5 Habits to Break Before It's Too Late 

by Momlogic.com, on Mon Oct 19, 2009 7:03am PDT

by JJ Virgin

"Someday," you say, "I'm going to get myhealth back on track, after this next project," or "whenI get back from my cruise," or "when the kids get a little older" ... C'mon, you know your listof reasons -- or what I call EXCUSES -- better than I.

Look, if you're waiting for some magical day to appear, youjust may be waiting forever. These days do not "show up";you show up for THEM. I have identified five critical areas, badhabits that many people mindlessly follow. Do you realize that eachand every day of your life that you do not reverse these dangeroustrends, you get farther and farther from your ultimate goal ofliving a fulfilling life?

Take a look at each area, determine how you stack up,and then make the fix today:

1) Stealing from sleep:Studies show that a minimum of seven to nine hours of uninterruptedsleep (at night) are essential for health. Sleep is the time whenyour body repairs and recovers from all of the metabolicprocesses that your body performs every second. Sleepsupports healthy weight management, raises growthhormone, and heals the adrenals. If you are watching TV, working onyour PC, or otherwise stimulating yourself so that you are unableto go to sleep by 11 PM, then establish the Power Down Hour andturn to more relaxing activities like baths, light novels, orcuddling with a loved one (or pet!) at least an hour or two beforebedtime. Then ... retrain yourself to sleep through the night.

2) Skipping breakfast: How many times do you find yourself dashingout the door to start your day, only to discover that you forgot toeat? Listen, your body has just "fasted" overnight,and in order to fuel yourself for the day (and lower stresshormones), you must eat a balanced meal that includes proteins,fats, and carbohydrates. Otherwise, your body will turn on itselffor fuel, and it isn't fat but muscle that it's going totarget ... which will cascade into a very nasty sequence of healthconsequences that will make you fat, old, and tired before yourtime.

3) Blowing off exercise: If you think you can manage your health andweight through dietary means alone, it won't work. Period. Exercise is crucial for stimulating proper physical andhormonal response necessary for building muscle and bone, burningfat, letting you sleep, keeping you young, giving you energy -- thelist is endless. More important is the CORRECT type of exercise,which involves high-intensity interval training, along withresistance workouts. If you can't find 20-30 minutes a day toincorporate these exercises into your life (oh yeah, that is ALLyou need, by the way), then you can kiss your health goodbye.

4) Noshingat night: Strapping on the feedbag in the eveningsbasically signals your body to hold off on burning existing fatstores, raises stress hormones before bedtime, and screws up yourbody's natural digestive processes at a time when it should beready to shut down and repair. If you are eating in ahormonally-balanced way during your evening meal, there isabsolutely no need to munch afterward.

5) Not counting your beverages: One of the craziest things I encounter inmy work is the lack of consideration of high-calorie, high-sugardrinks in the diet. Yes, those healthy "Jumbo Juices,"designer coffee slurpees (hey, they may as well be, given all thesugar in them), and those harmless little cocktails every night,especially those fruit-flavored martini and tequila drinks, canreally pack on the pounds in a hurry. Make the switch to healthieroptions like iced green tea -- or, my favorite, Emergen-C -- forsome sparkling mineral replacements that not only satisfy, but alsofuel and nourish!