The 5 Lifestyle Choices You’re Making that You Probably Didn’t Think About
Every day, we make a set of lifestyle choices that we believe will make us healthier, happier, wealthier and more successful.
We forget about the life-threatening consequences that come with these choices. This article looks at 5 instances where people made changes to their lifestyle focusing on what they were doing right but didn’t take into account the single factor which led to huge problems.
Lifestyle Choice #1: Eating Processed Foods that Little Too Often
Unhealthy foods, including “saccharine foods”, can be high in calories, high in fat and commonly low on vitamins.
This type of food is often consumed together with fast food which has a strong taste and requires no preparation time. Even though many of us feel guilty about eating junk food it can be difficult to put these good intentions into practice, especially when it comes to our children who seem to enjoy these types of meals. Our children will ask for junk food because they want to eat like the other kids or because they crave the salty-sweet taste or even because they just need some comfort at that moment in their lives.
Processed foods contain additives, preservatives and dyes for which there are no nutritional benefits. In addition to these additives in processed food, there are chemical compounds that can harm your body. These compounds aren’t regarded as harmful to the healthy human body but they may be cancerous agents when consumed in large quantities (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/can-food-choices-influence-cancer-risk).
Processed foods provide little or no complete nutrition, rich in salt, sugar and empty calories (sugars). They increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Evidence suggests that eating a diet high in processed foods can also contribute to diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, dementia and cancer and even mental illness. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6146358/).
Our ability to taste the food is one of the most important parts of our life. Most people believe that junk food tastes good but they don’t understand that they are actually consuming harmful chemicals.
Eating processed foods can be expensive as well as unhealthy. In addition, doing regular exercise becomes almost impossible when we are eating unhealthy food because our mindset changes. Thus the real question should be whether we can afford to eat this kind of food in terms of how much it stresses our organism and our physical activity. And if the answer is yes then we must take into account that in the long run, our body will have a high cost if we continue eating this type of unhealthy food.
Research shows that we need a healthy diet in order to live longer and avoid diseases (https://www.caremountmedical.com/news/how-healthy-eating-prevents-disease/).
Processed foods can be replaced with home-cooked meals that are made from fresh ingredients. This doesn’t mean that you should give up eating out but rather, you should control what you are eating.
Any type of food can be bad for your health if it is consumed in excess. Thus being able to make the right choice is the key to a healthier lifestyle.
WHAT I DO: I eat well during the week and let myself “off the hook” on Saturday evenings when I cook a pizza or have popcorn and a soda drink. I watch one or two movies and I feel great because I’ve really enjoyed myself. Then, back to my normal eating from Sunday.
Lifestyle Choice #2: Having a Sedentary Job You Think You’re Trapped In
Scientists have discovered that one of the biggest health risks is of being stationary for long periods of time.(https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/physical-activity.htm).
We know that a sedentary lifestyle can easily lead to obesity, heart disease and diabetes, just to name a few. A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine revealed “more time spent in sedentary behaviors is associated with increased mortality risks” which found that higher amounts of daily sedentary time are log-linearly associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality in adults. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5998593/).
Here’s a quote from the Better Health Channel:
“Physical inactivity contributes to over three million preventable deaths worldwide each year (that’s six per cent of all deaths). It is the fourth leading cause of death due to non-communicable diseases. It’s also the cause of 21–25 per cent of breast and colon cancers, 27 per cent of diabetes cases, and around 30 per cent of ischaemic heart disease. In fact, physical inactivity is the second highest cause of cancer in Australia, behind tobacco smoking.”
WHAT I DO: I moved to a place where I grow my own vegetables. This means I have to move a lot, around the allotment and land in order to keep everything organised and grow my veg. This keeps me active and fit.
Lifestyle Choice #3: Eating an Amount of Meat You Think is Healthy
The average American eats around 274 pounds of meat per year on average. Meat is a great source of proteins and can strengthen your immune system but it also has saturated fat. (https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/saturated-fats).
The American Heart Association recommends limiting lean meat to 6 ounces total a day.
The average person who eats meat will also usually consume more than 2,000 calories per day. This is a lot for a person who doesn’t move regularly. People with sedentary lifestyles tend to be overweight which can cause many chronic health conditions.
Even though we’ve known that red meats and processed meats are harmful to our health we still seem to underestimate this information. Examples of processed meat include hot dogs, ham, sausages, corned beef and canned meat. (https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/cancer-carcinogenicity-of-the-consumption-of-red-meat-and-processed-meat)
WHAT I DO: I eat a lot of vegetables. I eat meat and fish-free diet, no dairy but I do eat eggs. I grow my own vegetables and cook almost daily. Removing meat from my diet also removed guilt by the way.
Lifestyle Choice #4: Sleeping Too Little or Too Much
If we are not sleeping enough, then we will not be able to have the necessary energy required for our mind and body. In addition, if we have a poor diet then the lack of sleep will also lead us to have an unhealthy body.
According to Healthline, a study has found a link between poor sleep, unhealthy diet, and overeating in women (https://www.healthline.com/health-news/why-poor-sleep-may-increase-heart-risk-in-women). If you’re not getting enough sleep, your body has a hard time fighting off disease, and you’re more prone to gaining weight.
According to the National Sleep Foundation sleep is very important for the good health and well being of an individual. (https://brainly.in/question/15892594). They advise that healthy adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night.
Exercising, even for just a short time, can help you catch up on your sleep.
WHAT I DO: I’m not as good in this aspect. I tend to go to bed late. I have periods of time when I do go to bed earlier. It’s still a battle but I’ll get there!
Lifestyle Choice #5: Drinking Alcohol Because It Can Be Healthy in Moderation
According to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, about 16% of adults binge drink and 6% report heavy drinking. Nearly all adults who drink heavily also binge drink. (https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/data-stats.htm).
Alcohol consumption can lead to a number of health problems such as cancer, liver diseases, heart attack, stroke and also cause unintended injuries.
Some recent studies have shown that levels above the moderate drinking guidelines significantly increase the risk of short-term harms, such as injuries, as well as the risk of long-term chronic health problems, such as some types of cancer. (https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/moderate-drinking.htm)
Although both above moderate and heavy drinking is harmful to health, excess drinking is well known to lead to a life that can be shortened. It is estimated that alcohol abuse accounts for more than 95,000 deaths in the United States each year, or 261 deaths per day. (https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/features/excessive-alcohol-deaths.html)
Excessive alcohol use takes a toll on the liver and can lead to fatty liver disease (steatosis), hepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Excessive alcohol use can cause cancers of the mouth and throat, larynx (voice box), oesophagus, colon and rectum, liver, and breast (in women) (https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/alcohol.htm).
In addition, having more than 2 drinks a day was associated with an increased risk of alcoholic liver disease. (https://www.addictioncenter.com/alcohol/liver/) Also, it was found that drinkers in middle-aged women, cirrhosis incidence increases with total alcohol intake, even at moderate levels of consumption. (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(18)30230-5/fulltext).
As you can see, alcohol is not healthy. Even in moderation it can lead to many health problems and shorten your life.
WHAT I DO: I don’t drink alcohol. Full stop.
Conclusion, Suggestions and Next Steps
Although this list isn’t complete yet, it can be a great start for you to know what you have to do in order to live a healthier lifestyle.
You have to be aware of any lifestyle choice that is considered risky and have the willpower to change them.
The most important thing here is to share your knowledge with others and change your lifestyle habits.
