The bad habits that are actually good for you from Netflix binges to belching & bedtime scrolling – and 3 you MUST quit

We’ve all got a bad habit or two. Some of us may have several. We can give ourselves a bad time about them – “I must cut back,” “this habit is holding me back”. But give yourself a break – for some of the most common ‘bad’ habits aren’t so. It turns out that some of the habits we assume are ‘bad’ may actually be good for us Credit: Getty From watching Netflix to going on your phone, find out what habits are less damaging than you may think Credit: Getty Professor Vijay Nayar, doctor at Healthium Clinics, says: “As a clinician, I’m often asked whether everyday pleasures like chocolate are really as bad as we’ve all been led to believe, or whether embarrassing bodily functions such as burping and passing wind are signs that something is wrong.” However, in reality, many of these everyday behaviours and bodily functions are completely normal… Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! Daily brew Coffee can make it harder to sleep if drunk in the afternoon, but there are also benefits to caffeine Credit: Getty Your friends might gasp at the idea that you don’t just have a cup of coffee in the morning, but several throughout the day. Especially when we are warned to avoid caffeine in the afternoon, in order to get a good night’s sleep. But Superdrug’s Online Doctor, Dr Babak Ashrafi says that four to five cups of instant coffee a day is still considered moderate. Plus, coffee does actually have health benefits. Dr Ashrafi says: “Coffee is naturally rich in antioxidants, and research has linked moderate consumption with a lower risk of conditions including type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and liver disease.” A research review in the BMJ found that drinking three to four cups of coffee a day was associated with lower risk of death or heart disease death and illness, compared with no coffee. Just watch out what coffee you go for. “Coffees packed with syrups, whipped cream and sugar become more of a dessert than a drink,” warns Dr Ashrafi. “And while everyone’s caffeine tolerance is different, avoiding strong coffees later in the afternoon or evening is a sensible rule if you want to protect your sleep.” Can’t sit still Constantly fidgeting could be good for your body Credit: Getty Always tapping a foot or cracking your knuckles? It might annoy others, but these small movements could be doing you some good. Dr Ashrafi says: “We know that spending long periods sitting down is linked to a higher risk of health problems, including weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and poorer circulation. “While fidgeting isn’t a substitute for regular exercise, frequently changing position, tapping your feet or making other small movements can help break up long periods of inactivity and encourage better circulation.” Fidgeting is classed as Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT), which is the energy used for everything you do outside of eating, sleeping or planned exercise. NEAT accounts for up to 30 per cent of your total daily calorie burn, so the more you fidget, the higher your NEAT and the more calories you’ll be burning without even realising. Cough time, self-care time Watching TV with a friend or partner could actually support a healthy relationship Credit: Igor Suka A 2019 US survey found that more than 50 per cent of adults under the age of 45 reported binge-watching. Finding yourself glued to Netflix or Prime in the evenings might not always be such a bad thing – if you binge with a partner or friend, it could support a healthy relationship. “Watching a favourite series together gives couples and families dedicated time to relax, laugh and share an experience, which can strengthen relationships,” explains Dr Ashrafi. “Rewatching familiar programmes can also be an effective form of emotional regulation and bring comfort.” Research has also found that bingeing TV series might give your mental health a boost too, helping you cope in times of stress. The study, published in the journal Acta Psychologica, said that binge-watching may help viewers build “mental worlds”, where the stories live in their minds even after the series is over. Just try to avoid your binges becoming an everyday-or-night habit, as the benefits don’t outweigh the potential downsides if binge-watching regularly replaces sleep or exercise, for example. Guilty pleasure If you love chocolate, try reaching for dark over milk next time for a slightly healthier alternative Credit: Getty We love to blame chocolate for our belly fat and lack of willpower. But regularly indulging in chocolate doesn’t need to be something you feel guilty about. The right kind of chocolate can actually be good for you. “The potential health benefits come from the cocoa in the chocolate. cocoa contains naturally occurring plant compounds called flavanols,” says Professor Nayar. “Cocoa contains naturally occurring plant compounds called flavanols, which studies have shown can support blood vessel health and improve circulation.” An eight-week study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found cocoa could be good for brain health. Researchers, who assigned 90 older adults to drink a cocoa drink with various levels of flavanols found that high levels led to some improvements in cognitive function. Flavanols increase the production of nitric oxide (NO) in blood vessels, which helps to improve blood flow and could help boost oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Professor Nayar says: “If you enjoy chocolate, dark chocolate containing at least 70 per cent cocoa is generally the better choice. “It contains higher levels of flavanols and less sugar than milk chocolate. “White chocolate, on the other hand, contains cocoa butter but virtually none of the cocoa solids that provide these potential benefits.” Releasing the pressure Burping prevents air from building up in your body and causing bloating Credit: Getty Struggling to keep the burps under control? We are taught to try and keep them in growing up, but it turns out, it’s not the bad habit you thought it was. Every time you swallow food or liquid, you swallow air. Burping prevents this air from building up and causing bloating. Professor Nayar says: “Medically, burping is simply your body’s pressure-release valve. “It’s a completely normal reflex and something we all do. “Some people naturally burp more than others. “Eating quickly, drinking fizzy drinks, chewing gum, talking while eating and even feeling anxious can all increase the amount of air we swallow. “Most of the time, burping is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about.” Just avoid burping at the dinner table! If burping becomes persistent, excessive or is accompanied by symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, unexplained weight loss, ongoing abdominal pain, vomiting or signs of gastrointestinal bleeding, it’s important to seek medical advice. Professor Nayar says: “It’s often due to relatively common conditions such as acid reflux, indigestion, gastritis or swallowing excess air, but it could occasionally be a sign of more serious conditions affecting the oesophagus or stomach.” Burping a lot is a symptom of stomach cancer, for example. Gut in order Passing wind on a regular basis is actually a healthy part of the digestion system Credit: Getty The same goes for farting. Although it can be embarrassing to talk about, passing wind 10 to 20 times a day is in fact a healthy part of digestion. “Much of the gas in your bowel is produced by the bacteria that live there as they break down food that reaches your large intestine,” says Dr Ashrafi. “In many ways, it’s a sign that your digestive system and gut microbiome are doing exactly what they’re meant to do. “Passing wind simply allows your body to release that gas and relieve pressure within the bowel.” If you’ve eaten beans, onions, broccoli, lentils or other fibrous vegetables, you may fart more as these foods produce more gas because they’re fermented by the healthy gut bacteria. Holding in your farts could actually be worse for you than letting rip. Dr Ashrafi says: “Holding wind in allows gas to build up inside the bowel, which can lead to bloating, cramping and stomach pain. “Eventually the gas will usually be passed anyway, so there’s very little benefit in trying to hold it in for long periods.” But, if you’re excessively windy and notice that it’s accompanied by persistent stomach pain, diarrhoea, unexplained weight loss, blood in your poo or an obvious change in your bowel habits, seek medical advice. “These symptoms can be a sign of conditions such as coeliac disease, lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome or, less commonly, inflammatory bowel disease,” says Dr Ashrafi. Chronic scroller What you watch on your screen is just as important as how much screen time you have, one doctor says Credit: Getty While we’re always told that an ideal pre-bed scenario involves no TV, laptops or phones, sometimes, tuning in to something to help us switch off from a busy day may not be too bad for your sleep. Dr Ashrafi says it’s not so much the screen that’s the issue, but rather what’s on the screen. A relaxing show about nature is going to have a different effect on your sleep than a horror film. “While bright screens which emit blue light can suppress your sleep hormone melatonin, it’s increasingly clear that what you’re doing on the device matters just as much,” says Dr Ashrafi. He says that doomscrolling is one of the biggest sleep disruptors. “Constantly consuming news or social media late at night keeps your brain alert and can increase anxiety, making it much harder to switch off, so in this instance, try to set yourself a cut-off time. “Reading an e-book or listening to a meditation app is very different from checking work emails, watching stressful content or endlessly scrolling social media. It’s often the mental stimulation or emotional response that keeps people awake.” As well as being wary of what you watch, Dr Ashrafi suggests lowering your screen brightness in the evening. You could even wear blue light glasses, which filter out melatonin-suppressing blue light. There are some vices that are dangerous and need to be nipped in the bud: Sitting for long periods without moving Long periods of sitting at your desk or on the sofa and not being active are linked to several health issues Credit: Getty Spending hours sitting at your desk working, or on the sofa is one of the worst habits for your health, even if you exercise regularly. Dr Ashrafi says: “Long periods of inactivity have been linked to poorer heart health, back pain and metabolic problems. “Stand up regularly, stretch or take short walks every hour or so.” Studies have linked being inactive with being overweight and obese, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, and early death, the NHS says. A study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia found that older adults who sat longer each day showed faster brain shrinkage, even if they exercised regularly. Smoking Improvements can be seen within days of stopping smoking Credit: Getty As one of the leading preventable causes of heart disease, stroke, cancer and chronic lung disease, smoking does your health zero favours. “Whatever your age, stopping smoking brings genuine health benefits, with improvements beginning within days and continuing for years after you quit,” says Professor Nayar. Drinking every day It is not good to be having alcoholic drinks every day Credit: Getty Current UK guidance recommends no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread across several days, with alcohol-free days each week. Rosanne Joseph-Anthony, clinical director at Healthium Clinics, says: “One of the biggest misconceptions we still hear is that a daily glass of red wine is good for your heart. “Current evidence tells us that the less alcohol we drink, the lower our long-term health risk.” If you find yourself reaching for a drink every evening to help you switch off or cope with stress, you’re likely doing your health no favours. “It’s worth asking whether there are healthier ways to unwind.”