10 Habits to Kick for Your Health (Part 2)

We all have little habits and coping mechanisms that probably aren’t ideal, but it turns out that some of them can actually be hazardous to your health. In our last post, we looked at smoking, nail-biting, drinking too much, sleeping irregularly and too much sugar. Next, we wanted to check out:

7. Biting the inside of your mouth – this not-so-harmless habit is often equated to nail-biting as they are both mindless habits that can be linked to underlying anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder. Other issues cheek-biting may create are scar tissue, lesions or ulcers of the mouth. Some healthcare professionals even argue chronic cheek-biting could potentially be linked with oral cancer. Whether or not the cancer link is a sure thing, it’s best to err on the side of caution and kick this nervous habit!
8. Carrying a ‘lazy man’s load’ – by always trying to bring in all the groceries in one trip or carrying an over-loaded backpack on one shoulder, you’re putting too much strain on your joints and back. Don’t be lazy – start taking in the groceries one load at a time instead of weighing yourself down for the sake of getting it over with. Also, try to pair down your bookbag to the bare essentials so you don’t risk a shoulder injury from lugging around too many pounds all day.
9. Popping too many OTC meds – Do you go for the Tylenol every time you get a mild headache? Or reach for the Advil when you get a weird pain in your leg? Grab the decongestants when you feel the sniffles coming on? You may want to pause before reaching too quickly, as some of these OTC medications can be hard on your liver and stomach. It is also too easy to overdose on these medications without even realizing it. Acetaminophen, for example, is hiding in over 600 OTC medications and is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the United States. So, it is best to pace yourself when it comes to OTC medications.
10. Wearing high heels – you’re not only doing your feet a disservice by wearing high heels on the regular, you’re also causing problems for your ankles, knees, hips and spine. Walking in heels alters your normal gait, causing your skeleton and muscles must compensate for the unnatural alteration. This may not be a problem for the occasional heel-donner but those who wear high heels regularly should try for more supportive shoes more often than not.
11. Mindless snacking – Most of us are guilty of grabbing for the nachos or chocolate bars during Netflix binges or movie night, but mindless snacking isn’t doing any of us any favors when it comes to our weight or our health. You can easily add a whopping 500+ calories to your day while snacking mindlessly on junk-food as you’re working, surfing the net or watching TV. Eeek! This habit can definitely add up over time putting you at risk for such conditions as type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease. If you find it hard to break the habit, at least switch to fat-free popcorn, fruit and veggie platters to make those mindless calories count for the good!

There you have our top 11 habits to kick for your health! Thanks for visiting DocChat, we hope you come again soon!