Before you give yourself a pat on the
back for all your so-called 'healthy' habits, you might want to read this
Eating your greens, flossing daily, moving
more... we all know the keys to keeping fit and well. But what about those
deeply ingrained habits we think are doing us good, but are actually hindering
our health? Here are six you need to reconsider right now.
Avoiding all sunlight
Australians have really taken the 'Slip
Slop Slap' message to heart in recent years, with Cancer Council research
showing that in Victoria alone, a third of adults think to prevent skin cancer
you need to avoid all sun exposure, even in winter. The trouble is that It's
leading to dangerously low levels of vitamin D, which is essential for strong
bones, muscles and overall health.
Thinking you need to avoid all sun exposure
is a common misconception," says SunSmart Manager Sue Heward, at Cancer
Council Victoria. "In fact, there are times when ifs actually important to
leave your hat and sunscreen off. Over-exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation
from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer but UV is also the best natural
source of vitamin D. That's why some sun is important for our health but it's
essential to get the balance right."
The SunSmart app or Bureau of Meteorology
website (www.bom.gov.au/) shows when UV is forecast to be 3 or above and on
these days, aim for a few minutes of sun exposure mid-morning or mid-afternoon.
If UV is below 3, aim for 20 minutes outside.
Drinking eight glasses of water a day
It's a myth that persists, but the belief
that we should be chugging eight glasses of water a day for optimal hydration
just isn't true, says Howard Murad, author of The Water Secret (Wiley, $22.95).
In fact, Murad claims we're better off 'eating our water" than sipping it.
"Eight glasses means eight trips to
the bathroom, flushing the system of vital nutrients," he explains.
"Colorful raw fruits and vegies are the best form of water for your cells
as they provide structured water and antioxidants so the hydration stays in
your system long enough for your body to put it to good use."
Opt for high-water foods such as
watermelon, cucumbers, tomatoes and peaches. Also keep an eye on the color of
your urine - pale to light-yellow urine is a sign of adequate hydration.
Drinking
eight glasses of water a day
Cleaning with spray products
If you love a clean house but often finish
your dust-busting sessions gasping for breath, look out. Cleaning with sprays
containing chemicals such as ammonia, chlorine and sodium hydroxide can
irritate the lining of your airways - and drastically raise your risk of
developing asthma.
The nine-year European Community
Respiratory Health Survey, conducted across 10 countries, found the risk of asthma
was 40 per cent higher in women who used cleaning sprays just once a week.
Sprays most likely to cause symptoms were glass-cleaning, furniture polish and
air-freshener products.
Swap chemical sprays for natural options,
says cleaning guru Shannon Lush. "Most people think that because the
chemicals are stronger, commercial products will be better but, in fact,
natural products are up to 600 times as strong and aren't toxic."
Avoiding all saturated fat
“For the last three decades, Australians
have been told that the cure for heart disease, diabetes and even cancer is to
eat less saturated fat, less salt and lose weight by exercising. And we’ve
listened... [but] the statistics keep getting worse,” writes David Gillespie,
author of Big FatLies (Penguin, $29.95).
Studies show obesity has more than doubled
in the past 30 years, type 2 diabetes has more than doubled between 1990 and
2005, and rates of prostate cancer and breast cancer are also on the rise. The
reason? “There’s only one possible explanation for why things have gotten worse
in a period when we’re doing exactly what we’re told - the advice is wrong,”
Gillespie says.
Avoiding
all saturated fat
US scientists would agree, after a 2010
study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found no link
between saturated fat consumption and the risk of heart disease. Evidence now points
to processed carbs cakes, soft drinks and snack foods as the real culprits.
Gillespie says it’s becoming increasingly clear that the things used to replace
dietary animal fat (usually sugar and seed oils) are likely to be the real
cause of not just heart disease, but also type 2 diabetes, cancer and obesity.
Catching up on sleep
If you find yourself ‘catching up’ on sleep
every weekend, it’s time to make some lifestyle changes. Studies at the Brigham
and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that it takes far longer than we think to
recover from a sleep debt even if you ‘catch up’. “When we’re sleep deprived
everything is affected, from our energy to our hormones,” says nutritionist
Julie Maree Wood, author of 4 Week Energy Diet (ABC Books, $29.99). Wood
suggests establishing a bedtime routine so your body learns to wind down. “Go
to bed at 10pm. It’s six and a half hours before our lowest body temperature at
4.30am. It’s important to get at least six hours before this time.”
Going overboard on vitamins
Popping pills to reduce your risk of
certain diseases, to give you more energy, to boost your antioxidant level or
to sort out nutrient deficiencies is something many of us are committed to - in
fact, according to Gillespie, 43 per cent of Australian adults regularly take
vitamin supplements. As our health problems get worse and worse, we
increasingly turn to over-the-counter supplements as part of the solution,” he
writes.
Going
overboard on vitamins
But whether we need to take as many as we
do is debatable. Of course, mums-to-be need to take foliate, vegans might need
to top up their vitamin B and iron levels, and a person who doesn’t get a lot
of sun may need a vitamin D supplement. But experts say most of us should first
try to get all our vitamins and minerals from a healthy diet and rely on
vitamin supplements only when we’re deficient and can’t make up the shortfall
through the food we eat.
