How Healthy Are You, Really?
Some health choices are obvious. Others, not so much. Here’s how to make the right ones.
You already know the basics—apples have more vitamins than doughnuts, sleep is super important, and exercise is a must. But sometimes making the right health choice can be tricky. That’s why we’ve hidden eight sneaky habits that can mess up your health in this illustration. Try your best to spot them, then turn the page to see how you did. Don’t be bummed if you missed a few—the next four pages are packed with tips to help you get in tip-top shape.
Health Mistake No. 1: Distracted Eating
You may think grabbing a bag of chips and watching Netflix is an ideal way to unwind after school. The problem is, your hand hits the bottom of the chip bag faster when you’re multitasking, which can leave you feeling overstuffed and blah. (One study found that people ate 71 percent more mac and cheese when watching TV!) Why? You’re less likely to pay attention to your body’s signals that you’re full if you’re eating while you’re distracted by a screen or something else. You’re also less likely to enjoy your food, so you might need to eat more to feel satisfied.
THE FIX: If you want to have something to munch on while you’re watching TV, measure out a single serving of your snack before you sit down. But also try to make eating its own activity. That way, you can really enjoy the flavor of your food and pay attention to your body’s cues about when you’ve had enough.
Health Mistake No. 2: The Sneeze Spray
Gross but true: One sneeze can send 100,000 germs into the air, traveling at up to 100 miles per hour. Yes, covering your mouth and nose is important, but how you block the spray is key. Sneezing into your palm leaves you spritzed with icky droplets that carry viruses. Touch something or someone else, and you’re putting those germs right back into rotation.
THE FIX: Sneeze like a vampire: Hold your arm in front of your face, covering your nose, and sneeze into your bent elbow. A tissue works too. Just remember to throw it away, then wash your hands.
Health Mistake No. 3: “Healthy” Foods That Aren’t
When dinner feels like, oh, another 1,200 hours away, you might pick up a granola bar or an energy drink to stop a growling stomach. But soon after, you’re hungry again. What gives? Many of those “healthy” choices are loaded with sugar. (Some granola bars contain more sugar than candy bars!) Sweet treats trigger your body to release a flood of insulin, a hormone that causes your blood sugar to plummet, says Jo Bartell, a registered dietitian. After a short burst of energy, your hunger returns, your concentration nose-dives—and focusing on homework seems impossible.
THE FIX: According to the American Heart Association, your sugar intake should max out at about 30 grams a day. When you do eat sugar, have some protein too. Protein helps your body process sugar more slowly, preventing an energy crash.
Health Mistake No. 4: The Perma-Slouch
When you’re deep in thought in class, you probably don’t even realize you’re scrunching up your shoulders or contorting your body. But you might notice you have a headache by the end of the day. That’s because messed-up posture can affect your head, back, and neck. Additionally, slouching may be linked to higher stress levels. A study found that people who sit with relaxed shoulders and straight spines have lower levels of stress hormones.
THE FIX: Do a quick posture check several times throughout the day. If you feel yourself slumping, imagine there’s a cord attached to the top of your head, pulling you straight up.
Health Mistake No. 5: The Smartphone Snuggle
It may seem fine to relax with a few cat videos before bedtime, but research has found that taking your phone to bed is the number one sleep-sucker for teens. Your phone’s screen emits something called blue light, which triggers your brain’s “on” switch. So even if you’re sleepy when you get in bed, you’ll feel more alert the longer you look at your screen. This will make it harder for you to fall asleep when you do (finally) put down your phone.
THE FIX: Experts agree that the best way to get enough sleep is to put your phone in another room at bedtime. Not going to happen? At least set your phone to its night mode, which dims the screen, and silence alerts so your sleep isn’t disturbed by notifications.
Health Mistake No. 6: A Staring Contest With Your Computer
Do you feel like there’s a marching band in your head when you’ve been scrolling online for hours? That’s because the muscles in your eyes get tired when you perform up-close tasks like staring at a screen. You might also get dry, irritated eyes, blurred vision, and head, neck, and back pain.
THE FIX: If you can’t see a website without putting your face against the screen, visit the eye doc to get your vision checked. But if getting too close is simply a bad habit, position your screen an arm’s length from your face and practice the 20-20 rule: Take a 20-second break every 20 minutes to look away from your screen and blink. This prevents your eyes from drying out and helps you avoid straining them.
Health Mistake No. 7: A Packaged Snack Fest
We get it: Sometimes the cafeteria’s meals don’t call your name quite like the salty, sugary flavor bombs in the vending machine. The problem is, most of these packaged snacks are what’s known as ultraprocessed foods. That means they’re made with tons of artificial ingredients and very little stuff that counts as actual, you know, food. While they might delight your tastebuds, these snacks won’t give you the lasting energy you need to stay focused in class. Eating ultraprocessed foods has also been linked to long-term health problems and also to mental health disorders such as depression.
THE FIX: A bag of chips or cookies is fine every once in a while, but aim for the majority of each meal to be real food. Think fruits and veggies, sandwiches on whole grain bread, yogurt cups, salads, and homemade soups. If you do buy packaged foods, choose ones with a short list of ingredients you can actually pronounce.
Health Mistake No. 8: Your Nonstop Soundtrack
Want to keep enjoying your favorite tunes? Turn down your music. That way you’ll avoid becoming one of the billion-plus teens and young adults who are at risk for noise-induced hearing loss, according to the World Health Organization. “You have 15,000 tiny hair cells in each ear that help your brain process sounds,” says Dr. Michael S. Cohen, director of the Pediatric Hearing Loss Clinic at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Loud music can damage those cells, and once they’re gone, they’re gone. What’s the cost? Music or speech may sound muffled, or you might get a ringing sensation in your ears. Eventually, you could lose your hearing completely.
THE FIX: Doctors suggest choosing headphones that sit on your head like earmuffs rather than earbuds, which pipe music directly into your ear canal. You can set your phone to limit its max volume to a safe level too—no higher than 70 percent, says Cohen. Also try to take breaks to rest your ears now and then.
