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Bad health habits come in many disguises. Here are three common ones that can dangerously damage your body, mind and soul. Are you guilt as charged? With these tips, you have no reason not act on them!

1: Mindless Munching

Guilty as charged! You settle down in front of the TV after a long day of working out, working, coaching clients and just want to switch off ‘mindlessly’ watch some telly with a snack. One hour and a giant bag of plantain chips later…face in palm. Mindless munching happens to the best and usually the busiest of us. We use it as a decompressor. Notice I said we. I am guilty of this too. My saving grace is that most of the time I keep a really clean and tight kitchen.

What’s the toll? A Physiology and behaviour journal study showed that people’s caloric intake skyrockets by up to 71% percent when they eat in front of the telly. They don’t pay attention to whether you’ve had 4 or 21 Malteaser or crisps and most people do not stop eating until the end of the programme they are watching, regardless of whether they are full or not. Crucially, do this often enough and it becomes hard to watch TV and not eat. Think why you absolutely must have popcorn when you go to the cinema.

What to do:

• Just eat. Don’t multitask. If you are going to eat, serve up your desired portion and eat it before you sit down to watch your favourite programme. If you need something else to do, have some tea or tidy up.
• Stock for success. Don’t buy junk. The thing is this. For most us, the more accessible food is, the more we will choose to eat. If you pantry is full of crisps and chocolate, consuming a face full of all sorts, will not be that far behind because the groundwork for mindless munching has been done. The environment has been created.
• Work the system. You are up to 4 times more likely to eat the first thing you see in your fridge, freezer or pantry, so make the first thing you see the good stuff. You are also more likely to go for several helpings, if you have not put the leftovers away. Put the leftovers away.

2: Stress Scoffing

As regards stress and food, some people go through stressful periods and are paralysed to the point of not being able to eat and others are gripped by food consumption compulsion. For the latter, those cravings come courtesy of cortisol—the stress hormone. Elevated cortisol levels arouse cravings, usually for sugary and fatty foods. Just knowing this can really help you refocus your energy so that rather than send yourself into a food coma, you go for a run or do some yoga to release, and eat healthfully when you need it.

What’s the toll? As indicated, elevated cortisol levels yield visceral fat which is the out-of-reach fat depots buried behind your abdominal muscles and wrapped around your organs. The other type of belly fat is the squidgy, grabbable kind that is underneath your skin—subcutaneous fat. Visceral fat is one of the MVPs of health problems and an indicator of insulin resistance, which sets the stage for type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and more. A US National Institute of Health study, conducted on 359 middle-aged women (166 of them, of African heritage), found a direct correlation between visceral fat and long-term metabolic, sexual and mental health consequences. Stress compromises stomach acidity and, consequently, its ability to absorb key nutrients. So not only does stress-induced cortisol damage your body’s ability to digest properly, it also decreases your body’s ability to repair itself. Quite a hefty toll, if you ask me.

What to do:

• Manage Stress. Not only does stress and anxiety cause forgetfulness, poor health and food choices and riddling you with negativity, they give you a health threatening pooch. Create an environment that limits stress by making a list of things you know release stress and tension like Epsom salt baths, hitting the gym, and listening to music. Next time you are stressed and tempted to reach for a snack, pause to look at the list and consider your alternatives. Also, cut stress by making to-do list; if crowds make you anxious, don’t go to the supermarket at peak times; and sometimes, take time for you and do what you love perhaps even a kids-free hour or some chill time with your girlfriend. Avoid situations that trigger your stress.
• Practice awareness. Listen to and catch yourself when negative self-talk starts to creep in. “I will never meet that deadline”, “my body will never be x or y”, “This is too much”. Take a deep breath and deal with it. If the workload is too much, ask for help or an extension. If your health goals are too lofty, reset them or take pressure off the outcome. Their impact will reduce significantly and urge to scoff down a pint of Häagen-Dazs will simmer down too. Take frequent breaks to relax and take stock of your progress. Lastly, be kind to yourself. Beating yourself up after a stress-induced splurge only fuels more negative feelings. Instead, acknowledge what happened and move on.
• Stock for success. See mindless munching. Chowing down on the right foods to help combat stress or, at the very least, keep things in check and healthy.

 3: Starving and Stuffing

Going hungry all day tunes out the body’s hunger signals and can set you up for a late-night fridge massacre. That’s a sign you’re setting yourself up for overeating and making poor food choices. The trouble is not only are you compromising your health by creating a nutrient deficit, but it’s really hard to make good decisions when you are hungry.

What’s the toll? When you are starving, blood-sugar levels nosedive and this triggers an insatiable appetite for quick-energy foods (usually carbs). You end up gobbling up carbs, which makes blood sugar rise sharply. It’s big blood-sugar spikes and deep valleys that compromise insulin sensitivity A 2007 study published in the International Journal of Obesity found a strong correlation between starving and stuffing and weight gain.

What to do:

• Plan ahead: I am not going to lie; meal prep for a week can be a pain and take all the fun out of eating. Instead, consider the types of food you would like to eat, and snack on, recipes you want to try, and shop smartly. Make up some healthy snacks like boiled eggs, roasted vegetable, spiralize courgettes and carrots and keep them in the fridge.
• Snack on protein. Add protein to every meal and snack to help keep your blood sugar steady and hunger at bay. Top your salad with a hardboiled egg or chicken breast, eat your toast with avocado or hummus, or add a protein powder to your smoothie.
• Plan a pre-emptive strike. Life as a mother or a woman with a job or both can be hectic. Women are so busy taking care of everyone and everything else that we neglect ourselves and forget nourishment. When the day is done and the brain turns its attention inwards, you are starving, and the overeating of poor choice foods begins. I would rather you remember to take care of yourself first because only then can you be and give your best. Eat a high-fibre, protein-rich pre-dinner snack. This will serve as a pre-emptive strike against late bingeing.