How to Break Bad Habits – Drinking and Overeating

This article discusses:

• How to break bad habits and reap the health benefits
• For alcohol addiction, start with a visit to your doctor
• Some simple and painless steps to tackle overeating
• Both overeating and excessive alcohol consumption are associated with high blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol levels, also known as bad cholesterol levels, and as such, both can have a detrimental effect on your heart health

Breaking old habits can be very hard. Habit forming can creep up on you, and before you know it, you can be dependent on something. Whether it is over eating or alcohol, these elements can enter your life so that they become woven in to the fabric of your day. Indulgence turns into dependency, and ultimately your health may begin to suffer. Here are some simple first steps to take to break the habits of alcohol and overeating.

How to Stop Drinking Alcohol

You could take your first steps toward stopping drinking today. First of all, you need not tackle giving up alcohol on your own. Depending on the amount of alcohol you drink, you may want to see your doctor first, as he will be an excellent source of information, and a gateway to further resources that might help you. For example, he will have details of local alcohol support groups.

While many people need psychological and moral support to stop drinking, others may need medical assistance with the physical side of dealing with alcohol addiction. If you feel you might be addicted to alcohol, see your doctor, and he will be able to tell you whether you need medical supervision and/or medication. Your doctor may give you a prescription that will help you along the way to safely giving up alcohol. Later, he may also give you some medication to help you stay sober.

The benefits of stopping excessive drinking can be huge. Better health, less risk of liver damage, fewer psychological difficulties to name but a few. Alcohol addiction can have a profound effect on your body, and so can withdrawal. If you have a problem with alcohol, recognize it and then see your doctor. With the help of your doctor, you are far more likely to succeed and stopping drinking will be safer.

How to Stop Overeating

Overeating may not sound as serious as alcohol abuse, but it can be every bit as serious as any habit, with very serious health consequences. Here are some simple tips to combat over eating.

Eat more often: rather than having 3 large meals per day, aim to have 4-6 small meals. Eating more often will leave you less prone to snack cravings between meals, and if you make the right choices, it will help you boost your metabolism, allowing you to burn fat more easily. That doesn’t mean you can eat anything you want, though!

Make smart food choices: Plan your meals, and pick good, wholesome foods. Foods that are unprocessed are more difficult for your body to break down, giving you a more sustained release of energy, rather than an unhealthy blood sugar spike you tend to get with processed, sugary and fatty foods. Construct a meal around a good, lean source of protein (about the size of a pack of cards), a source of complex carbohydrate (e.g. whole wheat pasta or wholegrain rice) of around the same portion size and plenty of fresh, steamed vegetables.

Recognize your vulnerable moments: overeating can be very routine-oriented. Snacking at a particular time of day, or when something happens can be a very difficult habit to break. If this is the case, try to stay active at these times to avoid thinking about food. Exercise can be an excellent way of staying occupied. If you feel you have a deep psychological need to overeat, don’t be afraid to get help, and see your doctor.

Every journey starts with a first step, and recognizing you have a problem, is a very important one. Take positive steps to address your issues, and remember that help is out there if you need it.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.