2. Use sunblock to protect your skin with. Use sunblock on your face, neck, and arms to protect yourself from harmful UV rays and other toxins.

3. Water is almost always in abundance, so hydrate yourself with water. Water is cheap, and its supply almost never runs out. Drink at least eight glasses of water everyday to maintain good health.

4. Eat more fruits and vegetables, less of the sweets and animal proteins.

5. Spend a few minutes to be by yourself. Sit in a corner and think of happy thoughts.

6. Get your brain to work also. Read the newspapers, answer trivia questions, do some crossword puzzles. Create a personal blog where you can express your thoughts and get your brain to work.

7. Hug your child or your friend. The act of hugging is a definite stress-reliever.

8. Laughing keeps diseases away, and it keeps you looking young and beautiful, too! So smile and laugh as much as possible — even it makes others wonder what you’re up to.

9. Say something nice to your co-worker, to your supervisor, to your life partner. You’ll be surprised at how good this makes you feel.

10. Help an old woman cross the street, or offer your sandwich to the hungry. Whatever you do, let someone benefit from your goodness.

Grapefruits are renowned to be the dieter’s fruit for good reason: studies have shown that adding one grapefruit to a diet each day can help burn fat.

Ken Fujioka, MD, of the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, California observed obese study participants, who were not dieting, add a half of one grapefruit before each meal for 12 weeks. Participants lost an average of 3.6 pounds even without any additional dieting effort (note that the study was sponsored by the Florida Department of Citrus).

What’s even more compelling is the fact that grapefruits contain the enzyme bromelain, which is both anti-inflammatory and skin-cleansing. Bromelain is also shown to help cut cellulite quickly.

If you’re going to indulge, make sure you eat it separately from other food groups. All fruits should be eaten alone, without the presence of other food groups such as vegetables, fats, or proteins (with the exception of leafy greens). Wait at least 20 minutes after eating a grapefruit before eating other foods.

Combining fruit with other groups inhibits digestion, causing food to improperly break down. This leads to fermentation in the stomach, causing gas to be formed. This also implies fat storage: if our bodies have trouble breaking something down, it means it also has a hard time expelling it. A food “in limbo” is thus converted to fat and stored in the body.

The temptations of the modern world are forcing people to go the easier route — that is, buying already prepared meals from fastfood restaurants. That may, indeed, be very convenient, as most of the time, you no longer have the liberty or the time to cook your own meals. However, meals from fastfood restos are high in saturated fats, sugar, preservatives, and the like, and too much of all these can, in one way or another, make you sick.

If you want to change your lifestyle for a healthier you, here are some basic and practical tips to help you get started:

Start by listing down the foods that you eat on a daily basis, and include also how much of each you can consume. Doing this should help you identify your risk factors. For instance, do you tend to eat pork and processed foods on a daily basis? Are you fond of using creams and sauces for your dishes?

Also, you must know that the key to healthy eating is in moderation. Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are not necessarily bad for you; in fact, your body needs all them to maintain good health. However, too much consumption of any of these food groups is the thing that can cause you health problems later on. Therefore, if you are addicted to pasta, just reduce the amount for every serving that you eat. In like manner, if you are a chocoholic, you should also reduce your intake of chocolates. Perhaps, to satisfy your craving, you can substitute a bar of chocolate with a glass of chocolate drink because it has fewer calories. If you have a sweet tooth and are crazy about ice cream, try its healthier alternative — low-fat yoghurt.

Whole grains, fruits and vegetables are good for you, so ideally, these are the foods that should always be present in your daily menu.

Also, never skip your meals. Skipping meals is not a healthy way of keeping your weight down. In fact, that can even worsen the situation as it can result to overeating when hunger becomes out of control. If, in between meals, you feel hungry, do not deprive yourself — eat, but choose healthy foods to snack on. Carrots and peanuts make great choices. Before you leave for work, lightly cook the carrots and keep them in a container. Then, when it is already break time, nibble on it.

Finally, try to prepare your own meals. This way, you can control and amount and the kind of ingredients that you put in.

Of course, you can never expect that you can become a health guru overnight. Changing eating habits can take some time. In fact, some people suggest that in the event that you have decided to change your eating habits, you must do it gradually.