Vulture Hacks
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This story originally ran on October 17, 2016.
Its being republished now as everyone prepares to finally watchThe Irishmanover the holidays.
Binge-watching is bad for you.
Yet another asks, Netflix and kill?
Little surprise, then, that experts offer a very simple prescription:Dont binge.Watch less TV.
Okay, fair, fine.
But the key word islinked.
Most studies show alink, or a correlation, between TV and bad outcomes, not acause.
Healthy people can watch TV and remain healthy especially if they practice some of these 11 tips.
Eat frozen grapes
Youll be shocked to learn that binge-watching can trigger binge-eating.
Theyre eating more unhealthy foods.
Thats a couch-potato lifestyle.
But it doesnt have to be.
We can buck the trend.
Start with an omelette or some eggs; we want good protein.
Avoid big bags of food; bring portion-controlled single servings.
For snacking, she recommends vegetables and hummus but realistically, who wants to eat carrots when watchingYouseason two?
The grapes are perfect, she explains.
Theyre like a mini-sorbet: cold and satisfying without added sugar.
In other words: The more you move, the smaller your jeans.
So take a break.
Divide the binge into chunks.
After each show, she recommends getting up from the couch and doing … anything.
A walk around the block.
Standing is better than sitting, and moving is better than standing.
Dosomethingto get up and moving.
… Or stay activewhileyou watch …
Plenty of studies suggest thateven when we exercise regularly, too much sitting can still shorten our lifespan.
Our eyes can get dry, irritated, fatigued, and were less likely to blink.
This gives your eyes a chance to recover.
In addition, Starr adds, its important to remember to blink with a normal frequency.
(We now live in a world where we need reminders to blink.)
Dim the screen
Not yet concerned about the effects of bingeing on your appearance?
This, too, is sparked by HEV exposure.
Once these structures are damaged, we seesagging and wrinkling.
Solution: Lower the screens brightness.
Most devices have a setting that dials down the blue waves on the iPhone its called Night Shift.
Other options includeanti-glare screens, filters, and stepping away from that screen once in a while.
Drink water lots of it
Stay hydrated.
(The science on this isiffy, but its water it wont hurt.)
Dolans rule of thumb: Take your weight in pounds, then divide it by two.
Then drink that number of ounces.
Push your brain
Will TV rot our brains?
(In other words, prior studies might have jumbled correlation and causation.)
The jury is still out.
People spend too much time watching TV at night, and that makes them sleep-deprived, says Dr. Hu.
Consider reading, writing, or quiet reflection, perhaps about the remaining contents of your viewing queue.
Not yet compromising your health with the eminently bingeable Disney+?Sign up for it here.
