You Don't Know About the TCM Health Blacklist
Health preservation is a major lifelong health matter, but in our daily lives, we always have this or that habit. How many of these habits are on this TCM health blacklist?
Tenth on the blacklist: Drinking excessive coffee or tea.
Moderate amounts of coffee and tea are beneficial to the body, but excessive consumption can irritate the stomach and affect sleep.
Regarding "coffee": According to recent reports from foreign media, coffee might be leading the latest healthy diet trend. However, don't think that upgrading your coffee from a medium to a super-large size will make you healthier. Most researchers believe there is not enough evidence to show that the benefits of coffee have reached the point where it should encourage non-coffee drinkers to change their habits. Furthermore, no one has found the optimal daily coffee intake for health. The reaction to coffee varies from person to person: a small cup can make one person anxious and tense, while some people can drink 10 cups and still sleep soundly all night. The relationship between coffee and health is not yet rigorously proven, and experts believe that the pros and cons of drinking coffee vary from individual to individual.
Ninth on the blacklist: Eating scalding hot food.
Eating food that is too hot can damage the intestines and bodily functions. Eating foods closer to body temperature daily can slow down gastrointestinal aging and help one live longer.
When food enters the gastrointestinal tract, it must pass through the mouth and esophagus. "High-temperature" food contact with the digestive tract and oral mucosa can cause damage, ulceration, and bleeding of the epithelium. If repeatedly subjected to such irritation, it may induce cancer. Therefore, people who are accustomed to eating hot meals and drinking hot beverages have a higher risk of developing cancer in the mouth and esophagus.
Eighth on the blacklist: Not drinking enough water.
Tian Xiangyang, an expert from the China Health Education Center of the Ministry of Health, stated that it is best for each person to drink 2 liters of water a day, and one should replenish water appropriately after waking up and between meals.
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Be cautious about hydrating in the morning: Many women consider drinking water after waking up a daily routine, hoping it will moisturize the intestines, lower blood viscosity, and make them look fresh. But how to hydrate more healthily in the morning? Actually, there are no hard and fast rules; morning hydration should be personalized.
Lean, fair-skinned, or constitutionally cold people should not drink milk, juice, or cold water below body temperature in the morning. They can opt for warm soups or congee.
Freshly squeezed juice is not suitable for an empty stomach in the morning; it should be consumed with breakfast even in the summer.
Avoid salt when hydrating in the morning. Richly simmered meat broth or salty wonton soup are not suitable, as this will only increase the body's thirst in the morning.
Seventh on the blacklist: Straining too hard during bowel movements.
Straining too hard during a bowel movement can strengthen heart contractions, cause a sudden spike in blood pressure, and trigger a cerebral hemorrhage.
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When the elderly strain excessively during a bowel movement, it can lead to changes in coronary and cerebral blood flow. Due to reduced cerebral blood flow, fainting can occur during defecation. Those with insufficient coronary blood supply may experience angina pectoris or a myocardial infarction. People with high blood pressure may suffer a cerebrovascular accident. It can also cause the rupture of an aneurysm or ventricular aneurysm, the detachment of a mural thrombus, arrhythmia, or even sudden death.
Sixth on the blacklist: Bending over to lift heavy objects.
Hai Yong, director of the orthopedics department at a certain hospital, suggests that bending over to lift heavy objects can damage the lumbar muscles and intervertebral discs. It's best to squat down, lean the body forward, and let the leg muscles share the load.
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Bending over to lift and carry heavy objects is extremely common in daily life and work, such as workers moving heavy objects or women carrying a washbasin from the floor. In these situations, if one is not mindful of posture, especially for mental workers or housewives who rarely have the chance for heavy physical labor, it is easy to cause damage to the lumbosacral area.
Fifth on the blacklist: Using a computer continuously for more than 3 hours.
Prolonged computer use can cause eye fatigue, shoulder and back pain, and also trigger headaches, loss of appetite, insomnia, and other problems.
Microwave hazards: The low-energy X-rays and low-frequency electromagnetic radiation from computers can cause central nervous system disorders. A British study confirmed that the low-frequency radiation and magnetic fields emitted by computer screens can lead to 7-19 ailments, including runny nose, itchy eyes, neck and back pain, short-term memory loss, irritability, and depression. For women, it can also lead to dysmenorrhea and prolonged menstrual periods. A few expectant mothers may even experience premature delivery or miscarriage. Furthermore, long-term computer work, combined with mental stress and psychological pressure, can easily lead to overall fatigue. Coupled with electromagnetic radiation, the incidence of breast cancer in female operators is about 30% higher than the general population. Related research has also found that the electromagnetic radiation from computers can cause cancer.
Vision hazards: When staring at one place for a long time, the number of blinks is only one-third of the normal rate, reducing the secretion of lubricants in the eyes. Over the long term, this can cause eye fatigue, double vision, blurred vision, and other adverse reactions. The most effective method is to take appropriate breaks and eat more foods rich in Vitamin A to replenish rhodopsin in the retina, such as carrots, cabbage, bean sprouts, tofu, red dates, oranges, milk, eggs, animal liver, and lean meat.
Organizational damage: Repetitive, tense movements while operating a computer can damage muscles, nerves, joints, tendons, and other tissues in certain areas. In addition to back pain, those who suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome may experience pain or even numbness in the wrist, which can extend to the palm and fingers.
Respiratory system hazards: Gases emitted by computers can harm the respiratory system. Researchers from the British Foundation for Allergy recently published a report stating that office equipment releases ozone gas that is harmful to human health, with computers and laser printers being the main culprits. This toxic ozone gas can cause breathing difficulties in some people. Moreover, staying in a place with high ozone gas concentrations for an extended period can lead to lung diseases.
Fourth on the blacklist: Getting out of bed immediately after waking up.
Jim Horne, a professor at the Loughborough University Sleep Research Center, points out that getting up immediately after waking can likely cause sudden changes in blood pressure, triggering diseases like hypertension and stroke. One should lie in bed for 5 minutes, move their limbs and head a bit, and then get up.
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To alleviate the damage to blood vessels caused by changes in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular pressure before and after sleep, experts recommend:
1. After waking, don't get up immediately; stay in bed for another half a minute;
2. After sitting up in bed, sit on the edge of the bed for another half a minute;
3. Stand by the bed for another half a minute before getting up and moving. This gradual activity allows the body's organs to adapt to the changes, reduces the sudden pressure on blood vessels from getting up abruptly, avoids dangers like falling, and is beneficial for stabilizing heart rhythm.
Third on the blacklist: Reading or newspapers on the toilet.
Sitting on the toilet to read or a newspaper will inevitably prolong bowel movements, causing anal congestion, which can trigger hemorrhoids. Furthermore, anal congestion can mislead the nervous system, stimulating the "defecation sensor" and making the anus feel constantly heavy and distended. Therefore, it's best to avoid "multitasking" while on the toilet.
Second on the blacklist: Crossing your legs.
This seemingly comfortable little action can impede blood flow in the legs, easily causing venous thrombosis, scoliosis, and lumbar disc herniation. Liu Deping, deputy director of the Cardiology Department at Beijing Hospital, points out that for people with hypertension, diabetes, or heart disease, crossing their legs for a long time can worsen their condition.
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Disease one: May cause leg varicose veins or thrombosis. When crossing your legs, the knee that is being pressed can be affected, potentially hindering blood circulation in the lower limbs. Keeping your legs in one position for a long time can cause numbness. If blood circulation is further obstructed, it can easily lead to varicose veins or thrombosis in the legs. This is especially true for the elderly with hypertension, diabetes, or heart disease, as prolonged leg crossing can exacerbate their conditions.
Disease two: Affects male reproductive health. When crossing your legs, the legs are often squeezed too tightly, raising the temperature of the inner thighs and the area around the genitals. For men, this high temperature can damage sperm, and over the long term, it may affect fertility. It is recommended not to cross your legs for more than 10 minutes. If you notice sweat on your inner thighs, it's best to walk in a ventilated area to cool down quickly.
Disease three: Causes spinal deformation and lower back pain. A normal human spine should look like an "S" shape from the side. However, crossing your legs can easily lead to a hunched posture. Over time, the spine can form a "C" shape, causing uneven pressure distribution on the lumbar and thoracic vertebrae. This can also compress the spinal nerves, leading to lower back pain.
Disease four: Leads to bone problems or muscle strain. When crossing your legs, the pelvis and hip joints are under long-term pressure, which can cause soreness. Over time, this may lead to bone problems or muscle strain. If you are on a bus and it brakes suddenly, the crossed legs may not have time to be uncrossed, which can easily lead to damage or dislocation of the joint and muscles.
First on the blacklist: Lack of exercise.
2/3 of survey participants do not meet the standard of exercising 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes each time. Hong Zhaoguang, the chief health education expert of the Ministry of Health, pointed out that insufficient exercise can cause a series of diseases such as obesity, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and back pain. People should exercise at least 3-5 times a week for 30 minutes each time.
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"Slow exercise" is now increasingly favored by white-collar workers because of its benefits like body sculpting, stress relief, beauty, and healing. For white-collar workers under great pressure, especially women, slow exercise is a more suitable option. Many white-collar workers often work overtime. After a busy day, if they go to the gym and run frantically on a treadmill for 40 or 60 minutes, it might actually cause some harm to the body. At this time, doing some "slow exercise," such as yoga, tai chi, or walking, can help one's mood change from anxious to calm.
In fact, "slow-paced exercise" has already become popular abroad, with many people long adhering to the fitness method of "10,000 steps a day." When still some distance from home, get off and walk the rest of the way; take a walk in the suburbs on weekends, and while patiently walking slowly, reap the physical and mental health and pleasure.
The health blacklist, everything on it is harmful to our health in the pursuit of wellness. Remember the blacklist, only then can we better maintain our health and achieve the goal of health preservation.