Nowadays, women are more health conscious. They make it a point to substitute alternative healthier ways wherever possible. They are smart and wise but yet they are human and we all know “To err is human”. Even smart women tend to make the following few mistakes when it comes to general health and wellness.
1. You always order a salad
This may look like a smart choice for health conscious people but the truth is that the salad you order is nothing but a burger spread out in a bowl. A salad with full-fat dressing and added fried chicken, croutons and other fancy things on the side is hardly a humble salad. This unnecessarily loaded salad also contains unnecessary calories, bad fat and sodium. So, if you thought ordering McDonald’s Bacon Ranch salad was a healthier choice than Big Mac burger, you must know that both of these contain just about the same number of calories.
2. You rock out while you work out
You all love your iPods and Mp3 players but you also must love your ears. There is a remarkable difference between music and noise. If the person seated next to you can hear your music, your volume is probably too high. 60 to 120 decibels is considered the normal range for an Mp3 player. Continuous exposure to anything above 85 decibels may result in hearing loss. In order to prevent permanent or long-term damage, remember to listen to your iPod at 10 to 50 percent of the full volume. It is indeed better to be safe than sorry.
3. You avoid the scale
Sadly, at most households, weight scale is the only thing that gathers most dust, perhaps only second to a treadmill. This can be considered as an avoidance behavior. The basic thought is “something you don’t see, doesn’t hurt”. If you do not monitor your weight fluctuations regularly, that defies the very purpose of weight management. There is no need to live in denial. Know about your own weight gain before others notice and tell you the same. If you weight yourself on a regular basis, it will only motivate you to lose weight or maintain weight loss.
4. You’re sloppy with sunscreen
You most definitely know that a good sunscreen is essential to prevent burns, early signs of aging and even skin cancer. But sadly, most do not use the right technique of applying a sunscreen. Putting sunscreen randomly at places or carelessly is a common mistake.
In order to apply it the right way, you must use an ample amount and focus on one area at a time. Make sure, you do not miss spots like feet, temples, back of the neck etc. Put the sunscreen directly over to the body surface and run gently with your fingertips instead of putting it on your palms and then applying to the body area. At least 1 ounce of sunscreen is required to cover the entire body.
5. You forget to floss
Flossing is especially important for women because the hormonal changes they go through during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause are known to cause oral bacteria that in turn lead to several gum diseases in women. It is ironical that most people do not put in even five minutes a day to floss and spend huge amounts each year for cosmetic procedures like bleaching, polishing etc to get that perfect pearly smile. Flossing should be an essential part of your daily routine, just like brushing your teeth.
6. You don’t lift weights
Women often avoid doing weights as they think that would make them look masculine. This is actually not true. Strength training is actually a great way to tone, tighten your muscles. Initially you may feel like you are putting on weight, but that is just because you are gaining muscle. Eventually this would increase your metabolism and lead to shedding all those extra pounds. Women in general do not have enough testosterone to bulk up from weights. The ideal way is neither to avoid weights altogether nor to overdo it. A couple of days of weight-training for half an hour along with cardiovascular exercises rest of the week is a good plan to begin with.
7. You ignore aches and pains
Women in general are so engulfed doing their multiple roles like that of being a good and caring daughter to her parents, devoted wife, nurturing mother, a professional that they often overlook their own state of health and fitness. Women grossly ignore symptoms like fatigue, muscle aches, body pains, morning sickness, indigestion etc and by the time they realize it is something serious, it is already too late. It is wiser that you act pro-actively and monitor your own health before you find yourself admitted in an emergency. Take good care of yourself and only then you would be able to take care of everyone around you.
8. You wear contacts all the time
You love your contact lenses way more than your glasses that make you look geeky. But there are times you should make an exception. When you are down with flu or some other sickness, it is always better to wear glasses. Certain medications especially anti-allergic antihistamine pills are known to have a dry effect on eyes which makes the contact wearer more prone to infections like conjunctivitis.
9. You don’t get enough sleep
Sleep deprivation is known to trigger heart diseases in women. Moreover, it leads to weight-related hormones imbalances that cause weight gain. Poor sleep is also linked with depression, anxiety, type 2 diabetes, chronic fatigue and increased chances of accidents. Working women especially are too busy handling their various job roles at home and office that they are often sleep deprived. This increases the stress level manifold and eventually takes a toll on their health. In order to cope better, you must follow a relaxing bed time routine. Hot tub bath, aromatherapy, self massages and limiting alcohol and caffeine consumption may prove helpful.
10. You assume home cooking is always healthier
You may think that cooking food at home is always healthier than takeout, but this largely depends on the menu, ingredients, medium of cooking, seasoning and portion size. If you are cooking white-flour pasta and adding sinful doses of cheese and sauces into it and eating the same unmindful of the portion size, it is definitely not healthier.
11. Your faucet’s always at the same temp
It is a common belief that warm or hot water is better for your health because it spends up the metabolism and helps to burn fat. This may not be true with water filters. 15 percent of lead exposure has been linked to consuming hot water from purifiers. Warm water is okay to wash your hands or clean your bathrooms to kill maximum germs but it is advisable to use cool water for drinking and cooking purposes.
12. Your friends have bad health habits
You are most likely to become like the company you keep and quite literally so. If you have over-weight friends, you yourself would become sluggish and your perception of acceptable body size and shape would change. Healthy, fit friends on the other hand will inspire you to be like them. This certainly does not mean you should not befriend plump people. It just means you should be careful of your lifestyle and rather inspire your over-weight friends to lose weight.
13. You drive with the windows down
Driving with the windows down may seem like a good way to get some fresh air but it also exposes your lung to innumerable air pollutants on a daily basis. It is rather advisable to keep your car windows shut while commuting on a busy road.
14. You don’t check your doc’s track record
Most people just go by the hospital’s popularity to believe that everything about the hospital must be good. They completely overlook checking the individual doctor’s track record. It always makes sense to do some research about the particular doctor if you are to go for surgery or some serious treatments that requires experience and proficiency.