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" We all know that exercising, eating right and minimizing stress are essential to healthy living. But who feels like doing push-ups or poring over food labels when you&amp;#039;ve got better things to do, such as spend time with your kids or finish that project at work? Fortunately, getting healthier doesn&amp;#039;t have to mean an outrageous time commitment. Our experts say 30 seconds here or 60 seconds there can improve your health. So try these tips \u2014 including #3, which may help reduce your breast-cancer risk.   1. Check your TV listings. In a study at the University of California, Irvine, researchers found that when subjects simply anticipated watching a funny television show two days before it aired, depression, anger, fatigue and tension were reduced by as much as 50 percent.   2. Tap your acupuncture points. When you&amp;#039;re tired and frazzled, try tapping, rubbing or pressing your temples, one side of the bridge of your nose or just beneath your bottom lip. According to Diane Roberts Stoler, a psychologist in Georgetown, Massachusetts, pressing these points instantly balances the body&amp;#039;s energy fields, reducing anxiety while increasing energy.   3. Toss some mushrooms on salads, scrambled eggs or pasta a few times a week. According to Shiuan Chen, Ph.D., a researcher at the City of Hope Cancer Center in Los Angeles, a chemical that occurs naturally in shiitakes and portobellos may slow the production of estrogen, which may reduce the risk of breast cancer.  4. Lose the death grip while brushing your teeth. Applying heavy pressure can erode tooth enamel and eventually cause gums to recede, says Cupertino, California-based Anne Murray, D.D.S., a spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry. To lighten up, hold your toothbrush with just your thumb and forefinger, and think &amp;quot;massage&amp;quot; instead of &amp;quot;brush.&amp;quot;   5. Blend frozen berries into your usual fruit juice. You&amp;#039;ll not only get added fiber, you&amp;#039;ll be protected against cancer, say Amy Lanou, Ph.D., and Brie Turner-McGrievy, R.D., nutritionists with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, DC.   6. Eat half an apple a day. According to Jyl Steinback, author of Superfoods: Cook Your Way to Health, a recent Finnish study found that when subjects ate just half an apple daily, they reduced their risk of stroke by as much as 40 percent.   7. Turn off the 11 o&amp;#039;clock news and put on relaxing music (classical is always a good choice) before you go to bed, says Peter Degnan, M.D., head of the Integrated Medicine practice at Equinox Health &amp;amp;amp; Healing in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This helps stave off insomnia and should ensure restful sleep by putting you in a positive frame of mind before you hit the sheets.   8. Dunk your dental floss in mouthwash. According to Jeff Golub-Evans, a New York dentist, this is better than breath mints or gum for getting rid of the bacteria that cause bad breath.   9. Ask for the ThinPrep Pap Test at your next annual pelvic exam. More than 50 studies, plus the Food and Drug Administration, say this test is significantly more effective in detecting cervical cancer than a traditional Pap smear, yet many ob/gyns don&amp;#039;t offer it unless it&amp;#039;s specifically requested. (The test is performed the same way as a regular Pap and is typically covered by insurance.)   10. Shred some carrots. Keep a few in the fridge to add to everything from pasta sauces to peanut butter \u2014 and sneak cancer-fighting beta-carotene and an extra serving of vegetables into your meals.   11. Memorize a few buzzwords and put them to use. &amp;quot;Nonfat&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;fat-free&amp;quot; means there&amp;#039;s at most half a gram of fat per serving; &amp;quot;low-fat&amp;quot; means there&amp;#039;s no more than three grams per serving; &amp;quot;lite&amp;quot; products contain at least 50 percent less than regular varieties; and &amp;quot;reduced fat&amp;quot; foods have at least 28 percent less than regular types, say staffers at Structure House, a weight-management facility in Durham, North Carolina.  12. Think about exercise. Okay, so thinking about it is better than nothing! In a Cleveland Clinic Foundation study, researchers asked subjects simply to visualize the movements it takes to strengthen specific muscles. After 12 weeks, muscles had strengthened by as much as 35 percent. (It works because it improves your brain&amp;#039;s ability to signal muscles to perform.)   13. Do &amp;quot;ankle ABC&amp;#039;s&amp;quot; at your desk. To reduce tension and get blood flowing after a few hours of sitting, trace each letter of the alphabet in the air with your right foot, then repeat with your left.   14. Ignore the clock. Set your A.M. alarm a few hours before bedtime, turn the clock around so you can&amp;#039;t see the time display, and forget about it. According to Lynne Lamberg, author of The Body Clock Guide to Better Health, this prevents you from watching the minutes tick by at night and worrying about the amount of rest you&amp;#039;re getting.   15. Add sunscreen to your laundry. Toss a packet of Rit Sun Guard into your washing machine along with your normal laundry detergent. The product prevents the sun&amp;#039;s damaging rays from reaching skin by adding a can&amp;#039;t-tell-it&amp;#039;s-there coating of SPF 30 that lasts through more than 20 wash cycles.   16. Visualize future fun. Every Monday, take one minute to think of something exciting to do during the upcoming weekend. According to Bernard Vittone, M.D., director of the National Center for the Treatment of Phobias, Anxiety and Depression in Washington, DC., looking forward to getting away for the weekend or seeing an old friend for brunch can make the week&amp;#039;s stressors more bearable.   17. Shake hands. Take 60 seconds during repetitive activities (such as typing, stirring and writing) to &amp;quot;shake out&amp;quot; your hands and rotate them on your wrists. According to Mark Henry, M.D., of the Houston Hand &amp;amp;amp; Upper Extremity Center in Texas, this will strengthen your wrists.   18. Freeze some fish. Cut a 20-ounce salmon fillet into four equal pieces, place each piece in a storage bag, and freeze for future meals. According to Michael Mogadam, M.D., author of Every Heart Attack Is Preventable, eating just four seafood meals a month can cut your risk for cardiovascular disease in half.   19. Talk to strangers. When you&amp;#039;re anxious and alone (say, in a doctor&amp;#039;s office), strike up a conversation. Don&amp;#039;t feel pressured to have a philosophical debate, says Wes Patterson, a Miami psychologist. Small talk is a great stress buster.   20. Breathe for your brain. Lie on your back with your knees pulled into your chest and your arms at your sides. Inhale through your nose, letting your stomach expand. Then exhale through your nose, letting your stomach and chest collapse. Susan Lark, M.D., coauthor of The Chemistry of Success, says this increases the flow of oxygen to your brain, creating greater mental clarity.   21. Do the pizza pat. According to a test done at the G-P Health Smart Institute in Palatka, Florida, blotting your slice with a paper towel before you dig in can eliminate 14 percent of the total fat, 17 percent of the saturated fat and 17 percent of the cholesterol.   22. Sprinkle whole oats on your cereal. This adds disease-fighting soluble fiber to your morning meal and helps you feel full faster, says Cynthia Sass, R.D., of the American Dietetic Association.   23. Walk up a wall. When you&amp;#039;re physically wiped out from a long day, try this: Take off your shoes and lie on the floor, perpendicular to a wall. &amp;quot;Walk&amp;quot; your feet up the wall and scoot your behind as close to the wall as possible so your body forms an L. Lie still with your eyes closed. The blood that naturally pools in your legs will drain away from those areas, ultimately making you feel more energized.   24. Do a one-minute exercise. Pick an exercise \u2014 say, crunches or lunges \u2014 and do 10 to 12 reps. Focusing on one exercise daily will strengthen muscles as effectively as a longer workout (of that muscle group) \u2014 if you do it every day, says Amy Baltes, R.D., a nutrition and exercise specialist at the Wellness Institute in Chicago.   25. Close your eyes and visualize the last time you laughed out loud. According to Steven M. Sultanoff, Ph.D., past president of the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor, simply remembering something funny relieves muscle tension and defuses future aggravations.   26. Partake of peppermint. According to psychologist Stoler, the herb has an instant calming effect. Try candy or peppermint tea.   27. Oil your nose. If being in a dry environment (your overheated office, on an airplane) makes your nose itch and burn, apply a bit of pure sesame oil to the insides of your nostrils. According to a recent Swedish study, it&amp;#039;s much more effective at soothing nasal dryness than traditional nose sprays. Get it in health-food stores and carry a small vial in your purse.   28. Turn off your cell phone and answering machine \u2014 at least for a few hours. Limiting your contact with coworkers, friends and others who think they need you right now will markedly reduce your stress throughout the day, says Degnan. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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