15 Shortcuts To Better Health

When it comes to big improvements in your wellbeing, it’s the small lifestyle tweaks that add up

- Tanya Pearey

1 Choose eggs for breakfast

‘Eggs are a real super food, full of protein and nutrients,’ says Laila Lewis, nutritional therapist at nourishingbynature.co.uk. They’re high in vitamins A, D and B12, vital for healthy teeth, bones and muscles, and strong immune and nervous systems. Eat with wholemeal toast, not white, to reduce your risk of coronary heart disease.

2 Have five minutes’ fun

Listen to a favourite song or watch a funny YouTube clip. Whatever makes YOU happy, do it, says TV doctor Rangan Chatterjee. ‘Research shows that regularly doing things you love makes you more able to cope with stress. One thing I’ve realised in nearly 20 years of seeing patients is that we have massively overcomplicated health. We think everything we need to do for our health takes a lot of time and effort, and involves things we don’t enjoy. It doesn’t have to.’

3 Wash your toothbrush

It harbours 10,000,000 bacteria, including potentially dangerous E. coli, say scientists at the University of Manchester. To kill these bugs, rinse the head regularly with boiling water, says Dr Ron Cutler, a microbiologist at Queen Mary University of London. Or pop it in the top of the dishwasher each week.

4 Don’t miss your health checks