These stats may surprise you
The latest health and food findings, according to new data released today from Hitwise, have shown a serious shift in behaviour across the UK on our approach to living a healthy life.
There's been a 221% increase in searches for vegan diets, 61% increase in searches for diets, 103% increase in avocado searches, 97% increase in male yoga searches, 91% increase in searches for ‘Dairy Free’ and 22% decrease in ‘paleo diet’ searches.
It seems like people are starting to turn their back on 'fad' diets in favour of sustainable and healthier lifestyles.
Madeleine Shaw has commented saying that these results 'show that healthy living has become a movement.' We caught up with the nutritional health coach and cookery writer to talk all things health...
Why do you think there's been a big rise in interest in veganism?
I think people are more aware of the provenance of their food, and that what they eat can have an impact on the environment - and the planet. As a result they are more conscious about making sustainable, greener food choices, reflected in Hitwise’s findings which showed ‘vegan’ searches have increased by a huge 221 per cent! There is also a lot more information out there about veggie (and vegan) sources of protein (like hemp or pea protein for example) so it's easier - and nutritionally safer - to cut meat and dairy out of your diet, should you want to.
Are we seeing the end of the traditional diets, to be replaced by different lifestyles?
There will always be people who want to seek quick results through traditional 'crash' diets but I've always believed that healthy living shouldn't be a passing fad that you pick up in January and forget about for the rest of the year. It's really encouraging to see that people are making long-term lifestyle changes to their diet and fitness regimes, that are sustainable and better for them. They also appear to have a greater understanding of holistic wellness, looking after how their mind feels (through meditation and yoga), as well as how their abs look! It's now so easy to incorporate wellness into your lifestyle too. You can access information and monitor progress through the wearable tech that's on the market - like my Glow Guides App which incorporates workouts, yoga, recipes, nutritionally balanced meal plans and meditations. (Available on iOS and Android for £49.99).
Are you a vegan? Would you consider it?
No, I'm not, but I went vegetarian for the month of January. I have days where I only eat vegan food but it's only ever because my body felt like eating that way that day. I'm definitely more conscious about eating more plant based protein as part of a balanced diet.
What do you find most surprising about the Hitwise results?
I'm both surprised and excited to see there's been a 97 per cent increase in guys doing yoga! It's a great holistic workout for mind and body and guys in particular need to learn to stretch out their muscles more, to counterbalance all the running they might be doing or the weights they might lifting. It's an ancient practice grounded and the more people doing it the better in my opinion.
