Life Tips Daily

Do you have some bad habits that are taking over? It’s time for some new, better habits to rule your roost. The following are five things that you can phase out of your home or life in order to improve your quality of life. You may enjoy how you feel without them so much that you keep them banished forever.

Cola (pop, soda)
How can one drink cause so much turmoil? Surely something that bubbles and fizzes can’t be bad? The sad truth is it is, and you probably already know it. It has been reported in various places that one can of pop (355ml) contains at least 9 teaspoons of sugar (source 1, source 2, source 3), not to mention the calories these drinks have.

Sneaky cheat: switch to a diet version of your favourite fizzy drinks en route to getting to pop-free status.

Whole milk
Don’t worry, parents of young children, I’m not talking to you. Milk in Canada is sold according to the percentage of milk fat it contains. “Whole” milk contains 3.25% milk fat, and there is 2%, 1% and 0% (skim) milk fat milk sold too. My family has moved from 3.25% milk to 1% milk and I can’t remember either transition (it was gradual, though, and happened over a number of years: from 3.25% to 2%, then from 2% to 1%). While 1% and 2% milk are both still opaque, skim (or 0%) milk looks more watery and this is one of the reasons I have not yet made the transition. However, it is possible.

Sneaky cheat: get somebody else in the household to make the switch without telling you. I bet you won’t notice it as much as you may think!

Ordering takeout (often)
This is a good switch to make for your wallet if you find that nights when you “just don’t feel like cooking” happen far more often than nights when you actually cook. By ordering less, and cooking more, you get to develop your culinary flair, control the contents of your meal, including calories, amount of fat, and how the food is prepared, and don’t forget the savings that you’ll see in your wallet too: ordering in less often generally means that you’ll be able to save more money.

Sneaky cheat: buy partially prepared foods in the grocery store to help you out–pre-chopped vegetables, cheese that is already grated and bags of washed and tosses salad are all great ways to save yourself some time without getting something unhealthy and expensive to eat.

Junk food
Self explanatory–eating junk food is like treating your body like a garbage can. The effects of an unhealthy diet not only result in extra pounds (or tens of pounds if we’re honest) on your body, but your skin reflects what goes in: acne or other skin imperfections are often signs of a poor diet, and don’t forget how sluggish unhealthy food can make you feel.

Sneaky cheat: look for low fat and low calorie versions of your favourite treats as you phase out the junk food items completely.

Hours upon hours of television watching
While imitating the couch potato, you will turn into a potato! If you ever catch yourself watching a show because the tv is still on after the last (seven) shows that you watched, it’s time to make a change! Set a limit for the amount of television that you “must” watch. When the show(s) is(are) over, turn off the television. Instead of sitting on the couch, mourning the end of your tv viewing, do something else–go for a walk, organize your junk drawer, call up a friend, write a letter. Your time in front of the tv will seem so wasteful when you see all that you can accomplish–you may even voluntarily cut your tv time further!

Sneaky cheat: get rid of cable television! By limiting the number of channels you have access to, you’re sure to find the shows now available to you boring and you may even turn off the television voluntarily.

bad habits, better habits, break bad habits, quality of life