Every new year, birthday, and summer we make promises that we’re going to lead a healthier lifestyle, yet we last maybe a week or three before we slowly fall back into our bad habits. It’s not that we don’t want to kick them to the curb, but the longer we’ve adopted these habits the harder it is to quit for good. Eventually, you’ll reach a breaking point the causes you to take a hard look at your life; it could be a warning from your doctor, a serious health scare, or good news in your family that makes you want to live longer. Whatever your motivation, here are a few ways you can say goodbye to some of your bad habits for good.
Smoking
It’s no longer a secret that smoking is bad for you, but many people find it difficult to quit even when the habit gets more expensive than a week’s worth of grocery shopping. Fortunately, there are number of methods available to help you kick this habit for good. You can choose from e-cigarettes, which have a number of starter kits to help you get off to the right start, nicorette gum, nicotine patches, and plenty of support groups willing to share their experience. The benefits are almost immediate, because your lungs and cardiovascular system begin repairing themselves within minutes of your last cigarette. After a month, your lungs will work better and you should be coughing less, you’ll feel more energetic, and have less shortness of breath. Most people take on exercise to reduce the cravings, so that’s yet another potential benefit to quitting.
Excessive drinking
You may spend your weekdays completely sober, but getting drunk on the weekend is no better than drinking daily. Your liver isn’t as young as it was during your college days, and you can’t continue treating it like it is. Women who regularly consume two or more drinks a day and men who regularly down three or more are at higher risk for liver damage, various cancers including those of the liver and mouth, high blood pressure, and depression. Instead, limit your drinking to meal times, no more than two a day, and sip it slowly so your body isn’t overwhelmed.
Overeating
Overeating is a bad habit because it means you’re not listening to your body’s natural hunger and satisfaction signals, which leads to more overeating during meal times. Additionally, most things we like to snack on are loaded with excess sugar and salt, which can increase the risk of diabetes or other serious conditions. But even if you’re eating healthy snacks, excessive amounts of food will always lead to an expanded waistline. To stop overeating, wait until you’re physically craving food before you start to eat anything. Go through your cupboards and throw out any unhealthy snacks so you’re not tempted to get back into the habit. Instead, fill your pantry with fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Drinking water can also help curb your appetite for a while.
