6 Things You May Not Know Are Costing You Your Health

Regularly Dining Out

Despite being convenient, always eating out at restaurants can mean trouble for your wallet and your health. As it becomes easier to order food thanks to apps like UberEats and DoorDash, more and more Americans skip preparing their own meals ⁠— and the expenses can easily pile up. Additionally, you also compromise your health if you regularly eat out as 50% of the food served at full-service restaurants have poor nutritional quality. It’s always better to prepare your own food since you can ensure that you get all the nutrients you need from your meals. If you can’t find the time to cook for yourself, try meal-prepping a week’s worth of food during the weekend. 

Financial Anxiety

Constantly being anxious about your finances can take a toll on your mental health and lead to depression and chronic anxiety. What’s more, this can also manifest as physical health issues. Indeed, if you always worry about your finances and eventually develop chronic stress, you’re at a much higher risk of developing illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Conversely, good financial planning has plenty of benefits for your health, such as alleviating anxiety, improving mood, and helping you get a good night’s rest. This is because you will feel more in control of your life and have more confidence in being secure in the future. This will also help improve your personal relationships!

Not Disconnecting From Social Media

It’s important to take some time off the internet every once in a while. It’s been found that constantly being on social media can make people feel more alone and isolated ⁠— slowly affecting how they engage with other people. Since being connected online limits your face-to-face interactions, it can be difficult to foster and nurture healthy relationships with the people that you love. To lessen your social media usage, try setting aside an hour or two during the day where you’re free from any of your digital devices and use this time to bond with your loved ones. 

Always Staying Indoors

A lot of people have forgotten how beneficial it is to spend time outdoors. For one, you get your daily dose of Vitamin D by basking in the sun. This is important as being Vitamin D deficient presents a slew of medical issues, from muscle weakness to bone fragility. Moreover, it’s also proven that spending time outdoors also has a restorative effect on one’s mental health and reduces stress. But before you bathe in the sun, be sure to slather on some sunscreen to prevent sunburn and protect you from the sun’s harmful rays. 

Fad Diets

Putting yourself on a diet can be too restricting and can affect both your self-esteem and physical health. If your goal is to lose weight, doing fad diets like paleo, keto, and juice fasts won’t get you anywhere. This is because these kinds of diets aren’t sustainable and can’t be done for long periods of time, as your progress will eventually plateau. Instead, try to develop a healthier relationship with food and your body. By working on how you see yourself and recognizing that it’s best to eat healthily, you can find better success in attaining your weight goals and living a more fulfilling life. 

Taking Herbal Supplements

A lot of the supplements on the market aren’t approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While it might seem like you’re only doing what’s best for your health by taking herbal supplements, you’re putting yourself at risk as some of these have side effects and can adversely interact with other medications. Before taking supplements, be sure to talk to a healthcare provider ⁠— especially if you have a chronic health issue or are pregnant.