what if you didn't have to put yourself through another juice cleanse to see some results this year? My name is Anna, and I'm a registered and licensed dietitian with my master's degree in nutrition science. I have over 5 years of education just in the science of nutrition and how what we eat affects our bodies; and no, I'm not going to try and sell you my Keto Cookbook. Check out this list to see what my no bullsh** responses are to some of the hottest trends in nutrition coming up for this year.
What if you didn't have to put yourself through another juice cleanse to see some results this year?
Be sure to let me know in the comments below which of these trends you'll be trying out this year!
1. Gluten and Grain Free
This trend isn't new to 2020. Gluten free and grain free have been gaining traction since as early as 2011.
A gluten free diet used to be reserved only as a prescription to cure symptoms of individuals with Celiac disease, an autoimmune condition in which the body reacts to the protein in wheat by attacking the finger-like projections in the intestines and therefore damaging the body's ability to fully absorb nutrients.
It is estimated that only 1 in 100 people suffer from celiac disease, and this number has not increased exponentially in recent years despite the diet gaining more media attention. It's estimated that 26-30% of adults in the U.S. claim to be reducing their intake of gluten or avoiding it all together, despite a lack of Celiac disease diagnosis.
But why?
Avoiding gluten has been glorified with claims of weight loss, increased energy, clearer skin and even reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Celebrities have endorsed it as their best kept secret. With all of these miraculous claims about going gluten free, whole grain products have become a public enemy.
These claims are largely unsubstantiated. In fact, numerous studies show that a diet high in whole grains is actually cardio protective. A systematic review published in 2019 in the British Journal of Nutrition found that intake of whole grain, cereal fiber and bran were associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease-related outcomes.
But, couldn't this just be due to the fiber in these foods? And if we eat enough fiber couldn't we still see the benefit?
The review found that even after adjusting for fiber content, the association of whole grain consumption and lower cardiovascular risk remained, suggesting that additional components within whole grains may contribute to cardiovascular health.
So, should you avoid gluten?
If you have not been diagnosed with Celiac disease, then there is really no reason to avoid gluten, and in fact you may be missing out on the health benefits of whole grains by doing so.
When choosing carbohydrate products such as breads, pastas and cereals, choose whole grain products that list “whole wheat,” “whole rye,” “whole grain barley,” “quinoa,” “rolled oats,” “bulgur,” “millet” or “brown rice” as the first ingredient. Looking at the fiber content of these foods can also be a good indicator of true whole grain status. Look for breads and pastas with greater than 3g of fiber per serving.
2. "Healthy" Indulgence
You wouldn't eat cookies every day if you were trying to lose weight right? But what if they were gluten-free, sugar-free, low-fat, paleo, keto, non-GMO cookies? Oh, and they are made with "superfoods."
Did I cover all the buzzwords yet?
"Healthifying" desserts and snack foods might make these treats sound less treacherous, but it doesn't make them any more nutritionally sound. At the end of the day, choosing nutrient-dense, whole foods for the majority of your meals and snacks will always benefit your health goals more than eating "less guilt" treats. Keep indulgences as just that, indulgences, and enjoy them on occasion.
3. Protein, Protein, Protein
Protein is an important component of a balanced meal or snack, and it has gained a lot of popularity in recent years as the golden child of the macronutrients. Both carbohydrates and fat have had their time in the spotlight, being demonized as the sole cause of weight gain, constantly shifting in blame. Protein on the other hand, can do no wrong.
The more the merrier! Right?
Well, not quite.
Protein has plenty of benefits, such as aiding in satiety at meals and being one of the primary building blocks for lean muscle mass. That being said, it is possible to over-eat protein just like you can over-eat carbohydrates or fats.
Protein has 4 calories per gram, the same as carbohydrate. Whether those 4 calories come from protein or carbohydrate, an excess of calories above energy needs will cause weight gain. Your body doesn't make an exception for protein in caloric excess. It doesn't go, "well we're at 3000 calories for today which is 500 above what we need, but that 500 came from protein so we don't need to store it as fat!" Wishful thinking.
An excess of protein can also lead to an imbalance of nutrients. If you are focusing on protein to the point of displacing other macronutrients it can be hard to meet daily fiber and fatty acid requirements, which contribute to digestive health, cardiovascular protection, hormone production, and healthy hair, skin and nails.
4. Alternative Dairy
New types of milks are everywhere: almond milk, soy milk, flax milk, oat milk, hazelnut milk; it can be hard to keep up. With veganism growing in popularity, as well as the growing number of people recognizing their lactose intolerance, dairy alternatives have been all the rage. The US National Library of Medicine estimates that 30 million American adults have some level of lactose intolerance. Alternative dairy sources are a completely safe and plant-based way to satisfy the desire for traditional dairy foods such as milks, cheeses, coffee creamers and even yogurts. In addition, most alternative dairy products are now fortified with calcium and Vitamin D, making these alternatives just as nutritious as traditional milk.
5. Plant Based
The plant based movement helps focus on what is traditionally thought of as vegan-style eating, while being more inclusive of people who don't want to commit to being labeled fully vegan. It also focuses more on food choices rather than a compassionate lifestyle, because while a diet solely of french fries and Oreos may be compassionate, it isn't benefitting your waistline. Plant based focuses on consuming whole, plant foods. Staple foods include beans, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Whether you want to eliminate animal products all together or not, plant based encourages consumption of more plant foods no matter what else you choose to include in your diet, and that is Registered Dietitian approved.
6. GMO vs. GMO-No
I'll keep this one short and sweet: This trend couldn't Get. More. Obnoxious. There is little to no data on health benefits of non-GMO foods. When prioritizing nutrition habits to incorporate or ditch to improve your health, this one is the least influential.
7. Digestive Health
Finally, a trend we can all get behind (no pun intended). No matter how you feel about the other trends on this list, everyone could stand to have a little less bloating and a little more regularity. Research continues to reveal that the ecosystem in our guts (known as the microbiome) plays a role in far more bodily processes than was once thought. The gut microbiome has been linked to mental health, obesity rates and even cancer prevention.
This trend also includes the increasing popularity of probiotics. Probiotics are good bacteria, that when ingested can help to promote populating the gut with beneficial bacteria to out-number the pathogenic, or disease-causing, bacteria.
While most dietitians can agree that supplements don't make up for a poor diet, a good probiotic supplement is a great addition to any healthy diet. Many foods also contain natural probiotics such as yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha and kefir.
Feeding our gut microbiome with whole, nutrient dense and probiotic filled foods is the best way to ensure we put the billions of organisms in this ecosystem to work for us, instead of against us.
What trend(s) do YOU plan on following this upcoming year? Leave a comment below!
Sources:
Celiac Disease Foundation, accessed 8 December 2019.
Time trends in the prevalence of celiac disease and gluten-free diet in the us population: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2009-2014, Hyun-seok Kim et al., JAMA Internal Medicine, doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.5254, published online 6 September 2016, .
Barrett, E., Batterham, M., Ray, S., & Beck, E. (2019). Whole grain, bran and cereal fibre consumption and CVD: A systematic review. British Journal of Nutrition, 121(8), 914-937. doi:10.1017/S000711451900031X
Gluten-free diet gains popularity. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/312723.php#1
Institute of Medicine (US) Food Forum. The Human Microbiome, Diet, and Health: Workshop Summary. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2013. 4, Influence of the Microbiome on the Metabolism of Diet and Dietary Components. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK154098/
Comments