Six situations where men should absolutely avoid enduring hardship and nine dietary taboos

1. Never push yourself when you are physically fatigued. Fatigue is a normal bodily response to restore strength and energy; it is also an automatic control signal and warning. If you don't take immediate action to heed this warning, the body will accumulate fatigue and develop various illnesses. Therefore, if middle-aged people experience symptoms such as general weakness, muscle aches, dizziness, sluggish thinking, lethargy, palpitations, rapid heartbeat, and rapid breathing, they should not try to push themselves. They should immediately pay attention to balancing work and rest, avoid staying up late, and avoid doing sudden bursts of work; they should relax, have a broad mind, and maintain a cheerful mood. They should not worry about trivial matters or be overly concerned with personal gains and losses, and should take health care measures as soon as possible to eliminate physical and mental fatigue.

2. Never try to tough it out when you're sick. In middle age, the physiological functions of vital organs such as the brain, heart, liver, and kidneys decline imperceptibly, and cellular immunity, regenerative capacity, and endocrine function also decrease. Ignoring symptoms like headaches, fever, cough, fatigue, backache, leg pain, and rectal bleeding, and enduring them will only delay treatment and lead to serious illness. Therefore, when you are sick, seek medical attention promptly to recover your health as quickly as possible. Never try to tough it out, as this can lead to serious complications.

3. Never hold it in when you need to use the toilet. Holding in bowel movements can lead to habitual constipation, hemorrhoids, anal fissures, and rectal prolapse. It can also increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Holding in urine can cause severe lower abdominal pain and even urinary tract infections and nephritis, all of which are very harmful to your health. Therefore, it is important to develop good habits such as regular bowel movements and urinating immediately when you feel the urge.

4. Avoid forcing yourself to stay awake in your daily routine. When you feel dizzy and sleepy at night, do not push yourself. Do not use strong coffee or tea to stimulate your nerves, as this may lead to neurasthenia, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, etc.

5. Never try to endure thirst. Water is the most essential substance for the human body. Middle-aged people must develop the habit of drinking water regularly, ideally 6-8 cups a day. Thirst is a signal that the body is dehydrated, indicating that the body's cells are in a state of dehydration. Ignoring it and trying to endure thirst can negatively impact health.

6. Never force yourself to endure hunger. Do not arbitrarily postpone eating, otherwise it may cause gastrointestinal contractions, leading to abdominal pain, severe hypoglycemia, weakness and trembling in the hands and feet, dizziness, and even coma or shock. Frequently going hungry can easily cause ulcers, gastritis, indigestion, and other ailments.

In addition to the above, men also need to pay attention to the following nine taboos:

1. Avoid mental stress. When a person is stressed, anxious, or angry, their negative emotions can spread from the cerebral cortex to the limbic system, affecting the autonomic nervous system and directly leading to gastrointestinal dysfunction. This results in the secretion of excessive gastric acid and pepsin, causing gastric vasoconstriction, pyloric spasm, and impaired gastric emptying. The protective layer of the gastric mucosa is damaged, leading to self-digestion and the formation of ulcers.

2. Avoid overexertion. Whether it is physical or mental labor, excessive fatigue can lead to insufficient blood supply to the gastrointestinal tract, secretory dysfunction, excessive gastric acid and reduced mucus, thus damaging the mucous membrane.

3. Avoid excessive drinking. Alcohol can directly damage the gastric mucosa, and it can also cause cirrhosis and chronic pancreatitis, which in turn aggravate stomach damage.

4. Avoid irregular eating habits. When hungry, the gastric acid and pepsin in the stomach are not neutralized by food, resulting in a higher concentration that can easily cause self-digestion of the stomach lining. Overeating, on the other hand, can damage the stomach's self-protective mechanisms; excessive expansion of the stomach wall and prolonged food retention can all contribute to stomach damage.

5. Avoid unclean food. Helicobacter pylori infection is one of the important causes of gastric and duodenal ulcers. The detection rate of this bacterium in ulcer patients is as high as 70-90%, and the bacterium also disappears after the ulcer is cured. Ulcer patients can be infected through close contact such as sharing utensils, toothbrushes, and kissing. Unclean food is also one of the causes of infection.

6. Avoid overeating at dinner. Some people tend to concentrate their daily nutritional intake on dinner, or like to eat late-night snacks or something before bed. Doing so not only causes restless sleep and can easily lead to obesity, but it can also stimulate the gastric mucosa, causing excessive gastric acid secretion and inducing ulcer formation.

7. Avoid wolfing down your food. Food enters the stomach, where it is stored, ground, and digested, becoming chyme before being passed into the intestines. If you don't chew thoroughly and wolf down your food, the rough texture increases the burden on your stomach, prolongs its stay, and can damage the gastric mucosa. Furthermore, chewing slowly increases saliva secretion, while reducing the secretion of gastric acid and bile, which helps protect the stomach.

8. Avoid coffee and strong tea. Both coffee and strong tea are central nervous system stimulants, which can reflexively cause ischemia of the gastric mucosa, damaging its protective function and promoting ulcer formation.

9. Avoid indiscriminate use of medications. There are three main categories of medications that can easily damage the gastric mucosa: first, acetylsalicylic acid derivatives, such as aspirin; second, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as phenylbutazone, indomethacin, and ibuprofen; and third, corticosteroids and other hormonal medications. Therefore, these medications should be avoided as much as possible. If they must be taken, the dosage and course of treatment should be controlled, and it is best to take them after meals.

**Sleepy-eyedness: A stumbling block on the road to longevity**

Hypnos is said to be the third generation of gods in ancient Greek mythology more than 4,800 years ago. He was the god of sleep, and also in charge of happiness and freedom, because those who can sleep soundly are truly happy and free, while those who cannot sleep are suffering or about to die.

In Greek mythology, Hypnos is a winged deity who dwells in a mysterious cave on the northern shore of the Black Sea, a place where sunlight never reaches, only the dim light of dawn and the shadows of dusk. At the bottom of the cave flows a tributary of the River of Oblivion; at the entrance, poppies and sleep-inducing herbs grow in abundance. When Hypnos waves his token or flaps his wings, he can lull people into a deep sleep. Legend has it that Hypnos always wears white robes and carries a poppy flower; anyone touched by the poppy will sleep soundly through the night.

Undoubtedly, sleep is of unparalleled importance to people. We spend roughly one-third of our lives sleeping. Normal, good sleep regulates physiological functions, maintains the balance of the nervous system, and is a vital part of life. However, poor or insufficient sleep can leave one feeling dizzy and weak the next day. Excessive sleep, on the other hand, can be a stumbling block on the path to longevity for men. Therefore, it is clear that sleep is closely related to health, work, and study. To achieve a good night's sleep, paying attention to the following points before bed is crucial:

1. Take a walk before bed. Avoid intense mental work, strenuous exercise, or physical labor before bed. Instead, take a walk outdoors to minimize subjective stimulation.

2. Foot bath before bed. Soaking your feet in warm water before bed is better than taking sleeping pills. Soaking your feet in warm water for 15-20 minutes before bed dilates blood vessels in the feet, promotes blood circulation, and makes it easier to fall asleep.

3. Brush your teeth before bed. Brushing your teeth and washing your face before bed is necessary, but you should also develop the habit of washing your feet with warm water. This can promote blood circulation in the lower limbs and help you fall asleep quickly.

4. Dinner should not be too late, nor should it be too heavy; eating until you are about 70-80% full is sufficient. Avoid using heavy seasonings and choose easily digestible, light foods. Make sure to eat plenty of vegetables and a certain proportion of whole grains to maintain regular bowel movements. Do not eat before bed to avoid overburdening your digestive system.

5. Men with easily excitable personalities should avoid engaging in exciting conversations, reading stimulating books or magazines, or watching movies or plays that are unforgettable before bed. They should also avoid watching intense films, television dramas, or sports games before bed, and refrain from discussing nostalgic, sentimental, or frightening topics.