10 Healthy Habits That Can Actually Put Your Health At Risk
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Inculcating healthy habits sure has its virtues. Let’s face it, it does keep us in great shape and helps us evade an untimely death, but here’s a dark secret — there’s a seedy underbelly to the world of wholesome foods, gyms, and the other little virtuous habits that make our lives a whole lot fitter. Nobody’s that perfect. If we’re not careful we can be deceived by it’s spruced up appearance and next thing you know, you are a part of the biggest con ever pulled.
We’re in the mood to bust some of those myths about healthy habits. Here’s a list of 10 healthy habits that you were led to believe to be words of wisdom by the health gods, but in truth, they can turn against you:
1. Weighing Yourself On A Daily Basis
While it’s quite in the bounds of the norm to weigh yourself when you’re in the middle of a weight loss journey, you might want to avoid doing this every day, as it leads to excessive stress if you don’t see the desired results. Take it slow; Rome wasn’t built in a day. It’s a climb and eventually, you’ll get there. However, stressing about the distance is just futile. You’ll get there when you get there.
2. Taking The Toothbrush To Task
Oral hygiene is a necessary stop on our daily health route, but excessive stops aren’t always ideal. According to a study conducted by Mayo Clinic, brushing and flossing your teeth after every meal is proved to weaken your enamel; especially if you’ve consumed foods with citric acid in it (1).
3. Being Trapped By Foods That Appear To Be Healthy
The labels that spell out words like healthy, low carb, fat-free and the likes, are just a lure set by the corporate machine to drum up more business. It can be quite deceiving to just judge the book by its cover. So, always skim through the ingredients in the back of the box before you take the product home.
4. Solely Focusing On Cardio
Making cardio your sole focus in the exercise circuit can get quite stagnant. Rinse and repeat just works for laundry. Mixing it up is the key to build those core muscles that strengthen the body, and boost your stamina. Level up your workouts with a few weights and a combination of other exercises that get your body out of its comfort zone.
5. Extra Snoozing On The Weekends
As much as it pains us to say this, a study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, says that adding that extra snooze time on the weekends can actually lead to health concerns in the long haul (2). So, going on a sleeping spree on weekends doesn’t seem like a good idea. Try to divide those hours and add it to your sleep routine during the week. 7-8 hours a day should do the trick.
6. Being OCD About Health Can Lead To Social Isolation
Sticking to your health affirmations is indeed a virtue, but overdoing it can backfire and turn you into a social pariah if you’re not careful about it. Cancelling plans with friends so you don’t succumb to temptation and give in to the food can lead to social isolation. Create a balance in your diet. Healthy eating doesn’t mean you avoid fat, sugar, or oil (and all things tasty) for the rest of your life.
7. Protein Shakes After Workout
It’s a common misconception that drinking protein shakes after every workout is good for you. While it is true that protein can help build body mass and reduce soreness, indulging in this after your workout in the nights can lead to overeating and ultimately, piling inches to your waistline.
8. Skipping Meals
While it’s quite common for people to skip meals if they’ve just got onto the dieting bandwagon, it’s not advisable to do so. Skipping meals is proven to be a gateway to overeating. Studies show that giving a miss to the meals just increases your appetite and takes the hunger level up, causing you to binge on unhealthy foods (3).
9. Drinking Diet Soda
Diet soda might seem like the obvious choice to avoid excess calories that you usually inherit from regular soda, but the fact is it’s more of a chemical cocktail that has been doused with artificial sweeteners and other harmful chemicals that can be a blow to our health.
10. Drinking Bottled Water
Drinking bottled water not only increases the plastic waste but also spells trouble for our health. A recent study revealed that the contents of bottled water have cancer-causing properties (4). So, throw those bottles out and instead, opt for a glass of purified water at home or the gym.
The key is to be mindful of the choices you make. Therefore, ask the right questions before you wade in head-first into the health stream, as you might get caught in the currents if you fail to assess what’s right for you.
