Lazy Habits that Can Harm Your Health

1. Skipping breakfast - You are skipping a large chunk of nutrients if you skip breakfast on regular basis. By later part of the morning, you will be more susceptible to whatever's around and more likely to settle for some refined cake or pastry. Try this instead : Have a bowl of cereal, fruit or some wholemeal toast and an egg. If you do miss breakfast, there are few foods available that match the fibre and nutrients of these suggestions such as latte plus fruit or a low-fat wholemeal muffin.

2. Cradling the phone in your neck - You may need both hands free when you're on the phone sometimes, but holding the handset between your ear and your shoulder requires an unnatural position, which puts strain on the muscles, ligaments and joints in your neck. If this is done habitually you're likely to end up with a painful neck that may even result in damage. Try this instead : Invest in a headset unit or use the speaker-phone option that will allow you to keep your hands free when you're on the phone.

3. Sharing your toiletries - Think twice before using anyone's personal items like razors. Razors might hold traces of blood and can transmit diseases such as Hepatitis B or C and HIV. People who have these infections may not even be aware of it because they don't always cause symptorms. Sharing a toothbrush is a bad idea too - they can harbour germs such as herpes simplex that causes cold sores. Try this instead : Keep a spare toothbrush for visitors and always carry a travel one for yourself. It is also better to go without shaving rather than borrowing a used razor.

4. Rushing your meals - Eating in a hurried manner can cause problems such as indigestion, especially in overweight people. It is really a bad idea if you're trying to control your weight because it takes up to 30 minutes for appetite hormones to reach the brain wih the message that you're full. By that time, you could have eaten three to four times too much. Try this instead : Being aware that the types and texture of the food you eat influences the speed at which you can eat it. If you can eat it walking down the street, it will be gone sooner. Food that has to be eaten with knife and fork is usually eaten slower.

5. Sleeping with your lenses on - If you do sleep in them you'll increase your chances of a potentially serious eye infection tenfold. It can result in corneal ulcers, scarring and loss of vision. Try this instead : If you're away from home and you don't have your lens case or cleaning solution, throw the lenses away. And do not ever clean your lenses with water.

6. Wearing make-up in bed - The longer you leave your make-up on the more likely it is to irritate, sometimes resulting in chemicals passing through micro-breaks in the skin. This makes you more likely to develop an allergy, and if you're prone to acne your make-up, especially oil-based products, can block your pores and add to the problem. Try this instead : The simplest way to remove make-up is with soap and water (or a non-soap cleanser)

7. Neglecting to floss - Flossing is the best thing we have to effectively remove food particles and plaque bacteria from between the teeth. If you don't floss you're at risk of gum diseases, which can eventually result in loose teeth. There is also a growing body of research suggesting that bacterial toxins from gum disease can enter the bloodstream and cause heart disease. Try this instead : The best time to floss is just before bedtime, but flossing in the morning is better than not flossing at all.