With so much conflicting advice on health, fitness, and productivity, it’s no wonder people feel overwhelmed. If you’re questioning whether some of your “healthy” habits might actually be harmful, you’re not alone. In this article, we’ll explore habits you may think are beneficial but could actually be working against you.
Skipping Meals to Lose Weight
Cutting calories is the most effective way to lose weight. But this does not mean that regularly skipping meals is a good idea. In fact, this can slow down your metabolism and cause you to overeat later. Instead, it’s better to eat lower-calorie meals at regular intervals.
Relying Solely on Cardio for Fitness
Cardio plays an important role in fitness and overall health, but that’s not all there is to it. Strength training is also essential for building muscle mass and promoting metabolic and bone health. Too much cardio can also lead to joint strains and other issues.
Consuming Low-Fat or “Diet” Foods Regularly
Low-fat alternatives may seem healthy, but they can often be deceiving. Diet products often contain surprisingly high levels of sugars and artificial sweeteners, sometimes making them even worse for you than their regular-fat counterparts.
Brushing Teeth Immediately After Eating
It may seem sensical that brushing your teeth after eating could be beneficial for clearing away any remaining bits of food and preventing plaque build-up. However, brushing your teeth too soon after eating can actually be damaging to your tooth enamel, especially when you’ve been consuming acidic foods or drinks. For this reason, it’s recommended to wait a minimum of 30 minutes after eating to brush your teeth.
Drinking Excessive Amounts of Water
It’s a good thing that people these days are always preaching the importance of drinking enough water. However, too much water can lead to something called water intoxication. While most people are not at risk of this, in the worst cases, water intoxication can lead to seizures and even death.
Using Standing Desks All Day
Most of us definitely sit more than we should nowadays. Standing desks can be a good solution to this issue, improving your overall health and activity levels. However, standing for too long can also be an issue, leading to back, leg, and foot pain.
Taking Multivitamins as a Nutrient Substitute
Multivitamins can be healthy and useful to take in moderation. However, you should never use them as a substitute for whole foods or nutritious meals. It’s important to eat a balanced diet that gives you all the vitamins, minerals, and fiber you need. Taking too many vitamins can also come with negative side effects.
Over-Cleaning with Antibacterial Products
There’s nothing wrong with prioritizing hygiene and cleanliness. However, excessive cleaning with antibacterial products can build up antibiotic resistance and have a negative impact on healthy microbiomes. For this reason, it’s recommended to stick to soap and water as much as you can.
Constantly Seeking Comfort
Staying in your comfort zone is certainly comfortable. However, over time, this habit can prevent you from taking risks that could help you challenge yourself and grow personally and professionally. It’s important to strike a healthy balance between being kind to yourself and taking healthy steps outside of your comfort zone.
Prioritizing Work Over Sleep
Society often seems to praise people who prioritize work and productivity above all else, even if that means cutting into your valuable sleep time. However, according to the NIH, this habit can come with many negative health impacts, such as decreased focus, issues with social functioning, reduced cognitive performance, and other health issues.
Ignoring Rest Days in Fitness Routines
Reputable fitness programs include rest days for a good reason. Pushing yourself through pain and tiredness can lead to injury, fatigue, and decreased overall performance. It’s important to listen to your body and ensure you’re giving yourself enough time for rest and recovery in between exercise sessions.
Daily Intense HIIT Workouts
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts can be highly effective in giving you cardiovascular benefits while also helping you build muscle and improve bone strength. However, doing HIIT exercises every day can easily increase your risk of injury and overtraining syndrome.
Automatically Choosing Organic Foods
While foods labeled as organic often are healthier than alternatives, this is not always the case. It’s important to take all factors into account when choosing which products to buy, and some organic products do not contain lower pesticide levels or higher nutritional content.
Eliminating All Fats from Your Diet
While you may think that low- or no-fat diets can be a healthy way to lose weight, it’s important to remember that healthy fats play an essential role in brain health, hormone production, and nutrient absorption. As such, completely eliminating fat from your diet can lead to various health issues and deficiencies.
Believing More Protein is Always Better
From the way that protein is often marketed, you may believe that you can never get enough of this muscle-building nutrient. However, excessive protein consumption can actually lead to kidney issues and dehydration.
Obsessively Counting Calories
When attempting to lose weight, tracking your calories can be a good way to ensure you’re expending more energy than you’re taking in through food. However, this habit can be taken to an unhealthy extreme, causing you to become anxious and obsessive about your calorie intake. According to Selah House, in the worst cases, this can contribute to the formation of eating disorders.
Never Allowing Yourself to Indulge
It’s good to try to be as healthy and disciplined as possible in your eating habits. However, never allowing yourself to indulge in fast food or sweet treats can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food and possibly the formation of eating disorders.
