Health Trends Of 2017

As 2017 closed, let's do a quick look at 2017's biggest health trends.

FOODS

Turmeric

There was an explosion of tumeric lattes and food in 2017. Heck, even I bought 500 grams of finely ground tumeric powder to put with my foods.

Tumeric is great and packed with antioxidants that cleans our liver, neutralizing damage from free radicals and even keeps your skin glowing.

It's #1 active ingredient is called curcumin, is a very powerful anti-inflammatory that also reduces pain, improves immunity and decreases/prevents inflammatory conditions such as asthma, athritis and even some forms of cancer.

Bone broth

Mindfully decreasing food wastage was one of the key trends in 2017 and bone broth is one of the example. It's made by boiling chicken bones and/or chicken meat or stock bones in water and vinegar, and bone broth has so much natural sources of minerals including calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron.

To add, bone broth also is packed with collagen, glycine and cysteine the reduces inflammation and improves one's immunity.

One of the best benefits of bone broth is its power to heal our digestive system: our gut. You see, leaky gut is a very common condition where the cells of the intestinal walls becomes very thin (hence the word "leaky") and small particles pass through into the bloodstream, causing inflammation.

Leaky gut has been linked to a number of health conditions that ranges from allergies, asthma, anxiety and more - it's the glutamine in bone broth that helps heals the walls in our gut.

(Now that I'm going into keto, I've also read that drinking bone broth helps to normalize and boost a lot of nutrients to balance the body).

Coriander (Cilantro)

Love it or hate it (I know Seth Godin hates it), coriander is a very functional and chockful of vitamins and minerals that regulate blood pressure, improves digestion as well as balances blood sugar levels.

It also functions as a chelator, which means that it helps your body detox especially heavy metals from your body.

If you have high cholesterol, add extra coriander to your meals - it helps to decrease cholesterol too.

Avocado

Avocado is one of my favorite vegetables/fruit since 2015, and in 2017, millenials has been loving avocado toast (lots of love in Instagram and Pinterest).

It tastes great and is really nutritious - actually, it's recognized as the MOST nutritious fruit in the world and is high in magnesium, iron, potassium, vitamins A, B, C, E and K. It is also rich with health mono-unsaturated fats which decreases cholesterol levels and keeps our skin soft and supple.

Chlorella

Wheat grass shots were so 2014-2015. In 2017, the world embraced chlorella shots.

Chlorella is a blue-green algae that is closely related to spirulina, is it is highly highly nutritious, packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Its deep green color stems from being rich with chlorophyll, which allows plants to absorb nutrients from the sun.

It is a very powerful detoxifier, which helps cleanses our blood and deodorize our body (decreasing bad breath, smelly feet and body odour). It also helps to detoxify heavy metals and radiation, making it a heavy must-have for people who fly frequently, or anyone undergoing cancer (chemo) treatments.

Chlorella is just one of the potent ingredients in Zupafood ELITE. Zupafood is a unique blend of the world’s best superfoods specificly created to boost energy levels, promote detoxification and get your skin glowing. 

Intermittent Fasting

Ok so intermittent fasting isn't technically a food...but it is a big thing, as it's moved into being mainstream health practice in 2017.

There's the 5:2 diet (5 days of normal eating and 2 days of fasting), the 8:16 (eat normally in 8 hours window period and abstain for 16 hours daily) and many more - regardless, the basic fundamentals is the same: decreasing your calorie intake for a couple of days every week or skipping one meal a day (usually breakfast) and then eating normally the rest of the time.

Sounds painful, but this approach/method has much research backing it up. Some athletes swear by it, saying that it helped lose body fat, increase muscle mass and improve athletic performance.

A study in 1945 showed that rats with restricted caloric intake enjoyed longer lifespan so it may help lengthen lifespan in humans too.

When we fast, our bodies get a chance to repair, rest and recuperate because of 2 factors:

• it takes energy to digest and absorb food
• foods which causes inflammatory responses can trigger/take a lot of additional resources

When there is no food to process and digest and absorb, our bodies then can focus on important functions such as building muscle, wound and injury healing etc.

Of course, it's very useful as a weight loss because its so simple: during non-food hours, no food; and when its time to eat, eat. There are no restrictions other than that - but just be consistent: when it's time to not eat, please do not eat; and when its time to eat, eat.

MOVEMENT

Yoga 

Yoga has increased in popularity, and if you work/live in Singapore, you'd see quite a few options of yoga: boutique, large group, home/office, yoga getaways etc.

Yoga is good for those who are sedentary eg seated most of the time behind the wheel or at a desk - it helps to naturally lengthen and tone muscles and strengthen as the muscles lengthen (it's quite interesting).

As one works on the core muscles, the internal organs also is moved somewhat, which helps in digestion and detox. To top it, yoga also helps to improve one's mood, blood pressure and decrease cortisol levels.

Fitbits/Wearable technology

Fitbits are the popular accessory of choice for anyone who's interesting in keeping fit and tracking/monitoring their fitness - and there's so many kinds of FitBits for the simple all the way to the ultra-marathoner.

It's smaller than a watch but has so many features, you can track: activity levels, weight, sleep, heart rate and even food consumption.

You can synchronize your FitBit to your phone or laptop to track and monitor your progress and even challenge friends too - fun =D

Mindfulness

2017 was a big movement in mindfulness, which is the art of being in the "here, now and present" - and yes, this is definitely a skill we all need today with so much stress, media, technology.

Living in the here and now teaches us how to live now, how to take control of our thoughts, manage anxiety and curb overthinking. (I find Neuro-Natural Serenity helpful to calm my nerves and increase focus)

SUPPLEMENT

Collagen

Out and gone are those harsh synthetic creams and chemical, and natural beauty is in. People are turning more and more towards supplementation in their search for youth and youthful skin.

One of the hottest supplements is definitely collagen.

Collagen is one of the most commonly abundant proteins in our body and is located everywhere in our body: muscles, bones, skin, tendons, hair and even the digestive system.

It’s the "glue" that holds our bodies together.

But sadly, our collagen levels decline naturally as we age, which leads to visible signs of ageing such as wrinkles, sagging skin and joint pain.

Collagen supplements restores natural collagen levels, and this helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, makes skin supple/tight as well as promotes healthier, more mobile joints.

Collagen can also assist with healing leaky gut syndrome.

If you’re looking for a collagen supplement, it’s important to choose very carefully.

Unfortunately, there are many collagen supplements on the market that are of dubious quality and are not well absorbed by the body (just manufacture, slap on labels and use lots of sales and ads to push sales, but it's not the best way in my opinion).

Xtend-Life’s marine collage is sourced from France and is rigorously tested for efficacy and purity. Xtend Life uses marine collagen in our Skin-Support and Zupafood For Skin products, which is considered to be the most bioavailable form of collagen - being absorbed up to 1.5 times more efficiently into the body than other forms.

Prebiotics

Gut health movement and awareness has been a big big thing in 2017, and of course with it comes the rise and demand for prebiotics.

So probiotics has been around for some time, but till recently, we realize that they are very limited: they can be easily destroyed by the digestive hydrochloric acid in our stomachs before they can even reach the small intestines where they are truly absorbed for their benefits.

No absorption = no benefits.

A better way of increasing the amount of good bacteria in your gut is by taking prebiotics regularly. Prebiotics can take the harsh acidic environment in our stomach and even nourish the good bacteria in our small intestines.

Xtend Life's Kiwi Klenz, which is made entirely from New Zealand kiwifruit, is a nourishingly rich source of prebiotics to that helps to feed the good bacteria in our gut, provides soluble fibre and enzymes to enhance digestion and improve transit time. (I've been taking this since 2014).

Adaptogens

Adaptogens have been used in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicines for hundreds of years - their names give a clue as to what they do:

They help our bodies adapt to stress and stressors.

Adaptogens boost mental and physical energy levels and help support our adrenal glands, lowers elevated cortisol levels and improving our resilience and ability to handle stress.

They are an important tool in the recovery from adrenal fatigue.

There are a range of adaptogenic herbs including ginkgo biloba, cordyceps mushrooms, bacopa, licorice root and siberian ginseng. 

Xtend-Life’s  Zupafood ELITE is packed with cordyceps mushrooms and other nutrients to help support the body’s resilience to stress.

Xtend Life's Flagship Total Balance range contains bacopa, gingko biloba and a range of other nutrients to help nourish the adrenal glands and support the body during stressful periods. (I've been taking this since 2014)

Back to Top

“He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.”

Arabian Proverb

discover

Discover the best and most suited supplements for you.

Search this site:

ALL XTEND-LIFE PRODUCTS

Green Lipped Mussel Powder (read review)
Joints & anti inflammation

Neuro Natural Recall (read review)
Brain & memory booster

Neuro Natural Serenity (read review)
Brain & mood booster

Neuro Natural Sleep (read review)
Improves sleep quality

Neuro Natural General (read review)
Brain & memory booster

Male Rejuvenator (read review)
Aids sex & prostate health

Female Rejuvenator (read review)
Boosts female sexual health

Natural Energy with NZ Bee Pollen (read review)
Ups energy & alertness

Kiwi-Klenz (read review)
Aids nutrient absorption & digestive health

Immu-Stay (read review)
Boosts immunity defence

Lipi-Rite (read review)
Manage high cholesterol

Not Just Joints (read review)
Joints & arthritis support

Systemic Care (read review)
Diabetes health support

Bone-Support (read review)
Aids bone strength & health

Cardio-Support (read review)
Boosts heart health

Garcinia Cambogia &  Green Coffee Bean (read review)
Weight loss supplement

Zupafood Elite (read review)
Libido, immunity & energy

Zupafood Greenz (read review)
Detox, immunity & liver

Zupafood for Skin (read review)
Glutathione, marine collagen & elastin

Prostate-Support (read review)
Prostate & sexual health, better sleep

Men's Foaming Facial Cleanser (read review)
With natural Kiwifruit & Manuka Honey

Men's Exfoliating Scrub (read review)
Removes dead skin cells & refine pores

Men's Facial Fluid (read more)
Repairs, restores & soothes

Men's Eye Serum (read review)
Energizes, hydrates & firms tired eyes

Men's Body Lotion (read review)
Moisturizes & improves skin elasticity

Men's Hydrating Mask (read review)
Invigorates & deep hydration

Men's Cleansing Mask (read review)
Purge impurities & refines skin

Women's Nourishing Hand Cream (read review)
Protects, moisturizes & soothes skin

Women's Exfoliating Scrub (read review)
Refines & renews skin

Women's Day Cream (review here)
Moisturizing & anti aging

Women's Day Cream + Natural Whitening (read review)
Whitens, reduces fine lines & reduces wrinkles

Women's Night Cream (read review)
Omega 3 & 6 anti oxidant skin renewing moisturizer

Women's Sheer Day And Night Cream (read review)
Softens, anti wrinkle & hydrates

Women's Eye Serum (read review)
Energizes, firms and hydrates tired eyes

Women's Body Lotion (read review)
Soothes, anti oxidant & hydration

Women's Hydrating Mask (read review)
Invigorates & hydrates

Women's Cleansing Mask (read review)
Renews, supports & invigorates skin

Women's Foaming Facial Cleanser (read review)
With natural Kiwifruit & Manuka Honey

Total Balance Men's Premium (read review)
Comprehensive cellular multi vitamins

Total Balance Women's Premium (read review)
Comprehensive cellular multi vitamins

Total Balance Unisex Premium (read review)
Comprehensive cellular multi vitamins

Total Balance Children's (read review)
For healthy development, immunity & learning

Multi-Xtra (read review)
48 bio available  nutrients for cellular health

Omega 3 DHA Fish Oil Premium (read review)
Helps mood, heart, cholesterol & sleep

Omega 3 DHA Fish Oil (read review)
Aids joints, heart, cholesterol & sleep

Omega 3 / QH Ultra CoQ10-Ubiquinol (read review)
Cardiovascular health, anti cholesterol & energy

Omega 3 / DHA Mini (read review)
Easier for children to swallow; aids brain, memory & learning