FALL-ing Out of Bad Habits: Five Bad Habits to Overcome this Fall

September 19, 2017

It’s easy during the summer season to slack on maintaining a healthy, more efficient lifestyle. Whether you’re a student, in the workforce, a parent, or a little bit of it all, summer is the time to relax. Between traveling for vacations, celebrating holidays or spending time with friends and family, there’s not much focus on being healthy. Summer is great, but Fall is here and it’s time to get back to reality. Here are five bad habits to overcome this fall season:

1) Portion Control

When eating out, restaurants tend to give more food than you can stomach. The problem is, people will prepare to overeat when they go out to eat. It’s okay to have leftovers! Eating out is convenient, fast and satisfying. The issue is, these yummy restaurants dishes have bigger portions and more calories. When you go out to eat- know when you’re full and then, ask for a to-go box!

2) Eating Too Late

The American Heart Association reported sleeping on a full stomach elevates your blood glucose and blood insulin levels the next morning. Several studies say finishing your last meal by 6 p.m. is the most beneficial for your health but, let’s be real, most of us don’t get a chance to sit down until 6 p.m. To give you a more realistic approach, studies also say, as long as your last meal is two hours before you go to bed, then it won’t affect your health.

3) Stick to a Sleep Schedule

The average adult needs eight hours of sleep per night. Not only is getting those eight hours important but also going to bed at a decent hour. When you’re not getting enough sleep, you have less energy to exercise and less energy to put effort into your eating choices. Studies show that sleep-deprived people are more likely to become obese. This is the part that counts when it comes to your eating schedule. We’ve all heard it before, “eating breakfast is the most important meal of the day!” If you wake up early and have time to make a strong, nutritious breakfast, it’ll make a huge impact on the productivity of your day.

4) Cut Caffeine to the Curb

The most important thing about limiting caffeine intake is cutting back gradually. Withdrawing from caffeine can cause severe headaches, fatigue, and inability to focus, so it’s important to cut back slowly and effectively. Studies say caffeine can increase heart rate, blood pressure, and stress. When trying to become the healthiest version of yourself, caffeine is going to be a bigger burden than an advantage.

5) Manage Your Time Wisely

The famous phrase, “there’s just not enough hours in the day” is how most of us feel regularly. Well, my advice to you is cut out the things that do not matter. It’s important to take one day at a time. Don’t overload your daily schedule, don’t procrastinate and don’t stress if you can’t get everything done. Focus on the necessities and then, tackle the rest. Making healthy eating choices, exercising and sleeping regularly and completing tasks in a balanced schedule will allow you to be more productive, more motivated and less stressed.