TOP 10 MISTAKES PEOPLE DO TRYING TO BE HEALTHY

When I meet people I don't know and tell them I am a Holistic Health and Fitness Coach, they often say straight away: "Oh cool! I've been doing this or that for a while now..." And then they expect a positive comment, as if I would like them more because they were doing something "healthy."

I can't count how many people tell me they are on a "healthy diet", only for me to discover they are inadvertently sabotaging their health completely.

This is all understandable. There is so much misinformation in the mainstream media that people genuinely don't know how to best live a healthy lifestyle. As Mark Twain said: "It is easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled."

Here are the most common mistakes I see.

1. Going on a Low-Fat or Low-Calorie Diet

How many of you still choose the low-fat Caesar salad when your body is craving real food? How many of you count carbs or always choose the lowest-calorie product at the supermarket?

Your body changes ALL THE TIME, and your needs change with it. Depending on your stress levels, activity level, state of mind, gut health and immune system - one day you'll need more proteins, another more fats. And the number of calories you eat will never determine whether you are being healthy or not.

If your focus is losing weight, start by being healthy first. Weight loss will be a healthy side effect. Choose quality and common sense. Get back in touch with your body - it will always tell you what it needs.

2. Going Vegan or Vegetarian Without Listening to Your Body

I totally respect people who choose this path. There are certain benefits, especially in the first couple of months. But as human beings, your needs may change, and you have to be open to that.

Humans evolved thanks to hunting, fishing and gathering. If one day you feel you need to eat meat, listen to that signal. The important thing is the quality of what you choose: conventional meat is often unhealthy, full of antibiotics and chemicals. But grass-fed, pasture-raised animals are healthy, full of nutrients and omega-3 fatty acids. Some people need it more than others - we are all completely unique.

3. Ignoring Pesticides, Chemicals and Your Environment

So many people think about going to the gym and counting food intake - but forget the one thing that impacts their entire system: the toxic world they are living in.

Eating organic is not just a trend. It is about growing foods that are genuinely nutrient-dense without harmful chemicals. It is about respecting the environment and OUR OWN BODY. There is a reason why workers have to protect themselves from head to toe when they spray pesticides on fields.

Toxins are not only in food. They are in tap water, plastic bottles and containers, synthetic clothes, house cleaning detergents, cosmetics, and the air you breathe. CLEAN YOUR ENVIRONMENT - you may be surprised how powerful this can be.

Special mention for babies: They are even more fragile to chemical-laden environments. Choose organic, naturally-colored clothes, towels and bedlinens. Untreated wood for furniture. Organic cotton diapers instead of conventional ones (which are highly toxic).

4. Ignoring Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs)

Too many people disregard this subject. How much time are you spending holding your smartphone, working in front of a computer, watching TV late at night?

Switch off your WiFi at home as often as possible - especially at night. Switch off your phone when possible. Switch off screens at least 1-2 hours before sleeping. If you must stay late in front of screens, wear blue-light blocking glasses. Have Himalayan Salt Lamps in your living room and bedroom to help clean the air and magnetic energy.

5. Training Every Day Without Rest

So many people are proud to tell me they train every single day. But rest and recovery is where the real transformation happens. Over-training raises stress hormones (cortisol), which can actually make you store more fat and break down muscle.

You do not need to train every day to be healthy or lose weight. Well-designed, shorter strength training sessions are far more effective than long daily cardio sessions.

6. Not Sleeping Enough

Sleep is when your body repairs, detoxifies, balances hormones and consolidates memory. Chronic sleep deprivation raises cortisol, increases appetite, disrupts insulin and leptin - essentially making everything harder: weight loss, energy, mood, immunity.

Prioritize 7-9 hours of quality sleep. It is not a luxury - it is a biological necessity.

7. Drinking Too Little Water

Dehydration is often mistaken for hunger. Most people are chronically mildly dehydrated. Good quality filtered water should be your primary drink throughout the day.

8. Eating Too Many "Healthy" Processed Foods

Gluten-free cookies, "protein" bars, low-fat yogurts, "natural" juices - these are still processed products, often full of sugar, fructose, artificial additives or poor quality ingredients. Just because it says "healthy" on the label does not mean it is.

Return to real whole foods: vegetables, quality animal proteins, healthy fats, nuts, seeds.

9. Neglecting Mental and Emotional Health

Your mental state directly impacts your physical health - hormones, immune function, digestion and even weight. Chronic emotional stress, unresolved trauma and negative self-talk create as much physiological damage as poor food choices.

Meditation, journaling, time in nature, quality sleep and meaningful relationships are not optional extras - they are foundational to real health.

10. Going at It Alone

Health is complex. The amount of misinformation online makes it genuinely hard to know what to do. Working with a qualified holistic health practitioner who looks at the whole picture - food, movement, stress, sleep, environment, mindset - can accelerate your results dramatically.

If you are struggling and not sure where to start, that is what I am here for.

In Health and Happiness,

Stephanie