Practices and Substances to Avoid for Optimal Health

Introduction to Harmful Habits

At StayWellForever, we emphasize avoiding practices and substances that undermine health, deplete nutrients, and disrupt the body's natural balance. These habits—ranging from poor eating patterns to invasive body modifications—wreak havoc on immunity, hormones, and cellular repair.

Dietary Missteps

• Eating Too Often: Frequent meals (e.g., 3+ times daily) prevent the body from entering fat-burning states, spiking insulin and promoting insulin resistance, which depletes magnesium and increases diabetes risk. Overeating strains digestion, reducing nutrient absorption and causing gut inflammation. Limit meals to 1-2 daily with intermittent fasting for optimal metabolic health.
• Eating Bad Foods: Consuming processed foods (e.g., fast food, packaged snacks) often contains trans fats, artificial additives, and hidden sugars that disrupt gut microbiota, leach nutrients like B vitamins, and elevate inflammation, contributing to obesity and heart disease. If you cannot glance at an item and immediately know its ingredients, avoid it. Opt for whole, recognizable foods to prevent slowly poisoning yourself and causing deficiencies.
  • Sodas and fruit juices (excluding pure or water-diluted lemon/grapefruit) rank among the worst beverages due to their high sugar content and artificial additives, which wreak havoc on health. Sodas often contain 39+ grams of sugar per 12-ounce serving (e.g., Coca-Cola), far exceeding the American Heart Association’s 25-36g daily limit, while fruit juices like apple juice pack 24-28g per 8 ounces, stripped of fiber. Liquid sugars spike blood glucose 30-40% faster than solid foods, overwhelming insulin response and promoting insulin resistance, weight gain, and type 2 diabetes risk within weeks. Artificial sweeteners (e.g., aspartame in diet sodas) disrupt gut microbiota, potentially increasing obesity and inflammation, with studies linking them to a 13% higher diabetes risk.
  • Unlike whole fruits, which provide fiber (e.g., 2-3g per apple) to slow sugar absorption and deliver vitamins, fruit juices lack this buffer, delivering a concentrated sugar hit that depletes nutrients like magnesium and vitamin C through oxidative stress. This rapid intake stresses the liver, converting excess fructose to fat, raising fatty liver disease risk by 20-30%. Avoid these drinks—always opt for water or herbal tea.

Substance Abuse

• Cigarettes (Regular and Electronic): Smoking traditional cigarettes introduces over 7,000 chemicals, including carcinogens like benzene, depleting antioxidants (e.g., vitamin C) and causing lung cancer, COPD, and heart disease. E-cigarettes, with nicotine and heavy metals, damage lung tissue and impair nutrient uptake (e.g., folate), fueling inflammation. Quit to restore oxygen and nutrient levels.
• Alcohol: Excessive drinking (e.g., >1 drink/day) taxes the liver, depleting B vitamins (especially B1) and magnesium, leading to neuropathy and fatty liver disease. Limit to occasional use, or better yet, avoid entirely, to protect brain and gut health.
• Recreational Drugs and Marijuana: Recreational drugs (e.g., cocaine, opioids) disrupt dopamine and serotonin, draining nutrients like tyrosine and vitamin D, causing addiction and organ damage. Marijuana, even medical, impairs memory and lung function, depleting antioxidants. Medical marijuana should be short-term (e.g., <3 months) to avoid chronic dependency and nutrient loss.
• Pharmaceutical Drugs (Long-Term) and Oral Contraceptives: Long-term use of pharmaceutical drugs, including oral contraceptives and common medications like statins, antidepressants, and painkillers, is a dangerous choice which poses severe risks by damaging vital organs and triggering a cascade of new health issues.
  • These drugs wreak havoc on the liver (e.g., statins cause hepatotoxicity in 1-3% of users), kidneys (NSAIDs increase chronic kidney disease risk by 20%), thyroid (lithium disrupts function in 10-20% of users), pituitary gland (opioids suppress hormone release), and pancreas (e.g., metformin linked to pancreatitis).
  • Many common drugs, including chemotherapy agents, anticonvulsants (e.g., valproate), and even some antibiotics, are known to cause thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), affecting 5-15% of users depending on the drug. This condition slows healing by impairing blood clotting, increases bleeding risks, and may contribute to cancer by allowing abnormal cell growth due to poor tissue repair.
  • Statins, specifically, also induce memory loss and impair brain function, with 1-3% of users reporting cognitive decline, possibly from reduced cholesterol vital for neurons. Many argue statins are never justified, citing minimal benefits (e.g., 1% absolute risk reduction in heart events) against risks like muscle pain, diabetes, and brain fog, favoring lifestyle changes.
  • Oral contraceptives devastate women’s hormones by suppressing estrogen and progesterone, often triggering thyroid dysfunction, autoimmune diseases (e.g., lupus risk doubles), blood clots (up to 4x higher), depression, and weight gain. Learn about healthy alternatives.
  • At best, these drugs trade one problem for another, trapping you in a whack-a-mole cycle—e.g., statins might lower cholesterol but harm memory, or drugs causing thrombocytopenia might slow healing, prompting more prescriptions until you’re on multiple medications, feeling perpetually sick, fatigued, or inflamed. This polypharmacy nightmare depletes nutrients like magnesium, B vitamins, and coenzyme Q10, accelerating organ decline and dependency.
  • Long-term drug use, especially statins and others inducing thrombocytopenia, is an extremely bad idea; instead turn to our pillars—nutrition, intermittent fasting, and exercise—for natural healing. Drugs are only acceptable in emergencies or rare cases where pillars fail, such as missing organs, post-transplant anti-rejection needs, or incurable congenital conditions—otherwise, avoid to reclaim vibrant health.

Invasive Body Modifications

• Tattoos: Injecting foreign inks (e.g., containing heavy metals like lead or titanium) into skin raises cancer risk (e.g., melanoma by 21% per study) and triggers inflammation. For those with skin cancer, autoimmune conditions, or healing issues, tattoos exacerbate lesions or flare-ups due to immune overload. Long-term effects remain unclear, with potential lymphatic buildup. Avoid to preserve skin integrity. Learn more about health dangers from tattoos.
• Body Modifications and Implants: Non-medical implants (e.g., cosmetic fillers, silicone) introduce foreign materials, risking infection, rejection, or chronic inflammation that depletes zinc and vitamin C. These disrupt natural healing, increasing autoimmune risks and nutrient loss—stay natural and avoid.

Why Avoid These Practices

These habits contribute to nutrient deficiencies (e.g., magnesium from stress, vitamin C from smoking), wreck hormonal balance (e.g., oral contraceptives), and strain organs (e.g., liver from alcohol), accelerating aging and disease. Avoiding them preserves your body’s ability to heal naturally, supporting our pillars to reverse damage and maintain vitality without synthetic interventions.

Conditions and Ailments Known or Likely Caused by Harmful Practices

Below is a list of conditions and ailments known or likely caused by harmful practices—eating too often, smoking (regular and electronic cigarettes), recreational drugs (including marijuana), pharmaceutical drugs, oral contraceptives, alcohol, tattoos, and body modifications/implants. "Known" indicates robust evidence from clinical studies or widespread observation, while "likely" suggests plausible links from research or associations needing further validation.

Autoimmune Diseases

• Diabetes - Type 1: Likely from smoking (pancreatic stress), pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., corticosteroids, interferons triggering autoimmunity), and oral contraceptives (hormonal stress on pancreas).
• Graves' Disease: Likely from pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., amiodarone, interferon-alpha interfering with thyroid, iodine imbalance), oral contraceptives (hormonal thyroid suppression), and smoking (exacerbates autoimmune thyroid risk). Brain-related drugs like lithium (for bipolar) are known to induce hyperthyroidism or Graves' in 6-52% of long-term users due to thyroid disruption.
• Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Likely from pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., lithium, amiodarone causing hypothyroidism), oral contraceptives (hormonal interference), and smoking (iodine interference). Magnesium/vitamin D depletion from brain drugs (e.g., valproate) may worsen autoimmune thyroid risk.
• Lupus: Known from oral contraceptives (hormone imbalance), smoking (oxidative stress), and pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., hydralazine, procainamide inducing lupus-like symptoms). Likely from brain-related drugs (e.g., carbamazepine for epilepsy, corticosteroids for BPD) due to magnesium/vitamin D depletion, fostering autoimmunity.
• Multiple Sclerosis: Likely from smoking (increases risk by 50%), oral contraceptives (hormonal effects on myelin), and pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., interferons, lithium altering thyroid function, magnesium levels).
• Rheumatoid Arthritis: Known from smoking (triggers inflammation), oral contraceptives (hormonal disruption), and pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., NSAIDs, methotrexate depleting zinc, increasing immune dysregulation). Likely from long-term use of brain-related drugs (e.g., lithium for bipolar, valproate for epilepsy depleting magnesium, weakening immunity).

Brain and Mental Health Issues

• Alzheimer’s Disease: Likely from smoking (vascular damage), pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., statins linked to memory loss), oral contraceptives (long-term hormonal impact), and brain-related drugs (e.g., benzodiazepines for BPD impairing cognition).
• Anxiety: Known from smoking (nicotine-induced stress), recreational drugs (e.g., amphetamines), alcohol (withdrawal), oral contraceptives (hormone fluctuations), and pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., corticosteroids). Likely from brain-related drugs (e.g., lamotrigine for epilepsy, depleting vitamin D, increasing anxiety).
• Bipolar Disorder: Likely from pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., lithium, oral contraceptives (hormonal mood shifts), and smoking (neurochemical disruption).
• Depression: Known from smoking (nicotine withdrawal), recreational drugs (e.g., cocaine, marijuana altering dopamine), alcohol (neurotransmitter imbalance), oral contraceptives (hormonal mood swings), and pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., corticosteroids, SSRIs causing emotional blunting). Likely from brain-related drugs (e.g., lithium, valproate depleting magnesium, linked to mood instability).
• Epilepsy-Related Cognitive Decline: Likely from pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., phenytoin, carbamazepine depleting vitamin D, magnesium, impairing cognition).
• Schizophrenia: Likely from recreational drugs (e.g., marijuana in predisposed individuals), smoking (early brain development effects), and pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., corticosteroids, antipsychotics depleting magnesium).

Cardiovascular Conditions

• Atrial Fibrillation: Likely from pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., thyroid-disrupting drugs like amiodarone), oral contraceptives (hormonal stress), and smoking (heart irritation).
• Heart Disease: Known from smoking (artery damage), alcohol (cardiomyopathy), recreational drugs (e.g., cocaine causing heart attacks), pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., NSAIDs, amiodarone increasing blood pressure), oral contraceptives (blood clots), and tattoos (chronic inflammation).
• Hypertension: Known from smoking (vasoconstriction), alcohol (excessive intake), recreational drugs (e.g., methamphetamine), pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., decongestants, corticosteroids), and oral contraceptives (hormonal effects).
• Stroke: Known from smoking (clot formation), alcohol (hemorrhagic risk), recreational drugs (e.g., cocaine), pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., oral anticoagulants, amiodarone causing bleeding), and oral contraceptives (thrombosis risk).

Dermatological Conditions

• Eczema: Likely from smoking (immune response), tattoos (allergic reactions), pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., corticosteroids thinning skin), and oral contraceptives (hormonal irritation).
• Psoriasis: Likely from smoking (triggers flares), tattoos (ink-induced inflammation), pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., lithium, beta-blockers), and oral contraceptives (hormonal skin changes).
• Skin Cancer: Known from tattoos (ink carcinogens, 21% melanoma risk increase), smoking (UV damage synergy), and pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., immunosuppressants, methotrexate), any that cause Thrombocytopenia.

Digestive Disorders

• Fatty Liver Disease: Known from eating too often (insulin resistance), alcohol (toxic buildup), pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., methotrexate, tamoxifen liver stress), and oral contraceptives (hormonal liver strain).
• Gastritis: Known from alcohol (mucosal damage), smoking (acid increase), and pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., NSAIDs, corticosteroids causing ulcers).
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Likely from eating too often (gut overload), alcohol (irritation), recreational drugs (e.g., marijuana altering motility), and pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., antibiotics, PPIs disrupting microbiota).

Infectious Diseases

• Hepatitis B/C: Known from recreational drugs (injecting risks), tattoos (unsterile needles), and pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., immunosuppressants increasing vulnerability).
• HIV/AIDS: Known from recreational drugs (needle sharing), tattoos (poor hygiene), and pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., long-term steroids weakening immunity).
• Tuberculosis: Likely from smoking (lung susceptibility) and pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., immunosuppressants, corticosteroids).

Menstrual Cycle Irregularities

• Amenorrhea: Known from oral contraceptives (cycle suppression), recreational drugs (e.g., cocaine), and pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., chemotherapy, corticosteroids).
• Dysmenorrhea: Known from oral contraceptives (hormonal suppression), recreational drugs (e.g., stimulants disrupting cycles), and pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., antipsychotics, lithium affecting hormones).
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): Likely from oral contraceptives (hormonal imbalance), pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., corticosteroids, valproate affecting androgen levels), and eating too often (insulin resistance).

Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders

• Adrenal Insufficiency: Likely from pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., corticosteroids suppressing adrenals), oral contraceptives (hormonal overload), and recreational drugs (e.g., cocaine stress).
• Diabetes - Type 2: Known from eating too often (insulin resistance), smoking (pancreatic stress), alcohol (pancreatic damage), pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., corticosteroids, thiazides increasing glucose), oral contraceptives (insulin sensitivity reduction), and obesity (from all above habits).
• Hyperthyroidism/Graves' Disease: Known from pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., amiodarone, iodine excess), oral contraceptives (hormonal thyroid overstimulation), and smoking (autoimmune trigger).
• Hypothyroidism: Known from pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., lithium, amiodarone, interferons), oral contraceptives (thyroid suppression), smoking (iodine interference), and eating too often (metabolic stress).
• Obesity: Known from eating too often (caloric excess), smoking (metabolic disruption), alcohol (caloric intake), pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., antipsychotics, corticosteroids causing weight gain), oral contraceptives (hormonal weight retention), and sedentary lifestyle tied to these habits.

Musculoskeletal Conditions

• Osteoarthritis: Likely from pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., NSAIDs worsening joint health), smoking (cartilage damage), and obesity (joint stress).
• Osteoporosis: Known from pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., corticosteroids, PPIs reducing calcium absorption), smoking (calcium loss), oral contraceptives (long-term hormonal effects), and vitamin D/magnesium depletion from brain drugs (e.g., phenytoin).
• Tendinopathy: Likely from pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., fluoroquinolones, corticosteroids causing tendon rupture), tattoos (chronic inflammation), and oral contraceptives (hormonal tendon weakening).

Respiratory Conditions

• Asthma: Known from smoking (airway irritation), recreational drugs (e.g., cocaine), and pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., aspirin sensitivity, beta-blockers).
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Known from smoking (lung damage), recreational drugs (e.g., marijuana smoked), and pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., beta-blockers in asthmatics).
• Lung Cancer: Known from smoking (carcinogens) and pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., immunosuppressants increasing risk).

Other Chronic Conditions

• Cancer (Various): Known from smoking (lung, throat), tattoos (ink carcinogens), pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., tamoxifen increasing uterine cancer, chemotherapy causing secondary cancers via thrombocytopenia), oral contraceptives (breast cancer risk), and obesity (multiple cancer types).
• Chronic Fatigue: Likely from pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., statins, SSRIs causing muscle fatigue), oral contraceptives (hormonal drain), alcohol (nutrient depletion), and magnesium/vitamin D loss from brain drugs.
• Chronic Pain: Likely from pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., opioids, NSAIDs causing dependency), tattoos (ink inflammation), and oral contraceptives (hormonal joint stress).
• Thrombocytopenia: Known from pharmaceutical drugs (e.g., chemotherapy, anticonvulsants like valproate, carbamazepine for epilepsy, lithium for bipolar, affecting 5-15% of users), leading to slow healing and potential cancer risk due to impaired clotting.

Notes on Pharmaceutical Drugs

The top 250 prescribed drugs (e.g., atorvastatin, levothyroxine, metformin, amlodipine, lisinopril, sertraline, omeprazole) commonly cause deficiencies—e.g., statins deplete coenzyme Q10 (muscle weakness), PPIs reduce B12 (fatigue), and ACE inhibitors lower zinc (immune issues)—contributing to the above ailments. Oral contraceptives mirror these effects with added hormonal disruption, aligning with broader drug-related damage.

Steer clear—thrive naturally!