Are You Hurting Your Health?

While you can believe that you’re looking after yourself well the truth of the matter is you may be hurting your health. For instance, you may enjoy eating cheese and think that it gives you a boost of calcium, when in actual fact you have an intolerance to lactose and this is causing you to get stomach cramps. As crazy as it sounds, what seems like a mild reaction to an action that everyone else does–like eating cheese–can cause you extreme pain later down the track.

Some of the most common ways you can damage your health include having poor eating habits, not getting adequate sleep, taking prescription medication often and being busy always. Let’s look at these four health hurting habits in detail, so you can work out if you’re doing activities that are hurting your health.  

Are You Hurting Your Health? Poor Eating Habits 

Dieting or restricting your food intake helps you to maintain a healthy weight and avoid health problems associated with obesity right? So, dieting is a positive activity? In response to these questions, research suggests that the constant cycle of dieting and then going back to unrestricted eating leads to increased weight gain. Plus, dieting can starve your body of essential nutrients–vitamins and minerals–needed to sustain good health, vitality and brain function.

Another poor eating habit that leads to hurting your health is binging where you eat healthy most of the time but gorge yourself on treats. For instance, let’s say you like chocolate. So, you buy yourself a box or a block of your favourite chocolate as a treat. When you get home instead of eating one piece, you eat the whole box or block.

Binge eating can lead to obesity and cause discomfort. It can also be linked to mental health disorders and a need to comfort yourself when you’re stressed or suffering from anxiety.

With that in mind, and under the care of your doctor, you may wish to swap from a dieting or binging mentality to one that encourages intuitive eating. Intuitive eating is based on the idea that our body will tell us both what types of foods it needs, and how much of those foods to eat, without imposing rules, or portions sizes from the outside. 

Of course, intuitive eating is a skill that many of us have to learn. This practice will take time and commitment to master.

Are You Hurting Your Health? Taking Prescription Medication Often

When you are sick, have an injury, or are struggling to control your life, your first port of call is usually the doctors. Firstly, your doctor can diagnose your condition and then they’ll offer you a treatment. Typically, your doctor prescribes a range of treatments–physical therapy, dietician and nutritional advice and medication.

Sometimes, the medications that you are prescribed can relieve the initial problem, but they don’t resolve it. Plus, medications can become a problem themselves when they’re taken for prolonged periods.. 

Some prescription medications that can become a problem are opioids and benzodiazepines, which includes the drug Xanax. Indeed, Xanax and other medications have proven to be addictive. Consequently, taking these medications can make it difficult for you to function. The good news is that there are options for Xanax addiction treatment which include therapy and even residential facilities. The latter provides a 24/7 supportive environment for those looking to maintain sobriety. 

Are You Hurting Your Health? Always Busy 

In today’s society, you wear busy as a badge of honor. After all, how can you possibly affirm your worth if you are not engaged in productive activities? However, just like many other things in life, its essential to be busy in moderation. Anything more than this can become both unproductive and harmful if it results in the disruption of balance in our lives. 

Being busy all the time is not only dangerous because it can lead to exhaustion and burnout, but also because it masks other problems. Indeed, when you are always busy you don’t have time to think about what’s not working in your life. You can also avoid your emotions and feelings that don’t sit well with you. This avoidance can lead to you operating on autopilot, which means you are never truly present. Over time, this behaviour can lead to unhappiness and feeling unfulfilled. 

Of course, the remedy to always being busy is to slow down. Although, you may find that doing this is often easier said than actually done. To overcome being too busy, you may need to establish a new practice that supports you while you make changes to your lifestyle.

Some practices that may be beneficial for you include:

• Being aware of the present moment.
• Practicing mindfulness.
• Deciding where you will direct your energy and time.
• Not continually spreading yourself too thin. 

Are You Hurting Your Health? Key Takeaways

Take the time to look critically and your health and habits. If you find that you’re not a healthy as you could be, then look to make positive changes one step at a time. You can do this by:

• Establish healthy eating habits.
• Reducing access to binge-worthy foods.
• Don’t turn to your doctor for help immediately.
• Try and resolve health problems yourself.
• Only use medication as a last resort.
• Make time for yourself.
• Control how busy you are by taking time out to meditate.

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