10 Huge Health Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)

Dieting-Diets don’t work. Just ban this word from your vocabulary. Not only do diets make you hungry and cranky, they mess with your metabolism, prevent you from getting all the nutrients you need, and set you up for weight gain in the long run, because depriving yourself leads to bingeing later. Fix it: Make healthy lifestyle changes you can live with, like eating fruit instead of ice-cream a few nights a week, and don’t forget to exercise. Weight lost slowly is more likely to stay off because you don’t have to stick to some crazy diet.

All-or-Nothing Mindset-

You eat two scoops of ice-cream, then decided you’ve blown your healthy eating for the day and polish off the entire pint. Sound familiar? Fix it: Every second is a chance to start over, so if you fall off the wagon for a moment, you can hop right back on. What’s worse, a few spoonfuls of Haagen Daaz or the entire pint?

Skipping meals-

Your body needs food every three to five hours, so skipping meals causes your metabolism to switch to “starvation mode”, when it holds on to fat to conserve energy. Also, skipping breakfast leads to binges later in the day. Fix it: Eat breakfast. Every. Single. Day. Carry snacks with you in case you don’t have time to grab a real meal. Eat every few hours to keep your energy up and prevent getting ravenous.

Overscheduling-

Stress is the biggest assault on your health because it creates tension in the body which causes migraines, high blood pressure, digestion problems, weight gain, and a host of mental issues like depression and anxiety disorders. Fix it: Let yourself off the hook. No human being should be expected to say “yes” to every commitment thrown at them. Practice saying no, or use the “one in, one out” rule. Every time you pencil something into your schedule, cross something off. Also, take at least twenty minutes a day to do something you enjoy, like reading or drawing instead of answering emails.

Soda-

We all know soda isn’t good for us, but many of us are unaware of the harm it causes. Drinking sugar instead of eating it is a step above injecting in directly into your bloodstream, so your blood sugar shoots up which leads to that surge in energy followed by a wicked crash later on. The diet stuff isn‘t any better. Artificial sweeteners like aspartame have been linked to tumors, seizures and depression. Soda’s effect on hydration is a double whammy: Not only does soda contribute to dehydration, it often replaces water in the diets of heavy soda drinkers. Fix it: Cut back to three cans a week, even less if you’re up to it. Drink water instead, spruce it up with a little lemon and healthy sweetener if your taste buds need to adjust.

Body comparison-

Nothing kills self esteem faster than measuring yourself against skinnier, prettier, richer, more whatever people. Comparing yourself to others just makes you feel inadequate which can lead to more serious problems, like eating disorders, not to mention money you might sink into boosting yourself up. Fix it: Remember, everyone has insecurities. That Jennifer Connelly look-alike in the slinky dress might exercise three hours a day, your coworker who got the big promotion may come home to an empty apartment, and your ex’s new flame might be up to her nostrils in debt. No one is perfect, no one’s life is perfect, so don’t worry about measuring up to anyone’s standards but your own. Congratulate yourself for what you have accomplished, like your happy marriage or way with words. Remember, someone is probably comparing themselves to you.

Staying up late-

People who stay up late tend to get less sleep than those who conk out early and sleep deprivation contributes to irritability, weakened immune system, and obesity. Also, staying up late tends to include unhealthy activities, like booze and late night milkshake runs, which translates to a lot of extra calories and headaches you don’t need. Fix it: Set a bedtime and stick to it, and time it so you’ll get at least seven hours of sleepy time. This will refresh you for the day ahead, fight off stress and illness, and keep your metabolism going. Beauty sleep isn’t a myth people. Get rid of those dark circles and baggies under your eyes..

Processed food-

Need a dictionary to find out what’s in that can of soup? Probably shouldn’t eat it. Processed foods with mumbo-jumbo labels are often concoctions of refined sugar, salt, and chemicals in the form of dyes, texture enhancers and preservatives. You end up with a high calorie, low nutrition UFO (Unidentified Food Object). Those don’t fill you up and will send you on a sugar high with a mean crash. Fix it: If it’s not food, don’t eat it. Stick with whole, basic foods like fruits and vegetables, lean meats and dairy, and whole, gluten-free grains. Stay away from anything hydrogenated and too brightly colored to be natural. You’ll get the nutrients and vitamins you need for less calories and your blood sugar will be more stable, keeping you off the sugar rollercoaster

Skipping checkups-

The recession has hit everyone hard, and people are canceling doctor appointments to save money. I’ve done it too. However, this may cost you more in the long run. You could miss catching a disease in the early stages and have to pay massive medical bills later on, and the damage to your health could be enormous and irreversible. Fix it- This is one area where you can’t afford to skimp. Cut back on restaurant meals and shoe shopping if you need to, but make sure you keep up on dental exams and basic checkups. It could save your life.

Drinking-

First of all, the calories in all those shots add up, especially if you get a little tipsy and forget to keep track. Also, alcohol in excess is a leading cause of fatal car crashes. T-boning a semi tends to be very bad for your health. Excess alcohol damages the liver, disrupts sleep patterns, and increases the risk of breast cancer. Fix it- My religion is against alcohol, but that’s not the only reason I don’t drink. I think the best way to avoid the damaging affects of alcohol is to avoid it altogether. It’s not worth it. Save your money and spend happy hour doing something that really makes you happy.