9. Monitor your bowel habits

Any dramatic change in bowel habits such as an increase in constipation, or passing blood should be referred to a doctor immediately. It could prove be something as simple as piles (haemorrhoids), or worse case scenario could be bowel cancer, which is important to discover as early as possible.

10. Drink more water

Most people are unaware that the recommendation is that the average person should drink around eight glasses of water a day. The human body is made up of between 55 and 75 per cent water, and is in need of constant water replenishment. An increased intake of water will greatly enhance digestion‚ nutrient absorption‚ skin hydration‚ detoxification and virtually every aspect of better health.

11. Get more friends

Research suggests that friends help people live longer. Research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health says that socialising with friends is beneficial. Good friends will promise to be there for you, and their presence can actually help you live longer, researchers say. Australian scientists said having friends around in old age can do more for life expectancy than having family members around, and that friends may encourage people to look after their health, and help reduce feelings of depression and anxiety at difficult times.

12. No smoking

Everyone is aware of the potential catastrophic effect of smoking. It is better not to start at all, but the sooner a smoker quits, the better. Because the damage caused by smoking is cumulative, the longer a person smokes the greater the risk of developing a smoking-related disease, such as lung cancer or heart disease. Quitting not only saves money, but also has added health benefits. Within one year after quitting, the risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker, and within 10 years, the risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker.