Have you ever thought to yourself, “I have some bad habits I wish I could break?” Everyone has thought that at one time or another. We do things like arrive late to appointments, eat too much chocolate, or drink too much. Everything becomes bad when it’s done excessively, but some of these so-called “bad” habits may actually do us some good. This is not to give anyone permission to overindulge, but I thought we could use some good news about our bad habits.

For instance chewing gum, we like to do it, but people get offended when they look at us and we’re chewing gum. The truth is, chewing gum occasionally has its benefits. Chewing gum improves both short term and long term memory. It can help you lose weight by tricking your brain into thinking you’re full and you won’t eat as much as you normally would. Just make sure if you’re chewing gum, you’re doing it with some discretion and not looking like a cow, at least when you’re around others. Gum does not belong in a professional environment, the person interviewing you for a job does not want to see you chewing gum. Last, but not least, if you are finished with your gum, dispose of it in a garbage can. No one wants to step on your gum and it could choke birds if they try to eat it.

Another thing that is supposed to be bad for us is chocolate. I’m sure that you’ve heard there are some redeeming qualities of chocolate such as the antioxidants tha can help reduce the risk of having a stroke. Chocolate can also prevent blood clots and can help in preventing the growth of cancerous cells. Besides all that, chocolate can give us instant energy. As with anything else, if you overdo it, it will not help you. The most chocolate that is suggested to eat is about eight bars a month.That should help with those chocolate cravings.

This next thing is something a lot of people including myself like…beer. Beer can be better at fighting heart disease than red wine. Beer contains malted barley, which contains beneficial heart protecting antioxidants. Beer also contains vitamin B6, which helps in reducing heart related risks. Don’t take this as a license to guzzle down a six pack every night; no one likes to have a drunken person around embarrassing themselves and those around them. Drink in moderation, have a limit.

We have all heard that being angry or upset is bad for us, but it can actually do us some good. I’m not talking about those people that walk around in a state of perpetual road rage, that flip on you at the drop of a hat. Holding in our emotions can have a negative effect on us too. It helps to get mad once in a while and vent your frustrations; it relieves some of the stress and pressure that we’re under. Losing your temper is not a bad thing, just try not to become a hothead because that, of course, can lead to all sorts of problems.

Coffee is another example of something people like to indulge in and is thought of as being unhealthy. The caffeine in coffee actually helps to reduce the risk of kidney stones and gall stones. It also speeds up our metabolism which helps with weight loss. It is also said that coffee helps with the symptoms of depression. The key to drinking coffee as with the others is of course moderation; one or two cups a day will help, five or six cups will harm you.

The last thing is something we all think of as a good thing that may not be. I’m talking about taking showers. Now, if you’re one of those people who have strong body odor, you should ignore this part because you need to shower every day. Daily showers and frequent washing robs our skin of natural oils that helps to keep our skin hydrated and soft. Washing also deprives the skin of good bacteria that helps to keep diseases away. Missing a shower or two can be good for your skin, but make sure you’re not skipping showers on days when you know you have to be around others, be conscientious of your smell and people around you.

These are just some examples of how we can sometimes take life too seriously. It’s okay to do those things that we like to do on occasion, as long as we don’t overdo it. So have a beer, tell somebody off, chew gum if you want to, just don’t forget that all important shower.

WORD OF THE WEEK: The meaning of self-preservation is to put yourself first in order to get ahead.