Forget everything you know about losing weight and dieting - this year, the trends are turning all those beliefs on their heads and going back to basics says Katie Robertson
This year we’re seeing a new wave of health and fitness trends that are more reasonable, reliable and altogether more sustainable, which will allow you to shake up your lifestyle habits and keep it that way - and we’re absolutely loving it.
Each year we are bombarded with a new host of wacky weight-loss techniques and dieting dramas but this year it’s all about the much more palatable Paleo diet. Based on the presumed diet of our ancient ancestors this nutrition plan centres around lean proteins, vegetables and fruits with a zero-tolerance policy towards trans-fats, hydrogenated oils and gluten - essentially you’re allowed only what would have been available to our cavewoman counterparts and have to ditch the processed products of our modern day society.
Credited as a fast and effective way to shed the pounds and achieve a strong, healthy body this diet is set to take the nutrition world by storm in 2014. We’re not the first to have noticed it either; A-list hotties such as Adriana Lima, Megan Fox and Jessica Biel have already cottoned on to the paleolithic practice and have never looked better. If it’s good enough for Mrs Timberlake then it’s definitely good enough for us - and anyway, who are we to argue with millions of years of evolutionary history?
Fitness regimes can also be expected to dominate the New Year period - however, for 2014 it seems we can finally step away from the torturous treadmill (phew) and hold off on our crippling gym memberships and it’s all thanks to the likes of fitness expert and journalist Julia Buckley and her book, Fat Burn Revolution (£16.99, Bloomsbury Sport). In her 12 week programme, Julia recommends ditching endurance-based activities for short bursts of exercise and pumping iron that can be done from within the comfort and privacy of your own home. Hailed as a success this regime is sure to get you taut and toned in no time, and frankly we’re on board with anything that suggests running is not the only answer...