These Habits Are Ruining Your Health
By Paul Rothbart
Maintaining good health relies on adopting good habits in your lifestyle. Naturally, the converse is true. Bad habits are detrimental to your health. Some are obvious. Smoking, using excessive amounts of alcohol and drugs, and eating junk food are all terrible for your health. That is common knowledge. But there are habits that may not seem like they could harm you, but they can have a negative impact on your health. Be wary of engaging in these habits.
The 5:2 Principle
The 5:2 principle is a common bad habit in which a person eats carefully, counting calories, and gets exercise Monday through Friday. When the weekend hits, those two days are a free-for-all. No exercise and eat whatever you like. This may seem innocent enough, over the weekend, you greatly increase your calorie intake for the week. Without the exercise, you are also burning fewer. This can lead to weight gain. It's OK to relax on the weekend, but don't ease up too much. Continue to eat healthily and do some light exercise. Taking care of your body is an everyday task.
Eating Other People's Food
This happens all the time. You're out having lunch with your significant other. They share with you. Or they can't finish their meal so you grab it. I am guilty of this frequently when dining with my wife. Some people finish their children's food. It seems harmless, but you are consuming extra calories. You haven't accounted for these in your planned diet. Take a doggie bag home and save the leftovers for another meal. Only eat your food.
Staying Up Late
After going to bed early each weeknight, it's fun to stay up late on the weekends. Maybe you want to catch up on that movie you haven't seen or spend some time out with friends. There's nothing wrong with that, but sleep is important and you need enough of it every day. You can sleep late the next day, but when your body is used to waking up at the same time during the week, it can be hard to sleep past that time on the weekend. For the best sleep, health professionals recommended going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day. Stay up a bit later once in a while, but don't overdo it. Those lost hours can damage your health.
Staying healthy is the result of good lifestyle choices. They must be applied consistently. It only takes a couple of bad habits to undo all the good you've worked so hard for. Avoid these habits and keep your health at its best.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Knoxville, Tenn.