We all want to be healthy. At the moment, given the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, remaining in good health seems more important than ever. However, it can be a challenge. Most of us try to do what we think is right to keep ourselves happy and healthy and recognize that the odd bad habit – perhaps a few glasses of wine or a pizza on the weekend – is fine if done on moderation.

However, some of the things that we do that we think are healthy and do on a daily basis can actually do more harm than good. Here, we look at some of the healthy-but-not-really-healthy habits that you need to consider saying goodbye to.

Choosing salad over a meal

It sounds like the healthiest option, right? A nice healthy salad – low in calories, full of vitamins and minerals. It is a great choice, is it not?

Well, not all of the time. If you have a plain salad, then yes, it is healthy, but how many people have a plain salad? Not many. Most salads come with all sorts of delicious toppings, extras, sauces, and dressings, and that is where the problem lies. These extras all contain added salt and fat and can often be more calorific than having the burger that you were craving.

Not only that but if a salad does not fill you up, you can often find yourself reaching for the cookie jar or other unhealthy snacks later on.

Listening to music before bed

It has been proven many times that listening to music can reduce your stress levels and help you to relax. Because of this, many people listen to it before they go to bed. It makes sense, does it not? If it helps you to relax, it will help you drop off into a nice, deep sleep.

But what if you are listening to your chosen music through earphones? It might be time to find a new way of zoning out before you go to sleep, as regularly blasting out the tunes into your ears can very easily cause damage to your delicate eardrums and canals.

The thing with hearing damage is that it happens gradually over time, so few people notice a problem until it is too late to reverse or repair the damage. Of course, regular hearing tests can help, but the best way of preventing hearing loss, which usually requires a hearing aid, is to protect your ears. No blasting music, no matter how relaxing it might be, no putting things like earbuds into your ears to clean them and wearing ear defenders if you are exposed to loud noise at work. 

Drinking smoothies and fruit juices

Smoothies and fruit juices, on the face of it, are super healthy. They are jam packed with fruit and seem like an easy way to get some of your portions of five fruit and vegetables a day. They taste pretty delicious at the same time and are healthier than grabbing a takeout breakfast or a can of soda.

However – they are not quite as healthy as you think. In fact, they can be pretty unhealthy. Firstly, if you are replacing a proper meal with a liquid, you are not going to be getting the nutrients that you need. Secondly, the fruit is packed with sugar. It is natural sugar, and nowhere near as bad for you as refined sugar, but it is still there. This can cause a spike in insulin levels, which causes a spike in blood sugar levels, which can lead to unhealthy cravings. 

If you are relying on smoothies to help you lose weight, you may find that your weight loss plateaus very quickly or that you end up putting on weight.

Drinking a cup of tea at bedtime

All the advice and guidance for getting a good night’s sleep tells you to have a warm drink before bed. Many of us put the kettle on and make a cup of tea. It’s hot, it’s comforting and feels like the right drink to help us unwind before we go to sleep.

The problem with this is that tea contains caffeine, and we all know that is not the best thing to have before you go to bed. Caffeine is a stimulant, which will do the opposite to help you have a quality sleep!

There are plenty of habits that on the surface appear to be healthy, but in reality are damaging to your efforts. Take heed of these – you don’t have to cut them out completely, just be aware!

When it comes to the task of looking after your health, persistence is one of the factors that’ll have the biggest impact on your success or failure. It’s vital that you take the time to Consider how your own persistence will help you or hinder you. If you’re not sure why it matters to your health and your ability to lead a healthy lifestyle, we’re going to explain in much more depth below. Read on to find out more.

Things Don’t Change Overnight

When you want to make a change in your lifestyle to become healthier, you need to understand that you won’t see huge changes and progress overnight. Big changes simply don’t happen that fast. And when people expect quick results, they often get very disappointed and downhearted when they don’t see those results. Which is why things like Suboxone treatment for opioids, alcohol treatments and therapies for eating disorders aren’t always 100% effective. Being persistent is necessary in order to keep pushing forward.

It Takes Time to Drop Bad Habits That’ve Been in Place for Years

It’s especially difficult to drop habits that you’ve formed over many years or even decades. For example, something as simple as trying not to bite your fingernails is incredibly difficult  if it’s a habit that you’ve had since childhood. The same is true for eating habits and even more so for things linked to physical addiction such as smoking or drinking.

Sometimes, a Simple Test Doesn’t Tell You Everything About Your Health

It’s important to find out more about what tests and health exams really do. For example, you can learn more here about how hearing tests don’t always pick up the hearing problems that you might be experiencing. That’s why you sometimes have to be persistent regarding your health. A simple test might not tell you what you need to know and you might have to push to learn more.

Short-Term Fixes Don’t Result in Long-Lasting Outcomes

When you choose a short-term health fix, you won’t necessarily receive all the benefits that come with taking a longer view. For example, you should always choose a sustainable, healthy and realistic diet over a crash diet that’s going to result in failure within a few weeks. Short-term fixes always sound appealing but they don’t achieve the results you’re really looking for.

All Good Things Require Hard Work and Effort

When you’re on the path to losing weight and you want to keep that weight off once it’s gone, you need to put in hard work. All good things demand some degree of hard work and effort, and that’s just a fact of life. It doesn’t only apply to your health. You should remember that when you’re looking after your health and trying to achieve health goals.

Whenever you’re looking to make progress with your health, the effort you put in and the level of persistence you show is going to make a big difference. You should always push yourself further and be persistent if you want to achieve the very best long-term outcomes for yourself. It’s the only way to make progress.