We all make health mistakes from time to time, whether we’ve indulged in too much sunbathing, spent years slouching at our desk or filled our diet with all the wrong foods. However, the good news is it is possible to wipe out the effects of your blunders and start afresh. Here’s how to reverse your health mistakes.
Health mistake: Sunbathing
If fine lines and wrinkles are betraying your secret past as a sun worshiper, there are still steps you can take to create a more youthful complexion. Applying a hydrating moisturiser rich in antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E can help to reverse the visible signs of sun damage. Also, make sure you eat plenty of wrinkle-busting foods rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. It is also important to make sure you apply sun protection every day from now on – not just on the sunny days!
Health mistake: Poor posture
Many of us are guilty of paying little attention to our posture when we are young, but this can cause many problems as you age, such as pain, poor balance and restricted movement. However, it is never too late to work on improving your posture. Try paying attention to the general position of your body; trying to avoid slouching as much as possible. Improving your core stability and the flexibility of your spine through exercise can also help. Research results published in the American Journal of Public Health found that regularly participating in yoga can help to correct spine curvature in the elderly.
Health mistake: Binge drinking
Many of us have overindulged on alcohol from time to time. However, for those who have partied too hard in the past, the good news is, in the majority of cases, your liver is capable of naturally repairing itself. In the early stages of alcohol-induced liver disease, your liver has a good chance of repairing itself once you stop drinking. To give it a helping hand, look after your liver by eating healthily, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly.
Health mistake: Smoking
As well as causing wrinkles and staining teeth, smoking can cause many serious illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. However, by quitting smoking now, you can actually reverse many of its effects on your health. According to experts, after one year of quitting your heart disease risk is half that of a smoker’s, after five years your risk of stroke is the same as a non-smoker, and after 15 years your heart disease risk is the same as a non-smoker. Your risk of developing several forms of cancer also decreases over time. Give your health a boost and make today the day you give up smoking.
Health mistake: Inactivity
If you have spent years avoiding the gym, it’s time to break that habit. While research results published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity have shown that sitting for long periods of time puts you at risk of dangerous illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes, research by Duke University Medical Center has shown that many of the harmful effects of inactivity can be reversed through moderate exercise. To give your health a boost, set yourself a fitness goal; whether this is signing up for a race, joining a gym or trying a new fitness class. Try to exercise for 30 minutes a day five days a week, as well as increasing day-to-day activity.
Health mistake: Poor diet
As with exercise, you can reverse some of the damage that has been done to your health through poor eating by making some changes now to your diet. Firstly, try to cut back on saturated fats (found in butter, cakes, biscuits and fatty meats), trans fats (found in foods such as cakes and deep fried foods), salt and sugar. Secondly, try to increase your intake of essential vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids by eating a varied diet rich in fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and oily fish.
