13 Healthy Habits to Improve Your Life

Healthy Habit No. 1: Eat Breakfast Every Morning

Breakfast eaters are champions of good health. Research shows people who have a morning meal tend to take in more vitamins and minerals, and less fat andcholesterol. The result is often a leaner body, lower cholesterol count, and less chance of overeating.

"That one act [of eating breakfast] seems to make a difference in people's overall weight," says Melinda Johnson, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association (ADA). She says breakfast can hold off hunger pangs until lunchtime and make high-calorie vending machine options less enticing.

Not only that, researchers at the 2003 American Heart Association conference reported that breakfast eaters are significantly less likely to be obese and get diabetes compared with nonbreakfast eaters.

Another study in the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition showed that people who consumed breakfast cereal every day reported feeling better both physically and mentally than those who rarely ate cereal in the morning.

For kids, breakfast appears to enhance alertness, attention, and performance on standardized achievement tests, reports the ADA.

To get the full benefits of breakfast, the Mayo Clinic recommends a meal with carbohydrates, protein, and a small amount of fat. They say that because no single food gives you all of the nutrients you need, eating a variety of foods is essential to good health.

Yet, even with so much scientific support that breakfast does the body good; many people still make excuses not to eat in the morning. They include not having enough time and not feeling hungry. For these people, Johnson suggests tailoring breakfast to the day.

"When I'm getting ready in the morning, I don't really want to take the time to eat breakfast because that would mean sacrificing sleep," says Johnson. "So I bring my breakfast with me, and I know I have an hour when I'm reading emails in the office when I can eat it. By that time, I'm hungry because I've been up for almost a couple of hours."

Healthy Habit No. 2: Add Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids to Your Diet

The AHA recommends a serving of fish two times per week.

Besides being a good source of protein and a food relatively low in the bad type of dietary fat called saturated fat, fish has omega-3 fatty acids -- which have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Fatty fish such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, and salmon, are rich in two kinds of omega-3 fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Foods such as tofu, soybeans, canola, walnuts, flaxseed, and their oils contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which convert to omega-3 in the body. Even though the benefits of ALA are controversial, the AHA still recommends foods containing it as part of a healthy diet.

In addition to their heart-health benefits, there is some evidence that omega-3 fatty acids may also soothe an overactive immune system, says Johnson. Even though this benefit is still being studied, she says there appears to be a link between getting more omega-3s in your diet and reducing allergies, asthma, eczema, and autoimmune disorders.

Healthy Habit No. 3: Get Enough Sleep

"Your body has to have enough time to rest," says Michael Fleming, MD, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Otherwise, he says you may find yourself feeling cranky and tired.

This may sound like common sense, but according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), more than two-thirds of older adults suffer from sleep problems and many American adults don't get the minimum amount of shuteye needed to stay alert.

Sleep is vital to good health and to mental and emotional well-being. The NSF reports that people who don't get enough slumber are more likely than others to develop psychiatric problems and to use health care services. Plus, sleep deprivation can negatively affect memory, learning, and logical reasoning.

Not enough ZZZs can also be hazardous. More than one-half of adult drivers -- some 100 million people -- say they have driven drowsy in the past year, according to NSF polls. About one out of five of these drivers -- 32 million people -- say they've fallen asleep while driving.

Each year drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 car crashes, 1,500 deaths, and tens of thousands of injuries, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The NSF recommends taking a 15 to 20 minute nap. Because it takes about 30 minutes for the caffeine to work, taking a nap while you wait for the caffeine to kick in can help restore alertness.

To avoid the pitfalls of insufficient sleep, make sure to get at least seven to 10 hours of slumber each night. Kids need more sleep, depending on their age.

Healthy Habit No. 4: Make Social Connections

Volunteer. Go to church. Join a club. Whatever you do, do it with people. Communal activities are good for your physical and mental health, according to a study published in the March/April 2004 issue of the American Journal of Health Behavior.

It makes sense, says C. David Jenkins, PhD, author of Building Better Health: A Handbook of Behavioral Change. He says social ties have many benefits, including:

• Providing information. You may think for instance your frequent nosebleeds, coughing, and sneezing episodes are trivial, but when a close friend or relative hears of it, he or she may encourage you to go to a doctor. If the symptoms turn out to be a serious condition, the social tie could have saved your life.
• Instrumental help. Friends and family can provide physical support in time of need. They may help with cooking, cleaning, running errands, doing grocery shopping, and driving to the doctor's office.
• Emotional support. Sharing a problem with a trusted person can help alleviate an internal burden. "It's a load off your chest," says Jenkins.
• Offering a sense of belonging. This feeling not only helps reinforce a person's identity, it also assists in preventing and overcoming depression and anxiety.

Community ties also help improve mental functioning, says Fleming. Group activities can help keep the mind active and maintain desirable levels of serotonin -- the brain chemical associated with mood. "Lack of social interaction will [decrease] serotonin levels," says Fleming.

Healthy Habit No. 5: Exercise for Better Health

We already know that physical activity has a bounty of benefits, which makes it so puzzling why so many people just don't do it. According to the CDC, more than 60% of Americans do not get regular exercise.

In case you needed an incentive, here is a review of the advantages of exercise, per the National Cancer Institute:

• Helps control weight
• Maintains healthy bones, muscles, and joints
• Reduces risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes
• Promotes psychological well-being
• Reduces risk of death from heart disease
• Reduces risk of premature death

Studies have also shown a link between exercise and a reduced risk of certain cancers.

Besides its long-term effects, moving your body has immediate benefits, says Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise. The short-term results of exercise include helping people to think and move better, manage stress, improve mood, and get an energy boost.

The excuses that people often give to not exercise are the precise reasons toexercise, says Bryant. People who say they are too tired or don't have time to workout don't realize that exercise gives people more energy and allows them to be more productive with the rest of their time.

Healthy Habit No. 6: Practice Good Dental Hygiene

Flossing your teeth every day could add 6.4 years to your life, according to Michael Roizen, MD, author of RealAge. In his book, Roizen lists flossing as one of the most important daily activities -- along with exercise and quitting smoking -- that could extend life span.

Roizen's calculation may raise some eyebrows, but the idea that oral health is connected to overall health isn't far-fetched.

The mouth, after all, is an integral part of the body. "Teeth have a blood supply, and that blood supply comes from the heart," says Richard Price, DMD, consumer advisor for the American Dental Association (ADA).

Researchers suspect that the bacteria that produce dental plaque enter the bloodstream. They say these bacteria are somehow associated with the inflammation that occurs with plaque that blocks blood vessels and causes heart disease.

Other researchers have found links between oral bacteria and stroke, diabetes, and the birth of preterm babies and those that have low birth weight.

In addition to preventing disease, flossing and brushing can help keep your pearly whites intact for more than just cosmetic reasons. Teeth help you chew food, speak properly, and smile -- which, according to Price, can help you keep your dignity.

Healthy Habit No. 7: Take Up a Hobby

Look up the word "hobby" in the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, and you will find the definition as "a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation."

Since they are relaxing activities, hobbies are usually enjoyable. Some people find joy in craftwork, bird watching, sports, going to flea markets, walking in the park, or playing cards.

The joy may help people live healthier and recover better from illness. For one thing, taking part in hobbies can burn calories, more so than just sitting in front of the TV.

In a study of people who had undergone surgery, Jenkins found that people who were involved in hobbies before their operation had better recovery six months later, compared with people who did not have hobbies.

The participants with hobbies tended to have more drive and interest in things and other people, says Jenkins. "It was a more active orientation to life."

Healthy Habit No. 8: Protect Your Skin

Our skin starts to age as soon as we are born and, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the best way to protect it and look younger is to stay out of the sun.

The sun has harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays that can cause wrinkles, dryness, and age spots. Overexposure can cause sunburn, skin texture changes, dilated blood vessels, and skin cancers.

Avoiding the sun, however, is not always ideal or practical. To reduce the risk of skin damage, the AAD offers the following tips:

• Always wear sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher.
• Don a hat with a brim and wear other protective clothing.
• Don't deliberately sunbathe.
• Try to avoid sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Healthy Habit No. 9: Snack the Healthy Way

The ADA recommends five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day as part of a healthy diet. These plant foods can do many things to boost good health, including:

• Reduce the risk of some cancers
• Beat the signs of aging
• Improve memory
• Promote heart health
• Enhance the immune system

One way to incorporate fruits and veggies into your diet is to have them as snacks. "If you can do one thing [to improve your health], concentrate on getting fruits and veggies," says Johnson. "They are low in calories and high in nutrients."

She says baby carrots and cut-up produce make tasty, convenient munchies. Other healthful snacks include low-fat yogurt and nuts (in moderation).

The best time to snack is when you are hungry between meals, says Johnson. But beware: Cravings could easily be mistaken for hunger cues, especially for people who are dieting.

Healthy Habit No. 10: Drink Water and Eat Dairy

Water and milk are essential fluids for good health, but they can also help with shedding pounds.

The body needs water to keep properly hydrated and individuals vary widely in how much water they need. Joints need it to stay in motion, and vital organs such as the heart, brain, kidney, and liver need it to work properly.

If you don't get enough water, the body goes into emergency mode, and clings to every single water molecule it can find, reports the University of Minnesota Water Resources Center. The stored molecules appear as extra weight. The weight is only released once the body gets enough water.

The calcium in dairy, on the other hand, is known to be important for strong bones and teeth. Studies have also shown it can help prevent high blood pressure, kidney stones, heart disease, and colon cancer.

In the weight loss arena, three 8-ounce glasses of low-fat or fat-free milk appear to encourage body fat loss while maintaining muscle mass, according to the ADA. The dairy consumption must be part of a balanced reduced-calorie meal plan.

Healthy Habit No. 11: Drink Tea

"Decaffeinated tea is better," says Fleming, noting that the caffeinated variety can be dehydrating, and sugary drinks can lead to weight gain.

There is some evidence that tea may help in improving memory, and preventing cavities, cancer, and heart disease. Fleming says, though, that the overall research is still inconclusive.

"There may well be some beneficial effects of tea, particularly the potential antioxidant effect, but we don't have great data on that right now that is that specific."

However, there's no doubt that a cool iced tea can be a refreshing treat during hot days. Try flavoring your tea with juices, fruits, cinnamon sticks, ginger, and other condiments.

Healthy Habit No. 12: Take a Daily Walk

We already mentioned the merits of exercise in habit No. 5. Now, here's a tip on how to incorporate physical activity into your daily life: WALK.

We're not talking about taking the time out of your busy schedule to work out -- that's important, too -- but infusing life- and limb-saving movement into your waking hours.

"Just move. Pace during phone calls, while you're brushing your teeth, while watching your son's soccer game," says Bryant, noting that every 20 steps a person takes is 1 calorie burned.

An eight-year study of 13,000 people also showed that people who walked 30 minutes daily had a significantly reduced chance of premature death compared with those who rarely exercised, reports the American Council on Exercise.

And there are plenty of opportunities to move those legs:

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Walk to the store.
• Window shop at the mall.
• Leave your desk and visit your co-worker instead of sending him an email.
• Walk and talk with friends instead of meeting for a meal.

Healthy Habit No. 13: Plan

There is, perhaps, no better word in the English language to better illustrate how you can incorporate healthy habits into your everyday life.

"A little planning goes a long way," says Johnson. "Eating healthy never happens by accident."

For the most part, neither do good fitness, skin protection, healthy teeth, weight loss, and social ties. Many of these habits take effort that need to be scheduled into busy lives.

To eat healthy, for example, it would help to set aside time to draft a menu, make a grocery list, go to the store, prepare meals, and pack breakfast and lunch.

(Source: www.webmd.com)

101 Health Tips

1. Drink plenty of water.

Your body needs a lot of water so give in to water. Water is not just a way to flush out toxins; if you have more water in your body you will generally feel healthier and fitter. This itself will discourage any tendency to gorge. The best thing about water is that is has no calories at all!

2. Start your day with a glass of water.

As soon as you wake up, gulp down a glass of cool water. It's a wonderful way to start you day and you only need a lesser quantity of your breakfast drink after that. A glass of water lets out all your digestive juices and sort of lubricates the insides of your body. You may have your morning cup of tea but have it after a glass of water.

3. Drink a glass of water before you start a meal.

Water naturally needs some space so that you feel fuller without actually having to stuff yourself.

4. Have another glass of water while you are having the meal.

Again this is another way of making yourself full so that you can actually rise from the table eating less but feeling full just the same. Instead of drinking it in one gulp, take sips after each morsel. It will help the food to settle faster so that you get that feeling that you are full faster.

5. Stay away from sweetened drinks, especially sodas.

Hey - all those colas and fizzy drinks are sweetened with sugar and sugar means calories. The more you can cut out on these sweetened bottle drinks, the better for you. Plus, soda contains phosphoric acid which can drain calcium from your bones and contribute to bone loss.

6. Include in your diet things that contain more water like tomatoes and watermelons.

These things contain 90 to 95 % water so that there is nothing that you have to lose by feasting on them. They fill you up without adding to the pounds.

7. Eat fresh fruit instead of drinking fruit juice.

Juice is often sweetened but fresh fruits have natural sugars. When you eat fruit, you are taking in a lot of fiber, which is needed by the body, and fruits of course are an excellent source of vitamins. (A glass of juice typically has 120 calories!)

8. Fresh fruit juice.

If you do have a craving for fruit juice then go for fresh fruit juice instead of those that contain artificial flavors and colors. Or even better, try making your own fruit juice taking care not to sweeten it with too many calories.

9. Choose fresh fruit over processed fruits.

Processed and canned fruits do not have as much fiber as fresh fruit and they are nearly always sweetened.

10. Increase your fiber intake.

Like I mentioned, the body needs a lot of fiber. So try to include in your diet as many fruits and vegetables as you can.

11. Go crazy on vegetables.

Vegetables are your best bet when it comes to losing pounds. Nature has a terrific spread when it comes to choosing vegetables. And the leafy green vegetables are your best bet. Try to include a daily salad in you diet always.

12. Eat intelligently.

The difference between man and beast is that we are driven by intelligence while beasts are driven by instinct. Don't just eat something because you feel like eating it. Ask yourself whether your body really needs it.

13. Watch what you eat.

Keep a watchful eye on every thing that goes in. Sometimes the garnishes can be richer than the food itself. Accompaniments too can be very rich. Remember that it is the easiest thing in the world to eat something without realizing that it was something that you should not have eaten. Selective memory you know...

14. Control that sweet tooth.

Remember that sweet things generally mean more calories. It is natural that we have cravings for sweet things especially chocolates and other confectionary. Go easy on these things and each time you consume something sweet understand that it is going to add on somewhere.

15. Fix times to have meals and stick to it.

Try to have food at fixed times of the day. You can stretch these times by half an hour, but anything more than that is going to affect your eating pattern, the result will either be a loss of appetite or that famished feeling which will make you stuff yourself with more than what is required the next time you eat.

16. Eat only when you are hungry.

Some of us have the tendency to eat whenever we see food. We use parties as an excuse to stuff ourselves. Understand that the effect of a whole week of dieting can be wasted by just one day's party food. Whenever you are offered something to eat do not decline it completely bit just break of a nibble so that you appear to mind your manners and at the same time can watch your diet.

17. Quit snacking between meals.

Do not fall for snacks in between meals. This is especially true for those who have to travel a lot. They feel that the only time they can get a bite to eat is snacks and junk food. The main problem with most snacks and junk food is that they are usually less filling and contain a lot of fat and calories. Just think about French Fries�tempting but terribly fattening.

18. Snack on vegetables if you must.

You might get the pangs of hunger in between meals, but it is something that you can very well control. Or even better, try munching on carrots. They are an excellent way to satisfy those cravings and are good for your eyes and teeth. True, you might end up being called Bugs Bunny, but its miles better to be called Bugs Bunny than fatso.

19. Go easy on tea and coffee.

Tea and coffee are harmless by themselves. It's when you add the cream and sugar that they become fattening. Did you know that having a cup of tea or coffee that has cream and at least two cubes of sugar is as bad as having a big piece of rich chocolate cake?

20. Try to stick to black tea/coffee.

Black tea or coffee (and green and white tea) can actually be good for you. But personally I would like to recommend tea rather than coffee. The caffeine in the coffee is not really good for you because it is an alkaloid and can affect other functions of your body like the metabolism.

21. Count the calories as you eat.

It's a good idea to have an idea of the calories that most food items have. If it is a packed thing then the label is sure to have the calories that the substance has.

22. Be sure to burn out those extra calories by the end of the week.

If you feel that you have consumed more calories than you should have during the week, (it happens you know) make sure that you work off those extra calories by the end of the week.

23. Stay away from fried food.

Fried foods are an absolute no-no. The more fried things that you avoid, the less weight you will gain. Fried things are called so because they are fried in oil or fat. And even if the external oil is drained away, there is still a lot of hidden oil in it so stay away from it.

24. Do not skip meals.

The worst thing you can do while watching you diet is skip a meal. It has just the opposite effect of what you want. You need to have at least four regular meals every day.

25. Fresh vegetables are better than cooked or canned vegetables.

Try to eat your vegetables raw. When you cook them, you are in fact taking away nearly half the vitamins in them. And canned vegetables too are processed and are not nearly half as good as fresh vegetables. When you buy your vegetables it would be a good thing to see if the label says that it is pesticide free.

26. Not more than an egg a day.

Eggs are not such a bright idea. It would be best to reduce your intake of eggs to maybe three in a week. But for those of you die hard egg fans, you may have up to one egg a day but nothing more than that. When you do eat eggs, just eat the white part. The yolk is full of cholesterol.

27. Make chocolates a luxury and not a routine.

Chocolates are not or at least they should not be a part of your diet. So do not indulge too much in them. Even the bitter chocolates are not good for you because there is still cream in them. (Dark chocolate has some antioxidants, though.)

28. Choose a variety of foods from all food groups every day.

This is a fine way of keeping deficiency diseases at bay. Change the items included in your diet every day. This is an excellent way of keeping deficiency diseases at bay and it helps you to experiment with a variety of dishes and there by you do not get bored of your diet.

29. Say no to alcoholic beverages.

Alcoholic beverages too are not good for you. Beer can be fattening and the rest of the alcoholic drinks (which are full of sugar) may not be too fattening by themselves, but after a couple of swigs, you will be in no position to watch your diet and your appetite will be something to battle with.

30. Try to have breakfast within one hour of waking.

It's always best to have breakfast within an hour of waking so that your body can charge itself with the energy it needs for the day. The idea is not to wait for your self to get really hungry. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

31. 50 to 60% of your diet should be carbohydrates.

It is a myth that you should try and avoid carbohydrates when you are on a diet. Rather the other way around I should say. Carbohydrates are a ready source of energy and so 50 to 60% of your diet should be carbohydrates. Just stay away from bad carbs like white bread and candy. (Have whole-grain bread instead.)

32. 15 to 20% of your diet should be proteins.

Various processes and activities are going on in our bodies. Things are broken down and being built up again. Resistance has to be built up, recovery from disease too is needed and for all this the body needs plenty of proteins so see to it that 15 to 20 % of your diet consists of proteins.

33. Fats should be about 20 to 25%.

You need only this much of fat in your diet so keep it at that. Stay away from trans-fats and saturated fats. Try to consume monounsaturated fats such as walnuts and olive oil, which can actually lower your cholesterol. (One switch I made is using natural peanut butter. I love it!)

34. Try to adopt a vegetarian diet.

A vegetarian diet is undoubtedly better for those of us watching our diet. There are a lot of advantages of keeping to a vegetarian diet but I don't want to sing an ode to vegetarianism now. What I would suggest is keep to a vegetarian diet as much as you can. Make a non-vegetarian diet a weekend event or something if you find it impossible to give up eating all those animals.

35. Choose white meat rather than red.

White meat, which includes fish and fowl, is better than red meat, which includes beef and pork, for those trying to lose weight.

36. High fiber, multigrain breads are much better than white breads.

Remember how I told you to increase the fiber content in your food? Well, this is the answer to that. It is not only better in terms of the fiber content but also in terms of the protein content as well.

37. Reduce your intake of pork.

Pork is not something that can help you to lose weight. So the less pork you eat the better chances you have of losing weight. And remember that pork includes the pork products as well, things like bacon, ham, and sausages.

38. Limit your sugar intake.

If you can't have things unsweetened go for sugar substitutes. These things are just as sweet but are not so fattening.

39. Graze 5 to 6 times a day.

Instead of sticking to just three meals a day, try grazing. Grazing means try having 5 or 6 smaller meals instead of three king sized meals. It is an excellent way of having smaller quantities of food.

40. Go ahead and eat cheat food, but only for flavor.

There are many things which you have to avoid from your diet but which you may have an undying craving for. Do not avoid them altogether. You could call them cheat foods and indulge in them once in a while. If you cut them from your diet completely, you are more likely to binge on them later. Take care just to tingle your taste buds, don't hog on them. Instead of that, share desserts with others.

41. Watch your fat intake.

Each fat gram contains 9 calories so by reading the total calories on a food and knowing the quantity of fat, you can estimate the % of fat, which should in no way exceed 30% of the food.

42. Go easy on salt.

Too much salt is one of the causes of obesity. Make it a point to really cut down on salt. (Orincrease your calcium intake.)

43. Change from table butter to cholesterol free butter.

If you have a choice why not go for it, any way it is healthier for you and tastes just the same. Bear in mind that these small changes can go a long way towards weight reduction.

44. Instead of frying things try baking them without fat.

Baking is by far a healthier method of preparing food than frying. Baking requires less oil or fat.

45. Use a non stick frying pan for your cooking.

This way you do not have to add oil. The golden rule is to try and avoid as much oil as possible and a non stick pan is the perfect solution to this problem.

46. Boil your vegetables instead of cooking them, or even better, eat them fresh.

However, if you do not like eating your vegetables as it is, try steaming them without adding anything at all. This is probably the healthiest way to eat cabbages, cauliflowers, and a host of other vegetables.

47. Carry parsley with you.

Parsley is an excellent thing to munch on in between meals. Not just is it good for you in terms of vitamins, but it is also a perfect way of making your breath fresher

48. Choose low fat substitutes or no fat substitutes.

There are plenty of low fat or even no fat substitutes available in the market so why not choose wisely. It is much better for you heart too. Many people just go shopping and pick up whatever they can. They do not bother to find out if there are any substitutes for the thing they are looking for.

In the markets of today, you will be astounded at the range of goods that manufacturers have to offer. In fact with all the hue and cry that is being made about weight loss, low fat substitutes and no fat substitutes are hitting the stands faster than mushrooms that sprout after the first rains. (The low carb stuff is getting going, too.)

So the next time you head for the stores instead of picking up what you have always picked up, see if there are better substitutes.

Remember that our bodies need nutrients and not just calories. Fats give us nutrients but with more calories than what proteins or carbohydrates do.

49. Avoid crash diets.

They are bad for health and you will gain what you have lost once you take a break. Crash diets are not a solution to weight loss. It might seem as if you have lost a few pounds but the moment you give up on the crash diet every thing will bounce back with a vengeance.

Take a look at it in this way. Do you think that it is possible for a person to survive on a crash diet for the rest of his or her life? Certainly not! So at some time or the other, you will have to give up the crash diet and then you will see for yourself that a crash diet does more harm than good on the long run.

Crash diets may have a lot to promise, but very rarely do these promises ring true. Crash diets are things people go on in order to wear an old dress or suit for a particular occasion. That's the only purpose that they serve as far as I can see.

50. God gave us teeth for a reason.

Therefore, we should develop a habit of chewing all food including liquid food and soft foods like sweets and ice creams at least 8 to 12 times. This is essential to add saliva to the food, as it is only in the saliva that sugar is digested.

Often we find that whatever goes into our mouth goes down like lightning. We hardly give the saliva any time to act on the food. So does digestion take place like it should? Do we just stuff our tummies with food that doesn't get digested or in other words that doesn't yield the benefits that it should?

51. Dry wine is better than sweet wine.

Sweet wines naturally contain a lot of sugar. But on the other hand, in dry wines most of this sugar has been fermented away so from the weight point of view dry wines are better than sweet wines.

52. Working Out.

When you decide it's time to start working out, start slowly and don't get discouraged if you don't achieve your fitness goals after the first week. Many people make this mistake. They feel that if they really push their bodies they can lose more weight in a couple of work outs. This is a very serious thing in fact.

If you try to push your body too much in the first few goes, you are likely to end up with sprained joints, a sore back and even torn ligaments. The rule to be followed here is slow and steady wins the race.

53. Watch your Weight.

Check your weight before you start the routine and keep checking for changes but do not expect a radical change immediately, it might be one or two weeks before you notice some change. However, it is crucial that you continue to monitor your weight. You may bear in mind the fact that even a few pounds lost is a big achievement.

54. When you do notice a change, reward yourself.

When I say reward I do not mean go for some goodies like chocolates or sweets. Maybe you could go for a movie or buy yourself something like a new dress, but in a smaller size.

This is something that can keep you going. It is a good idea to save the money that you wanted to spend on ice cream and chocolates and then treat yourself to something more substantial.

55. You can take a day off from exercise every week.

This is not just a very good idea but it is part of the exercise routine. Your body needs a day off from an exercise routine so do not hesitate to take a day off from what ever you have been doing. (Monday is usually a good day for this.)

56. Exercise outdoors as much as possible.

There are two advantages of doing whatever you are doing outside. One advantage is that it gives your body a chance to get a lot of the much needed fresh air and sunshine. (The sun is a great source of Vitamin D.)

The second advantage is that the surroundings keep you perked up and it is a break from remaining cooped up all day long.

57. Exercise at Home.

Try to collect some information about exercise; there are a lot of things that you can do at home. Extensive research has been done on exercise and plenty of this information is easily available.

You can try browsing the net or getting a book or two on how to exercise at home. Bodyweight workouts are great for anyone wanting to workout at home. This information will be useful to you to know how much you need to work out on each specific exercise in order to burn off the desired number of calories.

58. Try to get somebody to exercise along with you.

But it should be somebody committed or else your interest might dwindle. This is indeed an excellent idea. One of the advantages of getting a committed person to exercise with you is that it keeps you going.

There may be days when you feel just too lazy to crawl out of bed in the mornings. On such days, the knowledge that some body is waiting for you is enough to slide out of bed.

Another advantage is that you can discuss your progress and fears with another person and be a sympathetic listener to the other person as well. This is a fine way of getting motivated your self.

59. Stop when your body has had enough.

There is no sense in pushing it. When you have worked out for a considerable time, your body will start giving you signals.

Heed those signals. This is particularly true in the initial stages. Take one step at a time. Stop when you are out of breath or when a certain part of your body tells you that it has had enough.

60. Increase workouts gradually.

If you want to increase your time of exercise or your work out routine, do it gradually and not in sudden steps.

Easier said than done. Most of us have such hectic schedules that it is quite impossible to fit in tie for exercise right? Wrong. I want to say it once and for all, your body, or anybody's body for that matter needs proper exercise. If you make up your mind to do it, you just can.

61. Select an exercise pattern to suit your life style.

All of us have different life styles and professions so there is no sense in trying to follow the book strictly. Try and follow an exercise routine that is suitable for you. You have to understand that even more important than the exercise itself is sticking to it. So unless you choose something that can suit your life style, you are not going to stick with it.

62. Don't stand, walk.

If you can walk about then do so. Do not stand in a fixed position. Pacing about is a good thing to do. If you are thinking deeply about something, try pacing about, it will aid in your thinking.

63. Don't sit, stand.

If you can stand, then do not sit. The golden rule is to choose a position that is less comfortable.

64. Don't lie down, sit.

The rule that we mentioned above rings true here as well.

65. Do not be a couch potato.

It is the easiest thing in the world to become a couch potato. You know what we are talking about don't you? That shapeless thing that sits or reclines on a shapeless chair in front of the television and stupidly munches away at something fried!

If you are inclined to become a promising old couch potato, break the habit, cut at the very root of the vine. And you want to know what the best way is for that? Take away that favorite chair of yours. In fact, it would be a very good idea if you could keep a chair that isn't comfortable in front of the TV.

This will discourage any tendency to become a couch potato.

66. If you have a sitting job, stand up and stretch yourself every half an hour.

Most of the jobs today are indeed sitting jobs that are, in one word, sedentary. This is especially true for those who sit and punch away at the keyboard or toy with the mouse all day long.

So if you have such a job, make it a point to get up at least every half an hour and stretch your self.

67. While making telephone calls, try walking around.

I hope you will agree with me that this is an excellent suggestion.

68. Use the stairs instead of the elevator whenever you can.

Elevators are one hell of a convenience particularly if you have to go up or down some twenty floors while carrying 50 pounds of luggage, but elevators also make us very lazy.

There may be no sense in trudging up some twenty flights of stairs because by the time you get there you will be totally pooped. But while coming down, if you have the time, you can easily come down the stairs instead of using the elevator. Coming down is not at all exhausting.

And talking about the time factor, I don't think that there is much of a difference. Sometimes waiting for an elevator door to open at your floor after you hit the button can take up all of eternity.

69. Smoking is bad for weight loss.

Smoking alone may not contribute to weight gain but smoking leads to other conditions like erratic eating habits and excessive dependence on things like coffee. Basically, there are lots of reasons to quit smoking.

70. Just a little running.

If you hate running, remember, you do not have to run a marathon to stay fit. 30 minutes of cardio 3 days a week is good enough for most.

71. If you can't run, try walking.

15 minutes of brisk walking a day is enough to keep most fit.

72. Walk everywhere.

Any distance is walkable if you have the time, so consider walking to places that you would normally drive (such as work or the market if they're not too far away). It may take you longer, but the health benefits will last you a lifetime.

73. Start with caffeine.

It sounds strange, but some people have reported that they lost more weight when they drank black coffee before a workout. While there's no hard data to support this, nutritionists speculate that the caffeine in coffee makes the body rely more on fat for fuel during the work out. It's worth trying! (You could drink tea, too.)

74. Not too much though.

Avoid drinking coffee in excess, as it tends to desensitize your body to the fat burning effects of caffeine.

75. Stop using remote controls.

Remote controls are the bane of a prospective weight loser. They may be remarkable gadgets by themselves but from the weight loss point of view, they just aren't very helpful.

They really encourage us to take a laid back kind of attitude towards life itself. In fact if remote controls were not there, the television would not have become so popular. It is because of remote controls that people can remain where they are and switch from one channel to the other. And they only have to twitch a finger muscle to achieve this.

Now, I have nothing against multi channel television sets but what I strongly advocate is that you get up from where you are and change the channel of the TV each time you want to do so.

The same thing holds true for other remote controls as well. As it is we have remote controlled TVs, DVD players, A/Cs, garage doors, gateways and what not. The next thing we know is that we will have remote controlled people as well.

76. Do things like fetching and turning things off and on by yourself.

Often when we come back tired from work, we tend to get others to do simple chores for us. These things are no big deal. They are things that we can very well do for our selves but we don't.

That is why we often ask our kids to fetch us this or take away that.

Training your pet is a wonderful thing indeed. It is quite remarkable how some people get their dogs to fetch them something. But the fact is that while you may be making sure that your dog is getting a lot of exercise, you are neglecting your bit of the story.

77. Escalators.

Here's a pop quiz. Escalators help us to:

1. Move up and down faster
2. Gain weight
3. Stand stupidly as we move up and down
4. Look down at other people when you are going down
5. Look up at others when we are going up

You have to pick the correct answer from the 5 alternatives given. You can see for your self that all the options are in a way correct. So the next time you travel on an escalator, don't just stand there... climb up or down along with it. (Or better yet, take the stairs.)

78. During commercial breaks walk about.

If you want to sit all evening with your eyes glued to the tube, then do so. But at least spare your eyes the agony of a commercial break.

When the next commercial flashes on screen, instead of surfing, get up and take a walk. Reach over and try to touch your toes or do any such simple exercise that will at least get the blood flowing in your veins.

79. Wriggle your toes and your fingers whenever you can.

This too is a stress buster and it gives you a chance to at least work your hand and leg joints. This will tell you how sore they are and if their condition is so bad, just think of the rest of your body.

80. Turn on music and dance like wild.

Let your hair down once in a while. Go back to the days of wild child hood. Close the door of your room, turn on your sound system to the highest volume possible (but a little lower than the level at which your neighbors start to complain) and then do the wackiest dance that you can think of. Jump on your bed and jump off it again.

Roll all over the floor. Pretend that you are Michael Jackson or Madonna (you will never see them keeping still) and do every boogie move that you know.

81. Carry a soft flying disc or Frisbee with you.

Toss it around and get up to fetch it. This is also an excellent way to beat stress. It makes a person feel good to throw something away forcefully when the person is all worked up. And if the thing that you throw is something soft and can't damage anything, what is stopping you?

It is not really the throwing part that we are interested in. It is the fetching part. Each time you get up to fetch it back; you are giving yourself a chance to stretch those muscles and joints.

82. Get off a block before your destination and walk the rest of the way.

You might not have time to fit long walks in your busy schedule so this is one way of ensuring that you at least get to walk for a little bit every day. If you take the bus or the subway, get off at an earlier station and see if you can walk the rest of the way.

If you drive to work, see if you can get space in a parking lot that is a little away from your office.

83. When nobody is watching, try doing pelvic gyrations.

If you take a moment to observe it you will see that it is the mid section of our body that gets the least bit of exercise and that is probably why the signs of weight gain are mostly seen there.

It is the same reason why we find it very difficult to lose weight in that section. So the best thing that you can do is consciously try to give that part a little bit of exercise.

Stomach crunches might be too strenuous an exercise to start off with but gyrations are relatively mild. Pelvic gyrations make you thrust your midsection towards all directions and this is the best way of tightening every muscle in that mid section and that is of course what weight loss is all about.

84. Tuck in your tummy whenever you walk.

Get that proper gait. And the best way for that is to tuck in your tummy and inflate your chest. Do not let your tummy hang above your belt line like some unruly layer of flesh. Bring it under the belt.

Each time you tuck in your tummy, you will feel the pressure on the muscles of your stomach. This tightening and loosening of these muscles is even better than stomach crunches.

85. Try breathing exercises.

You might be surprised to know that breathing exercises too can lead to weight loss. If you are doing the breathing exercises properly, you will find that you can exert a lot of pressure on the muscles around the mid section.

You can feel a tightening of these muscles each time you breathe in or breathe out. So go ahead and breathe properly, it is good for you.

86. Try yoga.

Yoga is one of the best ways of losing weight. Of course I can't go into a full lecture about yoga over here but I can tell you that I have never seen people with better-toned bodies than those who practice yoga.

One of the benefits of yoga is that you learn to control virtually every muscle and joint of your body so that the issue of weight gain will cease to exist.

87. Try massaging your partner.

This is a fun way to lose weight. It is something that can give your partner a lot of pleasure and at the same time can give you a lot of exertion by leading to weight loss.

The attitude over here should of course be you scratch my back I scratch yours. It should not be a one sided effort or else the interest will soon dwindle.

In fact it is a good idea if the couple takes up weight loss routines together. They can keep watch over each other, help control those urges to eat and motivate each other to stick to the routine.

There are a lot of things that couples can do together that can help them to keep physically active.

88. If you can't think of any thing else to do, try punching your pillow.

Now here's another one of those weird ideas but believe me it works. Not too many of us have punching bags at home and if you have a really fluffy pillow giving it a good punching routine is just as good as anything else.

This is also a nice way of letting off steam so go for it. After all something is better than nothing. But I would suggest that you do not hit it too violently or else the stuffing might come out. Do not bother too much about the force with which you hit the pillow. It is number of hits that are important. Try to get at least fifty punches in one bout.

I would like to give you a little tip over here. If there is somebody that you particularly dislike like your boss or your neighbor, or may be your ex boyfriend or girlfriend, try fixing a picture of the persons head on the top of your pillow and then try punching it. I promise you, it will give you a lot of satisfaction.

89. Instead of waddling up and down the staircase, try taking them two at a time.

Now this is something that you have to be careful about because we do not want you to trip. So when you do this make sure that your feet are well and truly planted on each step before you increase the beat and try two at a time.

90. If you have a dog, take it for a run and let the dog lead you on.

You will be surprised as to how much exercise a dog can give you.

Animals are sensible enough to know that they need a lot of exercise so let your animal lead you on. Take your pet dog out for as walk and before you know what hit you, it will turn out to be a run.

91. Join a dance class.

Dancing is a wonderful way to burn off those extra calories. It is true. When you dance you are in fact burning away a lot of calories. Of course we are not referring to the slow ballroom kind of dances in which one person actually leans on the other one for support. We are talking about fast dances.

The best way to do it is by joining a dance class because they will really work you out. But I would suggest that you wait for a couple more pounds to vanish before you think of becoming a ballerina.

92. Wall pushups.

Whenever you can, lean against a wall with your hands flattened against the wall and in such a way that your face is very close to the wall. Then use you hands to push your body away from the wall. Do this two or three times at a stretch.

93. Swimming.

If there is a pool nearby go for swims as often as you can, swimming is one of the best exercises, and it is very low impact. That's one of the many advantages of water. And if nothing else, a cool dip in a pool is a wonderful stress reliever.

94. Try playing something like table tennis or basketball.

Games are a fun way to lose weight. It is much more exciting to play a game than just work out by yourself. The best thing about games is that they are addictive. Once you start playing you will soon end up with a friends' circle and then the playing goes on without even you knowing it.

It is something that you can look forward to and there is no stress involved in this program. In fact the more you play the less you will consider this to be a part of your weight loss program. As you burn away those calories, you will also be able to expand your social circle.

95. Warm-up and Cool-down.

Any work out should start with a 5 to 10 minute warm up and should end with a 5 to 10 minute cool down session. Whatever physical exercise you are involved in, you must remember to warm up before the exercise really starts. Do not just plunge into the water and start thrashing about, to put it figuratively.

Your body needs to reach a certain level of readiness before it can actually start responding to exercise. And this readiness is achieved by the warming up process.

96. Cell phones.

Do not carry your mobile phone around, but leave it a place where you can hear it ringing. In this way you make sure that you at least get up and walk towards it. This might sound silly but I really mean it. You need a reason to keep yourself going.

Life today has become so easy that we have every thing at our fingertips. All we have to do is push a button here and push a button there. The only things that get any exercise at all are our fingers. Years ago Charles Darwin put forward a theory of use and disuse.

According to this theory, a certain part of the body that is put to constant use develops a lot and a certain part of the body that has no use at all becomes smaller and smaller and gradually ceases to exist.

Certain examples that he quoted were the long neck of the giraffe, which appeared to become longer and longer when the giraffe stretched higher and higher to reach the leaves at the treetops. He quoted the example of the absence of a tail in human beings to illustrate the example of the theory of disuse.

Now if Darwin's theory were to prove true, as the years go by man is likely to end up with just a huge head, a few fingers and maybe some other parts of the body that are also put to use.

That is why I made it a point to say that you have to drive your self to move about. A cell phone may be convenient, but the same thing can turn out to simplify life just a little too bit. There are other arguments against the use of cell phones but that is beside our topic.

What I would suggest is that at home or in your office, leave the cell phone lying about so that you can hear it ring, but can't just reach into your pocket and answer it. See to it that you have to actually stand up and walk a few steps before you can pick it up.

97. Heel raises.

While traveling in an elevator instead of just standing there and staring stupidly at the numbers going up or down, try raising your self onto your toes and then back on your feet again. Do this several times. Also try flexing your buttock muscles as well.

In fact there are many muscles in our body that we can twitch and flex without inviting the attention of others. Even if others do notice you, it's no big deal provided you are flexing a muscle in a decent part of the body. (Most of the other parts do not have muscles any way.) Others might brand you as a health freak but it is miles better to be known as a heath freak than as a sack of potatoes.

98. Undress and stare at yourself in front of your mirror.

If what you see displeases you, then you have all the more reason to work out. Try tucking in the extra fat in all those wide areas, this will give you an idea of which part you need to be working on.

Turn to you side and get a very good view of your side profile. This is an excellent way of checking whether you have a tummy that is starting to bulge or has bulged already.

Try pulling in air and then take a look at your tummy, if it has gone in even a little bit, there is hope for you. If you start now, you can control it where it is now and may be if you really set your mind to it, you can lose a couple of inches in a just a few weeks.

Weighing yourself on your bathroom scales is a good idea but personally I would recommend this mirror viewing. To be very frank, a few pounds gain may shock you but does not really disgust you. But a flabby figure and extra fat certainly will.

99. Banister cycling?

If you have a banister rail or a balustrade that will support you, sit on it and pump your legs as if you are riding a bicycle, taking care not to fall off of course.

This might sound like another crazy idea and I don't want to argue with you about that. I just want to tell you that by doing such crazy things, you are in fact not missing a single chance to lose those extra pounds. It is a way of keeping your mind alert all the time. Every thing must look like an opportunity to you.

100. Sit up straight.

Do not slouch in your chair but try to maintain an erect posture with your tummy tucked in. Slouching is a very bad habit. Not only is it bad for your back but it also gives you a very flabby figure. It is your way of saying yes to a comfortable, weight-gaining pose.

Make it a point to always sit as erect as you can. It is also a terrific way to ward off back problems.

101. The mid section.

Psst. I would like to let you in on a secret. As it is I understand that most of us tend to put on weight particularly in the mid section, right. It is the tummy that seems to have a mind of its own. Well I will tell you a sure shot method to reduce the flab around the waist line. Mind you this doesn't hold true for post pregnancy tummies. This is what you have to do.

Breathe in air as strongly as you can and as you do so, tuck in your tummy as much as you can. Hold it like this for a few seconds and then slowly release your breath taking care not to let out your tummy. Try to keep breathing like this at least fifty or sixty times in a day.

In fact breathe like this whenever you can remember to do so. After the first day, you should feel the muscles of your stomach tightening each time you do this. Then you know that you are on the right track. If you practice this without fail for 20 days, at the end of the twentieth day, you will have lost at least an inch.

Below I have included a table of the various exercises and the number of calories that can be burnt with each exercise. Choose what you can do best and choose something that you will enjoy doing on the long run as well.

The choice of the exercise is completely left to you but try to do whatever you wish to do for at least twenty minutes. It is only after you do the exercise for twenty minutes that the actual calorie burning sets in.

Aerobics: 200-250 calories

Bicycling, Stationary: 250-300 calories

Bicycling, Actual: 300-400 calories

Running, 5-6 mph: 300-350 calories

Stair climber: 200-250 calories

Swimming laps: 350 calories

Walking briskly: 150-180 calories

From this you can see for your self that walking is not at all something that has to be sidelined. If you really find your days to be too full to fit in any other form of exercise, then walking is your best bet. Walk as much as you can. Try getting to places and leaving places a little early. This will give you time to walk.

(Source: diet-health-fitness-tips.com)