AS one enters mid-life, many things are being considered – health, eating habits and lifestyle.

Small lifestyle changes can create a big impact in life including practicing healthy eating habits like replacing animal fats with vegetable oils and eliminating bad habits. Those changes can greatly reduce the chances of heart attack.

Here are some small and beneficial lifestyle changes:

* Avoid smoking. Shun cigarette smoke or separate yourself from smokers.

* Increase exercise. Doctors suggest every adult should get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week. Sessions should be at least 10 minutes long.

* Healthy diet. Follow the Mediterranean diet of mostly plant foods, limiting animal protein to fish and poultry, using olive oil as the principal fat and use wine in moderation.

* Be BMI conscious. Mind your BMI (body mass index). Obesity increases the risk of diabetes 20 times and substantially boosts the risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and gallstones.

* Get more sleep. Don’t run up a sleep debt. Medical evidence suggests a person needs se-ven to nine hours of sleep daily. As age progresses, many  fall short of this goal.

* Be your own best advocate on health issues.

* Socialize. One needs to be socially active to live longer and have a healthier life.

* Avoid stress. Find techniques to reduce stress and its effects.

* Don’t forget to take supplements. Experts agree the best way to get nutrients is through food. Calcium and vitamin D, essential in preserving bone density, are recommended supplements.