Whether you want to admit it or not, the choices you make today are impacting your life in the future. If you’re making healthy choices, you’re probably glad for that fact, but if you’re not, well you’re setting yourself up for some not-so-nice surprises down the road.

What’s good about this is that recognizing these bad choices now can change the way events pan out, so you’ll be happier, fitter, and more full of life in seven years than maybe you are right now.

7 Health Choices You’ll Wish You Hadn’t Made 7 Years From Now

7. Continuing on With Toxic Relationships

Toxic relationships, at home, at work and even with extracurricular activities act as a constant drain on your energy, both mental and physical. If this draw becomes to great, it can cause your stress levels to go through the roof and detract from your pursuing other, more positive, relationships and pursuits. According to Albert J. Bernstein, PhD, who wrote the book “Emotional Vampires: Dealing with People Who Drain You Dry:”[i]

“As normal people grow, they come to appreciate more and more their similarity to others. Empathy is what maturity is all about. Vampires just don’t get this concept. To them, other people are there to supply their needs.

… Social systems are based on reciprocity … Adults develop a sense of fairness and use it as a yardstick for measuring their behavior. Vampires don’t; their idea of fair is that they get what they want when they want it … Adults understand that the more you give, the more you get. Vampires take.

… Human relationships depend on a clear perception of the psychological line between what’s mine and what’s yours … Vampires have a hard time seeing this all-important boundary. They believe that whatever they want should be given to them immediately, regardless of how anyone else might feel about it.”

If there’s anyone in your life who always seems to leave you feeling emotionally spent, drained and unhappy, do yourself a favor and cut them from your life sooner rather than later.

6. Not Getting Started on Your Exercise Program

Exercise has been called the best preventive ‘drug’ there is for a reason. Even if you’ve never exercised before, starting now can alter the way your DNA works for the better. Research shows that exercising can reduce the risk of the following conditions,[ii] a benefit you’ll surely miss seven years from now:

Arthritis
Pain and disability
Dementia
Osteoporosis
Obesity
Fractures
Type 2 diabetes
Heart disease
Stroke
Depression
Premature death

5. Eating All the Sugar You Want

Sugar is pro-inflammatory and has been linked to numerous chronic diseases ranging from cancer and heart disease to high blood pressure and liver damage. Yet, despite this knowledge many of us are ruled by sugar, consuming it morning, noon and night because the cravings are just that strong. Limiting sugar in your diet will help you to stay healthier and will also cause your energy levels to skyrocket. Here are 10 tips to beat your sugar cravings right now.

4. Saving Your “Me” Time for ‘Another Day’

Do you feel like a hamster running on a wheel, just waiting for the right time to get off and start enjoying life? The problem is, for many this time never comes. Seven years from now, you’ll wake up and realize you still haven’t written your novel or, heck, even read one. And that’s not really what life’s about. So make a point to do something you love each and every day. It’s not indulgent or selfish … it’s what makes life worth living.

3. Not Sleeping Enough

Lack of sleep has a way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it. You may think you’re plowing through life just fine on six hours a night, but if you’d been getting eight, you’d realize that you’re actually like a walking zombie much of the time.

Not only that, but lack of sleep is unforgiving. It will make you crabby, unproductive, more prone to getting colds and flu (thanks to its dampening effect on your immune system, and it might even make you fat. Lack of sleep is even known to trigger an inflammatory response in your body, and inflammation is thought to be at the root of conditions like heart disease.

If sleeping well is an issue for you, be sure to see Mother Nature’s 10 Most Powerful Natural Sleep Aids.

2. Staying Stressed

Some stress in inevitable, but … admit it – some stress you could probably avoid. It’s even been suggested that some of us get a sort of ‘high’ from stress, and actively seek it out because we’re addicted to the drama. Whether this applies to you or not, if you’re overwhelmed now is the time to say no to unnecessary obligations, choose your battles, stop worrying about the little things, and focus some real attention on stress-relief tools that work for you.

You’ll feel better, happier … and did I mention that in 2012 it was shown for the first time that stress may interfere with your body’s ability to regulate inflammation?[iii] This occurs because when you’re under chronic stress, your tissues become less sensitive to the spikes in cortisol, and inflammation is regulated, in part, by this hormone. This is yet another powerful reason to ditch your stress (see below!).

1. Not Addressing Chronic Inflammation

Many things can trigger your inflammatory response – not only conditions that can benefit from it, such as a bout of the flu, but also conditions that are more chronic, such as emotional stress, exposure to pollution and poor diet. These pro-inflammatory conditions may cause your body to exist in a state of chronic inflammation, and this is not a good thing. While acute inflammation can save your life, chronic inflammation may help end it.

The choice to ignore unchecked inflammation tops the list of regrets because it may lead to an increased risk of heart attack or stroke, magnifies the harmful effects of Alzheimer’s, promotes an internal environment favorable for cancer and may even play a role in depression.

There’s no reason to subject yourself to these risks, because inflammation is something you can control (and I’m not talking about anti-inflammatory drugs, either). Try limiting refined foods and sugar, which are pro-inflammatory, and focus instead on eating an anti-inflammatory diet. You should also embrace relaxation strategies, as stress can cause and exacerbate inflammation.

And, importantly, try the all-natural anti-inflammatory Heal-n-Soothe, which has 12 natural inflammation-fighting ingredients, including systemic enzymes. bromelain, turmeric, devil’s claw, boswellia extract, rutin, ginger extract and more. You simply won’t find a more powerful natural anti-inflammatory anywhere else, which is why anyone facing chronic unchecked inflammation, and its related symptoms, must give this a try. Do it sooner rather than later because I really don’t like saying “I told you so …”