Help Keep your Toothbrush germ- free

Close the lid of the toilet before flushing, so those millions of microbes can't propel onto the floor, the sink , and the TOOTHBRUSH!

Cut back on caffeine

Drinking the recommended five or more cups of green tea a day may pump your body with enough caffeine to induce the jitters.

To eliminate up to 90 % of the caffeine - yet still benefit from all of the tea's disease fighting antioxidants- steep the tea for 30 seconds, and dump out the water ( along with the caffeine).

Then pour in new water, and steep for three to four minutes more.

Don't peel your fruits and veggies

There are 27 times more antioxidants in the skins of fruit and veggies than in the pulp - so save time and stop peeling

GET-HAPPY SNACKS

A hearty snack does more than quell hunger - it can also improve your mood.

The secret is to eat something with carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats.

Carbs in foods like whole grains, fruits, and veggies reduce stress, the protein in eggs, dairy and beans keeps you alert and energetic, and omega - 3 fats in flaxseed, walnuts, salmon and sardines may ease depression.

Fish Fix - one slice of wholegrain bread, 1 1/2 ounces of smoked salmon and 1 slice of hard -boiled egg

Dairy Dose - one cup of plain yogurt and 1/2 cup of blueberries and 1 tbsp of walnuts

Protein Power- 2 tbsps of hummus, 1/2 cup carrots and 5 flaxseed crackers

Lean back and relax - your spine will thank you

Apparently Doctors in Scotland with the use of MRI machines have discovered that sitting just ten minutes hunched forward or ramrod straight - with thighs at a 90 degree angle to the body -compressed disks, placing strain on muscles of the lower back.

However, when people sat on cushion with their hips slightly higher than their knees - the trunk and thighs were at a 135 degree angle - the spine remained close to its natural alignment, easing pressure on disks and keeping muscles relaxed.

So try raising your chair high enough to put your hips above your knee, or sit on a cushion and recline slightly.

Read this if you want to sleep better at night

Studies show that very bright light - the equivalent to outdoor early morning light - will increase brain activity. Some scientists believe that the light emitted by a computer monitor late at night can do just that and therefore confuse your body's sleep-wake cycle- particularly when combined with the stimulation of an engaging video game.

You are better to wind down before bed by watching tv( at least 15 feet away to be unaffected by its brightness) or even better to read a book or magazine.

(Prevention magazine June '07)

This May come in handy someday

What would you do if someone next to you collapsed. You would call an ambulance for sure.

Apparently even doing rudmentary CPR- i.e. doing chest compressions but no mouth-to-mouth- can save an adult's life.
Place hands on chest. Press hard at a rate of 100 times a minute ( the pace of the Bee Gees' "Staying' Alive")

To Strengthen your bones-eat dried figs

A quarter cup of dried figs has nearly twice the calcium as the same amount of low-fat cottage cheese.

Also dried figs pack antioxidants and heart-protective omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids into their punch.

Add figs to your morning yogurt or roast them with chicken.

(Chatelaine magazine, August 2008)

2 MINUTE LOWER BODY WORKOUT

Tracing the alphabet in the air with your foot targets your thighs, hip flexors and lower abs.

Sit on a chair, hands on the seat, feet flat on the floor. Lift and extend right leg parallel to the floor. Point toes and trace all letters of the alphabet as large as you can in the air with your toes. Switch legs and repeat.

Get out of a slump

To stand up tall, bend your left arm behind your waist and GRAB YOUR RIGHT ARM AT THE ELBOW.

This simple move pulls your shoulders back and down ( where they belong). Hold for about 10 seconds and then switch arms.

Do this 2 or 3 times throughout your walk.

Brain Food

For speedier afternoon thinking, which snack would you choose - a slice of watermelon or a chunk of cheese.

Reach for the watermelon - People who eat foods that are high in healthy carbs but low in fats (watermelon and other fruits being juicy examples) seem to have faster brain processing speeds than people whose diets are low in carbs but high in fats.

Carbohydrates are a critical source of the type of energy that brains need to perform. Fat on the other hand seems to gum up your mind.

If there is no fruit to be found, then try turning on all your office lights or even better, go outdoors and get a dose of natural light. Light directly affects areas of your brain that are involved in alertness.

It is ok to snack before meals- it won't spoil your appetite

You can nibble on fatty foods before you eat, but it must be the good kind of fat. Eating some healthy fat about half an hour before a meal can keep you from reaching for large servings.

Eating good fats stimulates a hormone that signals your brain that you are not as hungry as you thought.

All you need is about 70 calories of healthy fat - six walnuts, 12 almonds or 20 peanuts. You can also munch on apples or other juicy high-fibre fruits.

Good reason to text message more

Too much chatting on your cell phone may cause hearing loss.

Researchers in India measured the hearing of 100 cell phone users and 50 landline-only folks and those who had cell phones for 4 years or more showed a steep drop in auditory test results.

The scientists also found that talk time matters: People who chatted on their cell for over an hour daily had more hearing damage than less loquacious types. Use a hands-free earpiece with volume control whenever possible.

(Prevention magazine - March 2008)