Health: 9 clever ways to get healthier

Chances are you’re already doing great stuff for your wellbeing, but with a few easy tweaks you can boost your efforts still further

THE HABIT: You tend to buy low-fat foods

THE BOOSTER: Look for low-salt and low-sugar on the packaging too

It’s good to limit your intake of unhealthy fats, but in order to maximise taste, many food companies add salt, sugar and artificial additives to low-fat foods, rendering them less healthy – and more calorific

– than ‘regular’ versions.

Try To: Make a point of reading the ingredients lists to check that low-fat versions do contain less calories than their ‘regular’ counterparts.

THE HABIT: You eat a healthy breakfast THE BOOSTER: Include protein

A good breakfast will kick-start your metabolism, but adding protein will supercharge your day. Nutritionist Cassandra Barns says, ‘Eating protein helps slow digestion, leaving you feeling satisfied and fuller for longer. This, in turn, can help with weight loss as you’re less likely to have as many calories.’

Try To: Have eggs, yogurt, nuts and seeds or a plant-based protein powder, such as Natures Plus Almond Protein Powder (£40.50, naturesplus.co.uk).

THE HABIT: You use antibacterial gels

THE BOOSTER: Don’t forget soap and water

Hand gels are, well, handy, but an Ottawa University study found that some brands which claimed to ‘kill 99% of germs’ did not. At the very best they killed 60%, and at worst, 46%. Importantly, they don’t help to prevent the spread of norovirus or protect against the common cold at all!

Try To: Regularly give your hands a thorough wash, especially around any rings, with hot, running

water and soap.

THE HABIT: You brush your teeth morning and evening

THE BOOSTER: Don’t brush too hard or straight after food

You can damage your tooth enamel by brushing too hard. And you should wait at least 30 minutes after a meal to allow the saliva in your mouth to neutralise any acid and strengthen your enamel.

Also, think about where you’re storing your toothbrush. Research by Manchester University found that the average toothbrush contains around 10 million germs, including E. coli and candida. This is partly because micro droplets of dirty water from the loo can spray as much as six metres upwards and outwards when you flush, some landing on your toothbrush. So shut the lid before you flush.

Try To: Set a timer for 30 minutes after eating to brush your teeth. Change your brush every three months – sooner if you’ve had a virus. Store it in a bathroom cabinet and sterilise it frequently in boiling water.

THE HABIT: You always drink plenty of water THE BOOSTER: Drink small amounts throughout the day

If you glug it in one go, your body won’t get the same benefits. Personal trainer Faya Nilsson (fitnessontoast.

an com) says, ‘Drinking 200ml within hour is broadly considered to be the most water our bodies can absorb.

go Chugging an entire bottle will just straight through you and put your kidneys under unnecessary stress.’ Try To: Get two litres of fluid a day, including from foods with a high water content such as melon, yogurt and soup. Drink one 200ml measure of water every hour throughout the day.

THE HABIT: You’ve cut back on carbohydrates THE BOOSTER: Eat some wholegrain foods

Well done if you’ve cut out processed carbs. But eating wholegrain carbs is important, as they provide fibre, keep us fuller for longer and boost the growth of good gut bacteria, says nutritionist Marilyn Glenville (marilynglenville. com). ‘They don’t give any sudden flooding of sugars into the bloodstream.’ Try To: Eat brown rice, wholegrain cereals and bread in portions the size of your fist.

THE HABIT: You make sure to take regular exercise

THE BOOSTER: Incorporate weight training

Cardiovascular exercise (walking, cycling, swimming), raises the heart rate and burns calories – and weight training can boost the benefits.

Strengthening muscles is crucial as we age, as they naturally weaken and shrink. ‘It usually starts by our late 40s,’ says

Woman’s Weekly’s

Dr Melanie WynneJones, ‘when we begin to lose an estimated

The Habit: You do exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor The BOOSTER: Don’t do it while you’re peeing

one in three women suffer from stress incontinence. To find the muscles that strengthen your pelvic floor, the advice is often to imagine stopping your flow of urine. But this just locates them. Don’t do it while peeing. ‘It can lead to incomplete bladder evacuation (which can lead

to infections) and doesn’t encourage

full contractions,’ says Dr ruth Maher (restorethefloor.com).

Try To: Slowly squeeze and pull up just these muscles, hold for a few seconds, then release. Do this 10 times in a row.

THE HABIT: You eat healthy salads

THE BOOSTER: Add a full-fat dressing

Drizzling a no-fat dressing, or having nothing at all on salad might seem like the healthiest option, but adding a small amount of fat makes it easier for your body to absorb vitamins and phytonutrients, such as betacarotene and lycopene.

Try To: Add a drizzle of monounsaturated fat, such as olive oil, to your salad. 1% of our muscle mass each year. But we may not notice the effects until we’re much older, when it makes us frail and increases our risk of falling.’

Resistance training helps strengthen muscles and keeps bones healthy, boosts metabolism and regulates blood sugar and blood pressure. Try To: Do resistance training twice a week, working all the major muscle groups – legs, back, hips, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms. Visit nhs.uk for easy strength exercises to do at home.