While many don't know, this isn’t the brightest thing to do if your plan is to recover fast. Here are some unwise things that people do when they are unwell:
Mistakes people make when they are unwell
Every once in a while, we all feel under the weather and for many people, that is when they do all the wrong things, unknowingly, usually. Because we keep away from our workplace when we are sick, many sit in front of the TV, or on their laptop, or their smartphone and watch videos until they fall asleep. They wake up and eat junk food they ordered online, probably drink one too many beers, and stay up till late, you know, because they aren't going to work tomorrow.
Under the weather
Overdosing on Vitamin C
It is pretty standard knowledge that vitamin C boosts and supports our immune system, we can sometimes go overboard on it. Remember that our body stores nutrients pretty well and while various vitamins help, too much can cause problems.
For instance, with vitamin C, you can relieve yourself of illness in short term, but in the long term it can have adverse effects on you. In a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, in 2013, the study found that those who boosted their intake of vitamin C were more likely to develop kidney stones. So while oranges are great, too many can cause problems.
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Consuming alcohol
While some turn to vitamin C, others will turn to the bottle to find their remedy. Because sickness of any kind can be stressful. But before you start thinking of sipping on wine all day is going to help, it’s worth knowing that alcohol won’t do much good for you when you are unwell.
Alcohol requires magnesium in order for it to be metabolized. In other words, alcohol will prompt our body to make more insulin – creating a surge of it – while depleting any immune-boosting mineral in our body.
While physical health is on the decline when sick, you don’t want your mental health to slip down either. One study in 2016 found that psychological stress has been implicated in altered immune functioning in many diseases.
Missing sleep
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Sleep is one of the most important things to do when unwell. A rested body is on the way to healing. There have been several studies over the years stressing how important it all is. Sleep is especially important when it comes to illnesses, as sleeping is the main way your body is fighting off any disease or infection.
But some people miss their sleep when they are unwell, because they are watching a thrilling series all day and all night, or chatting up their whole family the entire time. This lack of sleep can prolong your sickness needlessly. A healthy person needs about 8 hours of sleep. A sick person needs more.
Not staying hydrated
When one is sick, one may want to pamper themselves with Soft drinks, fruit juices, as well as other sugar-sweetened beverages. They do little to help. They can actually make matters worse. We know this because clean water naturally flushes our system out. In other words, it can easily flush out bad germs over time. The liquid of choice to be looking for when sick is water, not beer or red wine. Water is life.
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