8 Things That Can Hurt Your Health

How are you going to “have it all” if your body is quitting on you? One of the most important safeguards a woman needs is her health — inside and out. What are the health hazards in your life that you can, and should, get rid of today?

By: Theresa Tan

When it comes to health, most women assume they are “doing okay”.  Most of the time, they are more concerned about how they look.

But as you grow older, it becomes more and more crucial to pay attention to your health.  We have all heard about someone who lost her or his entire life savings when illness hit — how many of these horror stories must we hear before we do something about it?

Read on and discover how you are faring, and what you can do today to start walking the healthy way.

1.  Too little sleep
In busy Singapore, sleep is a commodity as precious as petrol.  Many of us like to say “My body can function on just a few hours’ sleep” and so we watch Korean serials all night, or stay up Facebooking all our primary school friends.

Truth is, sleep is essential for your entire body:  Your brain gets its rest, your cells regenerate (yes, your facial cells too — lack of sleep makes you look older). The amount of sleep you require is genetically programmed — you just need what you need, so learn to listen to your body.

For women 40 and above, it gets worse: the quality of sleep they get is compromised.  Insomnia is a common problem, as is waking up frequently at night.  And husbands over 40 also tend to snore more, affecting their spouses’ sleep.

Lack of sleep has been linked to weaker immune systems (so if you’re catching every cold that comes to town, chances are you need better sleep), obesity and diabetes.

2.  Lack of exercise
Some women are blessed with thin genes — but this doesn’t mean you are healthy.  Body fat is what counts — it may not show, but a woman who has a seemingly healthy BMI (Body Mass Index) can have 30 per cent body fat or more, which is very unhealthy.  It puts you at risk for heart disease and diabetes.

As you age, it’s not size that matters, it’s your health.  And you can be healthy whatever size you are.

How to measure a healthy body?

• your blood pressure is below 120/80
• your cholesterol and triglycerides levels are normal
• your blood sugar is normal,
• you have a resting heart rate of 80 to 90 beats per minute.

Why exercise?  Put simply, it builds up your body to fight aging and disease. Exercise strengthens your arterial muscles, helping them to expand and contract, and helping your heart to pump blood more efficiently.

Exercise also keeps your bones strong — menopause will happen one day whether or not you are in denial.  Simple ways to build up bone mass include jogging or brisk walking.  Exercise also helps you to stay flexible and balanced — weapons you will need as you age, to prevent falls and fractures.

3.  High heels
We all love to look good, but a life in high heels is best left to Barbie doll.  High heels have caused back sprains, falls and fractures, spinal injury and car accidents.

Standing in high heels forces your centre of gravity to shift.  Slip your feet into a pair of heels and you will notice that you are arching backwards to stand up straight.  For a real challenge try to stand on a downward travellator in five-inch heels, without holding the railing for support.

This forced arching of the back can cause all sorts of back pain that will make your chiropractor very rich, imbalances, and knee osteoarthritis.  If you spend most of your life in heels, you will also find that your Achilles tendon contracts (so much it may hurt when you actually try to walk barefoot on the ground).

Furthermore, your toes are forced into all sorts of unnatural positions that cause corns, bunions and bunionettes to develop.  You can always tell a woman has been in heels a lot if she has a hammertoe — a curved little toe caused by years of being squashed in high heels.

Space out your high heel usage — give your legs and back time to rest and heel.

4.  Eating on the run
Busy mothers have a favourite refrain: “I have no time to eat”.  Eating on the run is not good for your body — so grabbing a muesli bar and eating as you drive your kid to school is not advisable.

There is a temptation to skip meals.  Don’t.  Your body will go into preservation mode and store all the fat it can in fear that you’re going to starve it again. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day — but many women don’t believe it.  Breakfast sets your metabolism for the day, so treat it with respect.

Sit down and eat.  And if you really are busy, here’s the good news:  Better five to six small meals a day (quick to finish!) than three square meals.  Eat good protein (eggs, chicken breast) at each of the small meals to keep your metabolism burning.

5.  Avoiding checkups
In this day and age, it is foolishness to only observe your body from the outside.  Just because you “look” okay, doesn’t guarantee that your body is functioning well on the inside.

Many cancers and diseases can be treated effectively if they are discovered early.  So prioritise your checkups.  Be sure to do your yearly Pap smear.  Be vigilant with your monthly breast self-exam.  If your mother or aunt has had cancer, let your gynae know, and make sure you go for al the requisite yearly tests.

Avoiding checkups won’t let you avoid illness.  Be wise and take your health checks seriously.  Even if you are “feeling fine”, you should get a full body checkup by the time you hit 35, or if you must delay, 40.  This will give your doctor a baseline if anything should develop later on.

Some companies offer a full-body checkup for staff as part of staff perks — be smart and get it done for free if your workplace offers this.

6.  Ignoring your body’s signals
Fatigue, chest pains, hot flushes — these are signs that something may not be quite right with your body.  Many busy women brush off such signs with glib remarks like “Oh I’m growing old” or “My body just isn’t what it used to be.”

But these could be signs of diabetes or heart problems — medical conditions that require immediate attention.

Some symptoms that women put down to menopause are more than that: Insomnia, anxiety attacks, a racing heart — these may be caused not by hormones but thyroid problems.

It is always best to rule out the worst when it comes to symptoms — even one as casual as headaches.  In one case there was a woman, aged 31, who complained of a headache and blurred vision for months — but was “too busy with work” to see a doctor.  She woke up at the end of that week, unable to recognize her husband, before her eyesight completely disappeared.  Her husband rushed her to the hospital — she had a large brain tumour behind her eyeball, and the doctors found she had advanced lung cancer that had spread up her spine to her brain.  She died just a few months after.

It’s usually worth it just to put your mind at ease — and if there should be a major problem, catching it earlier ups your chances of getting it fixed.

7.  Carrying too-heavy bags
The trend shows no signs of dissipating, despite all the bad press given to oversize bags.  It seems like it’s worth it — so much leather, so many straps, the ability to fit so many things in one bag, and best of all — you’re paying nearly the same as what a little bag costs!

But the cost of an oversize bag is really to your body.  Oversize bags force you to compensate your posture to stand up straight.  If you are carrying your bag on your shoulder over a period of time, you are likely to feel a shortening on the shoulder you always use.

Wear a tank top and look straight ahead in a mirror — you will be able to see clearly that the distance between the tip of your shoulder and your neck is shorter on the side that you always carry your heavy bag on.

Younger women may not feel it yet, but for those a little further along in life, you’re likely to start feeling aches and strains from lugging heavy bags.  Worse still, if you are wearing high heels, this is a lethal combo designed to hurt your back and limbs.

Swop your Tod’s alligator G-Bag for a hi-tech light Pash-Me.  You’ll be grateful you listened to Nanz Inc.

8.  Bad habits from your youth
Frankly, if you’re 40 and still smoking, you need help to quit.

Apart from making you look like a really sad old lady, bad habits from your youth, like heavy drinking (or worse, getting drunk!) and smoking have no redeeming value — and they hurt your health.

(And if you’re under 40 and reading this, you should quit too.)

The single worst thing you can inflict on your health is smoking.  By this time you will have crinkles around your mouth from sucking on those sticks for so many years, making you look older than you are, very likely.  And even though your lungs are slowing down, the tar buildup won’t if you don’t quit.

Drinking one glass of red wine a day has certain health benefits — but avoiding alcohol all week and then binge-drinking on the weekend does the opposite.