It is often said that you cannot go beyond what you know in life, and ignorance is said to be a great disease.
There are several practices we engage in either consciously or unconsciously that are having great consequences on our health. Some of these practices are a result of ignorance while others are a result of our indifference.
Your health should be of the utmost priority to you. So, you need to ensure you are getting the right knowledge to stay healthy.
Discussed in this article are seven little-known health-damaging habits you should know and avoid in order to ensure your overall well-being.
1. Spending a lot of time alone
We have certain individuals who just love being in their space without any disturbance from any person. For reasons best known to them, they prefer staying alone rather than being with others. Staying alone most of the time isn’t really healthy.
You need to give yourself the chance to connect with others because, in the end, it’s not how many people you know or how often you see them – what matters is that you feel connected to others.
If you don’t spend time with others, you’re more likely to have high blood pressure, depression, brain issues (like Alzheimer’s), and inflammation.
Create time to spend with others, as this singular act goes a long way in guaranteeing the state of your health, especially your mental health.
2. Eating junk food
With our busy schedules and daily activities, we sometimes opt for junk meals in order to get by daily and avoid the stress of preparing our meals.
Soft drinks, candy, and pastries have lots of calories and little nutrition. Eating junk food is linked to serious health problems like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Regardless of your tight schedule, try to avoid junk foods because they only provide temporary satisfaction and lifelong health risks.
3. Not drinking enough water
According to eatingwell.com, water accounts for 60 per cent of our body so it’s not too surprising that drinking water benefits your total body health.
Staying hydrated helps to keep your memory sharp, your mood stable and your motivation intact. Keeping up with your fluids helps your skin stay supple, your body cools down when it’s hot, allows your muscles and joints to work better and helps clean toxins from your body via your kidneys.
So, how much water should you be drinking? The Institute of Medicine says adult men need about 13 cups per day of fluid; adult women need about nine! (You get about an additional 2 1/2 cups of fluid from foods.) But because one size doesn’t fit all, the best way to know if you’re adequately hydrated is to monitor your urine colour: if it’s light yellow (the colour of lemonade), that means you’re drinking enough.
4. Sitting for long hours
The sedentary lifestyle some of us engage in as a result of our jobs is something we need to be careful of so our health doesn’t get affected in the long run.
Spending too much time on chairs while you’re busy with your computer in the workplace slows down your metabolism, which means you could gain weight. It’s also linked to other health problems, including heart disease.
To avoid sitting for a long while at home or at work, inculcate the habit of standing and moving around for some minutes before going back to your work table. Doing this from time to time helps keep you healthy.
5. Surfing before going to bed
Another health-damaging habit to cut on is surfing before going to bed.
It is important to know that the “blue light” given off by electronic gadgets like phones, computers, and TVs can mess up your sleep.
Some studies show that too much of any kind of nighttime light might be linked to cancer (especially breast and prostate), diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.
It is advisable that you avoid using your phone or other electronic gadgets during your bedtime.
Sleeping in a dark and quiet space should be a top priority for you if you want to get a good night’s rest.
6. Using loud earplugs and headphones
I know you enjoy good music, but listening at the highest volume is detrimental to your health.
Sound is measured in decibels – normal conversation is about 60 decibels. It’s best to keep the volume on your headphones below 75 decibels (about as loud as a vacuum cleaner) to be safe. And don’t listen for more than a couple of hours at a time.
You’re more likely to lose hearing as you age if you’re around loud noises a lot.
7. Cracking your knuckles!
I enjoy cracking my knuckles because of the sound it produces and how flexible I think I make my fingers by doing so, but I have to stop now and you should as well. Why, you may ask?
There is a substance called synovial fluid that keeps your joints moving easily. The sound your knuckles make when they “crack” comes when you pop tiny bubbles in that fluid. If you do it all the time, you’re more likely to have swollen hands and a weaker grip over time.
You don’t want swollen hands, right? Neither do I, so, let’s put an end to cracking our knuckles.
Your health and wellbeing is of paramount importance to me and your loved ones and it should be to you too.
Let’s put an end to these little-known health-damaging habits and live healthy lives till the end of our days.
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