THESE small changes CAN TRANSFORM YOUR health

There's no need to rethink your entire way of life! These incremental moves will yield big payoffs.

- BETH HOWARD

Add a veggie.

It's oh-so-easy to rely on standbys like broccoli and carrots (especially if you live with a "What is that?!" eater). But by expanding your roster, you have a better chance of eating a variety of nutrients. And you might excite your palate enough to eat even more veggies, which are linked to a lower risk of dying of heart disease. So, a few times each week, try Jerusalem artichokes, kabocha squash, dinosaur kale or something else novel to you.

Give your toes more space.

Women's feet tend to get bigger in midlife, especially after pregnancy, says Brad Schaeffer, D.P.M., a New York City foot surgeon at Sole Podiatry NYC. He adds that most women he sees are wearing the wrong shoe size. "This can have a ripple effect on your body and affect your knees, hips and lower back," he says. Seek out a shoe store or a podiatrist to get properly measured.

Exercise smarter, not longer.

Many people think the only way to get results is to do more and more exercise, but there are other options. Yes, any workout you'll actually do is good exercise, but research shows that working out more intensely (rather than just spending more time exercising) can improve spatial memory, the kind that helps you recall where you left your keys. "If you have 20 minutes, go all out for one minute, rest for one minute and repeat six to 10 more times," says Abbie E. Smith-Ryan, Ph.D., a professor of exercise physiology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Jack up your calcium.