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10 Habits to Kick for Your Health (Part 2)

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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:

  1. 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!
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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!

 

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10 Habits to Kick for Your Health (Part 1)

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We all have little habits and coping mechanisms that probably aren’t ideal, but it turns out that some of them are actually hazardous to your health. Let’s take a look at a few you should really try to kick if you’re concerned about bettering your health:

  1. Smoking makes every list of bad habits out there, but it is so hard on your body that we simply couldn’t exclude it from ours. Smoking causes over 6 million deaths annually and directly contributes to numerous life-threatening conditions like heart disease, cancer and COPD. Also, each time you put a cigarette to your lips, you’re ingesting over 7000 potentially harmful chemicals!
  2. Nail biting or picking – Some may think of biting your nails as a relatively harmless habit, but it actually can have several adverse effects on your health. The habit may leave you with disfigured nails, damage to your teeth and gums, skin or intestinal infections, and even psychological issues (it is a behavior that has been linked with obsessive compulsive disorder). Because of all the germs your hands come in contact with daily, nail biting also increases your chances of picking up a cold or flu or other type of highly contagious infection (such as impetigo). Eww! Time to quit this one? We think so.
  3. Partying like its always your birthday – the occasional social drink shouldn’t pose any risks to your health (unless you’re on certain medications), but if you partake in binge drinking regularly, you are opening the flood gates for many dangers to your well-being. Some of which include: depression, cirrhosis of the liver, neurological damage, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer or death by alcohol poisoning. So, if you’re a heavy drinker, get your drinking under control today before it starts controlling your health.
  4. Too much screen time – Excess screen time, whether it’s Netflix or social media binge, can be bad for your mental and physical health and social life. Being sedentary for large parts of the day without a break is never good news for your overall health. And many studies also illustrate a strong correlation between excess social media use and depression and anxiety, especially in young people.
  5. Your sugar addiction – We all love a sweet treat – but are your treats becoming more routine than occasional? You may be hooked on the sweet stuff. Eating too much sugar can directly contribute to obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic dysfunction (including high blood pressure and cholesterol). Too much sugar will leave destruction in its wake over time, so try to cut down today.
  6. Abnormal sleeping habits – the National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours of sleep nightly for adults 18-65 and 7-8 hours for those over 65. Are you getting as much sleep as you should be getting each night? If not, you should recheck your sleeping habits. Perpetually depriving yourself of sleep because of work or social reasons can actually induce insomnia and misalign your body’s natural circadian rhythm. Long-term, this can help contribute to many health issues such as depression, high blood pressure or metabolic disorders. Always going to sleep at strange hours can also wreak havoc on your body and mind.

Stay tuned for Part 2 coming up soon! Thanks for visiting DocChat.