By Emma McCormack 

2017 has flown around and it’s got us talking all things food, fitness and health. So here’s the lowdown on what food trends you should get on board with, and the ones that should be left at the door.

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Coconut errrrythang

So unless you’ve been under a rock for the last year, you’ll know that coconuts have been having a moment. As much as there are health benefits to this, swapping your diet up to include coconut isn’t going to see you dropping that dress size. But it is an appetite suppressant and has been proven to help burn fat and doubles up as a great moisturiser and hair mask! This one is dual purpose and for keeps.

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Sprouts 

Recently named a superfood, which saw an increase in purchase of around 400%, sprouts are considered a good source of protein and vitamin C, and boast a higher nutritional content that any other food. So in theory this one is a good’en, BUT who really wants to be eating sprouts year round? See you in December our green friend.

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Clean eating

 – This one involves avoiding anything refined and sticking to the freshest organic ingredients, and is often affiliated with ‘wellness’. It’s also proven to help keep fatigue at bay (we all need a bit of that!). This one can be expensive and require a few too many trips to Wholefoods, but with the success of so many cookbooks, from super strict Clean Eating Alice to Deliciously Ella, it’s here to stay. But this one should be taken liberally as the restrictive nature can cause eating disorders and an obsessive attitude when it comes to food. 

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Detox, cleanse and juice

 – There are definitely benefits to skin, weight and general wellbeing when you do a juice cleanse, but it’s not for everyone. Personally the idea of only drinking and not eating in a day makes me feel weak and lightheaded. These are good for short-term benefits, but as it can be dangerous to sustain them, most of the gain will be lost when you resume your normal eating pattern.

Other ones worth leaving in the past:

Smoothie bowls

The food trend of 2016 – EVERYONE was eating them (or at least photographing them). They look great on your Instagram page, but they have high hits of carbs and sugar that could be doing more harm than good.

Beyonce’s famous maple syrup diet

 If pancakes aren’t involved then I’m not interested.

Cabbage soup diet

 This one is an oldie, but it’s still used today. Said to help you lose up to 10 pounds in one week! This one is purely a short term fix.

The baby food diet

It looks disgusting enough when babies are eating it. So I for one won’t be reaching for the mushy jars on my next supermarket run.

Image credit: Unsplash