7 health mistakes to stop making before you turn 30

If you want to look and feel amazing well into your 30s, it’s time to cut out some bad behaviors that may be doing more damage than we think.

When you’re in your 20s and 30s, you think you have forever but that’s not necessarily the case.

Health and lifestyle issues can sneak up on you in midlife and, next thing you know, a checkup discovers that you have abnormally high blood pressure, your cholesterol is up and your blood sugar isn’t what it should be.

Now is the time to get all these issues under control by cutting out some poor lifestyle choices.

Take a look at the 7 health mistakes you need to cut out now!

1. Ignoring health warning signs
Do you have a niggling pain? Is there an odd odour? When your body offers clues that something is wrong, make sure you pay attention. Identifying health problems as early as possible often makes them more treatable. Many patients are afraid, embarrassed, or think they may be wrong but better to be any of those than sorry.

2. Being dehydrated all the time
Water nourishes every single cell and organ in your body, including your skin. It’s even more important to stay properly hydrated as you age because older adults may lose some of their sense of thirst.

Did you know that even taking a morning cup of coffee or afternoon soda-pop counts toward your daily water intake? However, pure and simple water is always the best option because it’s caffeine and sugar-free.

3. Eating too much processed food
Grabbing a bag of crisps before hitting the gym is not the best way to fuel your body. Over time, all that sugar, fat, and salt the secret to making processed foods tasty, can wreak havoc on your waistline and your health.

Replacing a diet packed with microwave meals, snacks, and processed meats with whole grains, fresh produce, and lean meats is the way to go. Clean eating ensures that your body gets all the nutrients and vitamins you need.

4. Not making time for preventive care
Women in their 20’s and 30’s do not take the time to take care of themselves, and important health information gets missed. So, if you’re not monitoring your cholesterol, you could be setting yourself up for heart disease in your 40s and 50s. And if you’re putting off annual pelvic exams, routine pap tests, and clinical breast exams, you could be missing early signs of cancer.

5. Not making sleep a priority
Like your cell phone, your body and brain need time to reboot and recharge. Adults 18 to 64 require about 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. Skimping on sleep is not great for your health and can even raise your risk of hypertension, stroke, and obesity.
6. Sneaking a cigarette (or two)
If you’re stealing away for a smoke, you’re a smoker and that in itself raises your risk for heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, and other nasty conditions. Cutting out that cigarette habit before age 40 slashes the chance of premature death from smoking-related diseases by 90%.

7. Too much salt
Salt has a sneaky way of holding up in people’s diets even when they’re not actively using it. It’s in bread, processed meats, soup, cheese, sauces and dressings, among other staples.

Most people consume more salt than their bodies require. The daily recommended max is about half a teaspoon. Too much of it can cause hypertension, a major cause of heart attack and stroke.