So and so in the office said that was good for you. So did your best friend … and your grandma. Guess what. They’re wrong!
You may have heard how antibacterial hand sanitizer could be bad for you, but taking nutritional supplements? Brushing your teeth after meals? Who knew being clean and healthy came with such risks? See below for some of the most surprising we saw in “9 Habits That Can Do More Harm Than Good,” by Amanda Greene on Yahoo!…
1. Brushing your teeth after every meal: OK, so we don’t do this after lunch everyday, but we never guessed it could be a bad thing to do. According to the Yahoo! Shine article, “Food can leave acid on your teeth, which can weaken the enamel, ‘and brushing while the enamel is in a weakened state can actually scrub the enamel away,’ according to Greg Diamond, DDS, a New York City periodontist. Opt for rinsing your mouth out with water instead. Another warning: You should brush only in a circular motion, as doing so up and down or left to right can leave behind bacteria, leading to gum disease.
2. Doing only cardio when you work out: Sure, a couple of miles on the elliptical makes you feel great, but apparently, “‘If you only do cardio, your body will become so accustomed to the routine that you™ll start to burn less fat over time, says Joseph Ciccone, DPT, CSCS, a physical therapist at Columbia Doctors Eastside Sports Therapy in New York.
3. Drinking only bottled water: We already doubted drinking bottled water due to cancer-causing plastic, but we never focused on missing the much-needed fluoride from our city water supply. œ’Bottled water contains no fluoride, and we™re seeing more and more adults suffer from a fluoride deficiency, which can lead to tooth decay,” according to Dr. Diamond. We can’t help but wonder… is toothpaste really not enough? Guess not.
4. Loading up on nutritional supplements: Taking multi-vitamins in place of actually eating foods filled with vitamins? Well, duh. But, hold on — too much of a particular vitamin can be bad for you. For example, too much Vitamin C can lead to gastrointestinal distress; too much Vitamin A can be toxic to a developing fetus; and too much B6 can cause nerve damage. Hold those vitamins!
5. Experimenting with skincare products: We live by our skincare products, but never thought not using them could lead to rosacea and sensitive skin. The article recommends you stick to a skincare product for at least 6 to 8 weeks before switching if you don’t see results, but, also, don’t expect any miracles.
To read about the other “good” bad things you may be doing, such as skipping meals and wearing flip flops, check out the Yahoo! article here.