The Top Health Buzzwords of 2015
Clue in to these hot health concepts, which are set to be all over everyone’s lips in 2015. (Danil Nevsky/Stocksy)
Last year was all about simplifying your health and life. “Clean eating” is no longer a fringe fad, but an everyday term you can toss around with your relatives. And we saw crazy-intense workouts die out in favor of fun fitness and a focus on moderation.
So what will 2015 bring us? According to health experts, this is the year of you: focusing on your body, your needs, and your own individual quirks and intricacies. Of the top buzzwords Yahoo Health experts expect to hear all over in 2015, most of them focus on the concept of personalizing health and wellness in some way or another.
Want to be in the know? Here are the top words in health, fitness, and nutrition that we expect will be added to the common lexicon this year.
Personalized medicine
Personalized medicine is about tailoring the treatment (and every aspect of medical care) to the patient. While doctors have always done this to some extent, modern-day personalized medicine practitioners take it to a whole new level, employing everything from super-in-depth interviews to genetic tests to learn more about their patients. ““While many doctors would say that their patient-by-patient practices are ‘personalized,’ the formal term ‘personalized medicine’ is increasingly used to refer to healthcare that employs 21st century technologies — genomics, for instance — to drill deep into each individual’s cellular function,” Florence Comite, MD, a leader in personalized medicine and author of Keep It Up, tells Yahoo Health.”The future of medicine is a 180-degree flip from one-size-fits-all healthcare to truly customized interventions to ensure that your health span will, to the day, match your life span.”
Use it in a sentence: My doctor ordered a DNA test because she focuses on personalized medicine.
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Tuning in
With all the beeps, buzzes, and barrage of information in today’s world, it can be tempting to tune it all out. But in the realm of nutrition and health, 2015 is all about tuning in: to your body, to the moment, and to your own needs. For example, Los Angeles–based holistic health coach Sheila Viers suggests thinking of workouts as “active meditation” rather than zoning out or allowing your mind to wander. “Make a point to drop fully into your body in the present moment, clear your mind, and focused completely on deep breathing and being ‘in’ your body,” she tells Yahoo Health. “If your mind starts to wander, bring it back to what you are doing right now.”
Use it in a sentence: I’ve been tuning into my appetite, and that alone has really helped me eat less and figure out when I’m eating emotionally.
Intuitive training
This flexible style of fitness programming encourages you to listen to your body and adjust your plan accordingly, rather than sticking to a rigid schedule. It can take many forms; resting as long as you feel you need between sets is one example of intuitive training. It can also mean performing objective tests to learn about your body and adjust your workout accordingly. For example, at The Movement Minneapolis, it means choosing the variation of an exercise, such as a front squat versus a back squat, based on a quick range of motion test. “At my gym, intuitive training forms the keystone of how we approach programming,” strength-training expert David Dellanave, co-owner of The Movement Minneapolis, tells Yahoo Health. “It’s hard to overstate the effect this has from speeding up progress and reducing injuries, to increasing a person’s perceived engagement in their own training thus increasing adherence and powers a positive feedback loop.”
Use it in a sentence: I haven’t had an injury since I started doing intuitive training.
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Functional medicine
According to the Cleveland Clinic, which recently opened its Center for Functional Medicine, functional medicine is a, “personalized, systems-oriented model that empowers patients and practitioners to achieve the highest expression of health by working in collaboration to address the underlying causes of disease.” In other words, functional medicine is about finding out what’s really wrong (and fixing it) rather than simply relieving symptoms. Learn more at the Institute for Functional Medicine’s website.
Use it in a sentence: I’m seeing a new functional medicine doctor, and he finally figured out why I’m tired all the time!
IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros)
Also known as “flexible dieting,” this approach takes a broad view of what you eat every day — mainly focusing on total calories and the levels of the macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates). Use iifym.com’s calculator to determine your macros based on your current body weight and goals.
Use it in a sentence: Can you eat that double-bacon salad? If it fits in your macros, bro.
Empowered health
Doctor knows best? According to the empowered health philosophy, your doctor may know more information about the body, but you know yourself best. And so you get the best care when you work with your doctor — speaking up for yourself and asking for alternatives as you see fit. It can also refer to taking self-responsibility for your own health, namely by making positive lifestyle changes. “Empowered health means ‘you in the drivers seat,’” Viers says. “This means that while it’s great to research and receive feedback, over and above all else, you’re checking in with yourself and making the final decision on what feels and works best for you and your body.”
Use it in a sentence: I’ve felt so much better since I started taking an empowered approach to health.
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