With many trends in the food industry like the rise of the vegan, keto and no-carb diet, the possibilities to get confused on what to eat are high. The same goes for physical activity where CrossFit, Disco Spin and Goat Yoga are all the rage at the moment. This story will serve as a no-nonsense tool to help millennials who are now in their 20s and 30s live to see their 70s.
The millennials that are currently using social media have signed up to either share or consume content by its millions of users.
According to a report from Statista, users all over the world are contributing to the growing number of people using social media.
Number of social media users by the billion
Social media has given birth to social media influencers and now, some users of these various social media platforms are taking advice from them.
Marvin Mitchell has been working in the fitness industry for over 20 years. Mitchell is the owner and head of strength and conditioning at the Blast Athletic gym in Toronto.
“The health and fitness social media influencers are influencing behavior and body image and some of these folks are not necessarily qualified to be dispensing advice or education on fitness, nutrition and lifestyle,” said Mitchell. “They are the most accessible source for fitness & lifestyle information but maybe not the most qualified.”
Some of these influencers and micro influencers are doing social media full time and they have a big responsibility to the communities that consume the content they share.
As a registered naturopathic doctor, Dr. Natalie Mulligan is currently practicing at the eating disorder treatment facility EatWell Health Centre in Toronto, which she founded.
For over two decades Sylvia Kerr has been operating her private practice, Eating Dynamiks & Therapy in Toronto. As a registered dietitian and psychotherapist, she helps her clients manage food-related and mental health challenges.
When it comes to food, Sylvia Kerr suggests we go back to basics.
“Three main meals a day, breakfast is essential, and grains and starches are vital in these meals” Kerr said. “Make food choices that will make you feel sane publicly and privately.”
Moving back to a basic eating plan of breakfast, lunch and dinner can take some adjusting to.
“Many years ago, we had a saying in dietetics across the industry that united us all and that was ‘all foods can fit’. I live that and I pull that phrase out every so often with my clients when I find that they are becoming too restrictive,” said Kerr. “Unless there is poison in it or you have an allergy to it, it’s not going to kill you.
When popular documentary’s like Cowspiracy, Forks Over Knives and What the Health premiered on streaming platforms like Netflix, Veganism thrust into the mainstream. Introducing to the public all the benefits of the vegan diet and some of the realities of the food industry.
The interest in Veganism over time in Canada has grown since 2004, this chart shows the rising numbers of Canadians who have used Google to find information about the word’s vegan, vegetarian, cruelty-free and plant-based.
Depending on what foods you choose to eat the vegan diet has the potential to be a very unhealthy diet.
Natalie Prhat consults hotels and resorts all over the world, helping them to develop creative plant-based culinary experiences for their guests. She also a well-known plant-based diet influencer.
“Vegan just means not eating animal products, potato chips and soda is considered vegan” said Prhat. “So, you can be a junk food vegan.”
Natalie Prhat's one-day plant-based meal plan
Millennials should consider if adopting a vegan or plant-based diet is the right decision.
“Primary plant-based diets are more suitable” said Mulligan. “You can enjoy a plant-based diet, but maybe on Christmas and Easter you eat meat.”
A balanced diet can mean having a cheeseburger every once and while. With the food industry adapting to the increasing needs of more vegan and plant-based options the cheeseburger’s ingredients are changing as well.
“There is now a replacement for every food that you love,” said Prhat. “Whether it’s cheese, hamburgers, whatever it is, there is a vegan replacement that tastes just as good and that is significantly healthier.”
The prices of organic and frozen produce are different in the grocery store and the health benefits of the two options might be the same.
“Frozen vegetables have just about the same number of vitamins and minerals as fresh vegetables, the amount that you lose is minuscule” said Kerr. “A large percentage of the population is under the belief that if it is not organic then it is missing something and that is not quite true. I challenge those people every day, as a dietitian, I say to you, if two people are starving, and one person has just organic and the other choices to eat the food that is available – both of them will survive.”
The “evil carb” narrative has been rumored for years among the millennial population in western culture, alluding to the idea that bread causes weight gain. Whether there is any truth to this would have to be confirmed by a professional.
“You have been told that carbohydrates cause weight gain,” said Kerr. “That is a gross exaggeration!”
Having to consume eight glasses of water a day is another common narrative used in the western health culture.
“The message around water has been significantly distorted like so many other things, it is six to eight daily glasses of fluid, not water. Fluid is made up of water, tea, coffee, juice, soup, wine, soda, milk and milk alternatives, these are all fluids with a base of H20. The body is very good at separating the flavors and the sugars from the chemical H20” said Kerr. “The body really only needs six glasses of H20 per day.”
The Canadian Food Guide suggests that Canadians do thirty minutes of activity a day. With obesity rates in Canada on the rise, Canadians should consider doing something to combat the effects of becoming obese. New statistics from the 2020 Canadian Obesity Guidelines show the numbers of overweight Canadians is growing.
Obesity has affected 8.3 million people in Canada since 2016, that's 26.4% of Canadians.
With over a decade of experience in the fitness industry, Lynne Skilton-Hayes currently works as an International Fitness Presenter and Fitness Program supervisor at the University of Guelph in Ontario.
“Activity is going up the stairs, gardening and walking, said Skilton-Hayes. “Exercise is when you are posing a particular demand on the body and looking for that body to respond to that in a positive way.”
Working on the body with exercise aids in promoting life longevity. With the help of Marvin Mitchell this video was created to help recommend exercise ideas for the week.
“Exercise is really an investment not just in now, it’s an investment in your future. You’re training today for your 75- or 80-year-old self. Having the ability at 75 to lift your suitcase and place it in the overhead compartment without assistance, that sense of independence I believe most people at that age would really value.” said. Mitchell. “Having the physical capacity to go out and live your life without assistance and independently, I think that’s important.”
Exercise and physical activity have the potential to change the way your body looks.
“Fitness does not look like anything, said Skilton-Hayes. “Fitness feels like something.”
Arranging plans for the future can be a difficult concept to adopt. Writing out plans make them easier to follow and work with. When setting goals for personal health and fitness and in general, be realistic.
This downloadable .pdf can help organize plans for the future, whatever they may be.
There is significance in consistency, being consistent with plans can assist in making them happen.
Whatever diet and workout goals millennials set, it’s important to be honest, in order to accomplish the desired outcome.
“I think the biggest is the all or nothing mentality,” said Mitchell. “People think they need to do far more than they need to in order to get started.”