Can you believe it? These seemingly bad habits, if maintained consistently, can actually add 10 years to your life. Take a quick look and see how many of these "bad habits" you have.
1. Talking to Yourself - Nourishes the Brain
Some people love to mutter to themselves when they have nothing to do. Unbeknownst to them, this seemingly bad habit has significant benefits. Self-talk has a calming effect on the nervous system, enhances a sense of security, helps to organize scattered thoughts, and aids sleep, especially when feeling tense or tired. It can also increase respiration, raise blood oxygen levels, and alleviate symptoms of inadequate cerebral blood supply.
2. Singing at the Drop of a Hat - Moisturizes the Lungs
Many people love to sing. They sing almost all the time, except when eating, and even rush to the park with old friends for a few songs right after a meal. The exercise of the respiratory muscles from singing is as beneficial as sports like swimming or rowing.
3. Frequently Stretching - Nourishes the Heart
Some people are always leaning on something and can easily stretch and yawn, looking drowsy. However, medical experts have confirmed that stretching causes a strong contraction of most muscles in the body. During a few seconds of stretching, a lot of stagnant blood is pushed back to the heart, thereby increasing blood flow and improving circulation. This is exactly what patients with coronary heart disease and insufficient cerebral blood supply need most.
4. Drinking Soup Before a Meal - Beneficial for Digestive Organs
Whether drinking soup before a meal is good or bad has been debated for years. Here is a scientific conclusion: it's good. Drinking a small amount of soup before a meal is like a warm-up before exercise. It activates the entire digestive system, prompting the digestive glands to secrete an adequate amount of digestive fluid, preparing the body for food.
5. Lifting Legs High - Strengthens the Kidneys
Some people can never sit still; they are always slouching or lying down. Medical experts believe that when a person's legs are raised above the heart, blood in the feet and legs flows back. This relaxes the constantly tense muscles of the lower legs, which helps prevent varicose veins in the lower extremities. At the same time, blood from the legs returns to the lungs and heart, significantly restoring cardiopulmonary function, which is especially beneficial for patients with cor pulmonale. Doing this regularly also has a health-preserving effect on the heart and lungs.
6. Eating While Standing - Invigorates the Spleen
As an editor, I often say that lazy people should bother with health cultivation; living too comfortably certainly won't lead to a long life. People who have been sitting for most of their meals may not even realize their posture is wrong. Those "eccentrics" who persist in standing to eat, despite being questioned, have actually found the true essence of health cultivation. Studies by medical experts on dining postures of different ethnic groups around the world show that standing is the most scientific position, followed by sitting, while squatting is the least scientific.
7. Loving Cold Food - Benefits the Five Organs
Everyone says eating cold things is bad, but this is not an absolute rule. Experts have long believed that lowering body temperature is a path to longevity. Here's another point: why do some people go winter swimming or take cold showers? Eating cold food is similar to these practices and is absolutely a healthy "bad habit." Eating cold food in moderation can balance dietary calories, lower body temperature to a certain extent, keep the five organs in a moderately cool state, and thus extend lifespan.
8. Sleeping Naked - Protects the Liver
On one hand, sleeping naked removes the restraint of clothing on the body, giving a sense of unrestrained comfort. On the other hand, it increases the contact area between the skin and the air, which is beneficial for the circulation of the hepatic portal vein, blood circulation, and the secretion of sebaceous and sweat glands. Therefore, sleeping naked helps to relax the mind and eliminate fatigue.