Doctor shares five health habits to avoid

Young Asian female tourist traveling alone on a plane is drinking hot coffee and looking out the window.
-Credit: (Image: (Image: Getty))


Taking to TikTok to share vital health tips, Dr Poonam Desai, with the handle @doctoranddancer, issued a warning to her 22.6K followers about daily habits that could be harming your health.

The savvy doc highlighted several lifestyle choices that are often underestimated in their negative impact on wellbeing.

Following up on reports by the British Medical Association (BMA) that the UK is suffering from a high rate of preventable illnesses and a rapid rise in people of working age enduring multiple health issues, Dr Desai reveals her own methods for fending off diseases.

One major change she advocates is swearing off alcohol entirely.

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In one part of the TikTok video, Dr Desai asserts: "I'm a doctor and these are the five things I do not do, or no longer do, for my health. The first is drink alcohol. No amount of alcohol is safe for our health.", reports the Express.

Promoting healthy practices to steer clear of disease, Dr Desai repeats the advice on booze.

She reinforces: "I'm a doctor and these are the five things I do not do, or no longer do, for my health. The first is drink alcohol. No amount of alcohol is safe for our health."

Dr Desai then addresses another surprising everyday risk the use of plastic Tupperware.

She notes, "Plastic Tupperware, especially when heated, can leach endocrine disruptors, so I no longer buy them."

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are substances that can mimic, block, or interfere with the hormones in our bodies, as explained by the National Institute of Environmental Health Services.

The US EPA has raised concerns that these chemicals are connected to a host of health issues, including reproductive interference, an increased risk of cancer, and disruptions to both immune and nervous system functions.

Dr Desai also advises against the regular use of red-eye flights, which are overnight journeys that leave late in the evening and arrive the next morning.

She further explained: "A red-eye flight can significantly disrupt your sleep for a night, so I avoid taking them if possible."

While sleep deprivation is linked to chronic health conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression, the NHS notes that a few restless nights aren't typically cause for concern.

Another of Dr Desai's steadfast rules is to ensure she consumes five different plant-based foods every day. "These can include fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices," she noted.

This advice echoes the '5 A Day' initiative, which followed WHO recommendations to eat at least 400g of fruit and vegetables daily to reduce the risk of serious health issues like heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.

The doctor has revealed she steers clear of caffeine after midday, explaining: "Caffeine has a half-life of five to six hours and could still be lingering in your system close to bedtime, preventing us from falling asleep or staying asleep. So I really try to avoid any caffeinated beverages in the afternoon."

Additionally, a study featured in Science Translational Medicine has shown that consuming a double espresso's worth of caffeine just three hours before bed can delay your internal clock by nearly an hour, leading to symptoms akin to 'jet lag'.