5 Sneaky Habits that Cause Serious Physical Health Problems

Social drinking is everyday in our culture, but social drinking can so very quickly turn into a serious, unhealthy crutch that rapidly depletes our bodies if we are not careful. Alcohol use is detrimental to men and women, but it seems women face more risks when consuming alcohol. Our culture glorifies the idea of ‘Mom needing their wine,’ but many women depend on that drink to make it through the week. That glass of wine is turning into a bottle to end the day, and it happens more days of the week than we’d like to admit. This standard crutch can lead to serious health complications. 

Unfortunately, women are more sensitive to the negative health impacts of alcohol. In the past 20 years, more women, compared to men, have had alcohol-related medical emergencies. Researchers have also found a link between alcohol use and breast cancer, brain damage, and heart disease. 

Men are not exempt from the impacts of alcohol abuse. They are at risk of alcohol poisoning, sexual dysfunction, damaging vital organs, stroke, heart disease, and cancer. Excessive alcohol use also makes us a liability for those who depend on us, disrupts our sleep, and can impact our mood. Let’s not let a practice be done to unwind and steal our long-term well-being. Our bodies are valuable, our presence is a gift to those closest to us, and overusing alcohol steals from our lives and from those who love us, too. Overall, the drawbacks of excessive alcohol consumption far surpass the potential momentary chance to unwind. 

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Failing to move our bodies sufficiently is one of the deadliest habits that way too many people worldwide have made part of their lifestyle. Alarmingly, about one-third of the world’s population aged 15 and up engages in insufficient movement. There is an epidemic of slothful living. 

Although the full impact of a sedentary lifestyle is unknown, we know that a lack of movement negatively impacts our bodies in countless ways. Some of the more notable impacts include increased chance of death, heart disease, increased cancer risk, increased chance of diabetes, high blood pressure, musculoskeletal disorders, and cognitive impairment. Movement is prevention for many major medical diseases and helps prolong our lives. Additionally, it boosts our mood and helps manage our weight. There are just so many benefits to regular exercise. The key is doing something regularly; it doesn’t have to be CrossFit. It can be a daily walk around your neighborhood, enough to boost your health. 

It can feel challenging to prioritize your health and well-being and resign to a schedule that doesn’t make space for physical activity, but you are worth the effort! Start small; no effort is wasted! On busy days, sometimes all I can manage is a 10-minute walk around the block with kids in tow, but this movement improves my health and mood, and I am setting a good example for my kids. Celebrate your wins, don’t beat yourself up for your shortcomings, and let that positive momentum bring healthy change to your life. 

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Have you realized how many things have sugar in them? I mean, it’s in everything—sauces, meats, snacks, drinks, and the list goes on! I mean, who can blame those food makers? Sugar does make everything taste better, but it’s dangerous for our bodies when consumed in excess. The worst sugars are those “added ones” that manufacturers add to increase the shelf life of their product. So if you are going to indulge, opt for something homemade or something naturally sweet! 

Studies have found that excessive sugar leads to heart disease, high blood pressure, chronic inflammation, weight gain, and fatty liver disease. Sugar also increases your odds of getting cancer, can increase your risk of depression, accelerates aging, zaps your energy, and isn’t good for your brain. It’s so easy to grab that sweet drink, quick candy pick-me-up, or dessert for quick pleasure, but this habit does not serve us well in the long run. 

As a Mom, I’ve found that while I love sugar, it does impact my mood, energy, and overall well-being. The days I steer clear, I am much better able to handle the stressors that a day brings, and once I start allowing myself to indulge, it’s hard to stop. I find it even more challenging to help my kids avoid excessive sugar, but discussing our food options as a family helps bring more awareness as a whole to our eating habits. As they grow, they become more informed, helping them make better choices, not requiring me to referee for them constantly. Even my 4-year-old has found benefits from avoiding food dyes, so he knows to ask if something has dye before taking food from others. He is self-advocating for a healthy option even at his young age! 

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For us adults, moderating our screen time can be extra challenging because most of us work on screens, manage our lives on our phones, and use them to relax and connect, too! But having that phone out or computer open for too much of our day can cause more harm than good. 

Constant use of devices impacts many parts of our bodies! We must be intentional about creating screen-free times in our days to help protect our minds and bodies from these negative side effects. Thoughtful boundaries and rhythms around our screen time are helpful in remaining free from the ways they can drain our health. Some of the health effects include increased stress, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. Also raises our risk of obesity, heart disease, insulin resistance, hyper-arousal, and potential addiction. In addition to these more serious concerns, we know it’s impossible to be as present as we need to be in our homes and relationships if screens take up too much of our lives. Technology isn’t going away, but if it will serve us properly, we must learn how to balance its usage with engagement in the real world. 

As adults, our habits model what is acceptable regarding technology use for our families and community. As we embrace boundaries, we set the tone for others around us, making space to converse, be productive in our homes in other ways, and remain more grounded. Let’s restore our lives and protect our health by setting down our devices.

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This should be number one on the list. We are all stressed out! We have so much on our plates and very little of what we do with our time helps us process the stress we are carrying, and it’s quite literally killing us. 

Recently, in my own life, we had a new stressful life change, and I was shocked that my whole body immediately started to react negatively. I had pain, trouble sleeping, GI symptoms, feelings, depression, and more! I thought I was handling it but my body still was keeping score and telling me it was freaking out and needed help managing this new load. Even when we “think” we are handling it, our bodies still process the load we carry. We must work hard to teach our bodies to relax and let go of the stressors that feel like constants in our modern world. 

Stress triggers or aggravates many diseases. If under prolonged or intense stress, you may begin to experience anxiety, depression, digestive issues, headaches, muscle tension and pain, heart disease/attack/stroke, sleep problems, memory issues, or weight gain. 

Don’t underestimate the toll of constant motion. We have to rest, just as the Bible clearly instructs us. We are called to the regular rhythms of the sabbath. Movement, deep breathing, prayer, meditation, chiropractic care, acupuncture, therapy, doing something fun, taking a vacation, or all of the above are great ways to guard your body against stress. 

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/fizkes