January 09, 2015
If you want to know what the world’s interested in, you need look no further than our Google search histories.
A peek at the past year of Google searches shows that goji berries, CrossFit and the Paleo diet were so 2014, while kalettes, the child of Brussels sprouts and kale; matcha, the mother of green tea; and the gladiator diet, an ancient approach for bulking up before battle or for a long day at the office, are predicted to take over grocery store shelves and become the buzzwords of yogis and gym rats alike in 2015.
We've highlighted the health and diet trends of 2014, plus offered a futuristic glimpse into our refrigerators and gym classes through 2015, compiled from various sources.
Superfoods:
Each year brings a new crop of ‘superfoods,’ and 2014 was no different, with chia seeds and goji berries trending in 2014 and replacing health-food heavyweights quinoa and kale.
Just to give an idea what it means to be a superfood of the millennial kitchen: 262 American parents named their child kale in 2013. Now, that’s love.
Goji berries, the top Google-searched superfood of 2014, have been touted as a weight-loss aid, cancer fighter and have been called "the most potent antioxidant fruit that we know,” by Dr. Mehmet Oz, who recommended these nutritious, red jewels as a solid source of antioxidants to NBA guard Ben Gordon, who currently plays for the Orlando Magic, on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
Goji berries, the top Google-searched superfood of 2014, have been touted as a weight-loss aid, cancer fighter and have been called "the most potent antioxidant fruit that we know,” according to Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Chia seeds were the second most searched health food of 2014. You can say chia seeds made a comeback in 2014, since we once sprinkled them in soil to grow weird, planted pets – yes, chia pets – before we realized their nutritional, protein-packing power and started sprinkling them in our smoothies, on our cereal and mixing them with liquid to create chia seed pudding – a simple, nutritious and surprisingly tasty snack.
Other superfood predictions for 2015, as reported by TIME.com's Josh Schonwald, author of "The Taste of Tomorrow: Dispatches from the Future of Food," include eating insects, possibly thanks to cockroach-chomping starlet Angelina Jolie; harissa, said to be the new Sriracha; and millet, not to be confused by an equally vogue hairstyle.
To compile the list of 2015 food trend predictions, Schonwald spoke to six culinary industry experts "who live and breathe [and likely eat] food trends."
Workouts
Our workouts got much more intense in 2014 with the popularity of high-intensity interval training, or HIIT workouts, leading the way as the most popular fitness programs of the year.
HIIT involves working out as hard as you can for a short period of time followed by a short period of rest. Some top-ranked HIIT programs of 2014 included P90X, CrossFit and Beachbody’s Insanity.
Insanity, billed as the “hardest workout ever put on DVD," was also the top Google-searched fitness plan of 2014, which might be proof many of us are actually insane.
HIIT workouts are expected to continue their takeover through 2015, to be joined by some new sweat-inducing obsessions, body weight training and piloxing.
Diets
Low-carb diets led the way in 2014 and will continue through 2015, maybe forever, experts predict.
The diet plan that got the most buzz in 2014 was the caveman-inspired Paleo diet.
The diet plan that got the most buzz in 2014 was the caveman-inspired Paleo diet, which focuses on eating mostly animal protein and plants, while eliminating dairy and grains.
The Atkins and gluten-free diets also made the list as top-three Google-searched diet plans in 2014.
According to New York Times food writer Kim Severson, more than a quarter of Americans are now passing over the bread basket and giving up gluten.
"Optimistic researchers predict the market for gluten-free products will hit $15.6 billion by 2016," Severson reported.
