An apple a day...

Yes, the saying is still very true indeed.

Did you know that by eating 2 apples a day, your cholesterol level will drop by ten percent?

On top of that, the apple and tartaric acids will improve your food digestion. A similar effect can be obtained by drinking 2 glasses of apple juice or pomegranate juice. Equally healthy are grapes and berries.

Smoking less is no alternative for quitting...

Either you quit smoking, or you carry on smoking as many cigarettes as you did... there is no such thing as "quitting a little bit"! It's a mistake to think you're leading a healthier life if you start smoking less cigarettes than you did before. This remarkable fact is the outcome of a Norwegian study. Let this be a wake-up call and an eye-opener to all of you, smokers: just do it and stop smoking now and forever!

Bad breath problems

Do not only brush your teeth, but also your tongue! Tiny bits of food and germs will stick between the papillae of your tongue, causing bad smell. You can also use a special tongue-scraper, to be obtained from your local chemist's.

Make sure you drink 2-3 litres of water a day!

Water is essential for your body and your mind; it helps to detox your body and is necessary with all sorts processes in your system. If you don't drink enough water, you may suffer from headaches or nausea; you will feel a craving for food, and it may cause fatigue.

Start with a glass of lukewarm water as soon as you get up and make sure you drink your first litre before noon. That leaves you the rest of the day to complete the 3 litres! Eating apples, celery, cucumbers and other fruits or vegetables that contain lots of water will support positively to your level of hydration. And please note: nothing can substitute water, so if you drink lots of lemonade or fruit juice or black tea: sorry, you still have to drink your 3 litres of water! In fact, coffee and black tea dehydrate your body, so with or after every cup, you should drink one extra glass of water!

Green tea and curry for a long life!

This is excellent news for Asian restaurants: according to scientists, green tea can the risk of getting a fatal heart disease will drop by 25% and curry (curcumin) will diminish the risk of intestinal polypuses and even heal them! Drinking at least 5 cups of green tea a day will diminish de risk of heart attacks and cerebral haemorrhages.

So start drinking lots of green tea as form today, and add curry powder to your dishes! By the way, you can also buy curcumin capsules.

Do you know what your blood pressure is?

High blood pressure is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease. A blood-pressure test is quick and simple, and can instantly tell you if you're at risk. Your GP can test it for you; sometimes health campaigns are being held in the larger supermarkets and you can even do it at home: electronic blood pressure manometers can be obtained easily these days.

Take care of your hearing!

Although your hearing may be excellent now, read these tips anyway... they may preserve your hearing!

• Reduce the power of your hairdryer. If you use it every day, on the most powerful setting, this might affect your hearing. Wearing earplugs during the job is also a good option.
• Never poke anything in your ears, and this includes fingers and cottonwool buds. By doing so, you will only cause the earwax to get deeper into the auditory canal. If you want to have the earwax removed, contact your GP.
• Don't turn up the volume of your MP3 or diskman in trains or other noisy places, this could damage your hearing.
• If flying feels very discomfortable for your ears or causes temporary loss of hearing, you may benefit from the use of EarPlanes, special earplugs, designed for flying. On sale by chemists.

Fresh is the code-word!

Pre-chopped vegetables and bagged salads of course are an easy way to get your daily dose of vitamins, but did you know that these products contain fewer nutrients than fresh vegetables or fruits? A study showed that essential nutrients such as vitamin C, are destroyed in bagged and ready packed veg. and fruits, because of the way they are packed. The minute they are being exposed to air, ready chopped fruit and vegetables start losing nutrients. It's best to buy them whole and prepare them only shortly before mealtime. Frozen vegetables would be an alternative as they retain their nutrients. They are frozen immediately after picking.

A perfect meal for your heart

The ideal meal for a healthy heart consists of the following elements: fish, at least two kinds of vegetables and some wholegrain rice. This contains a lot of proteins, anti-oxidants, B-vitamins, calcium, zinc and magnesium.

Cystitis

To relieve and support the healing of cystitis, drink at least three glasses of unsweetened cranberry juice a day, until the symptoms have disappeared. Cranberry juice is very basic and neutralizes the acidity of the inflamed bladder. As a precaution, keep drinking one glass per day of this juice.