The habits that shape your health decades from now are often the ones you barely think about today. Skipping a morning walk, reaching for your phone the moment you wake up or neglecting proper nutrition may seem harmless in the short term, but over the years, these small daily choices can have a significant impact on everything from your energy levels and metabolism to your risk of chronic disease.Dr Vass recommends restoring hydration after eight hours of sleeping. (Unsplash)Also Read | Longevity doctor shares 5 biomarkers that silently elevate your risk of heart attacks: Inflammation, soft plaque, moreDr Vassily Eliopoulos – a longevity expert with an MD from Cornell University and Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Longevity Health, widely known as Dr Vass – has shared his top five morning habits that take just 45 minutes in total and, according to him, should not be skipped if you want to support a healthier, longer life.In an Instagram video shared on June 13, the doctor highlights, “As a longevity doctor, these are the five morning habits that I refuse to skip. Not what I recommend casually, but what I actually do every morning. What you do in the first 90 minutes of your day helps to set your circadian rhythm, hormones, and your general metabolic state for the next 16 hours.”1. Morning sunlightDr Vass recommends exposing your eyes to natural morning sunlight within 30 minutes of waking, before checking your phone or any other screens. According to him, this simple habit helps reset and synchronise your circadian rhythm – the body's internal clock – which plays a crucial role in regulating sleep-wake hormones.He recommends, “Get sunlight in the eyes within 30 minutes of waking before any screens. This anchors my circadian rhythm, helps to set cortisol and melatonin correctly for the entire day.”2. Drink waterDr Vass recommends drinking 16 to 24 ounces of water mixed with a pinch of sea salt within the first hour of waking. He explains that this can help replenish fluids and electrolytes lost overnight, supporting hydration levels after several hours without water and helping restore cellular function.The longevity specialist notes, “Drink a litre of water with a pinch of salt within the first hour of waking. After eight hours of sleep, we're all mildly dehydrated. Water with electrolytes helps to restore cellular function and can support clean cognition.”3. Movement before caffeineDr Vass recommends getting at least 20 to 30 minutes of movement before reaching for your morning coffee. Whether it's a brisk walk, light strength training or another form of gentle exercise, moving first thing can help ease the body's natural transition into wakefulness.The longevity doctor highlights, “Move for 20 to 30 minutes before any caffeine. Usually, a brisk walk or a light strength session. Movement before caffeine prevents that cortisol spike that caffeine on top of your waking normal cortisol, can create.”4. Protein-forward breakfastDr Vass recommends building your breakfast around protein, noting that a high-protein morning meal can help moderate blood sugar and insulin responses, promote steadier energy levels throughout the day and support muscle maintenance. To maximise these benefits, he suggests consuming at least 30 grams of protein within 90 minutes of waking up.He suggests, “Eat a protein-forward breakfast within 90 minutes of waking – at least 30 grams of protein. This blunts the insulin response for everything that I eat for the rest of the day and it protects muscle.”5. Supplements with breakfastThe longevity expert recommends taking key supplements – such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins D and K2, magnesium and multivitamins – with breakfast. Pairing supplements with a morning meal can help improve consistency, making them easier to remember, while also supporting optimal absorption of certain nutrients, particularly the fat-soluble vitamins.Dr Vass emphasises, “(I) take my supplements with breakfast. Omega-3, vitamin D with K2, magnesium, creatine, multivitamins. Consistency matters more than dose and tying them to a meal actually helps to make them daily.”Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.