EVERYDAY HABITS THAT CAN AFFECT OUR HEALTH – PART 1

DR TARIQ JAGNARINE

Long ago, most people earned their living doing physical labour. Some of the labour was backbreaking, but there is no denying the populations of old were much fitter than modern people. Persons with crazy schedules may find they do not have enough time or energy to go to the gym, parks or sports grounds, neither did the people of centuries past; they incorporated their exercise indirectly into their daily routine.

We can do the same, by making tiny changes to our day. For example:
* Those with a desk job can try to get up and walk around for five minutes every hour. This helps to get the blood flowing, which would in turn flex the walls of your arteries, which is good for the heart.
* Also, avoid sitting at the desk for lunch. Try a change of scenery and eat lunch outside. This helps persons to concentrate better and work faster when they get back to their desk.
* When running errands that are short distances away, walk; unless there is a need to carry heavy loads.
* Take up a fun activity like dancing, swimming, or martial arts classes; it will add some variety to life while keeping you fit at the same time.
These tiny changes make a lot of difference in the end.
There are things done on a daily basis that secretly ruin our health. Our bodies are a work in progress, and if we want to live healthier and happier lives, there is a need to do more than just adopt a few good habits. Besides practising physical activities regularly and removing junk foods from our menus, more attention needs to be focused on some of our bad habits and minor mistakes that can ruin our health. Here is a list of some bad habits that can affect our health.

1. POOR POSTURE
Even a perfect body can look slouchy when posture is bad. A poor back posture can accentuate the spinal curvature, causing spine deformities. An altered spine structure affects the body’s stability and balance, reduces the back’s flexibility, and increases the risk of muscle imbalances.

2. POOR POSITION OF THE HAND WHILE WORKING ON THE COMPUTER
While we are well aware that spending too much time in front of the computer is not healthy for our eyes, we tend to neglect the other harmful effects. Pain and numbness of hands and fingers is a common symptom among people working on the computer for long hours. This increases the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. This syndrome manifests through numbness, tingling, and pain in the hand – a sensation of discomfort that travels up the arm towards the shoulder, and an electric shock-like feeling in the fingers. Although these manifestations are not threatening, they can affect one’s precision when performing delicate motions, such as writing, buttoning the shirt, or holding the phone.

3. EXCESSIVE SNACKING ON JUNK
Losing touch with our body’s natural hunger and satisfaction signals can lead to chronic overeating and unhealthy extra weight, which can lead to diabetes, heart disease and other serious conditions, especially during this coronavirus crisis. Snacking on too much junk food can result in flooding the body with unhealthy ingredients and excess calories. By paying attention to one’s hunger signals and switching to healthy snacks, one can boost nutrition, control cravings, lose weight, and avoid energy slumps.

4. STRESS
An unhappy lifestyle releases stress hormones that increase our blood pressure and blood sugar levels, lower immunity, slow digestion, and make us overweight. Modern life can lead to chronic stress and to far-reaching impacts on health, such as sleep problems, change in sex drive, irritability, and anger. Recognising the symptoms of stress can help in taking steps to manage our stress levels and reduce our health risks. Explore stress management strategies such as regular physical activity; relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, mindfulness sessions; cultivate a great sense of humour; socialise with family and friends; and set aside time for hobbies such as reading a book or listening to music.

5. DRINKING TOO MUCH ALCOHOL
Alcohol consumption causes physical and emotional changes that can cause great harm to our bodies. The long-term effects of alcohol abuse are many, and they put your health in serious jeopardy and endanger your life. Alcohol consumption can cause major health problems, including cirrhosis of the liver, and injuries sustained in automobile accidents. Besides this, excessive alcohol consumption is also linked to heart disease, depression, gout, cancer, and nerve damage.

6. SMOKING
Smoking causes 30 percent of heart disease deaths, 30 percent of cancer deaths, and a massive 80 to 90 percent of all lung cancers; while increasing the risk of developing mouth, throat, and bladder cancers. Once the habit is abandoned, the health benefits are almost immediate, because the lungs and cardiovascular system begin repairing themselves within minutes of the last cigarette being used. Within a month, the lungs would work better, with less coughing and an improved feeling of being energetic, and there would be less shortness of breath. Giving up smoking significantly reduces the threat of cancer or heart disease, improves one’s sense of taste and smell, and gives better endurance and longevity.

7. OVERUSING PAIN KILLERS AND SEDATIVES
When painkillers and sedatives are not taken properly, long-term habitual use can cause more problems than those solved. Using drugs like ibuprofen or aspirin for arthritis or muscle pain can, over time, increase the risk of getting ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding, high blood pressure and heart attacks. Calming drugs and sleeping pills can leave persons feeling confused and prone to stumbling and falling if taken at higher-than-prescribed doses. Since such medications make persons feel good, persons are stimulated to keep on taking them, and they eventually become addicted to them. Therefore, only medications prescribed by physicians should be taken, and persons should avoid self-medicating.

10. NOT DRINKING ENOUGH WATER
If we constantly keep our bodies in a state of dehydration by not drinking enough water, it can have a major impact on our overall health. Not only does this cause fatigue, dry skin, irritation, and affect our ability to focus and our productivity, but the lack of water can also alter the functioning of kidneys, and lead to an impaired immune function due to the accumulation of toxins.

11. NAIL-BITING
A nervous tic that many people have is biting nails. Biting fingernails does not just convey a sense of anxiety and insecurity, but it is gross. Many germs are underneath the fingertips, whether it is salmonella, E. coli, or even the common cold. The fingertips touch many different surfaces every day, welcoming all those microbes into our mouths can lead to gastrointestinal problems or sickness.

12. WARMING UP WITH A JOG
Going on a brisk jog is the classic way to get a workout started, but fitness experts generally agree it is an ineffective way to get the muscles in motion. It is recommended that dynamic stretches be done instead. Most times, persons can spend too much time on warmup jogs, taking away from their actual workout. Although jogging is not bad for our health, one can have a more productive and less injury-prone workout by warming up the muscles and establishing a range of motion first with dynamic stretches.

13. HOLDING IN
GAS- FLATULENCE
It is not us; blame society for this one. Holding in our farts for long periods is definitely bad. Research has shown that holding them back can cause severe bloating and stomach discomfort. So, let ‘them rip! Or, if you are at work, release the fart and try to keep it quiet while, of course, staying as far away as possible from the airspace of other persons.

14. EATING TOO MUCH PROTEIN
Overdosing on protein can lead to dehydration and urinary loss of calcium, and it is also bad for the kidneys. In addition, of course, persons can gain weight from it, since the body can use only so much.

14. CONSUMING TOO MUCH CAFFEINE
Many persons rely on a caffeine jolt to help them through each day. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends no more than 300 milligrams of caffeine a day, and although the FDA claims that the average daily intake is 200mg, that means there are still plenty of people out there exceeding their recommended dosage. It can cause elevation of the blood pressure, and increase anxiety and stress during the day. Over time, it can boost the risk of heart disease, if done in excess.

15. WATCHING TV RIGHT BEFORE BED
Falling asleep to late-night shows is a modern tradition especially seen in younger persons, but it is best to shut the TV off before dozing off. The artificial bright lights in the TV stimulate the brain, and can disrupt our melatonin levels which are needed for sleep. Also, shows that are disturbing can cause nightmares, which can wake persons up in the middle of the night, resulting in further fatigue and insomnia.
It is recommended that news and horror movies be avoided in the moments before getting some shut-eye.

16EXERCISING RIGHT BEFORE BED
TV overstimulates the brain for proper sleep; so naturally, pushing our body to the limit late at night also makes sleep tough to accomplish. For those with crazy work schedules, it may be tough to avoid; but for others, it is important to bring the body down quickly from getting the heart rate up and muscles fully engaged, to have a well-rested night.

17. EATING JUST BEFORE EXERCISE
Especially pertinent for runners and persons who do a lot of quick movement in their workouts, eating big meals up to an hour before a workout can cause discomfort, while preventing persons from pushing themselves as hard as possible. Recommendations encourage us to avoid high-fibre and high-fat foods, that take time to digest and could lead to cramps and sluggishness. Use foods that are small and easier to digest, like a piece of fruit, or nuts.

18. SITTING TOO MUCH
Recent studies have linked frequent sitting to increased risk of heart disease, worse mental health, and other issues, even for those who get regular exercise. They say sitting is the new smoking. Standing burns over 20 extra calories per hour compared to sitting. So, getting up and moving around is important. It is a little hard to change our work lifestyle, but try to move around the office whenever possible, and maybe take a walk after a workout.
These are probably some things persons do all the time, and they have the potential to do some harm; maybe contribute to sickness or injury in the short-term, or more serious concerns in the end. However, avoid living life in fear of taking a step out of line, as most of these things will not make or break a healthy lifestyle. Instead, just think of these as simple tips to improve everyday life. A healthier life can give us more time to be enjoyed with our loved ones.