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Let’s begin this blog by wishing you a Happy April Fool’s Day. Today is the day to play pranks, and fool people. But just before you go on fooling the world, please note you must not fool yourself. Don’t fool yourself into believing that you are leading a healthy lifestyle. There are times when we lie to ourselves, let alone others when we find it difficult to accept the truth. It’s not that we are oblivious to the truth, it’s just that these lies comfort us.
So, if you say you’re leading a healthy lifestyle with a cigarette in hand, yes you are fooling yourself. This April Fool’s Day, we’ll uncover some of the most common lies we tell ourselves in the name of being healthy.
“I worked out, so I can have a burger today”
Remember, you cannot outrun an unhealthy diet with excessive workouts. You pulled off a good workout, good job, kudos to you. Celebrate this victory, but not with unhealthy foods. You’re rounding your vigorous workouts to zero if you go on eating unhealthy food.
Remember, for successful and healthy weight loss, you have to be in a calorie deficit. This means you have to burn more than you consume.
Having junk food once in a while is okay, but that ‘once in a while’ can’t be multiple times a week. Let this be a rule of thumb you follow in your weight loss journey.
“I just smoke one cigarette a day”
Yes, you may be doing better than your peers or friends when it comes to smoking. They may be smoking a pack of cigarettes daily, and you may be smoking one, but you’re not doing your health any good this way either. Had you said that you don’t smoke, it would have been worth a pat on the back.
Here’s a friendly reminder, one puff or one cigarette, you’re taking in slow poison that can kill you any day. Smoking cannot only cause cancer, but also a variety of fatal health issues such as heart attacks, and lung failure, to name a few.
So, if you are to tell the world that you live a healthy lifestyle, start by boycotting smoking. It’s never too late to quit, whether you are in your 20s, 30s, 40s or 50s. You’ll be doing your health wonders if you stop today. You’ll begin to see improvements in your health in a matter of time.
“I pamper myself with red wine because it is good for health”
It’s okay if you pamper yourself with a glass of wine every once in a while, but if you do it multiple times a week, no you are not doing your health any favours. While there is no denying that wine contains resveratrol which has some heart-healthy benefits, you cannot call wine “healthy”. It still needs to be taken in moderation to avoid health risks.
“I am following a crash diet”
Yes, you may be on a quest to lose weight, but if you are opting for crash diets to get fast results, you’re not going to lose weight healthily. Remember, your body needs essential vitamins and minerals to function smoothly. If you are not giving it that, you’re inviting health issues. Some immediate effects of crash diets include hair fall, dull skin and lethargy. Just so you know, losing weight is still possible if you feed your body the right nutrients. So, don’t forget to take care of macronutrients while losing weight.
“I do fine on 5 hours of sleep”
You’re going to work, coming back home, managing it all on 5 hours of sleep. You may think that you’re doing fine but you are not. This inadequate sleep will catch up with you and manifest in lethargy, unproductivity and lack of focus.
Yes, you may be surviving on a 5-hour sleep, but you’re not exactly living healthily. You are not utilising your body’s full potential. This potential can only be realised if you have adequate sleep every night, i.e., 8 hours a day.
“I am active, so I don’t really need to exercise”
What does “active” mean for you? No, it doesn’t mean commuting from work to home, and back and forth. Neither does it mean going floor to floor at work.
When you say you’re leading an active lifestyle, it includes exercising and walking 10,000+ steps a day. Even a 20-30 minute workout 5 days a week is enough and beneficial for your health. You’ll be living a longer and healthier life.
“My diet is rich in vitamins, I take multivitamins”
Multivitamins are not substitutes for a healthy diet. Your primary source of essential vitamins and minerals should be your diet; supplements are secondary. Aim to take a healthy diet first, and follow with supplements as per your doctor’s advice.
For instance, if you are a vegetarian, you may be deficient in Vitamin B12, this is where multivitamins can come in.
“I don’t need a health checkup if I feel fine”
Health issues can be silent and they may reveal themselves in health emergencies. So, health checkups are vital to ensure that your body is working as it should.
It’s not like health checkups are going to create new health issues for you, they’ll only help in the diagnosis. Once the diagnosis is there, you can connect with your doctor to manage those health issues just in time. But if you aren’t aware of these issues, they can manifest as health emergencies, when the damage is already done.
Closing thoughts
So, let us ask you again, are you leading a healthy lifestyle? We hope you answer after careful reflection and keeping these points in mind. If you believe truth shall prevail, let it start with your own health. Remember, it is never too late to make changes. You’re not too far gone. It’s a good day to start – it is the first day of the month after all.
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