Should You Jump on the Latest Trend?

It feels like everyday there’s another health trend you could try. From new workouts, foods, supplements, and ways of eating, there’s a never ending stream of newness that someone’s excited about in your gym, workplace, the internet, or on social media. While these new things could be really fun and cool, it’s important to take a moment to consider if this new thing will work for you, your body, and your individual health needs.

Check In With Your Goals

One of the most important question to ask yourself is, does trying out this trend align with your health and fitness goals? When something’s new and exciting, it can be easy to forget about your own health and fitness goals. Check in with yourself and see if the trend makes sense with where you want to want to go, and if it can really get you there or not.

Do a Little Digging

Before you give it a try, do a little research into the trendy topic. Are there articles, studies or other professionals talking about this trend? Does what they’re saying align with your health and fitness goals? If you do some digging and you don’t find a lot about it, consider waiting a little bit to see what other professionals or the community says about it.

Get Clear on Your Why

Why do you want to try this new trend out? Do you think it can help you achieve your goals, because a lot of other people are doing it, or are you genuinely curious? Knowing why you want to try this new trend can be helpful and keep your expectations grounded.

Those whys can also include your finances as well. A lot of trendy products, fitness movements or treatments air on the slightly more expensive side. Check in with yourself to see if you want to spend the amount you would need to get the desired goal the product is touting.

Is This Trend Getting to the Root of an Issue or Goal?

If you’re working on improving an area of your health, consider if this trend can really help the root cause of something you’re working on. Could the trend be only addressing the signs and symptoms of what you’re working on improving and not what’s actually causing it?

For example, there could be a new skincare line that says it can get rid of rashes/acne/eczema. A lot of skin-related issues could be related to your gut health or hormonal imbalances. If the trendy skincare isn’t addressing your gut health or hormone balance, it could help the appearance of your skin issues, but not really resolve why it’s happening in the first place. Depending on what you’re working towards and your own health history, answering this question may require talking to your doctor or other healthcare partners.

Could There Be a Simpler Solution?

A lot of new trends are advertised as smarter, faster and cooler ways to achieve results or get healthier. While those claims could be true, there can also be simpler (and often cheaper) solutions you can try to get the results you’re looking for. Often, those solutions aren’t as sexy or “instant” as the ones the trend could advertise, and that’s okay. Working on your health is a lifelong pursuit and not a race to win with the fastest PR at all costs.

Could you choose whole, nutrient foods to put on your plate instead of buying one powder/supplement/new food product? Could you try adding in some true rest and recovery time, whether that be more water, an epsom salt bath, or a nourishing meal with a macronutrient ratio that works for you instead of the latest powder, pill, or expensive treatment?

Could you create better boundaries, more time for yourself and less things on your plate over a “stress busting” supplement?

Jumping on trends isn’t a bad thing, it can be fun and could lead to some benefits. Those trendy things could or couldn’t help you get towards your health goals. By checking in with yourself, your goals and what’s important to you, you can get clarity on whether this shiny new thing is really worth investing in or not.

Aimée Suen is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner who shares nourishing, gluten-free recipes and nutrition wisdom at Small Eats. She is driven to help others enjoy whole foods and empower them to find their own healthy in all aspects of life, one small step at a time. When she’s not in the kitchen, she’s practicing yoga, in the gym, or learning something new. You can find Aimée on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

Main Photo Credit: Tom Kuest - Fotograf/shutterstock.com; Second Photo Credit: SewCream/shutterstock.com; Third Photo Credit: farbled/shutterstock.com; Fourth Photo Credit: Elenadesign/shutterstock.com