Making Up for Bad Health Habits

By Sarah Jio, Woman's Day Bad Habit #1: Not Enough Calcium Your mother told you to drink your milk (you didnt). Your doctor encouraged you to take calcium supplements (you didnt). o! !hat" #Your $ody !ill lay do!n $one mass until your early %&s, so i' you are in your teens or (&s, you ha)e time to re)erse the years o' inade*uate calcium intake and start $uilding stronger $ones,+ says ikki ,ierney, a registered dietician in pri)ate practice in -uincy, .assachusetts. #/' you')e passed this age, all is not lost. You may ha)e missed the opportunity to $uild $one mass, $ut it is ne)er too late to pre)ent more $one loss.+ Women !ho are 01 to 2& years old need 0,&&& mg o' calcium per day3 those 20 or older need 0,(&& mg per day. #You a$sor$ calcium $est 'rom 'ood sources, so $e sure to include these in your diet,+ she says. #,he easiest !ay to get your calcium is to get three ser)ings o' milk or yogurt each day. /' you are looking to add in a supplement, get something !ith 2&& to 0,&&& mg, such as calcium che!s.+ /n addition to dairy, you can get your calcium 'rom the 'ollo!ing sources4 5 cup 'irm to'u ((&6 mg), % o7 canned salmon (080 mg), 0 cup pinto $eans (0&% mg) or 0 cup cooked kale (16 mg). Bad Habit #2: oor osture .isaligned posture can lead to $ack, knee, hip and neck issues as !ell as collapsed arches and a host o' other pro$lems, says Dana Da)is, .9, :Y,, a senior certi'ied $alance teacher in ;etaluma, :ali'ornia. /' you)e had poor posture most o' your li'e, you pro$a$ly think theres nothing you can do to impro)e it. ot true, says e! York :ity<$ased 'itness e=pert Story )on >ol7hausen. #You can make changes instantly, trans'orm yoursel' and don't ha)e to !ait to see results,+ says )on >ol7hausen. She suggests this easy e=ercise to turn $ack years o' $ad posture ha$its4 #Stand !ith your heels almost touching a !all. ?oll your shoulder $lades $ack and drop them do!n until they touch the !all. Slightly lo!er your chin and pull the $ase o' your head against the !all, lengthening the $ack o' your neck. >old this position 'or 02 seconds, $reathe, rest and repeat. /' you cannot touch the !all, then your goal is to !ork up to it slo!ly.+ ;hoto $y Shutterstock. Bad Habit #!: "moking Cigarettes So you smoked in college@AB, and grad school, and may$e occasionally !hen youre sociali7ing. You already 'eel guilty a$out it, $ut !hat can you do no!" #,he *uickest !ay to impro)e your health i' you're a smoker is to *uit no! rather than later,+ says Shelena :. CalDi, .D, 'ounder o' the Dr. Shel Wellness and .edical Spa in >ouston. #?esearch sho!s that people !ho *uit smoking !hen they're in their %&s and 6&s ha)e a much lo!er risk o' emphysema, stroke, hypertension and cardiac disease. .edicalEgrade supplements can help smokers reduce their cra)ings to increase their success.+ 9ccording to the 9merican :ancer Society, a'ter three months o' not smoking, your lung

'unction impro)es dramatically and your circulation is re)itali7ed. 9'ter one year o' $eing cigaretteE'ree, your risk o' coronary heart disease is 2& percent less than !hen you !ere a smoker. Ane o' the $est !ays to reclaim your smokeEra)aged lungs is to make a ne! commitment to 'itness, says Dr. CalDi. #/ncreasing e=ercise $oth during the transition 'rom smoker to nonsmoker and a'ter!ard !ill help you keep the commitment to yoursel' !hile impro)ing circulation, gaining lung capacity and reducing cardiacErelated pro$lems.+ Bad Habit ##: $oo Much Boo%e Do you regret years o' e=cess drinking" While alcoholErelated damage to the $ody can $e harm'ul, and e=perts say theres no !ay to completely re)erse it, there are certain things you can do to impro)e your li)er 'unction and o)erall health. #Drinking can cause 'at $uildup in the li)er, !hich causes the li)er to !ork harder to meta$oli7e the 'at,+ says :arlos ,irado, .D, .;>, chie' medical o''icer o' Fnterhealth, an addiction disease management pro)ider in Dallas. >elp your li)er reco)er $y starting a !eightEloss regimen and eating a lo!'at diet. #/n general, eating a diet rich in 'ruits and )egeta$les and reducing 'at@especially trans 'at and saturated 'at @can enhance reco)ery 'rom alcoholErelated li)er inDury,+ he says. /' you ha)ent completely cut alcohol 'rom your li'e, health e=perts recommend one drink per day, ma=, 'or !omen, and t!o 'or men@though its $est not to drink daily, so to pick a 'e! days a !eek that you dont drink at all. Bad Habit #&: Being '(er)eight Ane o' the leading causes o' heart disease@and the num$erEone cause o' death in !omen in the G.S.@is $eing o)er!eight. But once youre diagnosed !ith cardio)ascular issues, it doesnt mean its a li'e sentence. #Cosing !eight !ill signi'icantly reduce this risk,+ says Sohah /*$al, .D, a cardiologist practicing at e! York Gni)ersity >ospital. #Weight loss, through a diet and e=ercise program, can signi'icantly reduce multiple cardiac risk 'actors that signi'icantly increase the risk o' coronary artery disease and heart attacks.+ Weight loss is not only associated !ith lo!er $lood pressure, $ut it has also $een sho!n in studies to impro)e your lipid pro'ile@decreasing CDC ($ad cholesterol) and increasing >DC (good cholesterol)@and reduce triglycerides. #:holesterol $uildup in arteries starts at a young age, $ut i' you impro)e your cholesterol pro'ile later in li'e, it sta$ili7es the cholesterol pla*ue and decreases the risk o' it enlarging and occluding the artery or rupturing and causing a heart attack,+ says Dr. /*$al. ,he 9merican >eart 9ssociation says you can reduce your risk o' death 'rom cardio)ascular disease $y (& percent and ensure your ticker is in optimal health $y 'ollo!ing their HE;oint :hecklist. Iisit .yCi'e:heck.>eart.org to learn more. Bad Habit #*: E+ercise rocrastination You kno! that old saying4 /' you dont use it, you lose it" Well, its only partly true, says Sarah :lachar, a e! Fngland<$ased health educator, 'itness e=pert and the co'ounder o' Jit Jamily ,ogether. #,he opposite is true as !ell. When you start to use your muscles, you can regain them @at any age. So e)en i' you')e ne)er !orked out or had muscles to sho! o'', you can certainly ac*uire them through a good 'itness strategy.+ Where to start" 9)oid an intense Dog or hike, and think !eights 'irst. #/' you ha)en't $een acti)e

'or years, your muscles aren't up 'or the acti)ity,+ she says. ,o a)oid inDury, 'ocus on strengthE training 'irst. #Start $y $uilding up your muscles so you ha)e the capacity to do e=ercise,+ she recommends. 9lso, consider short $ursts o' intense e=ercise kno!n as inter)al training. # ot only is research sho!ing that this has more impact on your health !ith less !ear and tear, $ut it !orks 'aster and it's easier Kto doL.+ >eres ho!4 #Whate)er you start to do, do it in shorter, intensi)e spurts,+ says :lachar. #Walk $riskly 'or 0 minute, then stop and rest. Walk $riskly again 'or 0 minute and repeat. Ar $ike hard 'or 6 minutes and then rest.+ With this method, you can pack %& minutes o' regular e=ercise into Dust 02 minutes, !ith less inDury risk. Bad Habit #,: Not Eating -ight for .ears ,he antidote 'or years o' $urgers, 'ries and ice cream $inges" Fating right, o' course. >eres an easy !ay to DumpEstart your health and get the )ital nutrients you need !ithout going on a restricti)e diet4 Fat one salad e)ery day, suggests Brian Mehetner, .S, a registered dietician !ith 9nytime Jitness in >astings, .innesota. #,he primary reason to ha)e a salad is $ecause it helps to reduce the energy density o' the diet,+ he says. #You can eat a )ery large salad 'or )ery 'e! calories.+ ;lus, youll load up on )egeta$les that can gi)e your $ody the nutrients its crying out 'or4 )itamins : and F, selenium, $etaEcarotene and lots o' 'i$er. 9dd % ounces o' lean chicken, and you ha)e a 'illing meal. /' you eat a salad once a day 'or a year, you could lose up to %& pounds !ithout making any other maDor dietary changes. By Dust ha)ing one salad per day@'or lunch or dinner@Mehetner says, your $ody !ill 'eel the di''erence. Bad Habit #/: "ta0ing $oo 1ong in an Unhealth0 -elationship 9ccording to >o!ard ?ankin, ;hD, a clinical psychologist and 'ounder o' ,he ?ankin :enter 'or euroscience and /ntegrati)e >ealth, a $ad marriage or relationship can $e as hard on you as any other damaging health choice. #,he impact o' a negati)e relationship goes $eyond sel'Eesteem, into the )ery $ody itsel',+ Dr. ?ankin e=plains. #Gnder chronic stress, the immune system $reaks do!n, leading to a !hole host o' diseases. 9 recent study o' $reast cancer patients sho!ed that many !omen $elie)ed that their cancer !as caused $y stress. ,echnically, no one gets cancer $ecause o' stress. But !hat does happen is that the suppression o' the immune system $y prolonged stress makes it more likely that the $ody can't 'ight o'' the cancer and creates an en)ironment !here cancer cells can gro!.+ >o! can you get healthy and happy a'ter years o' $eing in a negati)e relationship" #/ts important to look at all the main relationships in your li'e and ree)aluate !hich !ork 'or you and !hich don't,+ he says. /' a decadesElong 'riendship is the culprit, cut the ties. /' its a $oy'riend !ho treats you poorly, mo)e on. #?ecogni7e that detachment is al!ays di''icult $ut sometimes necessary, and stay 'ocused on the realities o' the situation.+ Ane o' the $est !ays to gi)e yoursel' a $oost o' happiness@and health@!hen doing so is to remem$er that there are in'inite possi$ilities 'or you out there. Bad Habit #2: Negati(e "elf3$alk and oor Bod0 4mage 9'ter years o' negati)e sel'Etalk (#Cook at ho! 'at / am,+ or # o one likes me at !ork $ecause /m not talented+), a 'unny thing happens, says Dr. ?ankin4 ;eople tend to !ithdra! 'rom social situations and intimacy. 9 poor or destructi)e sel'Eimage is also linked !ith depression and

an=iety. So ho! do you $reak the cycle o' negati)ity to!ard yoursel'" #,he )aria$les that dri)e $eha)ior are $rain $iochemistry, innate dri)es, ha$its and addictions, and relationships,+ says Dr. ?ankin. # ote that logic isn't in there. So you need to do things that !ill optimi7e $rain 'unction@ e=ercise, goodE*uality sleep, stress management and proper diet all are critical 'or proper $rain 'unction.+ 9nd, $ecause our sel'Eimage is so o'ten a''ected $y the people in our li)es, he suggests you #hang around positi)e 'riends and ditch the people !ho are not on the same page as you.+ Bad Habit #15: $oo Much $anning Did you once ha)e a lo)e a''air !ith the tanning salon" ,here may $e a ray o' hope 'or sunE damaged skin, say e=perts. #,here is not much one can do to undo serious sun e=posure, $ut it is ne)er too late to protect your skin,+ says ;amela Jaku$o!ic7, .D, a $oardEcerti'ied dermatologist at .onte'iore .edical :enter in e! York. She stresses the importance o' annual skin checks !ith your dermatologist or primary care physician. But you can also take matters into your o!n hands4 #;roducts containing retinols, soy and some antio=idants ha)e $een sho!n to pro)ide some re)ersal o' sun damage,+ she e=plains. #?etinol is a milder 'orm o' ?etinE9 that makes collagen stronger and can $ring a$out changes in the skin. ?esearchers $elie)e soy makes the skin lighter !hen there is pigmentation 'rom sun damage.+ Jortunately, you dont ha)e to spend a lot o' money to get products that !ork. Dr. Jaku$o!ic7 recommends 9)eeno's ;ositi)ely ?adiant S;J %& lotion, a product that contains soy, and eutrogena >ealthy Skin lotion, !hich is made !ith retinols. 9lso, consider your diet and acti)ity le)el, says .arina ;eredo, .D, an assistant clinical pro'essor at .ount Sinai .edical :enter in e! York. #9dding a diet rich in omegaE%s and )itamin F is a must, as is a daily e=ercise regimen to get the $lood circulating to the 'ace and other parts o' the $ody.+