Best bits of advice you’ve ever heard Want to look younger, sleep better, be a star at karaoke or boost your luck? These are the tips you’ve been waiting for

We all need nuggets of wisdom to help us live better, love better and look better. And here they are...

1 HOW TO LOOK A LITTLE YOUNGER

Dr Howard Murad, dermatologist and founder of the stars’ favourite skincare brand, Murad, shares his tips on staying and looking young: ✢ THINK YOURSELF YOUNG I believe in youthbuilding, not anti-ageing. It’s a state of mind that keeps you young. ✢ EAT YOUR WATER Ageing is all about loss of water in your body. As we age we get drier and drier, so to stay young we need to get plenty of water into our bodies, not just by drinking it, but through eating fruit and vegetables. Raw or steamed is best as it holds the most water. ✢ IMPROVE YOUR DIET Make sure you eat plenty of wholegrains and protein – they are key to building collagen in your skin. ✢ USE THE 80:20 RULE If you eat well 80% of the time, you can treat yourself to comfort food or a glass of wine 20% of the time. That way you don’t feel deprived – it’s all about striking a balance. ✢ APPLY SUNSCREEN AND EAT IT, TOO! Protecting your skin from UV rays is the best way to stay younglooking. Wear SPF 50 all year round and eat foods like broccoli and watermelon, pomegranate and pink grapefruit – all offer great antioxidant protection to your skin.

2 STOP YOUR WORRYING

Schedule half an hour’s ‘worry time’ into each day and refuse to allow yourself to worry outside that time. Giving yourself controlled permission breaks the cycle of obsessive thinking.

3 TRY TO APOLOGISE WITH GRACE

Always apologise for your behaviour; never for who you are – ‘I’m so sorry I forgot your birthday,’ not: ‘I’m such an idiot!’ Apologising isn’t an indication of weakness; you’re showing you’re confident enough in yourself to admit being wrong.

4 TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS

Whenever you feel a twist in your tummy that something does – or doesn’t – feel right, listen to it. Go with your gut. It doesn’t lie. Sam Skull, wellbeing coach

5 FIND OUT IF YOU’RE BEING LIED TO

Look for frequent face-touching; moving the eyes to the left is also a telltale sign, as is blinking and swallowing a lot. Check their hands – liars use fewer gestures.

6 HOW TO SAY NO

Think of family members and friends who have not always been able to say yes when you’ve asked for a favour. You didn’t think less of them - you just appreciated them more when they were able to help. Ingrid Collins, consultant psychologist

7 HOW TO FIND TRUE LOVE

You need to know yourself and what makes you happy – then you are more likely to be consciously and subconsciously drawn towards someone who’ll fulfil those needs. Christine Northam, relationship counsellor >>

‘I believe in youth-building, not anti-ageing. It’s a state of mind that keeps you young’

8 THE BEST WAY TO BREAK BAD NEWS

Deliver bad news gently, directly and as simply as possible to allow the other person to take things in. It’s important to acknowledge their distress, and offer sympathy and support – but never say, ‘I know how you feel.’ Give them space to think things through. GP Dr Gill Jenkins

9 HOW TO TAME A KIDDY MELTDOWN

Stay calm and consistent. Stick to your guns; reassure your grandchild or child that you’re there for them, but say their behaviour is unacceptable and that when they calm down, you’ll talk about what’s wrong. Pretend to ignore the meltdown (and looks from passers-by!) and busy yourself with something else (keeping a furtive eye on junior at the same time). The penny will eventually drop, as they realise their behaviour isn’t getting them anywhere.

10 STOP THAT YAWN!

About to yawn at a bad moment? Breathing in deeply through your mouth will help stifle it.

11 HOW TO TELL A JOKE

Comedy actress Ella Kenion says that to get the biggest laugh, you need to ‘sell’ what you’re saying as the absolute truth, as if it’s the most important piece of news that you could impart. For example, with your straightest possible face… ‘A man walks into a butcher’s shop and says, “Excuse me, do you have a sheep’s head?” “No,” says the butcher.

“It’s just the way I part my hair.”’

12 HOW TO GIVE COLD-CALLERS THE ELBOW

Visit moneysavingexpert.com, print off the Trading Standards-approved ‘No cold callers’ sign and stick it on your door or window – the threat of legal action should deter them from knocking on your door!

13 HOW TO BREAK THE ICE AT PARTIES

✢ Standing at the bar with no one to talk to?

Ask what cocktail someone has ordered, or say your drink is great. A common interest point is key to starting a conversation. ✢ Struggling to find conversation at a dull event? People love to talk about themselves, so ask questions about their life. Where do they live, what do they do… You’ll probably have difficulty shutting them up! Gillian Hoffman, celebrity party planner (19events.co.uk)

14 HOW TO HALVE THE NUMBER OF COLDS YOU GET

Noticed that you’ve had fewer colds this year? Washing your hands for 20 seconds after being in a crowded place remains the best way to prevent cold transmission. A US study showed that episodes of colds and flu among 1,442 volunteers almost halved after they started washing their hands more frequently.

15 HOW TO GET THROUGH THE DAY AFTER A RUBBISH NIGHT’S SLEEP

Drink tons of water and eat little and often to stop energy dips. If you can, try to get in a 20 minute nap in the afternoon; no more than 40 minutes, though, or you’ll disrupt your night-time sleep pattern. Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, sleep expert and author of Tired But Wired (£12.99, Souvenir Press)

16 HOW TO GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP THE NEXT NIGHT

✢ Create a clutter-free sleep environment – so no more clothes draped over furniture or books or magazines stacked by the side of the bed.

✢ Set your alarm, then put your clock where you can’t see it. Night-time clock-watching is a sleep killer. ✢ Plan a relaxing wind-down routine an hour before bedtime. Stop watching TV, playing on the computer or getting involved in family dramas. Have a bath and read a book instead. ✢ Have a decent breakfast to stabilise blood sugar and boost production of the sleep hormone melatonin. It really will affect how you sleep 15 hours later. >>

‘Hide your alarm clock at night – clock-watching is a sleep killer’

17 CLEVER WAY TO BROWN MEAT

Browning in batches can take for ever, but don’t be tempted to overcrowd the pan – just use two.

18 HOW TO KEEP FOOD FLAVOURFUL

Never boil when a recipe says to simmer – it will spoil the taste and texture. How to tell the difference? Simmering is when a bubble breaks the surface every couple of seconds. Anything more vigorous is boiling.

19 THE BEST WAY TO CARVE MEAT

Slice the joint or bird against the meat’s grain – this will keep it juicy and tender.

20 CRISP UP BACON, TOP-CHEF STYLE

Bake your bacon in the oven, rather than grilling. The heat hits from all sides, meaning no more burnt bits!

21 HOW TO MAKE QUICK MEALS THAT WILL IMPRESS

✢ THAI-INSPIRED NOODLE SOUP Boil stir-fried veg in water flavoured with Thai curry paste and a stock cube for 5 mins until tender, then stir in dried egg noodles. ✢ CHEAT’S FRITTATA That’s eggs, ham, tomatoes and parsley, or spinach, mixed in a baking dish and microwaved for 5 mins until set. ✢ SPECIAL FRIED RICE Toss stir-fried veg, eggs and a cold pack of steamed Tilda rice in a wok for 5 mins until the egg is scrambled and the veg is tender. Season with soy sauce, sweet chilli or lime juice. ✢ GNOCCHI WITH SAGE

BUTTER Boil gnocchi until it floats (about 2 mins). Heat 50g butter and a bunch of torn sage leaves for 1 min, then stir through the gnocchi and grate some Parmesan over the top.

‘Slicing meat against the grain will keep it juicy and tender’

22 HOW TO SAVE A LITTLE TIME

Never leave a room at home empty-handed. Look to see what you can leave with, and return it to its rightful place.

23 SAVE MORNING MINUTES

Put your most used make-up products in a see-through plastic pouch or container. When you’re in a hurry, you need to see what you want.

24 SPEEDY STAIN REMOVAL

✢ A dab of shaving foam removes most carpet stains, including red wine. ✢ Use damp pumice to remove stains from porcelain sinks, baths and loos. ✢ A dishwasher tablet left to fizz in the loo overnight lifts stains. ✢ Put frozen peas in the bottom of a stained vase, fill with cold water and swirl. ✢ Hold absorbent paper over a grease mark on a wall and run over with a warm iron.

25 SAVE TIME IN THE KITCHEN

Stop chopping herbs and start snipping them with scissors. If a recipe calls for a finely-chopped onion, try grating it.

26 LEARN TO SPEED READ

Block off all text above where you’re reading with a card, so you don’t backtrack. Don’t focus on individual words, but group words together. And don’t move your lips as you read – it will slow you down!

27 HOW TO MAKE CUT FLOWERS LAST LONGER

Cut stems 5-7cm from the bottom on a slant and put in a vase filled with room-temperature water. Then, every other day, replace the water and cut back stems by a further 1cm. >>

28 HOW TO SING KARAOKE WITHOUT MAKING A FOOL OF YOURSELF

✢ SMILE This will brighten your sound and energise your face, as well as hide any nerves. If you look as though you’re enjoying it, your audience will, too. ✢ CHEAT Learn a couple of songs that are comfortable to sing – not too high or too low for you. Something with a rousing chorus that everyone knows is a winner. You’ll have your own backing singers as the crowd joins in. ✢ TECHNIQUE Imagine that you’re eating an ice cream and that’s a great position for your mic – close to your mouth, but not touching. Practising in a mirror with a hairbrush works! Juliet Russell, vocal coach

29 WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY

✢ CHOKING Hit the person firmly on their back between the shoulder blades to dislodge objects caught in the throat. ✢ SOMEONE IS UNCONSCIOUS BUT BREATHING Move them on to their side and tilt their head back to keep their airway open. ✢ STOP BLEEDING Put pressure on the wound with whatever is available (a T-shirt or towel works) to slow down blood loss. ✢ BROKEN BONE Keep the affected area immobile and support with a cushion or item of clothing ✢ ALWAYS CALL 999 (or get someone else to do it) as soon as possible. Advice from the British Red Cross (download the British Red Cross first aid app for more information)

30 HOW TO GET LUCKY

✢ Maximise your opportunities by being open to new experiences and varying your routine ✢ Listen to your hunches – they’re usually right! ✢ Expect good fortune: lucky people tend to be optimists. ✢ Turn bad luck good. When things go wrong, learn from it – and take control of the situation. Professor Richard Wiseman, author of The Luck Factor (£8, Arrow)

31 HOW TO HAVE BETTER HOLIDAYS

Visit sites like booking.com, lastminute.com and trivago.co.uk to see which is offering the cheapest hotel deal. Then phone the hotel direct and see if they can offer a better price. ✢ Long weekend away? Be flexible. Flying on a Thursday is usually cheaper than a Friday. ✢ No linguist? The Google Translate app (free for iPhone, iPad and Android) covers 108 languages, and with instant camera translation in 94 languages, you can translate text just by pointing your camera.

32 BEAT BINGO WINGS

While making a cuppa, stand straight, arms by your sides, palms facing backwards. With arms straight, lift them as high as you can behind you. Hold and do tiny pulses – until the kettle boils! Lucy Wyndham-Read, women’s fitness expert (lwrfitness.com)

33 GET INTO SHAPE FROM HOME

The only ab move you need, ‘the bicycle’ targets all your ab muscles at once. Lie on the floor face-up, hands behind your head. Bring your knees towards your chest, then lift your shoulder blades off the floor without pulling on your neck. Rotate to the left, bringing your right elbow to your left knee as you straighten the other leg. Repeat on the other side. Attempt 10 reps, gradually increasing the reps as you get stronger.

34 BAN THE UNDERARM BULGE

When putting your bra on, lean forwards and let your boobs fall into the cups. Then shake them into the bra and fasten. Nancy Szachno-Dressel, senior lingerie buyer at John Lewis & Partners

‘Expect good fortune. Lucky people tend to be optimists’