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The 2022 Chinese New Year festival is quietly gone in our reluctance.
After the brief reunion of the Spring Festival, we carried the expectations of our families, the blessings of relatives and friends, and the yearning and vision of a better life, and threw ourselves back into our busy work and life.
If you want to go further in life and work, you can't do without the support and support of a healthy body.
In the new year, starting from living habits is a good way to improve and improve your health.
These 10 good habits are shared with you, I hope you can stick to it and make your body better and healthier.
Stay up a little less and get a little more sleep
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) states that sleep is a biological necessity, the foundation of health, and important for cognitive function, mood, mental health, and cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and metabolic health.
Short-term sleep deprivation, long-term sleep deprivation, circadian rhythm disorders and sleep disorders can have a profound and adverse impact on physical health, mental health, mood and public safety, increasing the risk of multiple diseases and deaths, including Alzheimer's disease, anxiety, depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer.
At the same time, adequate sleep time and good sleep quality also have a certain effect on reducing the risk of accidents and injuries caused by drowsiness and fatigue, including workplace accidents and car accidents.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends that the best amount of sleep for adults is 7 to 9 hours. Older adults usually sleep shorter, ranging from 7 to 8 hours. Children between the ages of 6 and 13 are recommended to sleep 9 to 11 hours a day, and adolescents aged 14 to 17 years are recommended to sleep 8 to 10 hours a day.
Image credit: 123RF
A little less overdraft, a little more exercise
Lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle are one of the risk factors for many diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. Conversely, increasing exercise can help promote good health and reduce the risk of many diseases.
The National Cancer Institute and the Harvard School of Public Health have analyzed 750,000 adults. The results of the study showed that moderate-intensity exercise of 150-300 minutes per week, or 75-150 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week, was associated with a reduced risk of 7 types of cancer, including male colorectal cancer, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, kidney cancer, myeloma, liver cancer, and female non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Therefore, no matter how busy you are at work and how tired you are in life, you must also take time to develop good exercise habits and sit less and walk more.
The Healthy China Initiative (2019-2030) recommends that healthy adults engage in at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, or 75-150 minutes of high-intensity exercise; reaching or exceeding 300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 150-minute high-intensity exercise is ideal. It should also be combined with movements that promote or maintain strength and flexibility.
Eat less meat and more vegetarian
A growing body of research shows that diet is associated with health. For example, the more red meat is eaten, the higher the risk of colorectal cancer, and the more dietary fiber is eaten, the lower the risk of colorectal cancer.
In the daily diet, plant foods rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients (such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes) should be the mainstay; supplemented by animal foods, eat in moderation.
The Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016) recommend that the daily diet should be:
- Food is diverse, cereal-based, the daily diet should include cereals and potatoes, vegetables and fruits, livestock and poultry meat, eggs and milk, soybeans and nuts and other foods, it is best to eat more than 12 kinds of food every day, and eat more than 25 kinds of food per week.
- Eat more vegetables and fruits, milk, soybeans, eat at least 300g-500g of vegetables a day, dark vegetables should account for 1/2; eat 200g-350g of fresh fruits every day; often eat soy products; eat nuts in moderation.
- Eat fish, poultry, eggs and lean meat in moderation; do not eat processed meat; limit red meat and fatty meat; eat 280g-525g of livestock and poultry meat per week.
Smoke less and stay away from second-hand smoke
Smoking is a major cause of disease and death worldwide, killing 6 million people each year. Not smoking can prevent many tragedies.
Smoking is also a major risk factor for cancer, increasing the risk of 17 different types of cancer, including genitourinary cancer, head and neck cancer, digestive system cancer, and hematopoietic system cancer in addition to lung cancer.
Second-hand smoke, a risk factor for lung cancer in children, women and non-smoking adults, consists of a mixture of smoke produced when tobacco is burned and smoke emitted by smokers, which contains more than 4,000 harmful substances, such as tar, nicotine, phenylpyrene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, etc., many of which have been confirmed to be carcinogens.
What is more frightening is that the concentration of some harmful substances in second-hand smoke may be higher than that of first-hand smoke; and the smell of second-hand smoke dissipates, and the harmful substances in it will also exist in furniture or cars for a long time, bringing long-term cancer risks.
For the health of the family, we should not smoke as much as possible and do not create second-hand smoke for the family.
A little less fat, a little more muscle
There is good evidence that there is a causal relationship between being overweight or obese and the risk of 13 types of cancer, including postmenopausal breast, colorectal, kidney, liver, ovarian and pancreatic cancers.
Body fat acts like a "hormone pump," triggering higher than normal levels of insulin, estrogen, and other hormones released into the bloodstream, which are too high to stimulate tumor growth.
Reducing fat, reducing weight as much as possible, and keeping within the healthy range (18.5kg/㎡ ≤ BMI<24kg/㎡), avoiding weight gain after adult life, will help reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases, such as cardiovascular, diabetes and other diseases.
At the same time, increasing muscle mass also helps to improve overall health, especially if you have chronic diseases. Studies have shown that compared with people with low muscle mass, people with high muscle mass have a higher chance of survival after breast cancer (women); after chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), respiratory function is better.
In addition, skeletal muscle mass is also associated with the risk of heart disease and stroke. In men, a higher skeletal muscle mass in middle age may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease within 10 years, and the higher the skeletal muscle mass, the lower the risk of cardiovascular disease within 10 years.
Drink less wine, preferably not
Whether it is liquor, beer or wine, drinking alcohol is harmful to health, such as increasing the risk of cancer, including colorectal cancer, breast cancer, certain types of head and neck cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer, oral cancer, laryngeal cancer and stomach cancer.
When alcohol enters the body, it produces toxic chemicals (Acetaldehyde, a Class 1 carcinogen), which directly damages cellular DNA and proteins; it also increases the level of certain hormones and increases the risk of cancer.
In addition, there is no "moderate" way of drinking, and even drinking very little alcohol increases the risk of cancer; and the more alcohol you drink, the higher the risk.
According to a large global study led by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 4.1% (741,300) of all new cancer cases in 2020 were related to alcohol consumption, of which more than three-quarters (76.7%) were male cases; even moderate alcohol consumption (about two drinks a day) led to more than 100,000 new cancers a year.
Therefore, for the sake of health, we must drink as little as possible and do not drink alcohol.
Drink less sugary drinks and drink more boiled water or tea
Studies have shown that consuming sugary drinks can cause weight gain, overweight, and obesity, which is associated with an increased risk of multiple cancers.
In addition, sugary drinks provide energy, but do not affect appetite like regular foods, and may promote excessive calorie intake.
The Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016) recommend that you should not drink or drink less sugary drinks, and promote the consumption of boiled water and tea.
Less exposure, more protection
The ultraviolet rays in sunlight can be divided into 4 bands according to wavelengths: UVA, UVB, UVC, and UVD, of which UVA and UVB can pass through the atmospheric ozone layer and reach the skin. Long-term exposure to ultraviolet light can damage the skin and increase the risk of skin cancer.
In order to protect the skin from ultraviolet rays, sun protection measures should be taken in daily life, such as:
- Avoid sun exposure at noon and reduce time directly exposed to the sun.
- Apply broad-spectrum sunscreen (i.e., sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB) and apply sunscreen when going outdoors, even in cloudy weather.
- Wear sun protection gear such as dark, tightly knit clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses.
- No indoor UV solarium equipment is used.
A little more prevention, a little less infection
Infection with bacteria, viruses, etc. can not only cause related diseases, but also increase the risk of cancer. Nearly one-fifth of global cancers are caused by persistent infections such as viruses and bacteria, including human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and Helicobacter pylori (HP).
Persistent HPV infection is the cause of almost all cervical, 90% anal, oropharyngeal, and more than half of vaginal, vulvar, and penile cancers.
Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus, in addition to causing liver cancer, may increase the risk of other malignancies such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Persistent infection with Helicobacter pylori may cause stomach cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
HpV vaccination and hepatitis B vaccine are among the most effective ways to prevent associated infections. In addition, taking infection prevention measures, screening for infection, and timely treatment of associated infections can also help reduce the risk of cancer caused by related infections.
A little less carelessness, a little more inspection
Regular health check-ups help to detect the disease before it occurs. Early detection of diseases, treatment of diseases, can achieve a better treatment effect. With the right screening and treatment, you can take steps to live a healthier, longer life.
In addition to a health check-up once a year, cancer screening should be performed after a certain age. Screening can detect certain cancers early, when treatment is more effective. For some cancers, there are also precancerous lesion stages, which can be detected early through screening and early treatment to prevent cancer development.
Finally, through lifestyle, the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, diabetes and cancer and other diseases and deaths, is not something that can be done overnight, it requires long-term practice and persistence, only in this way will we promote physical health and prolong life as much as possible.
Now that you know that these good habits are good for your health, why not start as soon as possible!
Resources
[1] 10 Cancer Prevention Recommendations. Retrieved Feb 8 ,2022,from https://www.aicr.org/cancer-prevention/
[2] Is cancer avoidable? . Retrieved Feb 8 ,2022,from https://cancer-code-europe.iarc.fr/index.php/en/about-cancer/is-cancer-avoidable
[3] Find out more about the 12 ways recommendations. Retrieved Feb 8 ,2022,from https://cancer-code-europe.iarc.fr/index.php/en/ecac-12-ways
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