From selective eaters to strict dieters, we have lot many health-conscious folks around us. No matter what degree of a health nut you are, ignoring some seemingly small things is quite possible. Focusing on big health issues while ignoring the everyday small habits can have long-term consequences. So, if you want to be on top of your health, identify these common mistakes and try to rectify them.
Using plastic containers to heat food in the microwave
It’s great that you are saving your time by using the microwave at home to eat hot food. Thanks to your office cafeteria also for letting you heat your lunch box. And you might also be using only microwave-safe containers. But the safety of your food depends on the temperature and time for which you are heating the food, the type of food, and how often are you using microwave heat food. Do not blatantly use just any container in the oven. Try to use only FDA approved containers, and better you avoid its frequent use.
Ignoring nature’s call
Tied up with some important project in the office or an engrossing programme on TV should not hold you from going to the washroom. Taking bathroom breaks is quite important when needed to avoid a series of inter-related problems. If you hold your urine for too long, it might distend your bladder allowing bacterial growth which can even invade your kidney. Holding your poo also results in constipation and other long-term intestinal complications. If this is your everyday practice, then it might jeopardize your health after the middle age.
Pushing sleep with tea and coffee
Over workload has become everyone’s story these days keeping them awake at night. If you are the one with the same plot and try to push your sleep by downing a few cups of tea and coffee, then you might be making a mistake. Caffeine can definitely give a boost to your mood, but it cannot replace the relief a good sleep can give. Further, depriving yourself of required sleep can result in depression, memory loss, digestive problems, and heart diseases in the long run.
Sticking to phone all day
Sticking to electronic devices can result in insomnia and poor eyesight. Unfortunately, the bad news does not end here. You might be smart enough to keep away your phone during the night time, but still, if you continue scrolling down your phone every now and then during the daytime, you might be inviting other problems. Going lose on smartphones, can result in postural problems which can develop into text neck syndrome, spondylitis, or other medical health conditions. Keep away the phone; it aims to ease your life and not become your lifestyle!
Carrying a heavy load on the shoulder
Carrying heavy laptop with lunch box to commuting from a supermarket with a bag full of grocery, carrying a grown-up child on one side or simply traveling with an on-the-go travel bag; these are a few common scenes and circumstances. However, it is an established fact by the doctors that carrying heavy bags can put pressure on your neck, shoulder, and back. Those with a chronic back pain problem should think twice before carrying such loads. Those who prefer hanging bags too low are actually putting pressure on their lower waist and shoulders. Also, never hang the bag on one side; try to give support by hanging it on both the shoulders.
Consulting Google as your doctor
Being watchful of your health does not allow you to be your own uncertified doctor. If you are also in a habit of correlating your symptoms to that posted on the internet and select your own medicines, you might be doing a mistake. Online information cannot examine you for your physical symptoms, its severity, its correlation with past medical and family history and more than that your changing responses with time. Do not harm yourself by self-medicating as you might need some diagnostic tests as well for proper diagnosis and treatment. Also, do not suppress your symptoms by taking over-the-counter medicines which actually might be the early signs of some other medical condition to surface in the long run. See a doctor near you for any health issue.
Apart from these random mistakes and harms we do to ourselves, there are other scenarios also that put health at risk slowly and steadily. Certain things are not good at a particular time of our 24-hours day.
Things you should never do after waking up in the morning
There cannot be a predefined morning routine for everyone. Someone would like to read a newspaper while the other one would like to listen to a high-pitched music. But, there are certain morning errors that can make you unproductive and unhealthy throughout the day. Try to refrain from these habits to ensure you are healthy always and your day goes well.
Do not curl on once you wake up: Lying on the bed even after getting up is not good. You have completed your sleep cycle and lying for an extra five or ten minutes might put you to sleep once more. You are dead sure that this second sleep cycle cannot be completed making you feel dull and lethargic. It might also give you a headache. Mornings are meant to bring freshness to your body and mind. So, get up from the bed right after waking up.
Do not leave the bed undone: Biologically, leaving the bed undone and health has got nothing to do. Still, researches show that starting the morning by making your bed inculcates a good habit in you and fills you with more productivity. It starts a chain reaction of doing things properly, and you feel energetic to accomplish rest of the things as well in the right process.
Do not take coffee or tea as the first drink: The act of waking up increases the level of cortisol in the body. On top of that, if you take coffee or tea, it will only make you hyper-alert and more of jittery. The first thing to take in the morning is water. It will hydrate and correct your metabolism. It also helps in flushing out the waste as the intestine need more of water in the morning.
Checking your mobile phone: Most of the people use mobile phones as their alarm clock. This automatically brings mobile as the first thing in hand after getting up which is not good. Checking emails right after getting up might reset your priorities making you stressed in the very morning. Your day needs a different start that keeps you energetic and happy day long. So, keep your mobile out of the bedroom.
Watching TV: Do not forget that you have just got up from a calm and peaceful sleep. In such a situation, bombarding your brain with too much stimulus from any TV program will only make you stressed. Let your mind be calm for as long as possible. Instead of a TV program, a mediation or a soothing morning music will be good.
Taking hot water bath: In winter, it is good to take bath with warm water. But for rest of the seasons, enjoy cold shower as it will give you the kick-start for your day. It also promotes deep breathing and increased heart rate providing you the much-needed energy to perform the whole day.
Skipping the breakfast: Don’t forget that you were on the fast whole night. Your stomach needs food between 8 to 10 am as per your body clock. A high carb & protein breakfast keeps you full for longer and avoids your temptation to binge on junk food. So, never skip your breakfast as this is needed to fuel your mind and body. It also keeps you alert and your memory sharp.
Likewise, there are a few things that should not be done before going to bed. Always remember, a sound sleep is not only needed for your mind and body, but it also defines the wellbeing of your next day. When you sleep well, you get up well and perform well the next day. So here are a few things you must avoid doing before bedtime.
Things you should never do before bedtime
Don’t indulge in electronics: Watching emotional and provoking programs on TV or videos on YouTube will keep stimulating your brain which will fail to understand that it’s a bedtime. Moreover, the blue and white light emitting from the mobile screen restricts the secretion of Melatonin, a hormone required to sleep, from the brain. So, it becomes harder to sleep. Rather it is advisable to read a copybook which also helps in inducing a good sleep.
Don’t take sleeping pills unless prescribed: Even if you are finding it hard to get asleep, don’t make a habit of taking sleeping pills. It will alter your sleeping pattern and is addictive too. A barrage of side effects like muscle ache and body pain also secure their place if you take the pills regularly. Try some natural way of sleeping and home remedies like a chamomile tea, a banana before bedtime, a warm water bath, etc. to induce sleep.
Don’t make your bed your office: It simply means that do not take your laptop to the bed to complete your pending tasks. You won’t get rest on the bed with this habit. If the situation demands, then stay out of the bedroom, complete the work, but when you enter the bedroom, it should only be for sleep.
Don’t consume caffeine after 5 PM: You might need an extra kick to keep yourself awake to do some office work. But consuming caffeine after 5 PM can keep you staring at the ceiling through the midnight. It stimulates your nervous system and makes it hard to sleep even when your job is done. Disturbance in your sleeping habit can affect you badly.
Workout before bedtime: The adrenaline rush due to exercise can make a few fresh and energetic enough to find it difficult to sleep. However, the scenario is not the same with all. A few might find it easy to sleep after exercising. So, you need to judge your response to exercising. However, it would be best to exercise a few hours before the bedtime.
Hot arguments: Differences in thoughts are a part of life but keep it out of your bedroom. Falling in hot discussions or arguments with anyone at bedtime might steal your sleep. The anger and stress bring fight or flight response in action, and the sleep hormone is not secreted. This can keep you awake while giving your body ache, headache, burning eyes, and more such problems.
Consuming rich, fatty food: The best time to have a meal is before 8 PM at night. If you are consuming some rich, fatty dessert before bedtime or having your meal late at night, you might be inviting some digestion problems. Feeling heaviness in the chest, heartburn, belching might get triggered while sleeping right after food disturbing your sleep. Not only this, a continuous habit of eating late will gradually affect your digestive system.
Drinking too much water: Drinking water is always advisable. But having a glass full of water before bedtime can make you run to the washroom frequently. Your sleep might get disturbed and this is not good for your digestion as well. Try to eat your dinner on time and drink water 45 minutes post-dinner to have a sound sleep.
Unknowingly or due to negligence, we practice a few things that subtly affect the health. All these habits yield adverse results in the long run. Try to improvise your daily activities and build a strong foundation for your good health with a little change in your lifestyle and eating habits. People with a specific health condition cannot stick to a given day routine. They should consult a doctor to know what can best suit their health.
Author Bio:
Rinki Manya is an ardent reader and a Content Writer at ZOYLO Digihealth. She keeps herself updated with the trending technology in the healthcare industry through magazines and online journals. A health & wellness writer at her present enterprise, she has also proved her writing skills in beauty, fashion, and lifestyle at her previous companies. She uses writing as a tool to connect to readers with info on digital healthcare developments and healthy lifestyle options.
