"Most people don't have that willingness to break bad habits. They have a lot of
excuses and they talk like victims."
TOP TEN BAD HABITS
I have no intention of going on a rant about the bad habits that we ALL have however some things just have to be said and put into the open. It's important to know what's bad for you just as much as what's good for you. We cannot afford to ignore the perils and pitfalls of bad habits if our goal is optimal health and happiness. There are many foods and other habits that many of us take for granted as being healthy and not fattening ... except they are ! Again, the list is long so I've cut it down to the top 10 BAD HABITS .
I have no intention of going on a rant about the bad habits that we ALL have however some things just have to be said and put into the open. It's important to know what's bad for you just as much as what's good for you. We cannot afford to ignore the perils and pitfalls of bad habits if our goal is optimal health and happiness. There are many foods and other habits that many of us take for granted as being healthy and not fattening ... except they are ! Again, the list is long so I've cut it down to the top 10 BAD HABITS .
1 ALCOHOL - (I can see my audience switching off as I write but please stay with me). I am not saying you can't have the odd glass of wine because obviously you can. I'm also aware of some nutrients in red wine however alcohol contains 7 calories per gram, nearly DOUBLE that of carbs and protein. When you drink it, all other metabolic processes are put on hold until it is metabolised. This means fat burning stops, performance gains from training are erased and recovery delayed. It also depresses growth hormone production, it causes oxidative stress and chronic drinking leads to acute liver damage and fat gain. I could go on and on. Studies have shown that middle aged men and women are now quietly over consuming in staggering amounts. STOP !
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6 YO-YO DIETING - This is practically a national pastime. Most people will regain all of what they lost, which is why the typical dieter tries a new plan four times a year. Everyone seems to think of 'going on a diet" as if that's what you do when in fact lasting weight loss requires making lifestyle changes for the long-term. Crash dieting increases metabolic hormones, such as insulin, and elevates levels of oestrogen
which causes you to start putting on weight around your middle and the more you go through this gain-lose-gain cycle the less convinced you become that you can break free from this habit. Get a clean, healthy nutrition programme that you feel comfortable with and that you can enjoy all your life ... it's not that hard, just decide. 7 SAME EXERCISE ROUTINE - If you go to a gym 3 times per week and generally do the same routine or you run the same speed or distance on a running machine or road ...or you cycle the same paths ... or do the same aerobic classes week in week out and never see an improvement, guess what ? you're not going to. You have to challenge your body on a regular basis so that it won't get used to the routine and get lazy, burning fewer and fewer calories. Your body essentially becomes too efficient, you have to SHOCK IT ALL THE TIME to burn the maximum calories. Change this habit. 8 TELEVISION OR COMPUTER, - If you are sitting in front of one of these you're not moving. The more TV you watch, the less physical activity you're getting, increasing your odds of being overweight and developing type 2 diabetes. A large-scale study of over 9000 people found that those who watched more than two hours of TV a day ate more, while downing more sugary soft drinks, alcohol and high-fat, high-calorie, processed snack foods than those who watched less. If television is replacing the time you'd spend on an old hobby, visiting friends, or exercising then STOP! 9 REWARD EATING - Food and drink is often used as a reward or as a response to emotions or pain. It's an interesting psychology in that if you've just had great news you celebrate by eating and drinking and then its just the same for bad news, as a way of consolation. But whether you regard this as a habit or addiction, at the end of the day it's quite simply a lack of self control. Eat regular, balanced, healthy meals ... and put down those cookies now! 10 HIGH FRUCTROSE CORN SYRUP - This is not so much a habit but more a habit of the food industry that is inflicted on the masses. Unfortunately avoiding it is slightly more difficult as it creeps into our daily lives. HFCS replace regular sugar in foods such as energy drinks and junk foods but they are hidden in many more. And cause obesity, type -2 diabetes, increased bad cholesterol and liver damage. A great many foods aimed at children are loaded with the stuff and its addictive. It is estimated that more than one-third of the American food supply has been polluted by this garbage. Read food labels and avoid this habit, please. . |