3 ‘Healthy Habits’ That Aren’t Really as Good as You Think
As we get older, it’s important that we develop more and more healthy routines for our long-term health and overall fitness.
Some of these healthy habits, however, get lost in translation. They may have roots in being healthy but can either not be enough to give you the full benefit or could have unhealthy aspects as well.
CHC takes a look at three so-called healthy habits that you can improve upon.
- You Stay Out of the Sun
Spending too much time in the sun can be harmful and lead to skin cancer, but you should try to spend a little time in the sun. Fifteen to 30 minutes in the morning and again before dark is good to help your natural circadian rhythm and get a natural infusion of vitamin D. This avoids the period during the day (10 a.m.-2 p.m.) when the sun’s rays are their strongest, and if you do spend more time in the sun, it’s okay—just be sure to use sunscreen.
- Eating Nutrition or Energy Bars
Most energy bars, prepackaged fruit juices, and smoothies are marketed to be healthy, but they are typically loaded with so much sugar that they should not be a part of your daily diet. Some bars, however, are healthy if they contain more protein and fiber than grams of total sugar, so be sure to read the labels.
- Drinking When You Feel Thirsty
Keeping a water bottle with you at all times is a great thing, but only sipping from it when you feel thirsty is not. If you feel thirsty, chances are that you’re already a little dehydrated. You want to proactively be drinking throughout the day—especially early on, otherwise you might have to wake up and use the bathroom often. To know how much you should be drinking, take your body weight and divide it in half. That’s the amount of water (in ounces) that you should be drinking, but if you’re active and sweating a lot, you should be drinking more.
