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• Eat breakfast. Study after study shows that people who eat a morning meal are more energized, focused, and weigh less.

• Bone up. Try a calcium supplement daily. It’s easier than ever with the chewable ones.

• Get your three-a-day. Of whole grains, that is. They can cut your risk of heart disease and diabetes by more than 35 percent. Good sources include oatmeal and brown rice.

• Milk it. It’s a great source of calcium and vitamin D, which recent research shows may help you live longer. It’s also linked to a lower risk of some cancers. The average daily dose in the studies was about 538 IU. Three cups of milk give you about 300 IU.

• Hydrate. Unless you have a medical contraindication to drinking lots of fluid, take at least six to eight glasses of water a day

• Do a shot of sunscreen. You need a full shot glass to cover your entire body, and one teaspoon for your face to fully protect against skin cancer, according to the US Skin Cancer Foundation.
• Lunch on salad. It’s an easy way to get at least two servings of vegetables in one shot. Be sure to toss in the brightly colored ones, which are highest in disease-fighting antioxidants. Try tomatoes, red and green peppers, and broccoli.
• Floss. Gum disease increases your risk of various conditions, including diabetes and heart disease.

8 You Can Now Count As Healthy

• Nibble before dinner. Having about 70 calories of healthy fat 20 minutes before you eat — that’s six walnuts, 12 almonds or 20 peanuts — can trick you into thinking you’re full faster. This works because good fats stimulate the production of a hormone that sends the signal to your brain that you’ve eaten enough.

• Have a pizza night. Pizza is often dismissed as unhealthy, but if you use whole wheat crust and low-fat cheese, and pile on the veggies (skip the pepperoni and ground beef), it’s one of the most nutritionally sound meals around.

• Juice it up. Say goodbye to its reputation as a sugar and calorie bomb. New research has found that drinking fruit and vegetable juices can reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 76 percent and helps lower cholesterol. Just make sure you go for 100-percent juice (read labels carefully).

• Put pasta on the menu. Choose multigrain varieties. They’re loaded with fiber to help you get the recommended 25 grams per day.

• Drink a fruity cocktail. Research shows that alcohol can increase the level of antioxidants in certain fruits, including strawberries.

• Express yourself. When people wrote affectionately about their close friends and family in three 20-minute sessions, their cholesterol levels dropped an average of 11 points.

• Go shopping. Buying something as small as a lipstick or a shaving cream can give your mood a lift, plus you can burn up to 160 extra calories walking around the mall.

• Go gardening. Increasing light physical activity — such as gardening — can lower blood glucose levels and may reduce the risk of diabetes, according to research published in the journal Diabetic Care.

5 Non-Negotiables

• Know your “big seven.” Weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate, and blood sugar — they’re the most crucial indicators of good health and disease risk, says Dr. Katz. If any of these fall outside the healthy range, work with your doctor to get them under control.

• Take your family health history. Many diseases have a hereditary component, and your doctor may want to watch you more closely for conditions that run in your family.

• Measure your waist monthly. If it’s increased, you’re at a higher risk for conditions like heart disease and diabetes, regardless of your weight.

• Get an annual mammogram, if you’re a woman, starting at age 40. Along with a yearly clinical breast exam and a periodic breast self-exam, it’s the best way to catch breast cancer in its early, most treatable stages. If you’re a man, get a regular prostatic check- up.

• Do a full-body mole check on yourself monthly, and get one yearly at the dermatologist. If you notice any that are new, changed or bleeding, see a dermatologist ASAP.

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