In your twenties, you’re struggling to keep up with friends, family, work and fun. You’re constantly keeping track of all the health and exercise fads and think you’re doing okay – sure you could do better but you’re fine. You get a little out of breath running for the bus but doesn’t everybody? Well, most people in their twenties definitely neglect their nutrition, so here are ten mistakes you’re making and how to correct them!

#1 You don’t get enough calcium
It’s recommended that women from 19 to 50 have 1000mg a day to avoid any problems with bones later on in life. Osteoporosis is an awful thing, which leaves your bones porous and susceptible to nasty breaks, so drink two glasses of milk a day and enjoy yoghurt and cheeses to get your daily intake of calcium.

#2 You have no idea how much iron you need
It’s recommended that women get 14.8mg of iron a day, which you can get from meat, dried fruits, leafy greens and beans. Iron deficiency can lead to anaemia, so it’s important to ensure you’re getting enough. Check with your doctor if you think you have an iron deficiency, women are especially vulnerable due to the amount of blood we lose each month!

#3 You never think about your heart
We always think that heart problems are for older people to worry about and that there’s no point keeping check up on our hearts or thinking about the things we’re putting them through. Women are three times more likely to die of heart disease than they are breast cancer, which is a shocking statistic because nobody seems to talk about it that often. While it is true women over 40 should make regular GP appointments to check their cholesterol, there’s a great deal of things we can do now to reduce our risks! Check your family history with your GP, exercise three to four times a week and enjoy a balanced diet to reduce your risks.

#4 You don’t know why fibre is important
Fibre is great for your digestion, but it can also help to prevent heart disease, diabetes, weight gain and some cancers. You get fibre from nuts, seeds, cereals, bread, fruit and root vegetables. It’s super easy to get enough fibre, if you have a deficiency you may have bad digestion, weight gain, bloating and nausea, so get checked out if you don’t eat enough fibre packed foods or try eating more nuts, seeds, apples, bananas and root vegetables.

#5 You count too many calories
Paying attention to your calorie intake can prevent you from enjoying a balanced diet and can pave the way for unhealthy eating habits. It’s not healthy to constantly think about what you’re eating and whether it is above or below your daily calorie intake, and it takes the fun out of living. The best advice is to just relax, eat a balanced diet, stop eating when you’re comfortably full and exercise well to be the healthiest you can be!

#6 You’re too ‘food-free’
We’re going mad for gluten-free, sugar-free, fat-free, foods at the moment, and most of us don’t even struggle with the allergies that require us to cut these things out. Sure it’s fashionable to cut out these things and it might even be healthy, but the danger is that you’re being sold things that aren’t actually better for you. You need to pay attention to labels and know that in some cases going totally ‘free’ when you don’t need to can be worse for you than eating normally.

#7 You want quick results
You think everything can happen fast, which is why you sign up to hundreds of fads, free courses, promises of your best ever body and weird diets. You need to look at yourself and love yourself as you are now, not long for a quick fix. If you want to get in shape, you have to realise that it takes time and you may even need to consult a doctor to decide which exercise is best for you and whether it is, in fact, healthy to push yourself to the limit. If you lose weight unhealthily, through a restricting diet, you will probably gain it back even faster!

#8 You don’t get enough vitamin D
All the suncream you slather yourself in is reducing the amount of vitamin D you’re getting. Vitamin D helps combat depression, strengthen bones and regulate your heart, but it’s so hard to get through food and drink! Some juices contain it, but the best places to get vitamin D from are fortified cereals, oily fish and eggs. You should be getting enough if you get your dose of summer sun and have a healthy diet, but if you feel like you could be in danger of having a deficiency see your GP and start taking vitamins.

#9 Your drinking habits are bad
Okay, we all like to go wild once in a while, and while you’re young you definitely should. But being aware of the long-term effects of alcohol consumption can only work in your favour. Drinking too much can lead to all sorts of health complications, as well as nasty hangovers, if you must drink try to go for vodka and soda or cranberry juice as it is a lighter option. Drink as much water as possible in between drinks, take your time and have some food too. 

#10 You Google your health issues
If something’s wrong with your body the first thing you do is run to the computer to ask Doctor Google what’s wrong, but you really shouldn’t. Google doesn’t have all the answers and almost always results in a misdiagnosis, for peace of mind see your GP and don’t get more anxious over horror stories on the internet. Most of us have lost sleep over a Google diagnosis, so the lesson to learn is to dismiss the internet when it comes to undiagnosed health issues and trust the doctor! Don’t panic, you’ll be alright!

We’re all guilty of making these mistakes, but luckily there’s still time to make it right! What’s your worst health mistake? Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Bloglovin!

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