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Top Health Trends 2015

| Administrator | Opas Blog, Health

Lets get started!

A great way to start of the year is to form healthier habits. Whether those habits are riding your bike to work instead of taking the car or walking 30 minutes a day or swapping out a banana for a chocolate bar. Ok ok, these are the traditional “I want to be a healthier” habits but since we are in the now, the year of mobile phones and iPads drones and computers that fit into our pockets. There are new ways of reminding us to get healthy and stay healthly. New findings and studies that help us look and feel young. Lets take a look at the top 2015 health trends.

Coffee is healthy

Coffee had a bad wrap for sometime, it was said to be unhealthy and just plain not good for you. Well, it is acidic forming when you add milk or cream to it. If its part of the 30% acid forming foods you decide to put in your body for the day, then great! Add some milk into it.

- Coffee makes you happy.

"In a study led by the Harvard School of Public Health that tracked 50,000 women for 10 years, those who drank four or more cups of caffeinated coffee per day were 20 percent less likely to develop depression than nondrinkers.”

Great, although 20% is a such a small percentage, it is a better solution than popping a pill. Don’t get rid of all your meds yet. Another study found that adults who drank 2-4 cups a day of caffeinated coffee were half as likely to commit suicide as decaf drinkers or abstainers. This is a really great finding but the study does not mention that after 2 cups of coffee it is possible to feel jittery, maybe develop some anxiety attacks, irritable bowel syndrome or insomnia. Also, they did not mention what coffee was used, folgers (which I do not not consider to be coffee) or illy (which is my favorite coffee in the west). Don’t let anyone ever tell you that coffee is coffee because its not!

Method of brewing is important. Coffee contains cafestol, a compound that has been found to increase levels of LDL or bad cholesterol. Sorry italians and French people, looks like the espresso maker and French Press was not mentioned here. But hey, getting your dopamine wherever and whenever you can is sweet goodness. If you are taking coffee on as a healthy habit, exercise caution.

Cardio Weight Loss and Prescription Apps

Who wants a reminder at 7am every morning to get up and move your body? Me! I do I do! In addition to your alarm clock, you can shock your body and brain with another alarm. I’m being sarcastic, it is a good finding because most of us need a little push. I cannot tell you the name of the apps I use but I surely love it. It tracks my cardio and reminds me to workout. In addition I can monitor if I am getting lazier or healthier. It even has workout plans in the form of 7, 10, 20, or 30 minute lengths. Although this is definitely a digital trend, this still might be something you would like to look into if you have a smartphone. If you're phone is not smart enough, try a good ole journal and use your brain to remind yourself to stay healthy and workout with just 7 minutes a day.

Prescription apps are said to be a trend in 2015, helping those with difficult sicknesses and diseases to remind them when to take their medications. There are thousands of apps existing already in this nature including some apps designed for diabetics. For example, BlueStar, it allows people to input data about their glucose levels, diet, exercise and their well being. The app then provides them feedback based on the information entered. Information about the patient can also be analyzed for the physician to take a look at during the doctor visits.

Flour! Cricket Flour

Okay, I know what you are thinking because I am thinking the same thing. Those poor crickets. All they want to do is hop around and live in-between the meadow grasses. Crickets are being pulverized into a flour like form and added to protein bars, desserts, and foods. I do not know about you guys but I think crickets are cute, why would I want to eat them.

Why are people eating crickets? Or cricket flour? Well, crickets are full of B12, protein and have nearly as much calcium as a glass of milk. Okay, so you don’t want to drink white liquid from a cow well then switch right over to bugs. Lets see how long this trend lasts. Based on my cricket flour research cricket flour is a basic source of protein but not as good in compared to salmon or chicken. Supposedly to eat a cricket is more environmentally friendly and more sustainable. But wait, what does the cricket have to say about this?

Snail Facial

Put a snail on your face for crying out loud, its 2015 and everyone is doing it! I think snails enjoy cruising over strawberries and leaves before crawling over our faces. Yes, people are getting facials with snails. Finally, mankind is working together with our fellow crawly gastropods to make this world a better place. Or? Not really, people are only putting snails on their face to beat the clock of aging. According to Dr William Stebbins, this effect of letting a couple of snails slide around your face will only provide a temporary effect.

snail facialWhat are the benefits of a snail facial? Well, snails have nutrients and antioxidants in their slime. If you want a youthful appearance, put some clay on your face. No need to grab your garden snails from their brunchfest on your organic leafy green lettuce. See facial masks.

Written by Administrator.