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| Lifestyle and Health - Are Your Bad Habits Killing You? Infographic from Life Insurance Finder |
We used to think that our inherited genes dictated whether or not we would have certain health conditions or diseases. But scientific studies indicate otherwise.
According to the research, most chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, obesity and heart disease, are strongly influenced by our lifestyle.
In other words, our choices and habits play a key role in our health and whether or not we are at a higher risk for chronic disease and illness.
This infographic entitled "Are Your Bad Habits Slowly Killing You?" summarizes what we currently know about how lifestyle affects our health.
The Bad Habits
✘ Bad Posture
✘ Sitting Down All Day
✘ Eating Too Quickly
✘ Not Getting Enough Sleep
✘ Overworking
✘ Excessive Alcohol Consumption
✘ Tanning
✘ Smoking
✘ Being a Loner
✘ Poor Diet (including eating too much red meat, not eating enough fresh fruit and vegetables and not getting enough dietary fiber)
The infographic also illustrates some choices and habits that are thought to have a positive effect on health:
Guilt-Free Pleasures
✔ Red Wine in Moderation
✔ Dark Chocolate
✔ Meditation
✔ Laughing
✔ Sex
Of course, other known healthy habits include engaging in regular exercise, staying properly hydrated and minimizing exposure to environmental chemicals.
Related: How Dehydration Makes You Fat and Sick
Group Support and Coaching
Making lifestyle changes is not always easy. However, it has been shown that group support can be very helpful. Many online programs, forums and communities not only offer short-term and/or ongoing support but some also include free group coaching. There is also the option of hiring a personal lifestyle coach if its within your budget.
Journal
Another good tool that is useful in making lifestyle changes is to keep a journal. The journal acts as a record of your goals, your progress, your accomplishments and set-backs and is an excellent feedback tool.
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Infographic source and for more information on this topic: Life Insurance Finder - Kicking Bad Habits for a Longer Life
Related:
The World's Healthiest People
