Sometimes you think you have the healthiest lifestyle. You drink a glass of water in the morning, exercise regularly, spend time for yourself, for example, watch a couple of episodes of your favorite TV show or play to relax after a hard day. But even here you can make some mistakes that affect your life negatively. These are 10 unhealthy things even active and healthy people make.
Not Getting Enough Sleep
Myths about the effectiveness of hours of sleep that are firmly planted in many people’s heads, give the false belief that going to bed at nine at 9 p.m. and waking up at 4 a.m. is much more effective than an eight-hour sleep from 12 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Lack of sleep can lead to serious problems, even if one wakes up only an hour earlier than normal each day. It can lead to depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, reduced immunity, constant headaches, and other health problems. It’s worth remembering that there is no universally accepted sleep norm. It can be either seven or nine hours for you. You should also remember that there are no “effective” hours of sleep – every minute of it is equally important.
Thirst Suppression
This mistake is made for many reasons. For example, knowing that you won’t be able to find a WC in a few hours, or during the preparation for bodybuilding competitions, when athletes expel fats and moisture from the body. This is a dangerous action because water is necessary for the body to recover and ensure the vitality of all systems. Even mild thirst can lead to a deterioration of well-being and consciousness.
Long Immobility
Many people who watch their health believe that an intense workout after eight hours of sitting in the office is enough to eliminate all the problems of a sedentary lifestyle. Of course, you can achieve a certain effect in this way, but it will not eliminate all the problems accumulated during the day.
It is necessary to interrupt the sedentary work every half an hour and replace it with walking, warming up, or light exercise, at least for a couple of minutes. The main thing here is not the load but the nourishment of the organs with blood, the exclusion of stagnation. The combination of such breaks with sports will help to almost completely compensate for all the negative effects of a long sitting.
Brushing Teeth Right After a Meal
This applies to any acidic foods, such as citrus fruits, juices, sodas, and other foods and drinks. The fact is that the acid can soften the enamel for a while. If you start brushing immediately after acidic foods or drinks, it can lead to compromised enamel integrity and cavities. So if you’re used to brushing right after a meal, you should wait at least an hour until all the acid is flushed out with your saliva. As a substitute for brushing, you can rinse your mouth with water or chew sugar-free gum.
Using Cotton Swabs to Clean the Ears
The ear cleans itself and does not need help. Rinsing or wiping the outside of the ear is enough to clean it. Cleaning the inside of the ear with a cotton swab causes microcracks in the skin where bacteria breeds and starts inflammation. It also causes the ear to produce more wax. If you are very diligent, the cotton swab can even damage your eardrum.
Washing Every Wound With Antiseptic
It’s not about serious cuts with contaminants penetrating the wound but about abrasions and scratches. Hydrogen peroxide damages healing skin. Essentially, it burns off the thin layer of epithelium that is beginning to form, resulting in a longer healing time for the wound.
Moreover, the constant use of antiseptics contributes to the deterioration of the immune system, because it turns out that a person does all the work for the body, and it sees no need to develop barriers against microorganisms. For minor scratches and abrasions, washing with mild soap and applying moisturizing cream is usually sufficient.
Using Sunscreen Only in Summer
Self-conscious people apply sunscreen when the weather is warm, in the summertime only. During other periods, it is not applied because the sun is not warm and therefore not perceived as dangerous. But the sun’s rays are dangerous all year round, especially for people with fair skin, and just 15 minutes in the sun is enough for their negative effects.
It is recommended to apply sunscreen at any time of the year, even if it is cloudy outside. This is especially true in winter when the snow reflects the sun’s rays and increases UV exposure to the skin.
Ignorance of Medication Interactions
Treatment is not only about using medications prescribed by your doctor, but also knowing their interactions with other medications and foods. The mistake most people make is not knowing this, causing medications to work less effectively and sometimes even have a negative effect.
Taking any medication, even if it is vitamins, is worth reading the drug interactions in the instructions.
Avoiding Washing Reusable Bottles
More and more environmentally conscious people are switching from disposable to reusable items, for example, abandoning bottled water in favor of thermoses. The problem is that when people pour water into a bottle, they don’t think they need to wash it – it can’t be as polluting as tea, sodas and other drinks.
But regular water bottles also produce bacteria, and you need to wash them with dishwashing detergent daily. If you use a steel thermos designed for high temperatures, you can sanitize it with boiling water, and a soapy solution is fine for plastic.
Choosing Sugar-free Drinks
This is actually a healthy habit because large amounts of sugar cause health problems like obesity or diabetes. But it is common to substitute drinks with sugar for sugar-substitute counterparts. Some studies show that sugar substitutes can cause the body to feel falsely satiated with glucose, leading to an increase in the glycemic index. Instead of sugar substitute drinks, you should choose plain water to quench your thirst.
