There are some things you do every day that you believe are harmless. However, eating certain foods and doing certain activities can be harmful to your health, even if they don't seem hazardous. Unless you are aware of the danger, you have no reason to break these unhealthy habits.
Here are five to watch out for:
1. Foods advertised as healthy
If you go to any fast food restaurant or grocery store you are bound to find foods that masquerade as healthy. Salads, smoothies and anything with chicken are usually go to foods for those trying to eat healthy, but these sneaky foods can actually can have more calories than a hamburger! It is important to know what is in your food and how it was cooked. Healthy greens in your salad can be ruined by a fatty and creamy dressing. If your smoothie is full of sugar, you'd be no better off eating a candy bar. Perhaps you made sure that your chicken is grilled (not fried) but its still sitting on a white bread bun lathered in mayonnaise. Not being conscious of your food is an easy habit to fall into.
2. Sitting down
One of the most basic activities can be one of the most harmful. A health life is one full of physical activity, not sitting. But it's seemingly unavoidable we sit at work, we sit in front of the TV, we sit to eat, we sit to commute and we sit when we meet friends for a movie. To break this harmful habit, make an effort to stand more during your day. Try working from a desk that you can stand at. If that is not possible, set a timer and stand up every hour. Even if you are pretty good at working out every day, your physical activity doesnt end when you step out of the gym. Continue to stand, stretch, and get your blood flowing throughout your entire day.
3. Any drink besides water
Water is the absolute best thing you can drink. It helps with swelling, bloating, digestion, hunger, and your skin's overall health. It is vital to every major organ and keeps you alive. There is no drink out there that is healthier than water. There are the obvious unhealthy drinks like soda and alcohol, but there are also some drinks that pretend to be good for you (like sparkling water, sports drinks and juice) that are not. These other drinks all have something in them to make them taste good, usually sugar and sodium. These drinks rack up the calories and can do the opposite of water causing bloat and swelling, as well as inhibiting digestion.
A fun drink every once in a while is OK, just dont make it an every meal occurrence, and make sure you are always drinking enough water.
4. Diet pills
Diet pills already have a bad rap, but there seems to still be some people holding on to the hope that a pill can solve all their health issues. Its just not true. Nothing helps you lose weight like a good diet and exercise. Vitamins and supplements can aide in your search for a healthy body, but they will not solve a bad diet. Dont become victim to another diet pill scam and focus on eating a healthy diet instead.
5. Skipping meals
You may feel that skipping a meal is a good thing. You eat less, so you should lose weight. Research shows how skipping meals can cause flucations in your blood pressure and sugar levels, giving you even greater health problems than you considered. Eating several small meals throughout the day is the best way to get your metabolism working all day long. Carry small healthy snacks with you and make sure to eat every few hours.
Educating yourself about health and following some simple rules can make huge improvements for your overall health. One of the biggest reasons for bad health is doing things you didnt even know were unhealthy. Be aware of your body and you will see changes.
Here are five to watch out for:
1. Foods advertised as healthy
If you go to any fast food restaurant or grocery store you are bound to find foods that masquerade as healthy. Salads, smoothies and anything with chicken are usually go to foods for those trying to eat healthy, but these sneaky foods can actually can have more calories than a hamburger! It is important to know what is in your food and how it was cooked. Healthy greens in your salad can be ruined by a fatty and creamy dressing. If your smoothie is full of sugar, you'd be no better off eating a candy bar. Perhaps you made sure that your chicken is grilled (not fried) but its still sitting on a white bread bun lathered in mayonnaise. Not being conscious of your food is an easy habit to fall into.
2. Sitting down
One of the most basic activities can be one of the most harmful. A health life is one full of physical activity, not sitting. But it's seemingly unavoidable we sit at work, we sit in front of the TV, we sit to eat, we sit to commute and we sit when we meet friends for a movie. To break this harmful habit, make an effort to stand more during your day. Try working from a desk that you can stand at. If that is not possible, set a timer and stand up every hour. Even if you are pretty good at working out every day, your physical activity doesnt end when you step out of the gym. Continue to stand, stretch, and get your blood flowing throughout your entire day.
3. Any drink besides water
Water is the absolute best thing you can drink. It helps with swelling, bloating, digestion, hunger, and your skin's overall health. It is vital to every major organ and keeps you alive. There is no drink out there that is healthier than water. There are the obvious unhealthy drinks like soda and alcohol, but there are also some drinks that pretend to be good for you (like sparkling water, sports drinks and juice) that are not. These other drinks all have something in them to make them taste good, usually sugar and sodium. These drinks rack up the calories and can do the opposite of water causing bloat and swelling, as well as inhibiting digestion.
A fun drink every once in a while is OK, just dont make it an every meal occurrence, and make sure you are always drinking enough water.
4. Diet pills
Diet pills already have a bad rap, but there seems to still be some people holding on to the hope that a pill can solve all their health issues. Its just not true. Nothing helps you lose weight like a good diet and exercise. Vitamins and supplements can aide in your search for a healthy body, but they will not solve a bad diet. Dont become victim to another diet pill scam and focus on eating a healthy diet instead.
5. Skipping meals
You may feel that skipping a meal is a good thing. You eat less, so you should lose weight. Research shows how skipping meals can cause flucations in your blood pressure and sugar levels, giving you even greater health problems than you considered. Eating several small meals throughout the day is the best way to get your metabolism working all day long. Carry small healthy snacks with you and make sure to eat every few hours.
Educating yourself about health and following some simple rules can make huge improvements for your overall health. One of the biggest reasons for bad health is doing things you didnt even know were unhealthy. Be aware of your body and you will see changes.
