How to Navigate Diet and Health Trends for 2022

As you emerge from the good and the bad of 2021, you want to look forward to a brighter future in 2022. Diet and health trends populate your social media feed at a dizzying rate with tips and tricks to achieve the perfect beach body. You soon feel overwhelmed with health trends that aren’t actually “healthy”. 

Diet culture penetrates almost every piece of media we consume. However, other trends are emerging that challenge run of the mill crash diets and embrace a body positive outlook. 

Focusing on mental health first and introducing small habits that boost your overall health are sustainable ways to reach your goals and protect your mental health. You don’t have to jump on a diet-bandwagon to feel confident and healthy. Prioritize your wellbeing with self-care rituals that help you reach your health goals.  

Read on for ways to ditch diet culture and put yourself first in 2022.

2021 In Review

In 2021, Good Housekeeping ran a series of articles illuminating the dangers of “diet culture”. Essentially, diet culture is the idolization of being thin or toned as a means to be happier. The trend gained more traction with the booming success of shapewear and other diet normalizing brands. 

The harm in these trends is that they create unrealistic perceptions of health and beauty. They make us feel that we need to endure pain if we want to feel beautiful. 

As a result, an anti-diet movement arose. The mission of this movement is to dispel diet culture myths and encourage a healthier perspective on health and self-image.

Incoming Health Trends for 2022

In 2022, look for diet and health trends that embrace body positivity and support science based health benefits. 

According to Today, trends such as sobriety and functional beverages are poised to be among the top trends in the coming year. Living through the pandemic has increased our awareness of personal health and we want to find ways to increase our overall well being. 

If you want to feel more healthy: life in moderation, savoring each experience, and self-care are three health trends to get behind instead of diet fads that are hard to measure up to. 

Replace Diet Culture Norms With Healthy Moderation

One diet and health trend that fails time and time again is the “fad diet”. Fad diets typically center on eliminating certain “bad” foods from your diet while consuming excess amounts of “good” foods. Instead of concentrating on foods you need to eliminate all together, focus on moderation and balance for a plan that is sustainable and realistic. 

Establishing healthy habits is more sustainable than forcing yourself to restrict what you eat. When food is separated into “good” and “bad”, we learn to associate food with being worthy versus feeling like a failure. Shifting this perception to view food as nourishment and enjoyment helps us see our relationship with food through a more realistic lens. 

Consider the following:

• Drink more water (essential for good digestive health and detoxifying)
• Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables (eat the rainbow)
• Savor your meals and notice the flavor and how it makes you feel
• Eat with intention and avoid eating out of boredom
• Don’t deny yourself a little indulgence
• Make meal time an enjoyable activity and cook with loved ones or try eating outdoors
• Enjoy dark chocolate knowing that it boasts its own health benefits

How To Live Your Best Life

It’s most important to focus on what makes you feel good as you set your health goals for the year. Look inward for inspiration as opposed to flashy trends flaunted by celebrities. If your overall goal is to get in better shape, focus on doing things that make you feel happy. Join a hiking group and make new friends or sign up for yoga with a coworker.

Practice daily mindfulness and notice your feelings in relation to your experiences. Note what makes you feel good in your body and make a conscious effort to include more of it in your life. 

Whether it’s the energy boost you feel when you take a movement break or the refreshing sensation of drinking a cool glass of water, there are many healthy habits that can boost your overall satisfaction. Your personal satisfaction, not a fad diet, is the true key to lasting happiness.

Do more of what feels good. It is a great way to set goals that stick! 

Body Positivity Is Sexy

Body positive celebrities (we’re talking Lizzo) are shaking up pop culture’s perception on what it means to feel sexy. Being sexy is all about confidence and self-love. The belief should be that when we feel good, we look good. 

Structuring your goals around maximizing your personal pleasure and fulfillment are a win-win because all progress is going directly to your personal happiness. 

Turning the toxic vibe of diet culture on its head and embracing radical self-love in its place is the new trend to get with. Move your body in ways that bring you joy and eat in ways that feed your soul. Your body and your mind will thank you!

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Energy Chocolate- For a lasting boost of energy that will get you through your favorite activity without the jitters. 

Stress and Anxiety- To help you kick stress to the curb and enjoy a relaxing calm that doesn’t leave you drowsy. 

PMS Chocolate- For balance and relief of common premenstrual symptoms. 

Libido Chocolate- To coax your inner vixen out of hiding and get the most out of your amazing body.