7) Eat mindfully

We snack, we gulp, we eat power bars on the run. Forty percent of our food budgets are spent eating out, up from a quarter in 1990. Twenty-five percent of restaurant meals are ordered from the car, up from 15 percent in 1988. But this neo-nomadic gastronomy undermines a core aspect of a healthy life — our ability to taste, sense and share our food.

We've fallen into a national habit of mindless eating, which encourages "detachment" from our bodily awareness, says Cornell psychology professor Brian Wansink. Try to take the time to stop and eat, especially with family and friends. And notice the smell, taste and feel of your food. You'll be dialing down on stress and boosting your powers of attention at the same time.