Five lifestyle habits damaging your health

In our modern life, we have certainly habits that we think are alright to follow but in reality, could be slowly eroding away at our health and immune system
File photo

In our modern life, we have certainly habits that we think are alright to follow but in reality, could be slowly eroding away at our health and immune system.

Neha Mittal, the co-founder of healthcare device company OneAbove, shares five habits as dangerous as smoking.

Compromising sleep

Have you noticed how cranky and irritated you become the next day if you do not sleep properly? It is one of the side effects of ignoring quality sleep. As per health professionals, we must take at least six hours of sleep each day to make sure our body is rejuvenating at its natural speed. Any compromise in the sleep hours affects your immune system, respiratory and digestive system negatively.

Eating high animal-protein meals

Excessive consumption of meals rich in animal proteins such as cheese and meat can promote cancer growth due to a hormone named IGF1. The risk factor for this is equivalent to smoking. To avoid overconsumption of such proteins do include plant proteins like beans in your meals.

Long hours sitting

Sticking to your chair for the whole day when you go to the office is as dangerous as smoking. Studies have linked sitting for long hours, whether it is for work or driving, to various cancers of different organs like lung, breast, and colon. Be sure to move around a little every one or two hours and then continue your work.

Being lonely

While in normal life we may not view being lonely as an important issue, it certainly is. Being lonely makes one more prone to heart diseases. Not just that, it invites additional diseases such as anxiety, emotional disturbances, and even harmful addictions. Try to make some good friends who listen to you even when you are low.

Tanning in a controlled environment

Many people have started tanning in a controlled environment rather than taking in sunlight. Sunlight can indeed cause skin cancer. Tanning indoors is harmful too. Stop going to the local tanning salon and start taking adequate sunlight.