4 Little Everyday Things We Do That We Don’t Realise Impact Our Health Severely

Now, we all know some of the obvious things we shouldn’t do that will damage our body, such as smoking and taking drugs. I know, no duh right? However, there are still a lot of little things that we do daily that we don’t even realise actually affects our health adversely. We’ve compiled some here so you can berjaga-jaga next time!

1. Drinking out of bottles or mugs made from plastic
Edited from images sourced from: Alibaba & SPATZ

Why: Drinking and eating out of plasticware has been a long dispute between scientists, but it’s better safe than sorry!

• Tests conducted by the State University of New York found that 93% of bottled water samples are contaminated with microplastics.
• Bottles made out of Bisphenol A (BPA) can harm your body by decreasing fertility, affecting genital development, and increasing the risk of obesity!
• Users tend to have a habit of not washing plastic bottles which leads to bacteria build-up.

What you should do:

• Choose plastic bottles which are BPA-free or use stainless steel or glass bottles instead!
• Regularly wash your bottles with soap.

  2. Staying indoors too much

Source: Shutterstock & We Heart It

Whether it’s because you’re in the office for 9 hours a day, binge-watching Netflix over the weekend or even just plain tying to hide from the blazing hot Malaysian weather, staying indoors for long hours will actually affect your body. Here’s why:

• Not enough Sun exposure causes your body to not be able to calibrate your body ‘clock’, hence causing disruption to appetite and sleep cycles.
• It will lead to depression as sunlight actually increases your body’s serotonin levels.

What you should do:

• Get at least 45 minutes of Sun exposure in the morning. This helps knock your body out of sleep mode so you won’t feel so fatigued throughout the day.
• A study in the vitalizing effects of being outdoors and in nature published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology shows that spending time in nature boosts your physical and mental energy to go outdoors more often!

3. Being on your phone regularly

Source: Videoblocks

We all know being on social media too much is bad because you’re not really connecting with the present and that it’ll affect your eyes. However, did you know there’s a larger play at hand? Why:

• The nature of clicking through work and entertainment on your laptop or phone causes higher rates of anxiety and depression!
• Every time humans change their focus from one thing to another (e.g. doing work to check a text real quick), it’ll make your brain stumble which requires some time to get back to where it was before it was distracted. This is known as a “switch-cost” phenomenon and if you do it too frequently, you find yourself struggling with focus.
• It goes without saying that the nature of social media which ‘rewards’ users with likes causes depression due to people often comparing themselves to others, or ‘chasing the likes’!

What you should do:

• Disconnect for at least 24 hours a week. People who have tried these reports improvements to their mental health. This means stop checking your phone when you’re out eating or hanging with your friends!
• Stay focused on one task before answering that text or email that popped-up.

4. Tapau-ing food frequently

Source: CNN & Steemit

What can we say? Malaysian food is the best! With cheap prices and our busy schedule, it’s more convenient for us to tapau or just buy food on-the-go. I know ALL of us do it, but you might wanna think twice the next time you do! Why:

• Styrene (a component of polystyrene) is a harmful chemical which is classified as a carcinogen to humans which can leech into your food/drink.
• Food wrappers or containers that have a grease-resistant chemical coating (like ones used to wrap our nasi-lemak) may contain fluorinated compounds that could cause hormonal imbalance, decrease in fertility, and the risk of cancer.
• Pre-packaged meals are filled with sodium, preservatives and are usually high in trans fats which can lead to high blood pressure and liver damage!
• Oily, pre-packaged food and the food wraps themselves are harmful to our liver which carries out over 500 functions that help the human body.

What you should do:

• Order and eat in more regularly and avoid pre-packaged food!
• Bring your own container to pack your foods in.
• Take supplements such as Essentiale which will repair liver cells, restore liver function and regenerate the phospholipids in our liver cell membranes to ensure your liver is maintained healthy.

Did you know: 1 out of 5 Malaysians suffer from fatty liver!
Source: Hunterdon Gastroenterology Associates

AND you don’t even have to eat too much unhealthy food nor abuse alcohol to get this. Our liver carries out over 500 functions for the human body but here are the common things Malaysians do that may cause them to get fatty liver. Are you one of them too?

1. Intake of too much sugar and salt.
2. High alcohol consumption.
3. Drinking a lot of soft drinks.
4. Gaining weight.
5. Smoking.
6. Eating too much fatty/oily food.
7. Taking too much medication.
8. Or even just plain genetics!

Make sure you avoid unhealthy food and take supplements which are clinically proven to get your liver back on track! One recommendation is Essentiale which contains 300 mg of essential phospholipids (EPLs) that gets our liver back to its optimum level again.

The brand was even proven to reduce 50% of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) symptoms in patients in a study about the disease by the American Diabetes Association (ADA)!

If you’re wondering where you can grab Essentiale for yourself, you can do so by just going to any pharmacy or personal care store in Malaysia. For more info, you can read here. 

*Disclaimer: This is purely for your information and in no mean or way a substitute for a medical consultation. If you are suffering any health condition or in doubt please consult your doctor or physician before consuming any health supplements!

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