Top 20 Healthy Habits

Regular physical exercise is a highly effective method for a healthy lifestyle. Exercise helps ward off illnesses, promotes flexibility, alleviates stress, and contributes to a well-proportioned body without excess fat. Maintaining the habit of exercising regularly is essential. You can exercise at home, in the park, or at specialized fitness centers. Consider exercising with your family for 30 minutes. Exercise also aids new mothers in quickly regaining their shape after pregnancy, facilitating a speedy recovery of health and fitness. Exercise enhances our overall well-being, enabling us to accomplish more, take better care of ourselves, and nurture our families effectively.

Recommended exercises include:

• Monday: Run for 30 to 40 minutes
• Tuesday: Work on abdominal, buttock, leg muscles, and stretching exercises
• Wednesday: Perform 30 to 45 minutes of fat-burning cardio
• Thursday: Focus on squats and arm muscles
• Friday: Engage in a 30-minute full-body stretching and deep breathing session
• Saturday: Combine exercises with park bench or park running
• Sunday: Rest or opt for light, gentle movements

According to the results of the National Institute of Nutrition, Vietnamese people consume twice the recommended daily salt intake. This means Vietnamese people have a salty diet, which burdens the kidneys and can lead to diseases such as cancer and kidney failure.

Therefore, gradually reduce salt intake to develop a preference for milder flavors. Additionally, avoid adding fish sauce to meals, except for boiled dishes.

Research indicates that white meats such as fish, chicken, and seafood are beneficial for health and have a lower cancer risk compared to red meats like beef and buffalo. Consume an adequate amount of meat the body needs daily, and include a variety of green vegetables such as kale, spinach, and various root vegetables like carrots, turnips, and squash. Also, incorporate a variety of fruits into your diet.

Choose natural products, drink freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices instead of commercially available bottled fruit juices. This type of diet aids in easier digestion, leaving your body feeling refreshed and invigorated. You can trust the foods you are putting into your body.

After waking up to invigorate your body, head straight to the shower and cleanse your body. Showering in the morning leaves the body feeling fresh and energized. Taking a cold shower in the morning enhances blood circulation and aids muscle recovery after exercise, as blood flows through muscle groups more easily, helping muscles firm up and recover faster.

Studies show that cold water showers increase testosterone levels in men. Morning showers reduce stress and depression because we feel very comfortable at that time. To boost your mood, you can sing or listen to music while showering. Morning cold showers can aid in weight loss, as the body burns brown fat (good fat) to generate heat when exposed to cold water. However, the amount of weight loss is not significant.

Some tips include not showering immediately upon waking up; warm up your body before showering, avoid pouring cold water abruptly on your body to allow time for your body to adapt. When the weather is cold, take a warm shower.

Ensuring an adequate water intake is the key to a healthy, happy, and energized life. Most experts recommend following the 8 cups of 240 ml water per day rule, which is about 2 liters a day.

Water can help flush out excess waste and reduce bloating. It ensures a steady flow of energy and nutrients to various muscles. Water enhances exercise habits, especially in the summer.

However, the amount of water each body needs may vary. The critical times for the body to hydrate are before bedtime, upon waking up, after lunch, dinner, or consuming dry foods like potatoes, snacks, etc. Every 1 to 2 hours, replenish the body with a glass of filtered water. Staying hydrated is excellent for health, promotes skin beauty, and provides water to the digestive organs.

There's a saying: 'Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen, and dinner like a pauper.' This emphasizes the importance of breakfast as the most crucial meal of the day, providing energy for the new day after a long night's rest.

Many people skip breakfast or wake up too late to have a proper meal. Breakfast is essential; it provides energy for work and study and helps prevent cancer.

Develop a healthy and nutritious breakfast habit; prepare your breakfast the night before if you plan to wake up late the next morning.

Many successful entrepreneurs believe that balancing life and work is an elusive concept. The pursuit of balance often makes us feel overwhelmed by obligations and stress. Instead, understand that we need to address life issues while working and be flexible in our work schedule.

Rather than thinking that your work ends and personal life begins, find ways to integrate both. Focus on making consistent, healthy, and positive choices that reflect your values, responsibilities, and goals across all aspects of life.

Sleep is the fuel that helps the body function well. When you get enough sleep, the body rests and regains strength after each day of activity. Therefore, reasonable rest and sufficient sleep are essential doses for health.

Excessive sleep duration and poor sleep quality are associated with cardiovascular dysfunction and increased risk of overweight and obesity.

Optimal sleep time is defined as sleep duration ≥ 7 hours and ≤ 9 hours per day. The combination of a diet rich in low-fat dairy products, vegetables, fish, and 1 sleep with optimal sleep time effectively improves insulin resistance and liver stiffness in patients with fatty liver. A good and deep sleep allows the body to rest fully and completely relax. It's advisable to go to bed early and wake up early to start a new day with the freshest spirit.

Do you usually have lunch at your desk or in front of the screen? A 2011 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who multitask during lunch feel unsatisfied and eat more food in 30 minutes than those who are not distracted during lunch.

Every day, an office worker's hands come into contact with about 10 million bacteria. These bacteria spread from hand to hand between you and colleagues/friends, from outside into the office, from vehicles, and even from public restrooms. Many people admit that they don't wash their hands after using the restroom... Interestingly, a virus-carrying employee can infect half the team at work in just 4 hours.

So, having lunch at the work desk is not a good habit at all. Compared to the kitchen table, your work desk is over 100 times less hygienic. Food debris is a source of harmful bacteria. In addition, eating right at the desk makes you sit still, continuing to 'bury' yourself in the computer. This makes you not focus on eating, prone to indigestion, fatigue, and drowsiness. Moreover, haphazard meals at the desk will lead to afternoon snacking, causing weight gain.

Every morning, take 5 minutes to plan your work for the new day. You can plan during breakfast or while enjoying a cup of green tea. This is crucial and has the most determining factor for an efficient working day. First, list the tasks for the day on a sticky note and attach it to your documents or computer. You can also save them in the note section on your phone, set alarms to remind you of the time.

Then, visualize how you will carry out those tasks, the sequence, possible challenges, and the ultimate result of the work. Just like that, all your tasks for the day will proceed smoothly and be much more proactive.

Fast food may seem more appetizing than home-cooked meals, but most processed foods contain high levels of oil, sugar, and salt, unsafe additives, and lack hygiene standards, posing health risks and increasing the likelihood of metabolic disorders such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and fatty liver. Therefore, saying no to fast food and processed foods is one of the secrets to improving health.

Fast foods like fried chicken, pizza provide excessive fats and starch compared to the body's needs, while lacking essential fiber and protein. Don't eat fast, as we need to live slowly, live healthily, and live longer.

Caffeine is not only in coffee but also in caffeinated drinks like cola and other sodas. If you can't swallow a meal without a cola, you really need to check your habit. Too much caffeine can lead to insomnia, anxiety, digestive problems, and muscle weakness.

However, abruptly stopping caffeine intake can cause issues like headaches, drowsiness, and dizziness. You should reduce the caffeine amount by one cup per day over one or two weeks and manage caffeine addiction.

Heavy alcohol drinkers are at high risk of diseases related to the liver, heart, pancreas, and increased risk of premature death. However, moderate consumption is associated with a reduced likelihood of certain diseases and a 18% decrease in the risk of premature death. The results of a 29-year study show that men who prefer drinking red wine have a 34% higher risk of premature death compared to those who prefer beer or spirits.

Technology is a great thing for societal progress. But don't let it turn humans into emotionless machines. Change your state of mind and nurture your soul with a range of emotions found in each book.

Little physical activity and spending hours on social media can deplete both physical and mental health. Limit the time spent on these devices as much as possible. Plan outdoor conversations with friends, read physical books, engage in sports... these are things to do for a cheerful spirit, comfort, and maintaining a balanced and healthy physique.

Controlling weight is the best way to maintain heart health, prevent stroke, and coronary heart disease, which is an essential part of the healthcare process. The more abdominal fat accumulates, the higher the risk of developing heart and cerebrovascular diseases; fat deposits in organs increase the risk of organ-related diseases.

Adult men with a waist circumference > 90cm or waist-hip ratio > 0.90; adult women with a waist circumference > 85cm or waist-hip ratio > 0.85. When the need for weight loss arises, it should be gradual, usually reducing 0.5 to 1.0kg per week. It's appropriate to achieve a 5-10% reduction in initial weight over six months to a year.

Science has shown that quitting smoking can significantly reduce the risk of heart and cerebrovascular diseases, cancer, and other illnesses.

Advice on quitting smoking includes: throwing away cigarette packs, discarding cigarette butts, lighters, and matches; when craving a cigarette, try deep breathing or chew sugar-free gum, avoid snacking to prevent high blood sugar and obesity. Replace the smoking habit with an evening walk or eating fruit after meals; organize physical activities such as swimming, jogging, fishing, etc., to quit smoking. If needed, seek support from a doctor in the quitting process.

A study reveals that people who quit smoking at age 35 can extend their life by 8.5 years; quitting at age 60 can add 3.7 years to life. In fact, deciding to quit smoking brings positive changes to your life.

Seeds are nutritional powerhouses, rich in protein, fiber, antioxidants, and beneficial plant compounds. Moreover, they are abundant sources of vitamins and minerals such as copper, magnesium, potassium, etc.

Several studies suggest that different seeds have beneficial effects on heart disease, high blood pressure, inflammation, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and even certain types of cancer.

Research indicates that individuals consuming 3 servings of seeds per week have a reduced risk of death by up to 39%. Similarly, two recent reviews involving over 350,000 individuals noted that those who incorporate seeds into their diet have a lower risk of mortality, up to 27%, with the greatest reduction seen in those consuming higher daily seed servings.

According to experts, individuals over 30 should undergo an annual physical examination through regular health checkups. Those over 50 should have a physical health check every six months. Additionally, the health check categories should be 'adjusted' based on specific health conditions.

For example:

• Individuals with irregular eating habits or frequently dining out should pay attention to gastrointestinal and metabolic health, check blood sugar, lipid levels, uric acid, and carbon, examine breath, and test for H. pylori in the stomach.
• People who consume alcohol regularly should focus on liver health, hepatitis B, conduct tests for alcohol-induced blood parameters to assess alcohol consumption. Encourage color Doppler ultrasound of the heart and check the waist-hip ratio.
• Smokers should undergo lung and throat cancer screenings, undergo tests and chest X-rays, check blood for tumor markers for lung cancer, and undergo sputum cytology.
• Individuals with sedentary jobs or low physical activity should have selective CT scans of the spine, intervertebral discs, cervical vertebrae, and lumbar spine CT.

Several studies indicate that maintaining a life with healthy relationships can help extend lifespan. In fact, just having 3 social relationships can reduce the risk of premature death by over 200%.

Research on healthy social relationships also has positive effects on the heart, brain, hormones, and immune function, reducing the risk of chronic diseases. Strong relationships help minimize negative thinking and reduce stress.

Stress and anxiety can significantly decrease your lifespan. For instance, women experiencing stress or anxiety are twice as likely to die from heart disease, stroke, or lung cancer. Similarly, men with frequent stress and anxiety have a threefold higher risk of premature death compared to mentally relaxed men. If you're feeling stressed, a smile and optimism can be two key solutions.

Studies show that pessimistic individuals have a 42% higher risk of premature death compared to their optimistic counterparts. Laughter and a positive outlook on life can reduce stress and extend your lifespan.

Don't try to change everything at once. It can be overwhelming and lead to early abandonment. Start with small things and take it slowly. If you're trying to establish a more regular exercise routine, begin with the easiest, least challenging exercises you can manage. Try a 10-minute walk after work or even just a 5-minute workout in your living room.

Once it becomes a normal part of your life, gradually increase the intensity. If you have a setback, don't beat yourself up; just get back on the wagon you're riding. The goal is to create habits that feel easily achievable.