3 Bedtime Habits + 4 Foods to Help You Sleep Better and Live Longer!

3 Bedtime Habits + 4 Foods to Help You Sleep Better and Live Longer!Quality sleep is crucial for both physical and mental health. Humans spend about 1/3 of their lives sleeping

3 Bedtime Habits + 4 Foods to Help You Sleep Better and Live Longer!

Quality sleep is crucial for both physical and mental health. Humans spend about 1/3 of their lives sleeping. Good sleep helps the body rest fully, recover energy, enhance the immune system, and store energy. In recent years, research teams at the University of Sydney discovered that poor sleep affects lifespan. Individuals with sleep-related breathing disorders, in particular, have a significantly shorter lifespan, approximately 6-7 years less. On the other hand, a healthy diet can reduce the average time taken to fall asleep by 12 minutes and improve overall sleep quality.

When people lie in bed, their entire body relaxes. Rest is essentially "recharging" the body. However, nowadays, many people experience poor sleep quality. They not only struggle to fall asleep, tossing and turning in bed, but some also suffer from insomnia, lying awake all night until dawn. In the long run, this backfires, turning sleep from rest into a drain of energy. Upon waking, they feel dizzy, their bodies sluggish, and lack vitality.

If you are facing these issues, consider adopting 3 bedtime habits and incorporating 4 types of food into your daily diet. This can improve your physical condition and bring you one step closer to a longer life.

2 Bedtime Habits:

1. Soaking Feet

Feet are the furthest body part from the heart, and they are the first to get cold because blood circulation is weakest in the feet. After a day of work and life, soaking your feet for about 20 minutes before bed can relax your mind and body, reduce fatigue, promote blood circulation, increase energy levels, relieve stress, and aid sleep. During autumn and winter, you can add warming herbal packs to the hot water for better warmth and a restful night's sleep.

2. Brushing Teeth and Combing Hair

After a busy day outside, you might just want to throw yourself into bed. However, don't forget to brush your teeth and comb your hair before sleep. Your teeth come into contact with various foods throughout the day. Brushing them before bed removes food residue from your teeth, maintaining oral hygiene and preventing food remnants from harming your teeth, leading to toothaches, loose teeth, and other oral health problems. Before bedtime, combing your hair with a wooden comb can alleviate fatigue, regulate body functions, and stimulating your scalp with fingertips can help relax your brain, improving sleep quality.

4 Types of Food:

1. Fish

Fish is rich in protein, containing essential amino acids that the body needs. Fish is also low in fat, with many unsaturated fatty acids, beneficial for health. Fish also contains vitamins A, B, iron, calcium, phosphorus, etc. Regular fish consumption helps nourish the liver, replenish blood, and nourish the spleen.

Recommended Dish: Braised Carp

Ingredients: Carp, ginger, scallions, cornstarch; pepper powder, cooking wine, salt, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, chicken powder

Steps:

1. Cut the carp into large pieces, add 2 tablespoons of cooking wine, half a tablespoon of pepper powder, appropriate amount of salt, scallion segments and ginger slices, mix well, and marinate for 10 minutes.

2. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cornstarch on the marinated fish and evenly coat the fish with a thin layer.

3. Heat oil in a pan, add a little more oil, and deep-fry the fish pieces one by one until they turn golden brown and the fish meat is firm. Remove and set aside.

4. Add 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 4 tablespoons of aged vinegar, 2 tablespoons of white sugar, appropriate amount of salt, and chicken powder to a bowl, stir well, and set aside.

5. Heat oil in a pan, add ginger slices and garlic cloves and stir-fry until fragrant. Pour in about 2 bowls of boiling water, add the prepared sauce, put in the fish pieces, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes.

6. Once the time is up, turn the heat to high and thicken the sauce. Turn off the heat and serve.

2. Eggs

Eggs are a common food on dining tables, known as the "source of nutrition." Eggs are the most common type, but their nutritional value is extraordinary. Almost all of the protein in whole eggs can be completely absorbed and utilized by the human body, making it the most ideal high-quality protein source. Egg yolks are rich in vitamin A and B vitamins, as well as various minerals, which can play a crucial role in regulating the body's metabolic functions.

Recommended Dish: Tamagoyaki

Ingredients: Eggs, spinach, carrots, a carton of milk; salt

Steps:

1. Wash the spinach and blanch it in boiling water with half a spoonful of salt and half a spoonful of oil for about 30 seconds until it softens. Remove and drain the water.

2. Wash the carrots, shred them, and then dice them. Chop the spinach finely.

3. Crack 4 eggs into a bowl, whisk them, skim off the foam, add the appropriate amount of milk (milk to egg ratio of 1:3), spinach, carrot cubes, and salt, and mix well.

4. Brush oil into the pan, heat the oil, pour in a spoonful of the egg mixture, spread it evenly in the pan, and let it solidify. Gently roll it up with a spatula. (If you don't have a tamagoyaki pan, use a flat-bottomed pan as a substitute).

5. Place the rolled tamagoyaki to the side of the pan, brush oil on the pan again, pour in the egg mixture, and let it fry until cooked. Then, gently roll it up, and continue this process until you reach your desired thickness.

6. Take the tamagoyaki out, cut it open, and you can enjoy it.

3. Leafy Green Vegetables

Leafy green vegetables are rich in vitamins A, C, and K, which help protect the health of various body organs. They also contain many minerals, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, etc., which maintain bone and teeth strength and assist with normal metabolism. Moreover, they are rich in antioxidants that combat free radical damage and effectively slow down aging.

Recommended Dish: Stir-fried Water Spinach

Ingredients: Water spinach, garlic, dried chili peppers; light soy sauce, aged vinegar, salt, sugar, chicken powder

Steps:

1. Wash the water spinach, cut it into segments, set aside. Peel the garlic, chop it into pieces, and cut the dried chili peppers into segments.

2. Add a small bowl of water, 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of aged vinegar, appropriate amount of salt, sugar, and chicken powder to a bowl, stir well, and set aside.

3. Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and dried chili pepper segments and stir-fry until fragrant. Turn the heat to high, pour in the sauce, quickly add the water spinach to prevent the pan from overflowing.

4. Stir-fry for a few minutes, and serve when the water spinach softens.

4. Legumes

Magnesium helps with the production of melatonin, which is a key hormone regulating our circadian rhythm. A decline in melatonin not only affects sleep time but may also cause other health problems. The saying "Food is the best medicine" holds true for legumes, which are exceptional sources of magnesium. In your daily diet, consume more legumes to improve your sleep quality.

Recommended Dish: Five-Bean Porridge

Ingredients: White beans, red beans, green beans, black beans, yellow beans, glutinous rice, rock sugar, corn grits, wolfberry

Steps:

1. Wash a small bowl of each of the five beans and soak them overnight. Soak the glutinous rice in water for half an hour before cooking the porridge.

2. Pour all the soaked beans into a clay pot, add the appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

3. Add the glutinous rice and a spoonful of corn grits, stir well, cover the pot, and continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Wash the wolfberry and soak it in water.

4. After the allotted time, add the appropriate amount of rock sugar and wolfberry, stir until the rock sugar dissolves, and then turn off the heat. Serve in bowls.

The Old Well Says

For a good night's sleep, besides pre-sleep habits like soaking your feet, washing up, and combing your hair, it's also important to check your windows and doors to determine whether you need to open them for ventilation or keep them closed. Decide based on your own needs. Avoid being disturbed by outside noises. Maintain a relaxed and pleasant mood before going to sleep. Negative emotions like anxiety, anger, etc., will affect your sleep duration and quality.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is sourced from the internet. The copyright of the text, images, and other materials belongs to the original author. The platform reprints the materials for the purpose of conveying more information. The content of the article is for reference and learning only, and should not be used for commercial purposes. If it infringes on your legitimate rights and interests, please contact us promptly and we will handle it as soon as possible! We respect copyright and are committed to protecting it. Thank you for sharing.(Email:[email protected])