You eat all of your veggies;
you’re a regular at the gym. You’d call yourself healthy–but are you really?
Nobody’s perfect. Even the healthiest people fall for these common bad habits.
Experts tell us some simple habits to break in order to live a truly healthy
lifestyle.
1. Ignoring Stress
Healthy eating habits
will only take you so far. When stress goes unmanaged, it will have adverse
effects. Stress is linked to so many health problems including adrenal fatigue,
weight gain and disrupted sleep.
2. Embracing the ‘No
Pain, No Gain’ Mentality
People sometimes think if
they feel pain, that they are working out harder and feeling the ‘burn. There
is a big difference between pain and burn. Pain is usually caused by overuse of
muscles and improper placement or use of the body. Bottom line: pain leads to
injury and injuries are a major setback to goals.
3. Popping
Multivitamins
Instead of taking a
general multivitamin, choose supplements based on specific deficiencies, such
as iron or zinc. “Taking a general multivitamin can be unwise as it can give
too much of some nutrients and not enough of others,” “Better yet, eat more
nutrient-rich foods. It’s practically impossible to overdose on fruits and
vegetables. Plus nutrients often interact positively with one another in whole
packages, which is why food should be considered our primary source of
nutrition.”
4. Being Too ‘Good’
All the Time
Some of us can get too
wrapped up in our healthy diet and forget to enjoy ourselves. Connection to
others, community and friendship are important for both physical and mental
health, so don’t forget to laugh a little!”
5. Forcing Yourself
to ‘Like’ Foods
When was it ever said
that to be healthy we had to hate the foods we consumed? It’s really important
to find healthy foods that you truly enjoy eating, so that you don’t feel
deprived.
6. Drinking Too Much
Water
We’ve been ingrained to
drink eight glasses of water daily, no matter how thirsty (or not thirsty) we
are. “Our bodies are not built like a simple hose—water in, water out, “It
maintains a regulated system of establishing how the water functions, from
transporting nutrients to maintaining the health of our cells.” Drinking too
much disrupts this entire system and will cause the body to excrete more
nutrients than necessary.
7. Drinking Too Much
Fruit Juice
Although fruit juice does
contain vitamins and minerals that cleanse the body, the large amount of sugar
causes spikes in our blood sugar levels. They also have little of the fiber
that is found in the whole fruit to slow the absorption into the body, a
celebrity fitness trainer and author of Avoid sugary versions by concocting
your own version or drinking one that have the nutrients without the added
sugar.
8. Assuming
Skinny=Healthy
Just because you can eat
whatever you want and not gain a pound, it doesn’t mean you should eat
whatever you want. It doesn’t matter how fit your body may appear to be. What
you eat will eventually catch up to your health and destroy what you took
advantage of for so long. Make healthy eating habits now so you never have to
reap repercussions in the future.
9. Skimping on Sleep
to Work Out
There’s obviously nothing
wrong with being dedicated to a workout routine, but when it gets in the way of
your sleep you have a problem. Your body needs proper rest and recovery, a
fitness and food coach. “Whether you wake up extra early, or stay up late after
an evening sweat session, you are risking your health. She recommends focusing
on getting a consistent 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Then schedule your workout around
that time frame.
10. Purchasing Food
Based on Calorie and Fat Content
Just
because a food is low in fat and calories, it doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Read the ingredients section. This tells
us what is in the product which is more important than calories and fat, If you
cannot pronounce the ingredients and it’s largely chemical based, it is not a
healthy food.
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