The best ways to improve your health are a handful of everyday habits with strong evidence: move for at least 150 minutes a week and train your muscles twice, sleep seven hours or more, eat mostly plants with five portions of vegetables and fruit a day, drink little or no alcohol and do not smoke, manage stress and stay socially connected, and keep up with check-ups. Supplements come last: they make sense for specific gaps, such as vitamin D in winter or vitamin B12 on a vegan diet, not as a replacement for the basics.
Key facts: what improves health most
- Physical activity (WHO): 150 to 300 minutes of moderate or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity a week, plus muscle-strengthening exercise on at least two days.
- Sleep: adults need seven hours or more per night on a regular basis (American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society).
- Food: five portions of vegetables and fruit a day, three of them vegetables (Swiss dietary recommendations), and less than 5 g of salt a day (WHO).
- Alcohol: no amount is risk-free (WHO); the Swiss dietary recommendations advise against drinking alcohol every day.
- Vitamin D: Swiss recommendations are 15 µg (600 IU) a day for adults and 20 µg (800 IU) from age 60; the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) recommends a vitamin D supplement from 60.
Your health checklist: 9 habits at a glance
Start here: pick one or two lines, make them routine, then add the next.
| Habit | Evidence-based target |
|---|---|
| Movement | 150+ minutes a week of brisk walking, cycling or similar; sit less |
| Strength | 2 sessions a week for all major muscle groups |
| Sleep | 7+ hours, at regular times |
| Plate | 5 portions of vegetables and fruit, wholegrains, legumes, a small handful of nuts |
| Drinks | 1 to 2 litres a day of unsweetened drinks, mostly water |
| Alcohol and tobacco | As little alcohol as possible; no smoking |
| Stress and people | Daily recovery time; regular contact with people you trust |
| Check-ups | Blood pressure, weight, blood lipids and sugar, screening by age |
| Supplements | Only for a known need: vitamin D, B12, folic acid, iron |
Move more, sit less and keep your muscles
Regular physical activity is the single habit with the broadest benefits. It is linked to a lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, several cancers, depression and early death, and the largest gains come when inactive people start moving at all. Brisk walking, cycling, stairs and gardening all count.
- Aim for 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, which is 30 minutes on five days. If that feels like too much, start with 10 minutes and build up.
- Strength twice a week: squats, push-ups against a wall or table, resistance bands or weights. Muscle mass declines with age, and strength training helps you stay independent.
- Break up long sitting: stand up and move for a few minutes every hour.
- From 65: add balance exercises on three days a week to reduce the risk of falls.
For ideas that fit a busy day, see natural ways to increase your energy.
Sleep: seven hours or more
Adults who regularly sleep less than seven hours have a higher risk of weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, low mood and accidents. Good sleep is less about tricks than about regularity:
- go to bed and get up at roughly the same time, also at weekends;
- get daylight in the morning and keep the bedroom dark, quiet and cool;
- avoid caffeine in the afternoon and large meals and alcohol late in the evening;
- put screens away 30 to 60 minutes before bed.
Loud snoring or tiredness despite enough hours? Speak to your doctor. More on food and routine: what nutrition research says about sleep.
What to eat: a plate that improves health
There is no single perfect diet, but the patterns that are linked to long, healthy lives look similar: mostly plants, little processed meat, little sugar and salt. The Swiss dietary recommendations, updated by the FSVO, translate this into daily portions.
- Vegetables and fruit: five portions a day (about 120 g each), ideally three of vegetables and two of fruit, in different colours.
- Wholegrains and legumes: choose wholegrain bread, oats, brown rice, lentils, chickpeas and beans. They bring fibre, which most people eat too little of; the German Nutrition Society recommends at least 30 g a day.
- Protein: one portion a day, alternating between legumes, tofu, eggs, fish and other sources; legumes at least once a week, meat (including poultry and processed meat) at most two to three times a week.
- Fats: a small handful of unsalted nuts or seeds (15 to 30 g) and two tablespoons of vegetable oil a day, at least one of them rapeseed oil.
- Limit: sugary drinks, sweets, processed meat and salty snacks. Keep salt below 5 g a day; most of it hides in bread, cheese, ready meals and sausages.
- Drinks: 1 to 2 litres of unsweetened drinks a day, ideally tap or mineral water and herbal or fruit tea.
A practical rule from the Swiss "balanced plate": two fifths vegetables and fruit, two fifths starchy foods such as wholegrains or potatoes, and one fifth protein.
Alcohol, smoking and stress: what to cut down
Alcohol
The WHO states that no level of alcohol consumption is safe for health; the risk starts with the first drink and rises with the amount. The Swiss dietary recommendations advise against drinking alcohol every day. If you drink, plan several alcohol-free days each week and keep amounts small. Less is better.
Smoking
Stopping smoking is the most effective single step a smoker can take. The benefits begin within weeks, and after one year the risk of coronary heart disease is about half that of a person who still smokes. Nicotine replacement and support from your pharmacist or a quitline improve your chances.
Stress and social connection
Long-term stress affects sleep, eating habits, blood pressure and mood. What helps is unspectacular: exercise, time outdoors, breathing exercises or meditation, and enough recovery time. Studies also consistently link strong social relationships with better health and longer life, so time with friends and family is not a luxury. If you feel overwhelmed or low for weeks, seek professional help early.
Check-ups: know your numbers
Many risk factors cause no symptoms for years. A check-up with your family doctor every few years, more often from 40 or with known risks, puts numbers on them:
- Blood pressure: values of 140/90 mmHg or more count as high blood pressure and should be discussed with your doctor.
- Waist circumference, which says more about heart and metabolic risk than weight alone.
- Blood lipids and blood sugar, depending on age and family history.
- Cancer screening: in Switzerland, bowel cancer screening is recommended from 50 to 69, and many cantons run breast screening programmes from 50; women should also have regular cervical screening.
- Vaccinations: check your status against the Swiss vaccination schedule.
Sunlight and vitamin D: when supplements make sense
Most nutrients are best covered by food. A few exceptions are well documented:
- Vitamin D: the skin makes it in sunlight, but in Switzerland the sun is too low between about October and March. Swiss recommendations are 15 µg (600 IU) a day for adults and 20 µg (800 IU) from 60, and the FSVO recommends a supplement for everyone from 60. Spend time outdoors in daylight all year, and consider a supplement in winter. Read more in what vitamin D really does.
- Vitamin B12: essential as a supplement or fortified food on a vegan diet, and often useful in older age.
- Folic acid: 400 µg a day for women who are planning a pregnancy, from at least four weeks before conception.
- Iron: only when a blood test shows low levels.
Our guide to which dietary supplements are most useful, and for whom goes through each nutrient in detail. If you take medicines regularly, are pregnant or have a chronic condition, ask your doctor or pharmacist before you start a supplement.
Where Sanbera fits
A multivitamin cannot make up for missing sleep or exercise, and it does not need to be high-dose. Sanbera's Daily Essential Women and Daily Essential Men provide 12 vitamins and 6 minerals in moderate amounts, for example vitamin D at 3.22 µg (64% NRV) for women and 3 µg (60% NRV) for men per three tablets. Vitamins A, C, D, B6 and B12, folate, iron, zinc and selenium contribute to the normal function of the immune system. Both formulas are vegan and made in Switzerland. They can complement a balanced diet; the habits above remain the foundation. If you want to make new routines last, read how to make healthy habits stick.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest way to improve your health?
If you smoke, stopping brings the largest single gain. For everyone else, the quickest wins are moving more (a daily 30-minute brisk walk), sleeping at least seven hours at regular times and cutting down on alcohol and sugary drinks. These changes affect blood pressure, energy and mood within weeks. Start with one habit you can keep, then add the next.
What can I do for my health every day?
A simple daily routine: get daylight and move for at least 30 minutes, eat vegetables or fruit with every meal, drink mostly water, stand up regularly if you sit a lot, take a short break to recover from stress, talk to someone you like and go to bed at a regular time. Small daily habits matter more than occasional big efforts.
How can I improve my quality of life?
Quality of life depends on physical health, mental wellbeing and relationships. The same habits help all three: regular exercise, enough sleep, a varied plant-rich diet and little alcohol. Add things that give meaning and joy, such as friends, hobbies or time in nature. If pain, low mood or worries dominate your days, talk to your doctor.
Can supplements improve your health?
Supplements help when they close a real gap, for example vitamin D in winter, vitamin B12 on a vegan diet, folic acid before pregnancy or iron with a confirmed deficiency. For well-nourished people, large trials have not shown that high-dose vitamins add extra benefits. A moderate multivitamin can help cover daily needs consistently but does not replace a good diet.
How long does it take to notice health improvements?
It depends on the habit. Better sleep and regular exercise often improve energy and mood within two to four weeks. Blood pressure can fall within a few weeks of more activity, less salt and less alcohol. Changes in fitness, muscle strength and weight usually take two to three months of consistency. New habits take a median of about two months to become automatic.
Sources
- World Health Organization (2020): WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour
- Watson NF et al. (2015), Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine: Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult
- Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO): Swiss dietary recommendations for adults (German)
- World Health Organization: Healthy diet fact sheet
- World Health Organization Europe (2023): No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health
- Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO): When food supplements are needed (German)
This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.