My oh my. Can you believe that we're already halfway into 2019? Yeah, me neither. If you're anything like I am, you probably told yourself somewhere before Valentine's Day that you were gonna do (or not do) certain things to get your body together, just in time for the summer season. But spring seems to be flying by and now, here you are—trying to figure out what you can do to be, at least a little health conscious, before Thanksgiving.
Luckily, when it comes to the current health trends that are specifically aimed at women, I did some of the research for the both of us. The good news is a lot of them are affordable and not super stressful to implement into your daily routine.
Whether you want to shed a couple of pounds, desire to have more mental or emotional tranquility or you simply want to find a relatively simple habit that will improve your immunity and make you feel better overall, here are some proven and popular things that will definitely help you to reach your goal(s).
Mindful Eating
Mindfulness is a word that's used so much right now that I think it's important to take a step back and think about what it truly means. To be mindful is simply to be aware of what you're doing, preferably before you do it. How it fits in when it comes to food is it's all about avoiding being an emotional eater, thinking about what will and what won't benefit your health before consuming it and even meditating, if need be, before preparing or purchasing a meal.
What are the benefits of eating this way? From what I've read, not only can mindful eating help you to maintain your preferred weight, it can also reduce stress, anxiety, depression, insomniaand reduce the urge to binge eating. In short, mindful eating is not a diet; it's a way of life.
Oat Milk
GiphyA couple of weeks ago, I was craving a milkshake. After eagerly downing about half of it, I started to feel stomach cramps. I know what it was too. Other than a scoop or two of ice cream from time to time, I can't tell you the last time I've had cow's milk; I'm avoiding it on purpose. If you're still on the fence about why you should wean off of it yourself, check out "12 Reasons to Stop Drinking Cow's Milk", "Why We Shouldn't Be Drinking Cow Milk, According to a Gastroenterologist" and "12 Frightening Facts About Milk".
If after reading those pieces, you're a bit freaked out but you're not sure what moves to make next, no worries—there are all kinds of great milk alternatives including hemp milk, rice milk, coconut milk, hazelnut milk and, of course, almond milk. But guess what kind of milk is turning out to be even better than all of these? Oat milk.
The health benefits of oat milk include that it will give you 50 percent of the daily requirement of Vitamin B12 per serving. Oat milk also contains a high amount of riboflavin, calcium, phosphorus and vitamins A and D. Some other great things about oat milk is it's soy-free (leave soy alone, y'all!), lactose-free and nut-free, it lowers blood cholesterol, it fights off common allergens and even boosts skin health. All of this definitely explains why it's one of the hottest women's health trends.
Probiotic Foods
Do you currently take a probiotic supplement? If you don't, you definitely should. Whether you take it in capsule or liquid form, probiotics are live microorganisms that introduce friendly bacteria into your body; especially your gut. Probiotics can do everything from boost your mood and relieve eczema to strengthen your immune system and help you to lose weight.
If for some reason you'd prefer to not take a supplement, there are fermented foods that can give you the probiotic surge that you need as well. Some of them include yogurt, pickles, sauerkraut, miso and gouda, mozzarella, cheddar and cottage cheese.
Online Workouts
Fitness Workout GIF by socialbynmGiphyIf you've been saying ever since New Year's Day that you're going to start a workout regimen but you've yet to begin, take some of the pressure off of saving up for a gym membership and sign up for an online workout class instead. It's affordable, it's convenient and it's private too.
If you're interested but you're not sure where to begin, Gaia has some great yoga courses, Booya Fitness has a cool cardio class and Ballet Beautiful will let you get your Misty Copeland on from the comfort of your own house.
Cashews
Apparently nuts have trends just like everything else. While the "top nut" has been almonds for a while now, cashews are what's currently all the rage. For starters, they are high in copper, calcium, magnesium, iron, vitamins C, E and K, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. If you snack on them regularly, they are the kind of nut that is good for your heart; can help to prevent diabetes; will strengthen your immune system; can fight premature greying (thanks to the copper that's in them); will lower the risk of amnesia, can help to prevent gallstones and, if you or someone that you know is currently undergoing chemotherapy, cashews are able to lessen the side effects associated with that too.
Cashews are dope. No wonder they now come in the form of milk, dips and even ice cream. Just make sure that if you'd prefer to eat them straight out of a container that you go the no or lightly salted route and that you consume no more than 16-18 nuts each day. Since they pack 160 calories per ounce, snacking on them is a really easy way to pack on the pounds, if you're not careful.
Food Sensitivity Testing
Dietary Restrictions Food GIF by Hyper RPGGiphyIf you've been experiencing bloating, migraines, a runny nose, coughing or hives, while on the surface it might seem that all of those things point to seasonal allergies, it could actually mean that you've got some sort of food sensitivity going on.
There are all kinds of things that can trigger a food allergy in your system—histamines, chemicals and/or toxins in the food, missing enzymes in your body or a few other underlying causes. The only way you can get to the root of what's making you sick is to get a skin prick or blood test from your doctor. Make the time; it's worth it.
Tongue Scraping
When we were first learning how to brush our teeth, we were told about how important it is to brush our tongues. Be honest—do you still do it, though? If you don't (or you don't as much as you should), let's first talk about what could happen. For starters, your breath could wreak. Not only that but your taste buds could become dull. If those two things aren't enough, you could end up with oral thrush (which is basically a yeast infection in your mouth) or worse, a "black and hairy tongue" which comes as the result of leftover particles of food giving your tongue a dark and hair-like appearance (GROSS). Another problem that arises from not brushing your tongue is it creates a biofilm of bacteria on it; the kind that doesn't go away with water or even mouthwash.
So yeah, if you want to avoid having a "yuck mouth", brushing and flossing after every meal isn't good enough. You also need to scrape that tongue of yours. (A brush is cool, but an actual tongue scraper is so much better!)
Less Alcohol
No Way Omg GIF by E!GiphyIt seems like ever since the beginning of time, there has been conflicting information on whether alcohol and coffee are good for you or not. On the alcohol tip, let's look at red wine as an example. It's loaded with antioxidants. It raises the level of omega-3 fatty acids in your system. It helps to prevent cavities, fights allergies and is a great libido booster. Red wine even strengthens your heart and keeps your blood sugar levels under control. Shoot, even the Good Book sings wine's praises (Ecclesiastes 9:7, I Timothy 5:23). But then there are articles like the one that was published on NPR's site a couple of years back—"No Amount of Alcohol Is Good for Your Health, Global Study Says".
I've never been a big drinker, but I am known to have a shot of honey whiskey or a cocktail from time to time. I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. But, as far as current health trends go, if you want to be "trendy", a lot of health experts are recommending that you ditch the alcohol and go with a mocktail (a fake cocktail) instead. (If you want to read about how excessive amounts of alcohol affects our health as women, click here.)
Transformational Travel
The xoTribe is such a big fan of travel that there's an entire section on our site that's entirely devoted to it! Traveling with your boo is romantic, traveling with your girls is fun, but there is something very powerful and yes transformative, about traveling solo. You're able to get some much-needed downtime, you're able to meet new people and try new things, you can rest for as long as you want and it's a great way to take your self-confidence up a notch as well.
Now that I've done my little commercial for what you should put travel on your annual itinerary, does it surprise you that transformative travel is also on the women's health trend list this year? What the heck is transformative travel all about? It literally consists of planning a trip for the sole purpose of changing your life for the better. Y'all, it's so serious that there's even an official The Transformational Travel Council to help get you started.
Out of all the trends I shared, try and not let this one fade. Make it a part of your life now and for the long-term foreseeable future.
Being a Sovereign
Family Vacation Fox GIF by GrandfatheredGiphyOut of all the women's trends that I checked out, to me, this one exceeds them all. As you probably well know, being healthy isn't just about what you do physically, it consists of being proactive as it relates to mental and emotional well-being too. That said, something that's a really big trend right now is not putting everyone and their grandma's needs before your own. This year is all about being what is known as a "sovereign".
What exactly is that? In the context of relationships, being a sovereign is all about being highly-selective about the people you surround yourself with, spend time with and share your resources with. It's about honoring your time, your heart and your energy. It's about creating boundaries and cultivating the kind of relationships that will truly benefit you.
A sovereign is a monarch. A sovereign takes authority. A sovereign reigns supreme. BE ONE.
Featured image by Getty Images
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Skylar sees things differently. At the time, she was shooting content on her iPhone. Temi came into the picture with a new perspective, an understanding of tech, and, eventually, a camera. “He doesn't give himself enough credit,” Skylar says. “He wasn't just my tripod. He wasn't just standing behind the camera and going ‘click.’ He was giving advice. He was giving me insight to how I could look at things from a different perspective. And I was like, 'Oh, he’s an artist.' I think it was maybe a heartbeat of that kind of energy of like, ‘Baby, can you take this picture?’ And it turned so quickly into, we're partners. We can work together in a way where we're advancing each other's creative thinking.”
The pair often says they’re two sides of the same coin. Skylar is an Aquarius. She attended art school, paints, and loves poetry. She’s more than happy to let the couple’s management firm and agency, Kensington Grey, handle their admin work. And, she loves to sleep in. Temi, on the other hand, wakes up early. He’s a Virgo. He loves a to-do list and regularly checks in on the couple’s brand partnerships spreadsheet to make sure everything is on track.
Because his storytelling was steeped in his love of technology, he didn’t always think of himself as a creative person. “Where I [am] the dreamer who wants to pluck things out of the sky and spend all day with my head in the clouds, Temi [is] so good at grounding me and helping me figure out how to make things make sense on paper. We just work together in such a complimentary way,” Skylar says.
It’s been more than six years since Brooklyn-based couple Temi and Skylar started dating, and nearly four since they cemented their working relationship. On TikTok and Instagram, the couple’s travel, fashion, and home content regularly rack up hundreds of thousands of views. They’ve worked with brands such as Coach, Aesop, Away, and Liquid IV, bringing their vibrant perspectives to every campaign they execute. Still, nearly two years since both Temi and Skylar committed to full-time content creation and creative directing, the couple says their romantic connection remains their priority.
“We told each other we would much rather go back to full-time jobs and preserve our relationship than to be full-time freelancers, barely getting a night's rest [and] barely kissing each other because we're so busy shooting,” Skylar says.
Working from home can make it hard to separate work from personal life for any entrepreneur. It can be even more challenging when your business partner is also your lover. Temi and Skylar had already used couples therapy as a tool to help them effectively communicate with one another. When they ran into challenges while working together, their therapist helped them set physical boundaries to help combat the issues.
"We told each other we would much rather go back to full-time jobs and preserve our relationship than to be full-time freelancers, barely getting a night's rest [and] barely kissing each other because we're so busy shooting."
“It actually took us doing very specific physical things to create boundaries between work and play in our relationship,” Skylar says. “So, for instance, we will only have conversations about work when we're out of bed or we're at the table or in the office. Initially, when we started, we had to light a candle to say that, 'Okay, this is a space where we're connecting, we’re not talking about work.' We needed really hard boundaries at the top. And then it became a little bit more organic.”
The boundaries have been crucial to implement, especially because the couple began working together so naturally. When the pair first met, Skylar was NY-based a social strategist for BuzzFeed and was using content creation to drive business to her lingerie company. She was shooting her own content. Temi was working for Microsoft in D.C. He’d recently traded in his DJing equipment for a camera. “I've always loved taking pictures,” he says. “Even when I was a kid, my African mother would wake me up at 3:00 a.m. [during a] party, and be like, 'Come take the family picture.'”
Growing up, Temi says he watched his parents support each other and be the true definition of partners. He knew he wanted the same for his own relationship. But, the couple also wanted to make sure they were being financially responsible. The pair didn’t quit their traditional jobs until they’d saved up two years' worth of their cost of living. And, Temi received his Master of Business Administration from New York University with the knowledge that it could either help him advance in his corporate career or be applicable to his business with Skylar.
Temi and SkylarCj Hart @hartbreakToday, they say their working relationship is more of a “quiet dance.” They still implement some of the boundaries they learned in therapy, but they also lean into their natural strengths and deep love for one another. When we speak, Temi has planned a date for the couple to see Princess Mononoke in 4K IMAX and added it to their Notion so they can factor it into their busy schedules. “I fully plan to date for the rest of my life,” he says.
Skylar says the couple doesn’t just wait for date nights to check in with one another, though. This often happens in the mornings, after Temi has made her peppermint tea and poured himself a cup of coffee. When they ask each other how they slept, she says, it’s not just a “nicety.” It’s a genuine question meant to foster connection.
“A lot of it happens during the day in the midst of work. We'll stop and we'll hug. Or we’ll slow dance in the kitchen,” she says. “Sometimes it's hard to set a whole date night when you have 7,000 things going on. So, we must grasp these moments and check in when we can. And I think it's become so organic to us that I actually didn't even realize how often we do it. But all day long, we're like, 'Are you good? I felt like your energy shifted,' because we're best friends, we just know. We just feel it happen.”
What’s better than being in love? Building wealth while doing it. Watch Making Cents here for real stories of couples who make money moves together.
Featured image by Cj Hart @hartbreak