The 8 Most Underrated Health Trends
For every overrated trend, there is an underrated or otherwise under-appreciated aspect of diet and fitness. Let's take a look at some lesser-known, under-the-radar entities that may be helpful.
- The Mediterranean Diet: Why this way of eating isn't the standard pyramid is beyond me. Year after year, study after study this pattern of eating comes out shining and yet still doesn't seem to catch on.
- Side Planks/Tabletops: This exercise is phenomenal for engaging the abdominal muscles and for enhancing stability. It is especially helpful for those with bad backs as this won't allow you to use your back to aid breathing.
- Apples: Yup, plain old apples are loaded with flavanoids, quercetin, pectin and other flavanoids. They are not as sexy as the Goji or Acai berries but they are still an underrated food.
- Foam Rolling: More and more gyms carry these fascia release devices but through my observation, people still don't use them. When used correctly, foam rolling can help reduce trigger points, improve tissue quality and enhance mobility.
- Matcha Tea: This powdered form of green tea is one of the highest grade teas available - packed with antioxidants and chlorophyll. It is also versatile, making a great addition to smoothies and bars.
- Wall Angels: This is an exercise that most people should do - especially if you sit at a computer most of your day. Standing up - back against a wall - head, shoulder blades and tailbone touching the wall, back of arms against wall at shoulder level, bent 90 degrees - slide arms up while keeping them in contact with the wall - without arching back or letting tailbone lose contact with the wall. Repeat for 10-20 reps daily. This will help stretch some likely tight muscles and help strengthen the deep and underused muscles in the upper back.
- Vitamin D: In the news quite a bit, but again doesn't have the sex appeal that a fat burning supplement might. It is also overshadowed by fish oil supplementation. There is a compelling reason for most people to supplement with this vitamin/hormone - especially for those in northern climates.
- Deadlifts: The hardcore lifters wouldn't dream of excluding this all-around gem of an exercise but it is surprising how many people eschew it - even personal trainers. It does take more practice to perfect and form is more crucial on this one than most others, but when used properly, it doesn't get much better as an overall strength builder.
More like this in Health · Mar 17, 2009
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Apples rock my boat, but make sure you wash em properly, the pesticides used on apples is loaded with mercury. Yum!
As for trends... I think, good ol' lifting of the weights needs to be re-enforced!
What's with all this complex machinery with fancy paint jobs and big pictures? I swear half of them could wear an Autobot badge better than a 45lbs plate. Ridiculous!
ReplyYou're better off with an unwashed apple than just about anything else you could eat instead.
In other words, if you don't have time to wash it, eat it anyway. You'll be better off. Don't give people reasons to avoid apples -- especially emotional, fear-based nonsense reasons.
I suggest people buy Honeycrisp, Jazz, Pink Lady, and some of the other newer varieties. The Red Delicious apples were created to look good rather than taste good.
ReplyWhat the hell are you smoking dude?
"Don't give people reasons to avoid apples -- especially emotional, fear-based nonsense reasons."
--Did you even read what I wrote? I LIKE apples, but you need to wash that stuff. Do you have any idea what mercury can do to you? Do some research.
"Eat it anyway"...
--yeah you keep doing that. For the rest of you, find some water and put it through a wash, then wipe it clean. Now you're ready to devour it.
On a side not, those special "produce cleaning solutions"... don't bother, water cleans just as well if not better. You don't need chemicals to clean off other chemicals.
On a last note, I agree. Red Delicious are made to look shiny and... delicious. Honeycrisp are one of my fav's.
ReplyOn cleaning veggies, so true. On my blog, I referenced an article from Ideal Bite about cleaning veggies & fruit. They provided an eco friendly way to clean your fruits and vegetables & save you money. Studies found that a "diluted vinegar rinse kills 98% of bacteria on produce - researchers found it works even better than a scrub brush". You can read the full post if you want on my blog. I posted it on March 8th.
Oh, I love fuji & gala apples but I think fuji are my favorite.
ReplyYou can also use a solution of baking soda and water to wash pesticides off of fruits and veggies. As far as washing produce goes, I always wash mine but I know there are probably people out there that may be near a vending machine that has both apples and chips and figure that they don't have time to wash the apple, so they get the chips. I think what Ben was trying to get at was that you're better off eating an unwashed apple than a bag of chips.
ReplySpectra, thx for the info on baking soda & water. And yes, get the apple instead of the potato chips.. you can always wash it with water only.. better than not washing at all. Does notake too long to just wash down with water.
ReplyBraeburn apples seem to stay crisp year round...yum! Such an easy snack to take along with you, too!
ReplyAll great stuff. Here where I am, I have seen much more of the foam rollers & articles about them. I need to buy my own since the ones at the gym are pretty UGH! I have heard they are great & want to do more of that at home. Love apples, do planks & deadlifts, eat healthy, had not heard of the type of tea. On the side planks, I have not heard them called tabletops. Is there a different way of doing this or are these just typical side planks? Thx as always for the good post. Not that weights are underrated but women need to do this more & not be afraid of them!
ReplyYouTube has some good videos that will demonstrate how to do various plank poses if you're interested.
The one that most makes me want to kill myself if the walking plank (start in plank hold on your elbows, then up to full plank one hand at a time -- ARRRGH. I hear some fools do that on a bosu ball).
ReplyThx! Yes, I do planks & know how to do a lot of them but was not familiar with the name tabletop although very famliar with the side plank and the walking plank! :-)
ReplyAn apple a day...as they say. I've never heard of foam rolling...have to check that one out! I think I'll stick to leafy green tea...not much for anything in powdered form, or smoothies or bars for that matter. Yes, yes, yes on adopting principles from the Mediterranean lifestyle.
ReplyApples? Check. Deadlifts? Check. I'll work on the others, but first I gotta get a hold of one of those foamie rollie thingys. Ok, it's a foam roller, I know!
ReplySquatting. People are afraid of squatting heavy weights. I never see people squat at my gym. I'm the only one. How sad.
ReplyLike the idea of Wall Angels (where on earth did they come up with that name???)
ReplyLike Snow Angels, but against a wall! :) Love it.
ReplyMike, thanks for mentioning the Mediterranean diet. I see patients in the hospital every day that would (or would have) benefit from the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle: Overweight, Diabetes, Heart Attacks, Strokes, Dementia, Cancer, etc.
You'd think these people would be very receptive to healthy change, but so often they are not. Change is hard!
[Overall, they are indeed more receptive to change than the average person who's still walking around believing they can avoid death and chronic disease.]
-Steve
ReplyI totally agree; Since I was born in Italy, I am a strict adherer to the Mediterranean diet. I never eat butter except in baking; just Extra virgin olive oil. And no one in my family has ever had heart attack, high cholesterol, or any of all that bad stuff. It really works!
ReplyGlad to hear it, Maria!
ReplyHe tends to disagree with everyone on principle. But yeah, Red Delicious apples are just nasty. Mealy little buggers, really.
ReplySo, my response was for the first thread on this page, could have sworn I had it to reply there.
ReplyAll of these are definitely underrated. The more research they do on apples, the more I think that they may be one of the most perfect foods out there (along with eggs, that is). I'm also a big fan of the Mediterranean style of eating.
As far as planks go, I can't say enough good things about them. I started incorporating them into my daily fitness routine about 2-3 months ago and my abs completely morphed. I saw definition that I never saw before, so I'm definitely going to keep doing them.
I would add fish oil to the list, too. I started taking fish oil supplements about 3 months ago and I've noticed that my tendonitis has almost completely gone away and my skin, hair and nails look a lot better.
ReplyI love apples but they've become so expensive I rarely buy them especially loose. The bagged apples seem so small. Usually red delicious are much better small.
ReplyThey taste better because they are SUPPOSED to be small. The giant apples (and other fruits) in grocery stores are full of hormones to produce larger, sweeter fruit. I bought a plastic box of fresh strawberries (Dole) at the grocery store, and the berries are the size of plums.
BUT, honestly, I'd rather eat freakshow fruit & veggies versus a cupcake.
ReplyI guess it helps to have five apple trees in my backyard!
ReplyI think that part of the reason Vitamin D is so under-hyped is that the very best source of it has for so long been touted as The Enemy: the sun! But now studies are showing that Vit D deficiency might account for more cases of skin cancer than sun overexposure, except in cases of a severe sunburn in childhood. Since I'm fairly far north, I only wear sunscreen when I'm going to be out in the sun for at least 20-30 minutes at a time - I have very fair skin and burn easily, but most normal days I'm just not outside long enough to burn.
Reply