To achieve all of your health goals, you have to avoid sabotaging your efforts with bad habits. Here are five of the bad habits to be aware of if you want to protect your overall health.

Your Sweet Tooth

You don't have to be a nutritionist to know that excess sugar intake can lead to poor performance in the gym. The negative effects of too much sugar in the diet stretch well beyond the excess calories it delivers to the body. Too much sugar consumption can impact the function of a variety of organs, such as the liver and heart. Sugar can also lead to cavities and increased dental issues. Because sugar is addicting, it can be challenging to cut it out of your diet. However, making an intentional effort to read labels and reduce your consumption of sugar can pay big dividends as you strive to reach your overall health and fitness goals.

Source: https://www.excellenceinfitness.com/effects-of-sugar

Getting Smashed

Binge drinking has become the most widespread form of alcohol abuse in the United States. Over 30 million adults in the U.S. (approximately 15 percent) admit to binge drinking within the past month. Although it is not especially harmful to drink in moderation, getting drunk on a regular basis can sabotage even the best-laid fitness plans. A session of binge drinking can leave you sidelined the entire next day and beyond. Not to mention, drinking excessively can damage your liver.

Source: https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/alcohol-abuse/treatment-rehab/

Extreme Calorie Deficits

Managing your food intake is a crucial component of maintaining good health and overall well-being. By cutting out too many calories in an effort to lose weight, you run the risk of causing a setback to all of your health and fitness goals. A poor diet can lead to subpar nutrition as well as the loss of lean muscle mass. Consuming fewer calories than required to maintain your resting metabolic rate can also cause your metabolism to slow down and make weight loss more difficult.

Over Exercising

Although it can be tempting to give it your all in the gym when you are looking to improve your health, too much of a good thing can turn out to be a bad thing. Too much exercise can lead to lean muscle loss, which negatively impacts your body composition. Extreme cardiovascular workouts can also impact your muscle recovery, leading to poor performance during the next workout. It is important to ensure that your body gets adequate rest between workouts to ensure proper recovery.

Source: https://cathe.com/does-too-much-cardio-lead-to-muscle-loss/

Poor Stress Management

A good amount of stress is healthy and productive. However, too much stress and the inability to deal with it can lead to detrimental effects on both your physical and mental health. Excessive stress leads to the release of cortisol. This hormone undermines fitness goals because it hinders recovery and serves as a demotivator. Too much stress can also make it more likely that you'll skip a workout in favor of the couch.

Source: https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/940836/stress-fitness-workout-cortisol-recoveryAvoid these pitfalls, and instead look to healthier alternatives for these habits. For example, if you’re tempted to drink soda or coffee, you can instead look into wellness teas or naturally caffeinated teas. This can help you cut back on sugar, or on too much caffeine.