Your health: 10 things to do in February

6. Eat more fruit
Want an quick way to fight heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease and obesity? It's easy -- eat more plant foods, including the recommended five to 10 daily servings of fruit and vegetables. For a simple way to increase your intake, snack on fruit a couple of times a day. To make eating fruit less of a chore, try bringing precut portions with you to work -- apple slices or cut-up grapefruit, for example. Or pack a week's worth of bananas with you on Mondays for easy-to-grab afternoon hunger busters.

7. Get a massage
There's nothing like a good massage to relieve both physical and mental stress. It's also great for your health; according to the Canadian Massage Therapist Alliance, massage therapy will help boost your immune system and relieve symptoms of everything from arthritis and asthma to repetitive strain and sports injuries. A bonus? Many extended medical plans cover regular massages -- just make sure to check whether you need a doctor's note to qualify.

8. Wash your hands
One of the easiest ways to prevent spreading colds and flu is to keep your hands clean by washing them regularly. Make sure to use good technique with the following tips from The Flu Pandemic and You by Vincent Lam, MD and Colin Lee, MD:

• Wet your hands and apply enough soap to create a lather.
• Rub and scrub your hands together for at least 15 seconds, ensuring that your entire hand is covered with soap.
• Rinse your hands well, and dry with a disposable towel.

They also suggest using the towel to open the door of the washroom on your way out, and avoiding the use of overly hot water, as it will irritate your skin.

9. Cut back on salt
Most of us eat more salt than we need, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (www.heartandstroke.ca), and excess salt can help raise blood pressure in people who are "salt sensitive." Since it's so difficult to tell whether an individual is salt sensitive -- and since there's no question the majority of North Americans consume far more salt than the body needs -- it recommends limiting your salt intake by avoiding packaged and processed foods (including salty snack foods such as potato chips and pretzels) and salt-preserved foods such as bacon, ham and luncheon meat. If you're a salt lover, try cutting back gradually, and increasing your use of other flavourings such as fresh and dried herbs, onions and garlic and chili peppers at the same time.

10. Take care of your breasts
One in nine Canadian women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, according to Health Canada. One step you can take toward fighting the disease is performing a monthly breast self-examination -- just create the habit, and you'll stop thinking of it as a chore. Other steps you can take to minimize your risk include losing excess weight (especially if you're postmenopausal), quitting smoking, being physically active and lowering your intake of alcohol.

Read more:
• Healthy weight-loss guide: Diet, nutrition and exercise tips
• 8 healthy comfort foods
• Menu: Soups, stews and casseroles

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