health habits

Posted: September 28, 2010 at 7:39 pm

I like to think I follow a healthy lifestyle. I strive to live a life of balance that includes physical wellness as well as mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness. Focusing on each of these brings me to a place where I feel truly healthy. I am a happy person with energy to enjoy life. My tag line for the blog even states these feelings. That there is more to life than diet and workouts (which I just updated my header to include – check it out).

However, even knowing I live a healthy lifestyle, I admit to forgetting about some aspects of healthy living. MSN put out a list, provided by SELF, showcasing 7 of women’s most unhealthy habits. Check them out:

1. Don’t have a regular doctor.
2. Wear 3 –5 inch heels on a regular basis.
3. Addicted to caffeine.
4. Sleep only 6 hours a night.
5. Don’t floss that often.
6. Listen to IPod all day long.
7. On the phone 24/7, even at the wheel.

I fall guilty to a few of them. I do not have a regular general practitioner. I go to my girly doctor check-ups religiously, but regular physical appointments just don’t happen. I don’t feel the need to go, which is ridiculous. I also succumb to not getting enough sleep. I would say 6 hours a night is fairly standard for me. I know I feel best with 7 or 8, but still tend to get only six hours. Lastly, I am about 50/50 with the caffeine and phone. I do a lot of talking on my phone when driving and will likely turn to caffeine once I’m no longer pregnant. I regularly drank 2 cups per day before pregnancy. I guess this just goes to show that there is always room for improvement, huh? And sometimes on the most simple things too!

One simple thing I do not need help with, however, is cooking. I can manage simple meals. I specialize in simple meals. Did you know I have my doctorate degree in quick and healthy dinners? Yep, sure do! I determined tonight “Sister Sandwich Night”. After making this simple sandwich for lunch one day last week, I knew I wanted to recreate it for dinner. What better night than when I knew I would be getting home late from my dentist appointment.

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I used the hummus, tomato, onion, avocado, baby bella mushrooms, pickles, and swiss cheese – pressed between two slices of whole wheat Earth Grains bread. Plated up alongside a pile of my favorite veggie – roasted brussels.

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A perfect meal for my post-dental-traumatic-stress-disordered night. Now time to watch The Biggest Loser and do some web searching for a restaurant for next week’s special sister night that is part of a BlogHer review. See ya in the morning!

  • Do any of the 7 unhealthy habits listed above apply to you?
  • What is your favorite simple dinner?

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54 Comments to “health habits”
  1. A couple of those apply to me also – i haven’t found a gp that I totally love so I’ve kind of been switching around but I do try and get bloodwork and such every year.And also can’t forget I do love caffeine!

  2. feener says:

    ok, i NEVER floss…and i need to

    • Tina says:

      Flossing is one of the ones that I do make myself do. It stems from my hatred of the dentist and attempting to make it easier when I do go. LOL

  3. emily says:

    I dont floss….but brush my teeth 4-5 times a day.

    I drink way too much caffeine (diet coke and coffee)

    So those are my unhealthy habits.

  4. Natalie says:

    Mine is the caffeine thing. I only have 2 cups of coffee each morning but I am totally addicted! IHowever, I am a big flosser, so I think I should get some bonus points 🙂

    • Tina says:

      That’s like me. I love coffee and cannot wait to have it again. You would think I would get used to going without and just keep it up. Nope! I will drink coffee again. I agree for bonus points for flossing. I rarely miss flossing my teeth.

  5. Dawn says:

    That sandwich looks so good!

    I don’t have a regular doctor either – never have, not even when I was a kid. I guess as part of my newfound commitment to my health, finding a doctor and getting checked up is the next logical step in my progression, but bleh. I don’t want to.

    I used to be addicted to caffeine but I’ve kicked that habit – mostly. And I’m not so great with the flossing, although I’m getting better.

  6. WOW! I’m happily surprised to say that I don’t do any of those things except the caffeine 🙂

    1. Don’t have a regular doctor- I love my PCP and we check in at least once per year. I’m lucky that she’s my OBGYN, too.
    2. Wear 3 –5 inch heels on a regular basis.- I’m a tall girl! At 5’9″, you don’t need heels. Plus, they hurt! I don’t know how most women do it!
    3. Addicted to caffeine.- I only started this one a few months ago out of necessity. My doctor prescribed caffeine pills to me (I know!), which I nixed in favor of hot, black coffee.
    4. Sleep only 6 hours a night.- If I don’t get 8, I turn into a werewoman. And it ain’t pretty.
    5. Don’t floss that often.- My boyfriend is fastidious when it comes to oral hygiene, so he got me into a good flossing routine. Now, it’s second nature.
    6. Listen to IPod all day long.- Only on commutes, and never too loud! I need to hear announcements and if someone is yelling at me for stepping on their toes wif my giant 5’9″ self.
    7. On the phone 24/7, even at the wheel.- I hate talking on the phone, to be honest. And I don’t drive 🙂

    • Tina says:

      You get a gold star! 😉 That’s awesome that most of those habits aren’t an issue for you. Many of them are so simple to get a handle on, but people just don’t. I know I’m one.

  7. Katherine says:

    I definitely have my addiction to caffeine!

    Flossing is actually something that is not that hard to make a habit. I buy those little single use flosser (make sure it’s a brand that says it’s easy glide. I’ve tried some brands that HURT to use.) and cannot go to bed without flossing. I used to NEVER floss so you can definitely change your ways with that!

    And wow, that sandwich looks amazing!!!

  8. Interesting list! I’ve made sleep more of a priority bc I know I can’t function if I get less than 7 hours a night on a regular basis. However, I don’t have a regular doctor right now either- no insurance.
    Your sandwich looks amazing- I love veggie sandwiches 🙂

  9. Lauren says:

    I LOVE paninis – yours looks awesome!

    I definitely drink too much caffeine, which makes sense since I work at a coffee shop :/ I get free drinks during my shifts + free coffee & tea any other time, so it’s easy to overdo it.

    I don’t have a regular doctor, either – I just moved, and in grad school I’d go to the student health center and see whoever. Finding a doctor you like (or even beginning to look for one) is tricky!

  10. Sarah says:

    That sandwich looks delish 🙂

    I’m guilty of a few of those: the lack of sleep, caffeine, and not flossing (only about once a week-I do brush my sleep). I do have a PCP and I’m way too lazy to wear 3-5 inch heels…my legs are sore from working out…I don’t need the extra workout…lol.

    • Tina says:

      I don’t get how people can wear heels. I can’t stand wearing them for a few hours! Probably because my legs are sore already a lot of the time. LOL

  11. ashleigh says:

    I guess the only unhealthy habit I have on that list is the caffeine.. I love my coffee 🙂 Not sure if I’m addicted but I do enjoy it. I hate talking on the phone though so I don’t have to worry about that one!

  12. I wear heels, drink caffeine, multitask on my phone, dont sleep enough…Im sure Im going to an early grave. KIDDING! Actually, I feel great; it’s about making due, making choices, at times in our lives when we’re super busy and trying to make the most of life given the circumstances. Great post Tina!

    • Tina says:

      Yea I can see the health concerns with some of these but there are definitely more important ones. I think diet is #1 in affecting our health honestly. So if thats the case, you will live to 2000! 😉

  13. Sava says:

    I do love my caffeine, and I do not talk on the phone EVER but I do text CONSTANTLY. I feel naked without it!

    (So it’s probably a yes on addiction to the phone)

  14. Camille says:

    I am addicted to caffeine. Aside from that, I don’t fall in any of those categories! I am proud of me!

  15. ML says:

    I used to never floss, up until a month ago when I got hit with a huge dental bill. You’d think I’d have listened before, as this is my 2nd huge bill in 4 years! Now I’m a religious flosser :).

    • Tina says:

      I feel you. A big motivator for me flossing is my hatred of the dentist and not wanting to deal with him more than I have to.

  16. Katrina says:

    Thank you so much for stopping by my blog! I just spent some time looking at yours and I’m hooked! I really enjoyed the “about” page. I can relate to quite a few things you mentioned and found myself nodding my head in agreement.
    I just finished the second half of Biggest Loser so I need to get to sleep. I hope to get 6 hours before I get up for a crossfit class. Not getting enough sleep is BY FAR my biggest health issue. I just can’t seem to get more than 4-6 and I know my health suffers.

  17. sophia says:

    This is me:

    1. Don’t have a regular doctor: don’t have a doctor, period.
    2. Wear 3 –5 inch heels on a regular basis: NO way, try flip-flops.
    3. Addicted to caffeine: heck yes.
    4. Sleep only 6 hours a night: uh, less, other times twice more.
    5. Don’t floss that often: never do, ack.
    6. Listen to IPod all day long: only in the mornings
    7. On the phone 24/7, even at the wheel: never on the phone, I hate talking on the phone

    I scored 4/7. Whoops.

  18. I don’t floss very often, am addicted to caffeine and don’t get enough sleep. I also chat on the phone while driving (even though I used to swear I never would).

  19. OMG your sandwiches are the real deal, they look amazing 😉 I will have to confess to the bad habit of too much caffeine, with about 2-3 cups a day. I am working on making that less. One the other front, I am trying to get more sleep (7-8 hrs) and staying away from the ipod all the time. Interesting list to make some improvement, thanks for sharing!

  20. Shannon says:

    Finding a primary care doctor and a dentist are on my to do list this week. When I mived a year and a half ago, I was slow finding both. Then I got pregnant and had regular appointments with my ob/gyn. Now that I’m no longer pregnant (!!!) I need to get on the ball with finding a doctor and a dentist. My health is more important than ever now that I have someone depending on me to be healthy and strong!

  21. Kristy says:

    Yes! I love avacado on sammies! And toasted – yum!

  22. Cynthia says:

    I never floss either. And even though I have a GP, I have never had a physical done. Though, I do plan on getting one of those done in October.

  23. Angela says:

    A couple of those apply to me too. I don’t have a regular doctor yet (for the last 4 years I just used the university’s health services, but now that i’m not a student that’s not going to work any more!) i usually get about 7 hours of sleep, and i wouldn’t say i’m addicted to caffeine, but i do notice when i haven’t had any! and flossing… well… let’s just say that i could certainly afford to do it more!

  24. I can honestly say that I am not guilty of any of the 7 most common addictions. I usually get 7-8 hours of sleep, floss almost every day, wear flats almost every day or a kitten heel, am rarely on the phone (just not my thing), I would consider myself a hypochondriac at times so I see doctors…regularly for check ups, don’t own an Ipod (lost one 2 years ago and never bought another), and caffeine…don’t drink coffee, sometimes tea but not often! This makes me feel good but I do have a slight problem with sugar, it’s hard for me to resist! So I would say that should be added to most women’s list as well!! haha

    • Tina says:

      Oh agreed. Sugar is probably my biggest vice. I feel like I have to have some in some form basically every day. Not much, but still some.

  25. Heather says:

    i definitely don’t floss as often as i should, but i’m actually in the process of changing that habit thank goodness!

  26. I have caffeine and flossing issues…but working on it!

  27. I’m short so I almost always wear heels and I don’t floss as often as I should. That sandwich sounds (and looks) yummy. I woke up around 2am starved and was thinking of a grilled sandwich.

  28. I’m pretty much guilty of 1-5. If I didn’t have to spend so much time on the phone, I’m sure 6 would also be included… geez!

    Although lately, I’ve been really working on trying to get closer to 7 hours than 6! It’s always a battle against the clock on that one.

  29. skinnyrunner says:

    the caffeine would be my vice. i dont want to use the word addicted but it’s probably true…

  30. Man, oh, man, I’m guilty of a few of those, too!

    I do not get enough sleep (though I’m REALLY trying to change that) and I also do not have a general practitioner because when I moved to Pittsburgh i just haven’t been happy with the two doctors I’ve gone to (just for routine check-ups). I hardly ever get sick (knock on wood!) and, like you, don’t feel the need to go, but I know it’s an important part of PREVENTATIVE medicine to get regular check-ups, so I’m still searching.

    As for the flossing, I’m slacking on that,too, but have been keeping my floss on the counter lately to remind me to do it. It takes 2 minutes and there really is no excuse not to floss daily. I’m going to challenge myself to do it everyday until I make it a habit:)

  31. Penny Lane says:

    I don’t have a regular doctor 🙁 and I consume two cups of caffiene a day, not that I consider that excessive. My go to quick meal would be anything with hummus. I really love a tortilla slathered with hummus a slice of cheese and roasted veggies.

  32. I am probably not great with the caffeine (I love my coffee), I don’t go for regular check ups anymore (I am over doctors at the moment) and I don’t sleep enough. I try to be as healthy as possible though! I love sandwiches, omelets, waffles and pancakes for easy healthy meals! We has brussels sprouts too last night…Max really wanted them. Crazy 9 year old that he is. Enjoy the weather today!

  33. I think this just goes to show you that even the healthiest people can always improve. I’d still give you an A though.

  34. oh mann I haven’t had a grilled sandwich in so long! And roasted brussels are my favorite veggie too 😀

    As far as the list goes, I def. fall under #1, 3, and 7. How can I call myself a ‘healthy-living-blogger’…

  35. I definitely think our current culture and lifestyles are not supporting healthy habits. We are moving too fast and trying to do too many things. I know that I myself end up falling short in many of these areas. Thanks for the reminder, Tina!

  36. I actually did pretty well on that list — except for sleep and flossing 🙁

    I am amazed at how many people I know who don’t go to their doctor regularly — I go every year and now it is just routine.

    I agree with other commenters who wrote that we are all trying to do too much and it makes it difficult to slow down and live well, you know?

    My favorite easy go-to dinner is eggs/toast. Simple, super easy and I always have the ingredients in the house!

  37. I really don’t have a general doctor either and quite frankly I really do believe that I don’t need one. Whenever I feel the need I’ll go see one:)

  38. Oh yeah I do not floss often.

    Luckily I do not like to talk on the phone, require insane amounts of sleep, hate my doctor but have one, drink only water ever, and am too tall/clumsy to fathom wearing anything but flats.

    Seriously heels are crazy, and I am envious of women that can wear them regularly!

  39. OH ALSO that sandwich looks INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  40. I am a coffee fiend – 3 cups a day for me. Also guilty of: not flossing, wearing heels a lot and not making sleep a priority. Not shabby but could use some work!

    My sisters and I do what we call “Sister Lunch” at least once a month. We love it and it’s nice to sit down and talk w/ my sisters instead of emailing or texting. It’s really special for us.

  41. Jebbica says:

    That’s a good-looking sandwich! Is that the Sabra Roasted Red Pepper? That’s my favorite one. I have used it on pitas before but haven’t thought about putting it on a sandwich. Also, I am guilty of #1, #3, and #4. And what’s wrong with listening to the iPod all day long? :p

  42. Meg says:

    I am the worst about flossing. And wearing heels too much, which is especially bad for me since I have a bad ankle. 🙁

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