Hiking, outdoor meditation, climbing mountains, swimming with sea turtles… being amid nature — the way we were born, was the diktat this year. The need to lighten the stress of electronics by going back to natural surroundings was felt by one and all.
Adapt to stress
2016 was all about superherbs, with adaptogens leading the lobby. Maca, ginseng and moringa became the new must-haves and were used as garnish in salads, smoothies and soups. Adaptogens are herbal substances that help balance our adrenal response to the zillion odd stressors around us.
Going on an anti-diet
Everyone’s trying the Intuitive Eating Approach – that is, eat when your body really asks for it. According to a study, people who scored high on an intuitive-eating scale had less anxiety about food.
Old monk tea
Dedicated matcha bars, matcha lattes and matcha desserts… green tea was omnipresent all of last year. What’s more? Buddhist monks and Samurai warriors drank matcha to meditate and improve mental clarity.
The Insta-fit gods
This year, fit inspiration via smartphone was just a tap away – thanks to celebrity trainers and fitness experts creating popular Instagram accounts that dole out daily fitness regimens and pep talk.
Workplace wellness
There was a rise in workplace wellness. You could be doing yoga classes at office or working out at the office gym. As health moved up in the priority list, offices were being designed to up the wellness goals.
Counting steps
Thanks to fitness trackers, everyone was in the business of counting steps – for many people, walking anywhere, anytime, became the fitness activity of choice.
Run for your life
Running was the year’s most coveted fitness regimen. Many put on their running shoes a la Milind Soman, the poster boy for fitness through running. People ran on trails, tracks and on treadmills – and clocking a marathon was a big goal.
Sugar Shaming
Sugar topped the list in earning a bad rep on the health front in 2016. Many scientific studies have shown that sugar intake lights up the same areas of the brain as cocaine, hence its addiction is very strong. After studies linked sugar to the deadly C, more and more people switched to natural sweeteners.
