10 Habits to Stop Right Now if You Want to Be Healthy

1. Stop smoking

Tobacco smoke mainly consists of nicotine which is highly addictive, carbon monoxide which is a poisonous gas, and tar which consists of several cancer-causing chemicals. If you're a smoker, you know how hard it is to quit smoking. But just to encourage you, 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting, your circulation improves and your lung function increases. one year after quitting the excess risk of coronary heart disease is cut in half, and five years after quitting, the risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder are cut in half, while cervical cancer risk falls to that of a non-smoker. Stroke risk can fall to that of a non smoker after 2/5 years.

2. Stop declaring big goals and changes you cannot follow

Some people have been used to living an unhealthy lifestyle all their life. Other people may suffer from many ailments and may be overweight. Then one day, or as part of a New Year resolution, they declare loudly to everyone that from now on they start to adopt a healthy lifestyle eating only fruits and vegetables and stop eating processed foods completely, or start exercising every day. Declaring big goals and changes you cannot follow can backfire on you and make more harm than good and make you return to your old habits. These big commitments are too daunting and hence can be short lived for many people. Don't be caught in a trap you've created for yourself. Every great journey starts from one small step.

3. Stop eating large amounts of processed food

Part of living a healthy lifestyle is to pay attention to what you eat. While we all know that consuming more whole and natural foods is good for our health, it's still impossible for many people to completely avoid processed foods, and for these people reading the label on food products is very important. You may not see right now the harmful effects of these substances, but it's the long term and the cumulative effect that counts.

4. Stop mindless eating

The previous habit was about WHAT you eat, however this habit is about WHY you eat. Are you one of those people who need chocolate or ice cream to feel joy or comfort? If it happens too often and you find yourself raiding the fridge for comfort, then you are ''emotionally eating''. The link between diet and mood is well known, but do we really turn to foods that make us feel better for the right reasons?

5. Stop being inactive

Many people spend most of their time sitting at the office or in front of the computer for eight hours a day, but when they come home they exchange one seat with another, sitting on the sofa watching TV or continuing to surf the web at home. However our body is designed to move. Our bodies and our muscles work best when they are worked, and then allowed to rest. In addition to the obvious muscular and cardiovascular benefits of moving, it also improves our body's blood circulation thus ensuring the transportation of oxygen and nutrients to every cell in your body, and the removal of metabolic waste from our body.

6. Stop excess stress and anxiety in your life

Modern life has become stressful for many people: meeting deadlines, having a high pressured job, or just constantly having feelings of fear and concern. Actually, stressful life became for many people a way of life. Anxiety is considered to be a normal reaction to a stressor, and in small dosage it may help us to deal with difficult situations and motivates us to perform at our best. However, when anxiety becomes overwhelming, it affects our daily life and may even become a disorder.

7. Stop with the excuses and self-defeating thoughts

You don't have time to exercise. You don't like exercising. You don't have time to cook at home so you opt for processed foods. You are too fat to start a diet. You haven't been successful in the past quitting smoking. You are too old to change your habits. Are these excuses sound familiar? Do you find yourself finding all sorts of excuses or self-defeating thought that keep you away from reaching your goals? Well, this is the easiest way for many people. There will always be excuses for not doing something. Instead of this approach, try to look at ''full half glass'', finding physical activity that you enjoy, being aware of the benefits of living a healthier life and how great you will feel and look, giving yourself a second chance if you have failed in the past, finding your inner strength and commitment to make better choices in your life. I promise you that once you start to see the good results, they will be a good incentive for you to keep up the good work.

8. Stop sleep deprivation

When you have a good night's sleep, you feel more energetic, happier, and better able to function. Yet so many of us don't get enough sleep: some people are having problems falling sleep, or they wake up frequently during the night with trouble falling back into sleep and thus feel tired throughout the day. Most adults need eight hours of sleep a night to maintain a good health, but it's not just the amount of sleep, it's also its quality

9. Stop being in relationships that drain your energy

Living a healthy lifestyle is not just about exercising, eating healthy foods and avoiding self-defeating thoughts. It's also important which people you surround yourself with. It is especially important when you want to do positive changes in your life. If you are involved in relationships that have bad impact on you and drain your energy and emotions, then your happiness and well-being are compromised. Instead, surround yourself with people who have a positive impact on you, make you feel good and help you feel energized. At the same time let go of people who have a negative impact on you. Don't let negative people drag you down. Instead, maintain a good social relationships with people who genuinely care about you.

10. Stop ignoring signals that may indicate health problems

Listen to your body and to what it tells you. It's important to understand that it's much easier to prevent disease than treating it. The required energy for preventing disease is minor in comparison to the energy required to overcome it.