Too much of anything is good for nothing

Living life in moderation is key when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. While being careful about your health has its set of benefits, getting too fixated on it and overindulging yourself with the minute details can be detrimental in the long run. Here’s what you need to be careful about.

How many painkillers?

Pain killers

These are a good way to relieve headaches, but overuse can cause more headaches. Nitin Makadia, an   UK- based consultant pharmacist, says, “Medication overuse for headaches can occur when you take more than the recommended dose. It’s usually advised that over-the counter pain relief should be taken for no more than three days at a time or for no more than 10 days during a month.”

Too many naps!

Too many naps?

Research has shown that short naps can help refresh you, lower stress and improve concentration and alertness. But keep them short for the best health benefits. Ideally, you should nap for 10 to 20 minutes and no longer than 30. After this, you enter deep sleep, and being woken from that can leave you feeling groggy and disoriented.

How much exercise?

Yes, it’s vital to keep active for all aspects of your health, but overdoing it could make you more prone to infections, cold and flu. While regular moderate exercise can boost your immune system, research shows that overdoing it can have the opposite effect.

Vitamin supplements?

Some of us spend a fortune on vitamin pills to supplement our diets- but experts say that taking too many tablets can cause problems. Bridget Benalam, of the British Nutrition Foundation, says, “High doses of vitamin C can potentially cause gastrointestinal discomfort, and excessive amounts of nutrients, such as iron or vitamin A, can be dangerous. For most people a healthy varied diet should be able to provide all the nutrients needed for health.”

Too many nuts!

Nuts are good for your health, but they are very calorie dense (which means high in fat, low in water), so eating nuts can easily add several hundred calories a day to your diet.

Overdoing citrus fruits!

Citrus Fruits

Though they are rich in vitamin C, fruit and fruit juices (especially lemon, orange and grapes) contain a high level of acid, which can damage your tooth enamel. Acid erosion can increase teeth sensitivity and when eaten regularly, citrus fruits can contribute to the build-up of plaque and tooth decay. Chewing gum can promote the production of saliva to help cancel out acids. Brushing twice a day is highly recommended to keep your teeth healthy.

Over moisturising – not done!

Skincare experts say that although it’s important to moisturise, applying too much can make skin ‘lazy’ because it receives signals that it has enough water, lipids and protein which can slow down production of these important nutrients. This can leave your skin dry and leads to a vicious cycle where you have to use more and more moisturiser.

“A healthy attitude is contagious but don’t wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier.”