We all know we’re supposed to avoid smoking, drinking and excessive eating, but dangers to our health can sometimes come from completely unexpected sources. While taking care of ourselves regularly is something every responsible person is supposed to do, how many of us are really aware of what kind of effect our surroundings have on us? It’s kind of annoying to think that simple, everyday things are out to get us, but hey, if you know what they are, you can avoid them. Just so you wouldn’t think we don’t care about you, here’s a list of things that can have some major impact on your health.
Skinny jeans
Don’t we all kind of long for days when you could go to the store and find jeans that weren’t sausage casings for your legs? Sure, sometimes they look really sexy, but you want to be really careful because pants that are too tight and restricting can cause numbness, stinging sensations, and even lead to a condition called meralgia paresthetica from the nerve damage experienced by continuous pressure. So, the next time you need new jeans, consider straight or tapered leg instead of skinnies.
Vitamin C
Most of the vitamin C tablets you can find are made from ascorbic acid. Regular pills are pretty okay (although potentially useless), but those little chewable tablets can be pretty damaging to your teeth, as the acid can strip the soft layers on the surface of your teeth and degrade the quality of enamel.
Smartphones
You probably figured this one out on your own, but smartphones can be pretty bad for our mental and physical health. They lead to increased number of people with back problems, accidents on the road, increased obesity rates, depression, anxiety and they can even mess up our sleep cycle and make it hard to relax. The phones are not the Devil, and you shouldn’t stop using them all together. Merely reduce the time you spend staring at the shiny screen and go outside a bit. You know, the fresh air, the birds, the flowers, all that good stuff is outside. Even other people! In case you hate other people, well, you’re out of luck.
Staying indoors
Introverts just can’t seem to get a break here. Staying indoors most of the time makes it unlikely that you’ll be getting enough vitamin D, and this can lead to all sorts of problems from cardiovascular disease, to the lack of sex drive. Low levels of vitamin D mean less testosterone, which in turn means that you’ll be relying on your vast intellect to woo your partner, and when was the last time that worked out for you?
Chocolate
What? Now we’re taking away chocolate? We’re monsters, we know. But, you need to be wary, because the cacao plant has the ability to absorb lead from air and soil, and often times becomes contaminated in the process. Some companies have nine times more lead in their chocolate than is safe, but the biggest danger comes from feeding this chocolate to our kids. Lead can impair their development and lower their IQ, but luckily, there are plenty of brands out there that are perfectly safe.
Showering
Nothing like a steaming hot shower after a long day at work. That’s great, but frequent showering can actually make you more susceptible to getting diseases because it strips off our skin’s top layer and makes it easier for microorganisms to get through. It’s amazing how many things in your own bathroom can damage your health, really. Even the skincare products you use can have some toxic elements that are really bad for you, so do keep an eye out for those as well.
Don’t worry, once you know what to look out for, avoiding these things can be pretty easy. The more you learn, the better chance you’ll have to stay healthy and happy.
