We've done the legwork for you
and here they are: the 45 best
health tips. Make that 46 - taking
the time to read this tops the list.
1. Copy your kitty: Learn to do
stretching exercises when you
wake up. It boosts circulation
anddigestion, and eases back
pain.
2. Don’t skip breakfast. Studies
show that eating a proper
breakfast is one of the most
positive things you can do if
you are
trying to lose weight. Breakfast
skippers tend to gain weight. A
balanced breakfast includes
fresh fruit or fruit juice, a high-
fibre breakfast cereal, low-fat
milk or yoghurt, wholewheat
toast, and a boiled egg.
3. Brush up on hygiene. Many
people don't know how to brush
theirteeth properly. Improper
brushing can cause as much
damage to the teeth and gums
as not brushing at all. Lots of
people don’t brush for long
enough, don’t floss and don’t
see a dentist regularly. Hold your
toothbrush in the same way that
would hold a pencil, and brush
for at least two minutes. This
includes brushing the teeth, the
junction of the teeth and gums,
the tongue and the roof of the
mouth. And you don't need a
fancy, angled toothbrush – just a
sturdy, soft-bristled one that
you replace each month.
4. Neurobics for your mind. Get
your brain fizzing with energy.
American researchers coined the
term ‘neurobics’ for tasks which
activate the brain's own
biochemical pathways and to
bring new pathways online that
can help to strengthen or
preserve brain circuits. Brush
your teeth with your ‘other’
hand, take a new route to work
or choose your clothes based on
sense of touch rather than sight.
People with mental agility tend
to have lower rates of
Alzheimer's disease and age-
related mental decline.
5. Get what you give! Always
giving and never taking? This is
the short road to compassion
fatigue. Give to yourself and
receive from others, otherwise
you’ll get to a point where you
have nothing left to give. And
hey, if you can’t receive from
others, how can you expect
them to receive from you?
6. Get spiritual. A study
conducted by the formidably
sober and scientific Harvard
University found that patients
who were prayed for recovered
quicker than those who weren’t,
even if they weren’t aware of
the prayer.
7. Get smelly. Garlic, onions,
spring onions and leeks all
contain stuff that’s good for
you. A study at the Child’s Health
Institute in Cape Town found
that eating raw garlic helped
fight serious childhood
infections. Heat destroys these
properties, so eat yours raw,
wash it down with fruit juice or,
if you’re a sissy, have it in tablet
form.
8. Knock one back. A glass of
red wine a day is good for you.
A number of studies have found
this, but a recent one found that
the polyphenols (a type of
antioxidant) in green tea, red
wine and olives may also help
protect you against breast
cancer. It’s thought that the
antioxidants help protect you
fromenvironmental carcinogens
such as passive tobacco smoke.
9. Bone up daily. Get your daily
calcium by popping a tab,
chugging milk or eating yoghurt.
It’ll keep your bones strong.
Remember that your bone
density declines after the age of
30. You need at least 200
milligrams daily, which you
should combine with
magnesium, or it simply won’t
be absorbed.
10. Berries for your belly.
Blueberries, strawberries and
raspberries contain plant
nutrients known as
anthocyanidins, which are
powerful antioxidants.
Blueberries rival grapes in
concentrations of resveratrol –
the antioxidant compound
found in red wine that has
assumed near mythological
proportions. Resveratrol is
believed to help protect against
heart disease and cancer.

11. Curry favour. Hot, spicy
foods containing chillies or
cayenne pepper trigger
endorphins, the feel-good
hormones. Endorphins have a
powerful, almost narcotic, effect
and make you feel good after
exercising. But go easy on the
lamb, pork and mutton and the
high-fat, creamy dishes served
in many Indian restaurants.
12. Cut out herbs before ops.
Some herbal supplements – from
the popular St John's Wort and
ginkgo biloba to garlic, ginger,
ginseng and feverfew – can
cause increased bleeding during
surgery, warn surgeons. It may
be wise to stop taking all
medication, including herbal
supplements, at least two weeks
before surgery, and inform your
surgeon about your herbal use.
13. I say tomato. Tomato is a
superstar in the fruit and veggie
pantheon. Tomatoes contain
lycopene, a powerful cancer
fighter. They’re also rich in
vitamin C. The good news is that
cooked tomatoes are also
nutritious, so use them in pasta,
soups and casseroles, as well as
in salads. The British Thoracic
Society says that tomatoes and
apples can reduce your risk of
asthma and chronic lung
diseases. Both contain the
antioxidant quercetin. To enjoy
the benefits, eat five apples a
week or a tomato every other
day.
14. Eat your stress away.
Prevent low blood sugar as it
stresses you out. Eat regular and
small healthy meals and keep
fruit and veggies handy. Herbal
teas will also soothe your
frazzled nerves. Eating unrefined
carbohydrates, nuts and
bananas boosts the formation of
serotonin, another feel-good
drug. Small amounts of protein
containing the amino acid
tryptamine can give you a boost
when stress tires you out.
15. Load up on vitamin C.We
need at least 90 mg of vitamin C
per day and the best way to get
this is by eating at least five
servings of fresh fruit and
vegetables every day. So hit the
oranges and guavas!
16. No folly in folic acid. Folic
acid should be taken regularly
by all pregnant mums and
people with a low immunity to
disease. Folic acid prevents spina
bifida in unborn babies and can
play a role in cancer prevention.
It is found in green leafy
vegetables, liver, fruit and bran.
17. A for Away. This vitamin,
and beta carotene, help to boost
immunity against disease. It also
assists in the healing process of
diseases such as measles and is
recommended by the WHO. Good
natural sources of vitamin A are
kidneys, liver, dairy products,
green and yellow vegetables,
pawpaw, mangoes, chilli pepper,
red sorrel and red palm oil.
18. Pure water. Don’t have soft
drinks or energy drinks while
you're exercising. Stay properly
hydrated by drinking enough
waterduring your workout (just
don't overdo things, as drinking
too much water can also be
dangerous). While you might
need energy drinks for long-
distance running, in shorter
exercise sessions in the gym,
your body will burn the glucose
from the soft drink first, before
starting to burn body fat. Same
goes for eating sweets.
19. GI, Jane. Carbohydrates with
a high glycaemic index, such as
bread, sugar, honey and grain-
based food will give instant
energy and accelerate your
metabolism. If you’re trying to
burn fat, stick to beans, rice,
pasta, lentils, peas, soya beans
and oat bran, all of which have a
low GI count.
20. Mindful living. You've
probably heard the old adage
that life's too short to stuff a
mushroom. But perhaps you
should consider the opposite:
that life's simply too short NOT
to focus on the simple tasks. By
slowing down and
concentrating on basic things,
you'll clear your mind of
everything that worries you.
Really concentrate on sensations
and experiences again: observe
the rough texture of a
strawberry's skin as you touch
it, and taste the sweet-sour juice
as you bite into the fruit; when
your partner strokes your hand,
pay careful attention to the
sensation on your skin; and
learn to really focus on simple
tasks while doing them, whether
it's flowering plants or ironing
your clothes.

21. The secret of stretching.
When you stretch, ease your
body into position until you feel
the stretch and hold it for about
25 seconds. Breathe deeply to
help your body move oxygen-
rich blood to those sore muscles.
Don't bounce or force yourself
into an uncomfortable position.
22. Do your weights workout
first.Experts say weight training
should be done first, because it's
a higher intensity exercise
compared to cardio. Your body
is better able to handle weight
training early in the workout
because you're fresh and you
have the energy you need to
work it. Conversely,
cardiovascular exercise should
be the last thing you do at the
gym, because it helps your body
recover by increasing blood
flow to the muscles, and flushing
out lactic acid, which builds up in
the muscles while you're weight
training. It’s the lactic acid that
makes your muscles feel stiff
and sore.
23. Burn fat during intervals. To
improve your fitness quickly
andlose weight, harness the
joys of interval training. Set the
treadmill or step machine on the
interval programme, where your
speed and workload varies from
minute to minute. Build up
gradually, every minute and
return to the starting speed.
Repeat this routine. Not only will
it be less monotonous, but you
can train for a shorter time and
achieve greater results.
24. Your dirtiest foot forward.
If your ankles, knees, and hips
ache from running on
pavement, head for the dirt. Soft
trails or graded roads are a lot
easier on your joints than the
hard stuff. Also, dirt surfaces
tend to be uneven, forcing you
to slow down a bit and focus on
where to put your feet – great
for agility and concentration.
25.
Burn the boredom, blast the
lard.Rev up your metabolism by
alternating your speed and
intensity during aerobic
workouts. Not only should you
alternate your routine to
prevent burnout or boredom,
but to give your body a jolt. If
you normally walk at 6.5km/h
on the treadmill or take 15
minutes to walk a km, up the
pace by going at 8km/h for a
minute or so during your
workout. Do this every five
minutes or so. Each time you
work out, increase your bouts of
speed in small increments.
26. Cool off without a beer.
Don’t eat carbohydrates for at
least an hour after exercise. This
will force your body to break
down body fat, rather than
using the food you ingest. Stick
to fruit and fluids during that
hour, but avoid beer.
27. ‘Okay, now do 100 of
those’.Instead of flailing away
at gym, enlist the help – even
temporarily – of apersonal
trainer. Make sure you learn to
breathe properly and to do the
exercises the right way. You’ll
get more of a workout while
spending less time at the gym.
28. Stop fuming. Don’t smoke
and if you smoke already, do
everything in your power to
quit. Don’t buy into that my-
granny-smoked-and-lived-to-
be-90 crud – not even the
tobacco giants believe it. Apart
from the well-known risks of
heart disease and cancer,
orthopaedic surgeons have
found that smoking accelerates
bone density loss and constricts
blood flow. So you could live to
be a 90-year-old amputee who
smells of stale tobacco smoke.
Unsexy.
29. Ask about Mad Aunt Edith.
Find out your family history.
You need to know if there are
any inherited diseases prowling
your gene pool. According to the
Mayo Clinic, USA, finding out
what your grandparents died of
can provide useful – even
lifesaving – information about
what’s in store for you. And be
candid, not coy: 25 percent of
the children of alcoholics
become alcoholics themselves.
30. Do self-checks. Do regular
self-examinations of your
breasts. Most partners are more
than happy to help, not just
because breast cancer is the
most common cancer among SA
women. The best time to
examine your breasts is in the
week after your period.

31. My smear campaign. Have a
pap smear once a year. Not on
our list of favourite things, but
it’s vital. Cervical cancer kills 200
000 women a year and it’s the
most prevalent form of cancer
among black women, affecting
more than 30 percent. But the
chances of survival are nearly
100 percent if it’s detected early.
Be particularly careful if you
became sexually active at an
early age, have had multiple sex
partners or smoke.
32. Understand hormones.
Recent research suggests that
short-term (less than five years)
use of HRT is not associated with
an increase in the risk of breast
cancer, but that using it for more
than ten years might be. Breast
cancer is detected earlier in
women using HRT, as they are
more alert to the disease than
other women.
32. Beat the sneezes. There are
more than 240 allergens, some
rare and others very common. If
you’re a sneezer due to pollen:
close your car’s windows while
driving, rather switch on the
internal fan (drawing in air from
the outside), and avoid being
outdoors between 5am and 10
am when pollen counts are at
their highest; stick to holidays in
areas with low pollen counts,
such as the seaside and stay
away from freshly cut grass.
33. Doggone. If you’re allergic to
your cat, dog, budgie or pet
piglet, stop suffering the
ravages of animal dander: Install
an air filter in your home. Keep
your pet outside as much as
possible and brush him outside
of the home to remove loose
hair and other allergens. Better
yet, ask someone else to do so.
34. Asthma-friendly sports.
Swimming is the most asthma-
friendly sport of all, but cycling,
canoeing, fishing, sailing and
walking are also good, according
to the experts. Asthma need not
hinder peak performance in
sport. 11 percent of the US
Olympic team were asthmatics –
and between them they won 41
medals.
35. Deep heat. Sun rays can
burn even through thick glass,
and under water. Up to 35
percent of UVB rays and 85
percent of UVA rays penetrate
thick glass, while 50 percent of
UVB rays and 77 percent of UVA
rays penetrate a meter of water
and wet cotton clothing. Which
means you’ll need sunscreen
while driving your car on
holiday, and water resistant
block if you’re swimming.
36. Fragrant ageing. Stay away
from perfumed or flavoured
suntan lotions which smell of
coconut oil or orange if you
want your skin to stay young.
These lotions contain psoralen,
which speeds up the ageing
process. Rather use a fake-tan
lotion. Avoid sun beds, which
are as bad as the sun itself.
37. Sunscreen can be a
smokescreen.Sunscreen is
unlikely to stop you from being
sunburned, or to reduce your
risk of developing skin cancer.
That’s because most people
don’t apply it properly, and stay
in the sun too long. The
solution? Slather on sunscreen
daily and reapply it often,
especially if you’ve been in the
water. How much? At least
enough to fill a shot glass.
38. Laugh and cry. Having a
good sob is reputed to be good
for you. So is laughter, which
has been shown to help heal
bodies, as well as broken hearts.
Studies in Japan indicate that
laughter boosts the immune
system and helps the body
shake offallergic reactions.
39. It ain’t over till it’s over.
End relationships that no longer
work for you, as you could be
spending time in a dead end.
Rather head for more
meaningful things. You could be
missing opportunities while
you’re stuck in a meaningless
rut, trying to breathe life into
something that is long gone.
40. Strong people go for help.
Ask for assistance. Gnashing
your teeth in the dark will not
get you extra brownie points. It
is a sign of strength to ask for
assistance and people will
respect you for it. If there is a
relationship problem, the one
who refuses to go for help is
usually the one with whom the
problem lies to begin with.
41. Save steamy scenes for the
bedroom.Showering or bathing
in water that’s too hot will dry
out your skin and cause it to age
prematurely. Warm water is
much better. Apply moisturiser
while yourskin is still damp – it’ll
be absorbed more easily. Adding
a little olive oil to your bath with
help keep your skin moisturised
too.
42. Here’s the rub. Improve
your circulation and help your
lymph glands to drain by the
way you towel off. Helping your
lymph glands function can help
prevent them becoming
infected. When drying off your
limbs and torso, brush towards
the groin on your legs and
towards the armpits on your
upper body. You can do the
same during gentle massage
with your partner.
43. Sugar-coated. More than
three million South Africans
suffer from type 2 diabetes, and
the incidence is increasing –
with new patients getting
younger. New studies show this
type of diabetes is often part of
a metabolic syndrome (X
Syndrome), which includes high
blood pressure and other risk
factors for heart disease. More
than 80 percent of type 2
diabetics die ofheart disease, so
make sure you control your
glucose levels, and watch your
blood pressure and cholesterol
counts.
44. Relax, it’s only sex. Stress
and sex make bad bedfellows, it
seems. A US survey showed that
stress, kids and work are main
factors to dampen libido. With
the advent of technology that
allows us to work from home,
the lines between our jobs and
our personal lives have become
blurred. People work longer
hours, commutes are longer and
work pervades all aspects of our
lives, including our sexual
relationships. Put nooky and
intimacy on the agenda, just like
everything else.
45. Good night, sweetheart.
Rest heals the body and has
been shown to lessen the risk of
heart trouble andpsychological
problems.