Numbers 51 - 100

52 Put your hands on your lower abdomen and watch them raise and lower as you breathe in and out. This realkalises your system, expands the lower lungs and re-energises the body.

53 Ability to take a really lung-filling deep breath declines with age. Minimise this decline with exercise and singing.

54 Watch your weight. Excess weight puts a strain on almost every organ in your body, stressing the skeleton and the circulatory system and reducing your life expectancy.

55 Invest in a purifier to rid the air inside your home of toxins such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and benzene vapour - all of which can be more damaging to the body than outdoor pollution.

56 Keep indoor plants. They remove carbon dioxide from the air and increase the levels of oxygen in your home.

57 Stop smoking. Every cigarette you smoke takes 15 minutes off your life, ages your skin and robs you of vital nutrients - so don't light up.

58 Cut back on sugar in all forms. Sugars contribute to obesity and diabetes, trigger inflamation, and age the skin and brain.

59 If you find it hard to cut sugar from your diet, start taking supplements of chromium - 200mcg a day should help reduce cravings. Chromium is also believed to reduce the incidence of late onset diabetes.

60 To boost your circulation, use a body brush regularly. Circulation becomes less efficient with age and means less oxygen and fewer nutrients are delivered to cells, leading to leg ulcers, cold hands and feet, and memory loss.

61 Cut down on sodiumbased salt. It dehydrates the skin, causing it to wrinkle prematurely, and can also contribute to high blood pressure and hardened arteries. Try replacing it with Herb Seasoning Salt by Bioforce, containing celery, kelp, basil and magnesium-rich sea salt.

62 Improve circulation to your head with a regular head massage. The health of your hair is dependent on circulation to the scalp. (Men and some women lose hair on the top of their head, where blood flow is reduced in comparison to the sides.)

63 Take regular exercise to boost circulation. Also, eat more foods containing Vitamin E (such as wheatgerm, avocado and soya beans), which help to thin blood naturally.

64 Take a magnesium supplement every day to relax constricted arteries, reduce the risk of blockages and so reduce the risk of stroke.

65 To avoid varicose veins, ensure you maintain good circulation in your legs. Don't cross your legs.

66 If you have been on your feet all day, lie on the floor and place your lower legs on a chair or bed for 15 minutes. This rests the valves in the blood vessels and encourages absorption of excess fluid.

67 If you spend most of the day sitting at a desk, make an effort to take regular breaks - try once every hour, if only for a few minutes - and use them to be active.

68 Instead of using salt, chop a seaweed, such as kelp, over your meals.

69 The body requires essential sugars for the immune cells to function at their optimum level. Most fruit and vegetables that we eat are picked before they are ripe and before the essential sugars have developed. Take an essential sugar supplement such as Ambrotose (call 0800 028 6071 for details). Sufferers of diseases such as Aids, Parkinson's and hepatitis have reported improvements after taking essential sugar supplements

70 Maintain a good acidalkaline balance. Cells function best when alkaline, and ideally our bodies should be 70 per cent alkaline and 30 per cent acid. However, the average person is 80 per cent acid and 20 per cent alkaline, so most people need alkalizing foods such as honey, watercress, carrots and celery.

71 Look after your liver and bowels. Naturopath Steve Langley, says:'If a patient has ME or chronic exhaustion, their liver and bowel are overloaded with toxins. Once they clean up their diet for a month, huge improvements are noted.'

72 Have a couple of glasses of good red wine daily. The antioxidant polyphenols counteract some ageing processes.

73 Avoid refined carbohydrates such as white bread and pizza, which are acidforming. Osteoarthritis and diseases of ageing are linked to an excess of such foods.

74 Massage your nails regularly with jojoba, olive or almond oil. Along with a good diet, this will keep them looking young and healthy.

75 Sit in the sun for at least 15 minutes a day (wearing sun protection, of course) to build up a supply of vitamin D.

76 Over time, teeth get worn away and gums recede - regular cleaning and flossing will keep them healthy.

77 Avoid concentrated fruit juices. Their sugar content can weaken enamel and allow bacteria to enter the teeth.

78 Eat Thai food. It has lemon grass, coriander and garlic, all great for bones and teeth.

79 Build muscle. Ratio of lean muscle to fat is an indicator of age. In our 30s we lose an average of 300g of muscle tissue a year. Exercise using weights increases muscle and strengthens bones.

80 To avoid hangovers, take 500mg of GLA (gamma linoleic acid, the main ingredient in evening primrose oil), one gram of vitamin C, a B complex, plus a milk thistle supplement with a full glass of water before you go out.

81 If you have to take a painkiller, avoid paracetamol. This is bad for the kidneys.

82 Look after your liver. Your liver detoxifies the body, and if it cannot do so effectively this can contribute to making your skin look prematurely old.

83 Good portions of broccoli, globe artichokes, cauliflower and radishes all cleanse and support the liver.

84 If you go out drinking, try to be in bed by 1am. Chinese medicine says the liver detoxes from 1am and 3am and is most efficient when you're lying down.

85 If you feel hungover when you haven't been drinking, try a liver cleanse (seek doctor's advice first). Mix 6tbsp lemon juice, 3tbsp olive oil, 1 small garlic clove, a pinch of ginger, a pinch of cayenne pepper - whisk in a blender and drink immediately. Do not eat for at least an hour afterwards.

86 Eat raw or lightly cooked vegetables. They are higher in anti-ageing vitamins and minerals.

87 Take an acidophilus/ bifidus supplement. These bacteria maintain a healthy gut.

88 A little of what you fancy is good for you. There's no point in living longer if you don't enjoy life.

89 In the West the average person eats 40 per cent more food than they need. Eating less places less strain on the digestive system and liver.

90 Avoid junk food because it contains very few nutrients and is high in sugar, salt and fat.

91 Serve your meals on smaller plates - your brain will still see a full plate of food.

92 Don't eat last thing at night. This places an extra burden on the digestive system.

93 Avoid drinking too much with your meals because this dilutes the stomach acid needed to digest your meal.

94 Snack. It is better for your digestive system and energy levels to eat little and often, rather than to have two large meals. Try to eat a small, balanced meal every two or three hours.

95 Improve levels of stomach acid by taking two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of honey in a glass of warm water before each meal.

96 Swop your regular honey for Manuka honey, which can help heal the stomach and strengthen the immune system.

97 Fibre in your diet is essential for healthy bowels. Try rice and oat bran instead of wheat bran.

98 Detoxing is a great antiager. Eliminating foods containing flour, sugar, caffeine and dairy for just one week will greatly help cleanse your system.

99Use fresh coriander over salads to remove toxic metals from the body that damage cells.

100 Know the consequences of the way you live. If you live on coffee, burgers, alcohol and cigarettes, you'll accelerate your ageing.

EXTRACTED from 500 Of The Most Important Ways To Stay Younger Longer by Hazel Courteney (Cico Books, £10.99). ° 2003, Hazel Courteney. To order a copy for £9.99 (incl p&p) tel: Nutricentre on 0800 587 2290.