We get so used to doing certain things throughout the day that they become the norm to us.

But just because something is ‘normal’ doesn’t mean that it is healthy for you.

I’m going to share 5 daily habits (that we are all guilty of doing on occasion) and explain to you why they are not helping your body.

The 5 daily habits

 1. Drinking iced/cold drinks

In Eastern medicine, having cold drinks (especially at meal time) slows your digestions and doesn’t give your body the best chance to digest the food that you’re eating. The cold temperatures can also restrict blood vessels.

This means that the food you ate with your iced drink starts to have trouble to digest, leading to undigested food in your gut which then leads to stagnant food, which in turn can create a toxin build up.

It’s best to have warm water (not too hot) with your meal or after your meal. This will help keep things moving in your gut and lower the chance of stagnation.

2. Eating incompatible food combos

In Ayurveda, there are many food combinations which actually are stressing your digestion and even lead to fermentation in the gut.

Some of these combos are fish and diary, fruit and milk, honey in hot water or yogurt with cheeses.

These combinations digest at different speeds and your body’s ability to digest is hindered, meaning that the slower foods to digest stay fermenting in your gut and can produce toxin build up.

I will make a blog post on these food combos and why it is so important.

3. Excessive screen time / stimulation

In this day n age it’s very common to spend at least 8 hours of the day staring at a screen – if it’s at work, on your phone or watching TV.

It forces us to live in a sedentary lifestyle, ruins our sleep quality by blocking melatonin with blue light and causes bad posture for our neck, back and hips.

We need to remind ourselves that it’s not natural to stare at a screen for this long and It’s important to give your body the support they need.

For example, instead of watching something before bed, why not try switching to listening to a podcast or reading a book?

4. Not getting at least 7 hours of sleep

During sleep, the body uses the glymphatic system to clear out waste products and toxins that accumulate during the day, reducing the risk of cognitive decline.

When we don’t sleep at least 7 hours it raises risks for chronic diseases, including obesity, heart disease, and depression.

I personally try to sleep before 10pm each night. Why 10pm?

The liver detoxifies the blood and metabolise nutrients between 10pm-2am, meaning that if you are still awake or even eating between this time you are not allowing your body to naturally detox for you.

Falling asleep before 10pm ensures that the body is properly detoxifying the liver.

5. Keeping in unresolved emotions

This is probably one of the most harmful things we can do to ourselves.

Emotional suppression prevents the mind and body from processing experiences. When emotions are not acknowledged, they do not disappear; they accumulate and can manifest as physical pain, weaken the immune system, and erupt as unexpected outbursts.

Emotions are designed to be temporary energy waves that pass through us; when we try to block or suppress them, they become “trapped” in the mind and body. Embracing and expressing emotions in healthy ways (such as talking to a friend or journalling) is essential for emotional balance and long-term health.

I use these practises as guidelines to try and best support my mind and body. Of course, life happens and we can’t always sleep at 10pm or we will eat a creamy fish dish, but having it as the rule and not the exception supports your body a lot in it doing what it’s supposed to do.

If you’re wanting to learn more about natural ways of healing your mind and body, then feel free to get in touch here contact@iamaayurveda.com