Too busy? 14 time-savers that hurt your health

By Lorie A. Parch

updated 10:45 a.m. ET May 12, 2009

Too busy to stay healthy?
It's no secret that leading a healthy lifestyle often feels like it takes more time than most of us have.

So found a survey by the American Public Health Association in which 34% of adults said they were too busy to fit in things they knew were good for them, like eating right and exercising regularly.

So raise your hand if, as you hurry through the day, you cut a few corners: "I'm too tired to take out my contacts, so I'll leave them in overnight," you say, or, "I won't bother with my seat belt — I'm not going far." What you may not realize is that these moves could actually cost you time, money, and sometimes serious health issues in the long run. Here, the scoop on 14 time-savers that really aren't, plus safer alternatives that fit easily into a tight schedule.

1. Forgetting nightly floss
It's been a really long day, so you decide to skip the dental string — but brushing alone leaves as much as 40% of tooth surfaces untouched.

Flossing between teeth allows you to get into the nooks and crannies that a toothbrush can't reach, and doing it daily — preferably at night, when plaque-causing bacteria really build up — is your frontline defense against gum disease, tooth decay, and bad breath.

If the benefits of good oral health don't convince you to pick up the floss, perhaps an increased risk of heart disease will: Research at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health revealed a connection between severe gum disease and an increased risk of atherosclerosis, a condition in which arteries become blocked.

Next time: Swear to yourself that you'll floss the following evening. Nightly flossing is ideal, but it's acceptable to do it every other day, as long as it's thorough and you don't have a family history of gum disease, says Gordon L. Douglass, DDS, a past president of the American Academy of Periodontology. On days when you're not going to floss, swish water around in your mouth after brushing; Douglass says this has been shown to reduce bacteria.

2. Sleeping in contacts
Simply wearing contact lenses impedes the flow of oxygen that corneas need to stay healthy.

"When you close your eyes for hours while sleeping, it's even worse," says Thomas L. Steinemann, MD, an associate professor of ophthalmology at Case Western Reserve University. A study of 557 contact lens wearers in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that the odds of developing a bacterial infection with daily wear (including taking the lenses out at bedtime) were 1 in 2,500.

Next time: Switch to the newer silicone hydrogel lenses, which allow more oxygen to reach the eyes. According to a study in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, sleeping in these lenses reduced the risk of infection fivefold over traditional soft contact lenses. "The safest option is to take out your lenses at night, but if you think you'll be a habitual offender, you'd be better off with this new technology," says Steinemann.

3. Not removing makeup
Wearing foundation to bed can clog your pores, which can lead to blackheads and breakouts.

But a more serious consequence is that mascara fragments will dislodge in your eyes while you're sleeping and cause painful corneal abrasions.

Next time: Keep pre-moistened makeup removal pads on hand. Some that also remove eye makeup: Comodynes Makeup Remover Towels for Face & Eyes, Olay Daily Facials Lathering Cleansing Cloths, and Noxzema Wet Cleansing Cloths. A few swipes, and — voilà! — you're done.

4. Choosing juice over fruit
You can't seem to fit fruit into your diet, so you down yours in a glass of juice.

"Most juice on the market — even if it's labeled 100% juice — is still like soda pop," says Elizabeth Somer, RD. It's often loaded with sugar (look for high fructose corn syrup or white grape, pear, or apple juice concentrate on the label) and lacking in the fill-you-up fiber of fruit.

Next time: If it's juice or nothing, at least choose the one that packs the best nutritional punch. "One hundred percent orange juice that's fortified with calcium and vitamin D is my juice of choice," says Somer. “A good option if you also aren't eating enough veggies is Low-Sodium V8 100% Vegetable Juice, which delivers 2 servings of vegetables in 8 ounces.”

5. Skipping birth control
What the heck, you're married, you already have kids — what are the odds?

"It is true that fertility declines after age 40. But for women who have had normal fertility in the past, it's certainly possible to become pregnant between 40 and 50," says says Philip D. Darney, MD, professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. It's also worth noting that pregnancy for an older woman brings with it higher odds of complications for mother and baby.

On the flip side, some contraceptives even confer health benefits. "For nonsmoking, healthy women, low-dose oral contraceptives provide adequate hormones to keep bones strong; prevent a host of conditions, including pelvic infections and arthritis; control irregular bleeding; and clear up acne — all in addition to preventing pregnancy," explains Darney.

Next time: Ask your doctor about a long-term birth control option, like Depo-Provera, a progestin-only injection you get 4 times a year or an implant like Implanon, a matchstick-sized rod that’s placed in your arm; it delivers progestin for up to 3 years. You may want to consider an intra-uterine device (IUD), which can be used for up to 10 years. "Failures almost never occur with these," says Darney. "They're very safe and more effective than sterilization."

6. Strolling in stilettos
You forgot your athletic shoes at home, but you head out for your lunchtime walk anyway in a pair of 3-inchers.

If your "walk" is a short stroll as you browse the shops, you're probably okay. But if you're planning a 20-block hike, you could be in trouble. "The sole of a high-heeled shoe is not constructed correctly for long-distance walking, and the higher the heel, the worse it will be," warns Stephen M. Pribut, DPM, past president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine (AAPSM).

Summer sandals and mules can be even more detrimental. "When your shoe's heel isn't closed in, the heel of your foot separates from the sole of the shoe as you walk, putting a lot more stress on your forefoot," explains Pribut. The worst-case scenarios: a sprained ankle or stress fracture — either of which could really curtail your lunchtime forays.

Next time: Throw a pair of sneakers under your desk or in your car, so you're never without them, and lace them up if you’re going for more than a few minutes’ stroll. Look for a shoe that bends where the toes bend, not in the middle, advises Pribut: "A flexion point that's in the middle of the shoe will put stress on that part of the foot and cause abnormal motion."

8. Biting off broken nails
Your nail splits, but you don't have clippers or an emery board on hand, so you chew off the ragged edge.

This is a bad idea for several reasons, the least of which is that your nails will look lousy. "When you bite your nails you risk transferring infectious organisms between your mouth and your fingers," says Emmanuel Robert Loucas, MD, a dermatologist in New York City. "This could result in a bacterial or yeast infection of the nail bed."

Next time: Stash nail clippers and emery boards in places where you spend a lot of time — at your desk, in the car, in your purse, in a kitchen drawer. Neither item is expensive, so it's easy to keep multiple sets around.

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