Habits That Seem Good but Are Harmful to Health

You should not brush your teeth after every meal or take nutritional supplements on your own.

1. Frequent cleaning with harsh chemicals

If you have a habit of scrubbing floors and cleaning furniture daily with harsh chemicals, this is not good for your long-term health. Cleaning products for bathrooms and kitchens often contain high levels of benzyl, polyethylene, and sodium hypochlorite, which can be harmful with frequent and high doses. You can opt for milder cleaners like washing soda, lemon, or vinegar as alternatives.

If you have the habit of washing your hands with soap or hand sanitizer at any moment after touching anything, you should also limit this. Unless you are working in a special environment that requires high sterilization, like hospitals or research labs. A recent study indicates that disinfectants containing triclosan can promote bacteria and antibiotic resistance.

2. Brushing teeth after every meal

This may seem like a good habit for maintaining healthy teeth, but it is not. Right after you eat, acids penetrate the tooth enamel. Brushing your teeth at the wrong time (especially within 20 minutes after eating) will push the acid deeper into the teeth, eroding enamel and dentin more quickly than the natural process.

To remove food stuck on your teeth, you should only rinse your mouth with water, use dental floss, and brush your teeth in the morning and at night. When brushing your teeth, use circular motions, as this will remove harmful bacteria between the gums and teeth. Brushing back and forth can leave harmful bacteria, leading to gum disease.

You should not brush your teeth immediately after meals to avoid damaging tooth enamel. (Photo: Fitnea)

3. Skipping meals to enjoy the next meal more

Women often skip meals to lose weight, save money, or to have a better appetite for the next meal. This is not a major issue as long as you know how to allocate energy properly. If you skip breakfast or lunch, you may experience cravings, leading to overeating afterward. A smarter solution is to have nutritious snacks and divide them into smaller meals.

When you skip breakfast, your body will mobilize all the reserves from the previous day, leading to fatigue, an empty stomach, and undigested gastric juices, which can cause inflammation or ulcers.

4. Only drinking bottled water

You may think this is the safest way to consume water, but it is not entirely true. Bottled water does not contain fluoride, leading to a deficiency that can cause tooth decay. Not to mention, many bottles may not be recycled and reused multiple times, posing a health risk for users.

5. Taking nutritional supplements

Many people feel tired and take nutritional supplements without truly understanding their effects. For example, high doses of Vitamin A can be toxic to fetuses, excessive Vitamin C can cause digestive issues and interact with diabetes medications, while too much Vitamin B6 can lead to nerve damage… Instead of taking supplements indiscriminately, you should eat more foods rich in natural nutrients.

6. Washing hands too many times with antibacterial soap

75% of hand soaps contain triclosan, a chemical that has not been thoroughly researched.

Currently, there are very few studies showing that washing hands with antibacterial soaps is more effective at removing bacteria than washing with water or regular soap. According to research from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), about 75% of hand soaps contain triclosan, a chemical that has not been comprehensively studied.

The FDA also states: “Some short-term studies in animals indicate that high-dose exposure to triclosan may reduce thyroid hormone levels.”

Other studies have shown that triclosan promotes the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

7. Focusing on eating low-fat foods

For decades, American doctors and nutritionists have thought that fat is the root cause of obesity and cardiovascular diseases. However, recent studies show that a low-fat diet is not an effective way to lose weight.

Trans fats can cause heart disease, but unsaturated fats found in fish, avocados, and olive oil can improve health, reduce triglycerides, cholesterol, and blood pressure, while also enhancing brain health.

8. Drinking juice for detox

Currently, there is very little scientific evidence that drinking low-fiber fruit and vegetable juices helps eliminate toxins. Juices may cleanse the body and help with temporary weight loss. However, they are not the “superfood” that many people believe. Juices contain high sugar content but lack fiber, fats, and proteins, which can be harmful to those with underlying health conditions like diabetes, osteoporosis, and anemia. The lack of fiber can also lead to digestive problems such as constipation and diarrhea.

9. Only doing cardio

Experts recommend that those wanting to lose weight should not only do cardio.

High-intensity exercises (cardio) such as running, cycling, swimming, or basketball help burn calories, enhance cardiovascular health, and reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. However, experts recommend that those wanting to lose weight should not only do cardio.

To lose weight healthily, individuals should combine cardio with resistance and endurance training. This can accelerate body improvement processes and weight management while reducing the risk of depression, diabetes, and preventing back pain.

10. Overusing protein bars

Protein bars (also known as energy bars) are foods high in protein and low in sugar. However, the sweeteners in these foods can lead to bloating, stomach pain, and gas. Protein bars often lack healthy ingredients and mostly rely on isolated soy protein, a vegetarian protein source stripped of other nutrients.

These energy bars do not use artificial sweeteners, and their sugar content is comparable to that of regular candies.

11. Skipping meals

For those newly losing weight or wanting to lose weight quickly, skipping meals is the easiest way to cut down on calorie intake. However, this is not a sustainable long-term solution, as it can lead to the loss of important nutrients, causing fatigue throughout the day, lack of focus, and irritability. It also decreases appetite for other meals.

Experts recommend eating three balanced meals a day to lose weight scientifically.

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