Shawdesh Desk:

Getting rid of these harmful habits can improve our health dramatically.

Our overall health is the sum total of many habits that we form over months and years. What we eat, how we sleep, move our body and manage our stress can have long-term implications on our well-being.

Ayurveda expert Dr Dixa Bhavsar Savaliya of India talks about habits that you need to get rid of in order to be healthy:

1. Eating without hunger

“Hunger is a sign that your previous meal is digested well. When you eat without appetite- you’re over burdening your liver. The best rule you need to follow is to eat only when you are hungry. Avoiding eating when you are hungry and eating without hunger can disturb your gut and reduce your metabolism,” says Dr Savaliya.

2. Going to bed late

Many of us end our day quite late and go to bed past midnight trying to unwind, looking at our smartphone screens. Instead of staying late at night, one can use the early morning time for self-care and rejuvenation, which will also work wonders for your overall health.

“Best time to sleep is by 10 pm. 10 pm until 2 am is pitta dominant time means your metabolism is at its peak. If you stop eating at 7-7:30 pm and sleep early, it allows your digestive fire to digest everything you’ve eaten throughout the day and facilitates optimum liver detox which helps you maintain your weight, sugar levels, energy and most importantly your body’s capacity to absorb nutrition from the food you eat,” says Dr Savaliya.

3. Eating post 9 pm

Eating late at night can actually affect your metabolism negatively and in long run one may invite chronic diseases like diabetes and high cholesterol.

“It’s best to have dinner before sunset or within one hour of sunset or maximum by 8 pm. Late dinners probably post 9 pm can disturb your metabolism, liver detox and even you sleep. It can lead to diabetes, cholesterol, obesity, heart issues over a period of time,” says Dr Savaliya.

4. Multi-tasking

We all are guilty of multi-tasking at some point or the other. Some do it more than others and are thus at increased risk of health issues.

“Multi-tasking increases excess cortisol (stress hormone) in the body which makes you more prone to auto-immune and lifestyle disorders. Doing one thing at a time mindfully improves your working efficacy, reduces stress and also makes you feel more content and peaceful at the end of day,” says the expert.

5. Over-exercising

It’s true that one needs to be healthy and fit in order to feel energetic and maintain overall health. But it doesn’t mean that we do not listen to our body signals and exhaust ourselves.

“Exercising more than one’s capacity can exhaust you, lead to bleeding disorders, dyspnoea, cough, fever, excessive thirst and even vomiting. Maximum exercise can be done in cold season until one’s half strength. This is indicated by sweating on forehead, palms and thighs. If we over-indulge in exercise beyond our body’s capacity without taking nutritious diet, it can lead to severe Vata aggravation, tissue loss and poor agni. So, moderation is the key,” advises Dr Savaliya.

Getting rid of these five habits and the basics right can lead to dramatic improvement in your overall health.

Source: Hindustan Times