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17 Awesome Tips To Fix Bad Habits That Mess Up Your Health

Health

17 Awesome Tips To Fix Bad Habits That Mess Up Your Health

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Have you been snacking a lot more because you just quit smoking or drinking too much caffeine to slow down your overeating? It’s funny that when you’re trying to kick those bad habits, you end up starting another one. Whether it’s about quitting smoking, stopping late night snacking or trying to eat better, getting rid of your bad habits is a difficult and emotional process.

Are you really serious about health and fitness? Want to kick those bad habits away without failing? If your head kept nodding a big yes to both the questions then the good news is that it’s possible to get rid of those bad habits that die hard. To help you succeed, we bring you the 17 awesome tips to identify, plan and kick bad habits away for a healthier and happier lifestyle.

Contents

UNEARTH HIDDEN DIET HORRORS

Write down everything you eat for three days. Do you add a lot of butter, sauces or salad dressings? Rather than eliminating these foods, cut back your portions.

JUMP FOR BETTER JOINTS

Get into the high-impact habit. Studies have shown that to keep muscles and bones strong, resistance training that involves impact, such as running, walking, skipping rope and weight training, can be more beneficial than smooth, slow movements like swimming and cycling.

FENG SHUI YOUR BAD HABITS AWAY

According to feng shui practitioners, bad habits could be due to problems in the bedroom health area. Draw a plan of your room with the main structure at the bottom and divide it into nine roughly equal squares. Your health area is the middle square on the left. Make sure it is clutter free or fill it with round-leaved plants.

GIVE IT IN TO CHOCOLATE

Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, can boost your mood by increasing levels of amino acid L-tryptophan,which encourages feel good serotonin to be released[1], so don’t feel guilty about tucking in.

WRITE IT DOWN

Size up your bad habits by listing all the pros and cons. Having a clear list of good and bad things to compare makes it far easier to measure up the benefits of giving up a bad habit. Look at the list every time you feel your motivation slipping.

STOP LATE NIGHT SNACKING

Eating a big meal at night, or snacking through the evening, impairs sleep quality by sending your body mixed messages and giving it heavy work to do, making it more difficult for you to sleep. Instead, eat earlier in the evening.

DO IT TODAY

Procrastinating – putting everything off until tomorrow – not only reduces your efficiency but also causes stress. The longer you hold “to do” lists in your head, the more stressful they become. Vow to do one chore every day.

DON’T RE PICKY

Rather than eliminating the problem, picking spots can introduce dirt and bacteria onto the skin surface, increasing chances of infection, not to mention the effects of redness and scarring. So, for healthier skin, don’t pick – cover up blemishes instead.

CULL YOUR CRAVINGS CULPRITS

Foods you crave and eat the most may be causing a lot of your health problems, say researchers who are worried about people becoming dependent on sugar highs from snack foods[2]. Chief culprits are pastry, cakes, biscuits (cookies) and doughnuts.

WALK OFF THE WEIGHT

If you’re a couch potato and don’t spend much time outside, make yourself walk in the fresh air for at least ten minutes a day. It will it boost your metabolism and help stretch out muscles, the natural light will raise vitamin D levels.

CUT CAFFEINE TO STOP STRESS

Coffee drinkers can have up to a third more stress hormones circulating in their system than non-coffee drinkers, making them more prone to stress. Aim for no more three cups a day, swapping the rest for water or herbal teas.

SET AN ALARM TO CRACK THE CRAVING

If you get a craving for a bad habit – like smoking or filling up on cakes or ice cream – set a timer for five minutes, then see if you still have the craving when it goes off. Experts believe that this time lapse can cure cravings.

TAKE A BREAK AT WORK

Far from being efficient, workaholics who don’t take breaks during the day are up to a quarter less efficient than those with healthier working practices. Working through breaks is a false economy, so make yourself have at least three breaks when you don’t think about work at all.

KEEP HUNGER IN THE CAN

Downing a carbonated drink at breakfast is likely to make you more hungry at lunchtime, even if it is one of the sugar free varieties. Don’t start your day with the fizz.

EAT EARLY TO STAY SLIM

Recent research studies have shown that people who regularly eat breakfast consume more vitamins and minerals throughout the day, than those who skip breakfast, and they are also less likely to be overweight.

BE A HUNGER MONGER

Instead of scoffing food whenever you get the opportunity, think about eating moderately and according to your natural appetite instead. To do this, rate your hunger on a scale from one (absolutely starving’) to ten (completely stuffed). Then, only start eating at two or three and finish at seven.

SWITCH SWEETS FOR FRUIT

If you find yourself munching on high-sugar, high-calorie sweets and snacks for a treat, try switching to chopped fruit or no-sugar yogurt instead. Both of these are sweet, but healthy and natural alternatives.

We really hope that you find these tips useful. Getting super fit is easier than you thought. Don’t believe us? Then just check out the 29 Smart Eating Habits Of The Super Fit People.

References:

[1] Simon N. Young. How to increase serotonin in the human brain without drugs. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2007 November; 32(6): 394–399. PMCID: PMC2077351.

[2] Nicole M. Avena, Pedro Rada, and Bartley G. Hoebel. Sugar and Fat Bingeing Have Notable Differences in Addictive-like Behavior. J Nutr. 2009 March; 139(3): 623–628.doi: 10.3945/jn.108.097584. PMCID: PMC2714381.

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