Trends can sometimes be misleading – just because a diet or fitness plan is trending, doesn’t mean it will give you the same results.

Here’s a look at our top seven health trends of 2017.

1. Calorie in, calorie out diet (CICO)

2017 welcomed yet another diet claiming to be the diet to help you reach your body goals.

The CICO diet looks at managing your kilojoule intake by making sure you consume less than what you burn. Physiqonomics.com explains that calorie implies the unit in which energy is burnt.

Most people will have different experiences when following the CICO eating plan. The plan needs to be bespoke, taking into account your goal weight and the amount of kilojoules you need, as well as the amount of kilojoules you will need to lose weight.

2. Wearable technology

More and more people are wearing some kind of health-tracking device. There are many wearables available, ranging from Fitbit and Garmin to the Apple watch, TOMTOM, Samsung and a host of others.

These devices have the potential to track much more then just your time, distance and step count. Most wearables can monitor your blood pressure too.

They also capture data that could be useful for your physician when assessing your health or making a diagnosis. 

3. HIIT

High intensity training, or HIIT, has and still is a huge favourite for many people trying to get fit and stay fit. The short but high energy workouts are perfect for busy individuals as an entire exercise session can be condensed into 20-30 minutes. 

4. Open air yoga

Yoga in the park or on the beach has definitely been a trend in South Africa. The combination of being in nature while simultaneously meditating through a great workout has quickly become a popular fitness activity.

Yoga studios such as The Om Revolution in Cape Town offer summertime sunset classes on Clifton beach, but also host a range of other yoga classes in public gardens like The Company’s Garden and Keurboom Park. 

5. Wellness coaching

Holistic health is always the goal. The focus has shifted from not only being physically healthy but also realising the importance of mental health in 2017. Health24 has a helpful article with tips to manage anxiety.

If you want to improve your mental health, experts suggest you prioritise time for meditation or see a therapist. 

Earlier this year Madalyn Parker from the USA shared her story about choosing to take a mental health day off from work. She tweeted her CEO’s response, which went viral on social media because it was not the response many would have expected from a CEO.

6. The power of social media

This year I’m sure you couldn’t scroll through your news feed on Instagram or Facebook without seeing a post of a friend’s recent run using their fitness app such as NikeRun or Strava.

Social media has definitely become a space where people are motivated to keep fit and eat healthy. And it is a lot easier to weed out the negativity by simply unfollowing those who don’t motivate you.

After posting a pic of the run you just finished or the super healthy smoothie you’re about to have, the likes and comments from friends and followers give a sense of positive feedback which everyone enjoys.

According to TopHashtags.com some of the top 100 hashtags used on Instagram in 2017 include #fitness #motivation #gym #healthy #fit and #workout.

7. Ketogenic diet

More commonly known as the Keto diet, the name is derived from the word ketosis. The objective of the diet is to reach a state of ketosis where the body uses fat as its primary source of energy and relies less on carbohydrates for energy.

If you were following this diet your kilojoule intake would be 75-90% fat, 6-20% protein and the remaining 2-5% kilojoules would be from carbohydrates.

The New England Journals of Medicine explains that there is risk of ketoacidosis when on the Keto diet and advises that it be followed under the supervision of a physician. Ketoacidosis occurs when there is an excess of ketones which increases the acidity of your blood and could have a fatal effect. 

^{Image source: iStock}

Tarryn Temmers