Brush up your act - It's astonishing fact, but cleaning your teeth properly can help live six years longer.Research links the bacteria that cause gum disease with a significantly increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. Thankfully, good oral hygiene is easy to achieve. Simply floss your teeth for two minutes a day and swap your manual toothbrush for an electric one.

Get white out - If you're among the 40 per cent of British woman who complain of feeling tired all the time, then your eating habits could be to blame. Sugar and refined carbohydrates- the "white" food in our diets- give an instant energy rush taht in turns leads to tiredness.On the other hand, complex carbohydrates such as unrefined pasta, wholemeal bread, brown rice and potatoes contain more fibre and so offer a slower release of energy. Combiningthese foods with vegetables, fruits, beans and pulses will give you even more of a boost. And ensuring that 20 percent of your meal consists of protein will keep your energy levels at a peak

Color your world - Darker fruits and vegetables develope theur colour to protect themselves from the damaging effect of the sun's rays. As a result, darker skinned and coloured varieties contain more antioxidants- the healthy chemicals thought to protect us against heart disease and cancer. The fruits to look for include plums, blackberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, red apples and blueberries; and vegetables include aubergines, carrots, tomatoes, kidney beans and peppers. And don't forget that all fruits and vegetables have a high level of antioxidants and offer a good source of fibre

Beat the box - There's no escaping the fact that watching TV is the nation's favourite pastime - but new research shows the more we tune in, the unhealthier we get. Scientists found that adults who were avid TV TV watchers as children were more likely be overweight, to smoke and to have high cholesterol. And research carried out in the US concluded adult females who watched three to fout hours of TV a day were twice as likely to be obese as those who watched one or two. Why? Simply because watching TV takes up time that could be spent doing more strenuous- and fun- activities.

Step lively - Researchers in America belive we needn't push ourselves as hard as we once thought to get fit and stay in shape. In fact, just 30 minutes of exercise a day, five times a week, is all that's needed.And the good news is you don't even need to do that in one strech- ten minutes here and there all add up. The easiest way to stay fit is to make sure you take 10,000 steps a day. So buy a pedometer, clip it to your belt and step up your routine.

Call it Quits - Give up smoking.If you don't, you will lose, on average, close to a decade of life.Many smokers think they will be miserable and gain weight when they stop smoking- but the evidence is that you will be happier and have more energy to exercise without being short of breath. Better still, ten years after stopping, your risk of lung cancer falls to about alf that of a smoker.

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