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10 Things I Avoid As An ER Doctor

Doctor Alex

73,193 views

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In this video I talk about 10 everyday habits that quietly damage your health, metabolism, sleep, blood sugar, heart, lungs and long-term longevity. From vaping and alcohol to refined flour, poor sleep and ultra-processed foods, this video explains the science behind the modern lifestyle choices driving chronic disease and low energy.

As I always say on this channel, our health is largely determined by the "insignificant" things we do every day (good and bad).

In this video, I walk through the 10 things I personally avoid as an ER doctor, why I avoid them, what the evidence actually says, and which small changes make the biggest difference over decades rather than days.

What you’ll learn:
-Why vaping may not be as harmless as people think
-The hidden metabolic damage caused by liquid sugar
-Why constant snacking keeps insulin elevated
-How poor sleep changes your hormones and decision-making
-Why movement throughout the day matters more than one gym session
-The truth about refined flour and “healthy” snack foods
-Why circadian rhythm and sunlight may be one of the biggest health levers of all

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
01:00 Smoking and vaping
03:03 Regular alcohol
05:31 Liquid sugar
08:21 Constant snacking
10:16 Sitting for hours without movement
12:27 Poor sleep and chronic sleep deprivation
14:01 Refined flour products
15:45 “Healthy” snack foods
17:11 Seed-oil-heavy deep-fried fast food
18:47 Living entirely indoors
21:16 Pulling it together

REFERENCES
Association of E-Cigarette Use With Respiratory Disease Among Adults: A Longitudinal Analysis — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31859...

Alcohol use and burden for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016 — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30146...

Alcohol and endogenous aldehydes damage chromosomes and mutate stem cells — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29323...

Associations between alcohol consumption and gray and white matter volumes in the UK Biobank — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35246...

Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26514...

Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages, artificially sweetened beverages, and fruit juice and incidence of type 2 diabetes: systematic review, meta-analysis, and estimation of population attributable fraction — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26199...

Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Health, Aging, and Disease — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31881...

Does physical activity attenuate, or even eliminate, the detrimental association of sitting time with mortality? A harmonised meta-analysis of data from more than 1 million men and women — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27475...

Association of wearable device-measured vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity with mortality — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36482...

Sleep drives metabolite clearance from the adult brain — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24136...

Consumption of sourdough bread and changes in the glycemic control and satiety: A systematic review — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35943...

Fried-food consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of observational studies — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33468...

Entrainment of the human circadian clock to the natural light-dark cycle — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23910...

Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet Supplemented with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or Nuts — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29897...

Consumption of ultra-processed foods and health status: a systematic review and meta-analysis — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32792...
21st-Century Hazards of Smoking and Benefits of Cessation in the United States — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23343...

Brighter nights and darker days predict higher mortality risk: A prospective analysis of personal light exposure in 88,000 individuals — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39405...

#dralex #doctoralex #longevity #metabolichealth #preventativemedicine

20 Comments

@DrAlexWibberley Creator 3 months ago Pinned

Hello everyone and thank you for watching! I really hope you found this video useful. I read as many of your comments as possible and try to reply to as many as I can every day across the channel. The community on this channel is absolutely fantastic.... people sharing their stories, supporting each other, and learning together. It's amazing to see.

It means a lot to me that this has become a space where people are interested in the simple things that keep us healthy and prevent problems before they ever reach the hospital. If there’s a topic you’d like me to explain in a future video, please let me know in the comments.

If you’d like to support me, the best thing you can do is click the like button and subscribe. It really helps these videos reach more people who might benefit from them, and it allows me to keep making them!

My goal with these videos is simple: to help as many people as possible stay healthier and avoid ending up in the emergency department if we can.

And just in case there's any doubt... any AI-generated videos of me are completely fake and not affiliated with me in any way. I’m actively reporting these channels, and I’d encourage you to do the same if you see them.

Dr Alex 😊

@hrm4683 3 months ago

Thank you for not terrifying us with health-scare tactics and selling us crap. You speak positively, you motivate me, you make me think “I can do this” — THANK YOU! You’re a joy and an encouragement to listen to.

@Jess-the-GoldenWanderess 3 months ago (edited)

My great grandfather was almost 102 and was very healthy. He owned horses and goats, chickens, a donkey, and vegetable garden and fruit trees. It kills me that I didn't inherit that property, I really wish I could have taken it over. It's simply gone now. Anyone privileged enough to have property, to have hobbies to work outside in enriching activities easily to access at home is very very lucky.

@bleizbreizh6264 3 months ago

You look like you really enjoy making these videos. Congratulations on your excellent communication skills

@WagDoll 3 months ago

You Nan managed to reach 93 with constant snacking…I think Ethel did alright 👏🏼

@Theutubeaccount 3 months ago

I find it absolutely remarkable that despite so many warnings about smoking and vaping, so many are literally killing themselves

@HealthyLiving365-US 3 months ago

I'm 70. I’m leaving this comment here so that every time someone likes it, it will remind me to come back! Thank you so much!

@mowen0yuriko 3 months ago

It is actually quite common to combine many of the "bad" habits. For example, a night of drinking alcohol can lead to prolonged sitting while eating poor food choices over a long period and getting to bed late.

@judysbakeryandtestkitchen1654 3 months ago

I wonder how many of us are doing movement during Dr. Alex’s videos – squats, push-ups, etc.

@latheofheaven1017 3 months ago

We do crazy things when we're young. In my twenties, I as a freelance music recording engineer. The studios I worked at ran 24 hours / 7 days. This meant that I would be booked in for sessions at random times of the day, so I might work two days, then a night, then a day, then four nights, followed by a day off perhaps. Occasionally, I would do extremely long hours. One time I worked 18 hours, finished about 10 in the morning, got home and then got a desperate call from the studio to come in and do a short session.

I was permanently jet-lagged for about seven years. I shudder to think how many brain cells I killed in that decade.

@junestanich7888 3 months ago

You’re my hero, so easy to understand and valuable explanations of the reasons to do this, not just saying do it. I love the medical science. I’m fighting bad lifelong eating habits and this is so helpful. You are a treasure.

@BagongLuaks 3 months ago

It’s insane how underrated book called TestoGenesis Protocol by Angelico still is. This is the kind of knowledge most guys don’t realize they’re missing.

@alexpp219 3 months ago

I don't drink alcohol but used to indulge with soft drinks and latte quite abit. Quitting sugary drinks is one of the best things I did for my health besides intermittent fasting. No more dental problems, lost a bunch of weight and feel much less hungry overall. The only little sugar I allow in my diet now has to go together with a bunch of fibers (fruit, black/red beans etc) and must be the last thing to be eaten in the day as a rule.

@hattman2010 3 months ago (edited)

It's a tremendous relief to watch a video that gives such sound advice. He has encapsulated nearly every aspect of my life operating system.

@marinaf2119 3 months ago

Reading Smart Broke Dumb Rich by Zor Veyl hit me hard. I finally understood my parents were not bad with money. They just never got the right information. The game was rigged before they even started.

@sandrafulgoni2011 3 months ago

That is my one weakness, I love white bread but I eat wholemeal but don't really enjoy it. I make my own bread and I do freeze it as it doesn't keep fresh for long. Good to know I'm doing the right thing. I have made sourdough but it takes so long and I don't always have the time.

@HansGrob 3 months ago

I drink most often alcohol-free beers, some are as good now as with.

I own a chalet with a big garden and receive often guests for a few days. To my astonishment, most people stay indoors most of the time. They neither go to sit in the garden nor go for a stroll to the centre of the village or to meadows and forest. Not even to look for the hunting cat.

@spider_pig7588 3 months ago

I was a smoker years ago. I remember the weeks and months after I first quit. I really couldn't believe how much better I felt and how much more energy I had. It was like de aging 10 years.