As We Think
You definitely have a number of unhealthy lifestyle habits. Isn’t it?
Then and now everyone has told you the negative effects of these, so much so that you’re compelled to leave them owing to the guilty thoughts you’ve developed.
But we see more studies on these in the recent times, only to find out these so-called bad habits aren’t as bad as we think.
Things like coffee, hard drinks, chewing gum etc. which we thought were harmful, have turned out rather beneficial as some studies have found out.
5 Lifestyle Habits That Aren’t As Bad
Here are 5 of these seemingly lifestyle habits that aren’t as bad –
1Drinking Coffee
After hearing about the caffeine’s dangerous effects on health like insomnia, indigestion, headaches and its deteriorating effects on hypertension patients, no wonder you’ve got every reason to avoid it.
But in contrast to the risk of coronary diseases, it’s actually good for your heart. People who consume coffee have an 11% lower risk of heart failure as compared to those who don’t.
It’s also believed to lower the risk of some other diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and type-2 diabetes.
If you’ve been working out, coffee is good too. It is known to reduce muscle pain abstract by 48% and also helps in burning fat.
So brew a cup of coffee and gladly have it but make sure you don’t consume more than 4 cups a day. That’s when the negative effects start creeping in.
2Late-night snacking
Eating at late nights is known to contribute to weight gain and grave problems like obesity in the long run.
But what if you come to know that it’s a myth?
Emotional eating when you are not hungry will most certainly cause weight gain over a period. But when you are hungry, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have a meal, irrespective of what the clock says.
To find out whether it’s just your emotional craving for food or you’re actually hungry, you may try “The Carrot test”.
Ask yourself, “If I had some carrots and hummus right now, would that satisfy this feeling?” If the answer is yes, your late-night craving is probably real hunger and you should have a snack.
It’s suggested that you must go for superfoods to satisfy your late night cravings. Not only these are healthy but keeps you guilt-free satisfied too.
3Eating Chocolate
We mostly relate chocolate with a food high on sugar and calories but that’s insufficient to pass a fair judgement.
Chocolate is a rich source of Magnesium and other minerals. Especially dark chocolate, which has 70% or more cocoa is extremely healthy. The identification is made through the tinge of bitterness in chocolate. The bitter, the darker. The darker, the healthier.
To count its benefits, it’s really good for the skin. It’s full of antioxidants which helps in keeping the skin radiant, soft and supple for long. It also protects the skin from UV damage.
Chocolate is good for hairs too since it treats scalp infections, increases hair volume and prevents hair loss.
The antioxidants in chocolate also prevent heart diseases and aging. It even balances blood sugar levels and cholesterol, studies say.
So don’t be guilty the next time you unwrap a bar.
4Chewing Gum
Too much of chewing gum can cause a migraine in adolescents. But at a moderate level, it is rather beneficial.
Studies have shown that having a chewing gum after lunch decreases food cravings later in the day. Not only this, it also reduces cravings for nicotine and caffeine, enabling you to quit smoking and other addictions.
Chewing gum for 20 minutes after meals reduces cavities, plaque, and gingivitis, as well as promotes tooth enamel.
It stimulates the flow of saliva in the mouth, which, in turn, promotes easier swallowing and activates the digestive processes, including the flow of bile and other helpful acids and enzymes that digest food.
So there’s no reason why you should quit chewing gum. At least, not until a contrary study comes to fore.
5Procrastinating things
8 of 10 people are recognized as regular procrastinators, a fact which isn’t encouraging. But did you know procrastinating or delaying actions and things isn’t always bad?
People feel it is one of the major reasons that hampers output at work. Rather, there are other factors that hamper productivity and contribute more.
Though experts have classified Procrastination into different categories but I’ll keep it more simple. You might be delaying things purposely, yet you feel good about it. And that’s the trick. How about taking on with a task without the zest and interest to do it?
End of the day, what matters is happiness, which has a direct impact on our health and wellbeing.
Word of Caution
Most of the lifestyle habits that I listed above are not so harmful in itself. Limitless consumption and uneven patterns make these unhealthy.
Even the excess of good is bad. Correct?
That’s when our good lifestlye habits are labeled as bad. Tell me if it doesn’t make a point!
Author Bio
Jenny Travens is a creative blog writer who has many passions and interests. Health and wellness is one area where she likes to contribute as much as she can.
