10 Supposedly Healthy Habits That Hurt You

If you want to be healthy, there's a lot of information out there. Some of it's good, some of it's not so good. You probably heard many of these healthy habits we have listed below, hearing how mommy bloggers and unnamed authorities extol their virtues.

But are they as good as they claim? Let's take a look.

Forcing Sleep

Most people don't get enough sleep, and by the sales of melatonin and prescription sleep aids, it's only getting worse.

But, do you need to force yourself to sleep?

There's no doubt that getting enough sleep is necessary for our health. Most illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, depression, and anxiety, have a lack of sleep as one of the causes.

But, if you're finding yourself taking sleep medications every night, other issues are going on you should look at.

Sleep medications and the dependency that surrounds them can cause other health problems. Hormonal disruption and adrenal fatigue top the list, but long-term use can also affect your mood, sexual health, and heart health.

In the short-term, these supplements and medications can help you. But, if you're finding you need them more than a couple of weeks, you should look into other causes of your sleep issues.

Using 'Alternative' Or 'Impossible' Food Substitutes

healthy habitsSo many studies came out in the past couple of years about how bad eating meat is for people. They're used to promote alternative meats from soy, beans, and other supposedly healthy sources (so, you can guess who paid to say meat was bad).

But have you actually looked at what's in these impossible meats? Some of them contain dozens of ingredients, loads of chemical flavorings and coloring, and a whole list of other chemicals used to mimic the right texture. That doesn't even include the bleaching and deodorant chemicals used during the processing the hide the rancid smell.

And none of these have the same nutrition as real meat. Nor do they have the same quality of protein, vitamins, or minerals.

Veganism

In the short-term, veganism and the vegetarian lifestyle does help reduce just about every health problem known to man. But what does it do in the long term?

Most people who follow the vegan or vegetarian lifestyle require consistent supplementation because the diet does not contain enough vitamins, minerals, or protein to sustain life and health. Additionally, most give up the lifestyle after 2 to 5 years because they crave real meat.

And that doesn't even include the studies that show the vegan lifestyle is detrimental to a person's health in the long-term.

A healthy diet does consist mostly of fruits and vegetables, but there is room to include quality cuts of whole meat to fill in the nutrient gap.

Sports Drinks & Healthy Water

The marketing says they're better than water, but is that true?

Not really. Your body will absorb the liquid the same way if you drink plain water or special water. What you're getting with all the special waters is chemicals, flavorings, salts, and other stuff your body doesn't need.

This goes for the drops that you add into your water, they're just chemical flavors. If you really want flavored water, add lemon juice, fresh mint, berry, or other fruit that will provide nutrients rather than chemicals.

Avoiding Saturated Fats

Saturated fat causes heart disease, right? Not really. Turns out, it's the sheer quantity that causes problems, plus the prevalence of processed foods, chemicals, and a lack of exercise.

You do need some saturated fats in your diet, as these fats directly create your hormones. If you avoid saturated fats, you're hurting your body's ability to produce your hormones.

Frequent Detox

An occasional detox is good, but if you're continuously inundating your body with herbs, chemicals, or diets that supposedly detox you, you're pushing your body way too hard.

If you focus on your diet that's rich in fruits and vegetables, a quality detox every six months to a year is all you need.

Dairy For Calcium & Vitamin D

That's what we grew up with, but that's not what actually happened. The homogenization and pasteurization of milk destroy the natural vitamin D, which means it needs to be chemically added back in. And, because of all the free-floating sugars and lack of fat in the milk, the necessary co-nutrients needed to absorb the vitamin D and calcium are missing. Most passes right through your system untouched.

A cup of broccoli, spinach, seaweed, or any other leafy green has more calcium than the same amount of milk and is much more nutritious. This goes double for cheese and yogurt.

Natural Sugar Is Better For You

If you're having blood sugar problems, sugar is sugar. That also includes the sugars derived from processed foods, wheat, bread, pasta, and drinks.

Even if you don't have blood sugar problems, natural sugars are still not the miracle they claimed. They provide a few more nutrients than plain white sugar and are significantly better than artificial sugars, but they're not a miracle. Don't waste your money on special sugars, just cut back on them altogether.

A Multivitamin Will Keep You Healthy

This goes back to the magic bullet theory that a single pill will solve all your problems. But, most multivitamins use the cheapest ingredients and pay no attention to what the body actually needs toabsorb nutrients.

For example, calcium and magnesium compete for absorption and calcium wins. Without a good amount of fat, vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin E don't get absorbed at all. The iron interferes with zinc absorption, and if you take your multivitamin with coffee or tea, the tannins in your drink will bind the iron, making it unavailable.

You should talk to your doctor to get a nutrient profile test to know exactly what your body needs and supplement them individually.

Yogurt Is The Way To Solve Digestive Problems

healthy habitsYogurt is great for the probiotics and nutrition. But, most of the yogurt you find in the grocery store has the same problem as other dairy – it's loaded with sugar or artificial chemicals. If you choose yogurt with artificial sugar or artificial flavors, those chemicals destroy the probiotics. That means the whole reason you're eating yogurt is dead.

 

If you've been doing some of these myths, don't worry. Focusing on a diet that's simpler, filled with fruits and vegetables, and stems from all-natural sources that can take care of many of these for you. Striving to be healthy is a good thing, and we hope to help you achieve that goal.