To lead a long, happy life, taking care of your health is essential. However, determining what’s good for you can be challenging as study findings are often conflicting and doctors offer varying advice.
Many people seek a second opinion for major medical decisions. Are your routine habits harming rather than helping your health? Here are 7 “healthy” habits that may not be so healthy.
“Regular exercise is crucial for good health, but overdoing it can lead to injury,” warns Dr. Laura Purdy, a board-certified family physician. Exercise offers numerous benefits like boosting heart health, maintaining healthy weight, enhancing mood, and increasing energy, as per Mayo Clinic.
But too much exercise can cause issues like tendinitis, muscle strains, stress fractures, and exhaustion. It’s vital to exercise moderately and only with a doctor’s clearance.
The Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours of sleep for adults for optimal health. Making up for lost sleep on weekends by sleeping more is not effective and may harm your health, a 2017 study found. A consistent sleep schedule is best, go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, as this helps your brain, body, systems, and hormones to function properly.
Irregular sleep schedules, like sleeping in on weekends, can harm sleep hygiene and prevent you from getting adequate rest. Sleeping more may be necessary if you have a tough week, are sick, or traveling, but should not be a regular habit.
A cup of chamomile tea before bed
Drinking a warm cup of herbal tea before bed may not always lead to a good night’s sleep. Ensure the tea is caffeine-free as not all “herbal” teas are. Some herbs, like ginseng, ginko, and guarana, can have energizing effects, so it’s best to steer clear of them if you want to wind down before bed.
Relaxing With A Glass of Red
“Drinking red wine for relaxation may not have the heart health benefits previously claimed, according to a Nov. 2022 study published in JAMA Network Open. The study found that any alcohol consumption is harmful to health.
Tim Naimi, MD, MPH warns that risk starts to rise even at low levels, well below what one may consider as problem drinking. Lead author Marissa Esser, PhD warns of risks even within federal safe alcohol consumption guidelines, particularly for certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases.”
Laying in the sun
“Avoid getting a tan! Always wear sunscreen on exposed skin, and opt for sunless tanning products if a tan is desired,” says Purdy. Sun exposure may boost vitamin D but also causes skin aging and increases skin cancer risk. No amount of UVA and UVB exposure can be recommended. Vitamin D can be obtained from food or dietary supplements, but sun or tanning bed exposure is not recommended for skin tanning.
Making sugar ex-communicado
Evidence shows that refined sugars, common in processed foods and sweets, are harmful to our health and linked to obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease (Healthline). However, moderation is key and a study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (May 2014) found no increased risk of death from added sugar consumption over a 10-year period for over 350,000 adults.
The AHA advises limiting added sugars to 6% of daily calories (100 calories/6 teaspoons for women, 150 calories/9 teaspoons for men).
Kombucha Or Bust
Limit sugar intake for better health, but beware of hidden sugar in kombucha. Despite its gut health claims, kombucha contains 20-24g sugar/bottle, a leading source of added sugars in US diets per CDC. Overconsumption of sugar-sweetened drinks linked to weight gain, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, non-alcoholic liver disease, cavities, and gout.