The 6 Strangest Health Habits


health weirdness

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That's me hanging on the ledge in the middle of the photo.

I will always remember the night I willingly lowered myself into an ice bath as the day I went over the edge and became certifiably weird. Crazy might be a better term for it.

Healthy behavior can seem unusual when viewed from the perspective of the mainstream. After all, the very fact that some behavior stands out as "healthy" means that the norm is unhealthy, and anything that goes against the norm is by definition weird. Running up and down streets just for running's sake, for example, is kind of strange from a certain perspective.

But some of us take things a little too far. By some of us I mean those who eat Paleo, live Primally, and Move Naturally. CrossFitters might also fit this category.

Here are a list of the things I do regularly in the name of health that raise eyebrows at fancy cocktail parties (which I never go to):

  1. Take cold showers. This is guaranteed to weird people out. Why I would ever choose to take a cold shower is beyond them. Right now, almost all my showers are cold, unless I'm feeling really down and just need to pamper myself. This is actually one of the most beneficial strange habits I have, as it has noticeably improved my toughness, recovery, and sleep. My immune system also seems more robust generally.
  2. Eat butter. I eat butter straight. Just cut off blocks and pop them in my mouth. I picked this up when I was following the advice of the WAPF to take a spoonful of grassfed butter oil and fermented cod liver oil. I ran out of the oil, so I substituted with regular grassfed butter, and have kept it up ever since. If I'm ever feeling peckish, I just grab a block of Kerrygold's and take a bite out of it (just kidding. I'm not that crude. I use a knife). I find this is easier on my digestion than snacking on nuts, a common pitfall among Paleo dieters.
  3. Don't eat. I generally don't eat until noon, and I usually have my last meal of the day around 7pm. Those of you who practice intermittent fasting don't need an explanation, but you've got to admit, it weirds people out. It really weirds out flight attendants when you refuse both meals on a 14 hour flight.
  4. No pillow. This may not be as strange as I think, but I've always slept with a pillow, and all the beds I see in the world have pillows. I've been experimenting with going without, but usually I'll grab one in the middle of the night without realizing it. The one time I managed to go all night, I woke up with absolutely no stiffness in my neck, which is new for me.
  5. Standing to work. Nobody said anything the day I walked into the teacher's room with a desk stand for grading book reports, but there were definitely some looks. It's not that I'm being rude by refusing a seat. I'm just more comfortable standing. I'm also more alert and productive, and I don't end the day with back pain.
  6. Go barefoot. In Korea, hiking is a popular pastime, as well as an excuse to get an entirely new outfit. For me, it was an excuse to get out of my usual outfit. While Korean families trudged over gravel in their armored boots, I danced past them in bare feet and drew stares, inspiring more than a few wistful glaces from those who envied my freedom. I'm pretty sure I'm having the most fun.

What do you think? Are these behaviors as weird as I think? Maybe you've got something to top me? Share it in the comments.

Photo credit: Anna Pusack