10 Common Things That Are Totally Bad For You

#1 Alarm Clocks

A study in Japan found that it isn't just the disruption of your natural circadian rhythms, but also that the very act of an alarm waking you up abruptly is bad for your heart. The researchers report that the way an alarm clock wakes you can raise your blood pressure and put you in a full alert situation that isn't good for you. If you really must wake up early and you can't go to sleep earlier, gradual wake up methods are the best way to maintain good health.

#2 Wearing Flip-Flops

For starters, the flip-flop has those straps that go between your toes which can cause painful blisters and cuts. However, what podiatrists are most concerned about is the lack of support that they provide your feet while you are walking. Because flip-flops are basically just a piece of rubber cut in the shape of a foot with some straps to keep them loosely attached, they don't really do you much good in any structural sense. They don't bend in the proper places, and some cheaper ones really don't bend at all. Not only that, but using your toes to help keep the sandal in place isn't very good for your feet either. Podiatrists caution that walking affects the rest of your posture as well, so constant wear of flip-flops could lead to various joint pains and other related problems.

#3 Showering Too Often

Unfortunately, constant applications of soap can remove natural oils and good bacteria along with the bad. And of course, shampoo isn't very good for your hair either. Everyone should still wash a reasonable amount of the time, but experts suggest tying showers to your level of physical activity and to how many extra germy people or things you have been around recently. In other words, you should wash because you need to, not simply out of habit.

#4 Cheap Sunglasses

Ophthalmologists have explained that if you get a cheap pair that doesn't protect you from UVA and UVB, you might as well just not wear sunglasses altogether. See, normally if you are looking toward a bright light, your eyes will squint to protect you, but if you're wearing sunglasses, your eyes will open further to allow in light. Unfortunately, if the sunglasses don't have proper protection this means allowing in harmful rays.

#5 Mowing Your Lawn

A study in Sweden decided to compare one of these lawnmowers to a car and found that it would take roughly 100 miles in a car to equal the amount of pollution a lawnmower can spew into the atmosphere in a single hour. Due to the dangers, some states will even call for "Ozone Action Days" on particularly hot summer days, and suggest that people refrain from mowing their lawns during those times.

#6 Sitting

If you are reading this right now, you're probably sitting down. In fact, in all likelihood most of you are probably in a sitting position most of the day. According to researchers, this is actually very bad for you. A recent study found that men who spent even as much as 23 hours a week just sitting were much more likely to succumb to some form of heart disease. The more alarming part of the findings was that even though a large number of the people they chose for the study did regularly take part in physical activities, they were still affected by their small doses of sedentary behavior.

#7 Burning Candles

You might think that as long as you keep an eye on it things should be fine, but sometimes the product itself is to blame. In fact, recalls for candle-related products due to fire hazards are not uncommon and it only takes a few minutes of inattention for a fire to start. More alarming is recent research that found many paraffin-based candles are actually emitting toxic fumes, like benzene. Now, the occasional scented taper isn't going to kill you, but researchers do suggest using proper ventilation when lighting candles, and you should keep your use of them to a minimum to reduce exposure to toxic fumes.

#8 Wearing a Backpack

Backpacks have long been the go-to conveyance for people's books and school supplies, with many kids using them all the way from kindergarten through college. Unfortunately, this could explain why so many people end up with chronic back problems at a young age. Thousands of injuries are reported yearly due to the pain backpacks cause, and children are especially affected.

#9 Eating Rice

Rice is one of the most commonly eaten foods in the world, so the idea that it is bad for you sounds pretty absurd. However, it isn't the rice itself on a molecular level, but the pesticides and fertilizers that are used to grow it that are causing the problem. Just a couple years ago, Consumer Reports did a study to check for arsenic in food. They found that rice products especially contained high levels of inorganic arsenic, which is the more toxic variety, as well as organic arsenic. And for those of you who are into healthier eating, the results are even more disturbing. It turns out that brown rice is actually better at harboring arsenic than white rice. As is usual in these case,s the experts suggest that pregnant women and children should be extra cautious. However, the researchers who performed the study suggest that even healthy adults limit their rice intake to only about a cup of cooked rice a week.

#10 Zero Gravity

Some astronauts come home with complaints of being unable to focus properly, and for some of them the problem never goes away. Doctors believe that zero gravity causes the blood to flow improperly, which leads to pressure in the head that can permanently damage eyesightand that's just the start of the potential problems. As of right now, the researchers are concerned with learning more about the problem before more long-term space missions are undertaken.