Some of the things you do-or don't do-every day might be sabotaging your efforts to be healthier. As you read the list of daily habits, don't be too hard on yourself and expect that you'll change all of these at once. The key to success is to slowly integrate change into your life. And if you fall off the wagon occasionally, don't fret or beat yourself up-it's more important that you get back on. Take a look at these 5 habits to see if there are any places you can make a healthy change.

1. Not Drinking Enough Water

Water accounts for 60 percent of our body so it's not too surprising that drinking water benefits your total body health. Staying hydrated helps to keep your memory sharp, your mood stable and your motivation intact. Keeping up with your fluids helps your skin stay supple, your body cool down when it's hot, allows your muscles and joints to work better and helps clean toxins from your body via your kidneys.

2. Eating Late at Night

There are a couple of reasons why you should think about moving your dinner hour earlier. Researchers suspect that the longer lapse between meals allows the body to process the food more efficiently. There is some research around intermittent fasting (where you space out your meals and eat in a shorter window), that suggests it may help with weight loss. (Learn more about intermittent fasting)

3. Not Getting Enough Exercise

Physical activity has lots and lots of health benefits (seriously, the list goes on and on). Not only does it keep you looking and feeling great, but exercising regularly can help you lose weight and boost your energy. Exercising regularly can also help you live longer. Additionally, exercise keeps your heart healthy; lowers your risk of some types of chronic disease, such as breast cancer and some aggressive forms of prostate cancer; improves blood flow to your brain, keeping you sharp; and helps with blood sugar control.

4. Cooking Everything in Olive Oil

Even though olive oil is packed with heart-healthy antioxidants (called polyphenols) and monounsaturated fats, there are times when it's not the best choice for cooking. Why? Because olive oil has a lower smoke point than some other oils (that's the point at which an oil literally begins to smoke and olive oil's is between 365° and 420°F). Don't miss our guide to the best healthy oils for cooking.

5. Eating Too Much Sodium

On average person, eat about 1,000 mg more sodium each day than we should. One of the easiest ways to cut your sodium intake is to cook at home using fresh ingredients. Restaurant foods and processed foods both tend to be very high in sodium. To trim your sodium intake even further, try boosting the flavor of food cooked at home with herbs and spices rather than salt.

Media Contact:

Allison Grey
Journal Manager
Journal of Infectious Diseases and Diagnosis
Email: jidd@microbialjournals.com