Health experts share 25 health tips and top hacks you can trust

Experts share their top hacks, from going outside early in the morning, to sleeping on the left side to ease heartburn, reheating carbs to boost their nutritional value, and taking ‘exercise snacks’

Left to right (clockwise): Dr Aoife Durcan, senior counselling psychologist; Dr Doireann O’Leary, GP; Professor Tim Spector, epidemiologist; Specsavers audiologist, Orla Walsh; and Dr Mark Rowe, GP.

1. “Get outside every single day. It’s not always possible, but getting out for 10-20 minutes before 9am helps to boost cortisol — which is actually a good thing in the morning — helps with alertness throughout the day and helps you get better sleep at night. Getting children outdoors is also really good for their eyesight — the more time they spend outdoors, the less likely they are to develop myopia (shortsightedness).”

— Dr Doireann O’Leary, GP and founder of Supplements Made Simple

2.“If you suffer from heartburn at night, sleep on your left side. The effect of gravity, the shape of the stomach, and the angle at which it joins your food pipe will help troublesome acid drain out of your food pipe”

— Professor Anthony O’Connor, consultant gastroenterologist, Tallaght University Hospital

3. “Brush twice daily for two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste and spit don’t rinse. This makes sure to increase the contact time of fluoride with your teeth.”

— Dr Gillian Smith, dentist, the Fitzwilliam Clinic

Professor Caitriona Ryan, consultant dermatologist, Institute of Dermatologists

4. “Sun protection is the most powerful anti-ageing tool in your skincare arsenal. UV radiation is the leading cause of premature skin ageing, contributing to fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, and loss of elasticity. Wear a zinc-containing SPF 30 or higher every single day, even in cloudy Irish weather. Reapply frequently if you are outdoors. Combining your SPF with antioxidants like vitamin C enhances protection against free radicals, fortifying your skin’s resilience.

5. “Beautiful, healthy skin isn’t just about what you apply topically; it’s also about what you nourish your body with. A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals can enhance skin’s radiance and resilience.”

— Professor Caitriona Ryan, consultant dermatologist, Institute of Dermatologists

6. “Eat blueberries. This one food has the highest polyphenol count of all foods, and its ingestion has strong correlations with neurocognitive and cardiovascular health. Aim for 80-160g per day.

7. “Drink coffee. There is good evidence that coffee not only improves mood, productivity and exercise performance, but can have a protective effect against virtually all types of liver disease, and it reduces your risk of cardiometabolic diseases.”

— Evan Lynch, dietitian and performance nutritionist

8. “While there’s no single panacea for maintaining brain health, one simple and powerful habit stands out: Reading. Enjoying a good book is one of life’s great pleasures and a proven way to support brain health at every stage of life.”

— Dr Hugh Kearney, consultant neurologist, St James’s Hospital

Dietitian Orla Walsh. Picture: Karl Hussey.

9. As a nation, we do not get enough fibre. Eating whole grains is a great way of adding more fibre into our diet as well as providing rich sources of protein, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. Eating at least five to seven portions of fruit and vegetables, skin, pips, and juice provides the whole package. Add nuts and seeds to yoghurts and salads as well as adding beans and pulses into stews, casseroles and curries. Increase your fibre slowly and ensure at least 1.5 to 2 litres of fluid daily.”

— Orla Walsh, dietitian

10. “With exercise, something is always better than nothing. Many of us miss workouts and decide it’s not worth it if we can only get to the gym for 20 minutes — but 20 minutes a day is more than enough to begin building muscle and fitness, and you will never regret your efforts.”

— Dr Gary McGowan, GP, personal trainer, and physio

11. “Whenever I find anxiety creeping in, I remind myself of my favourite mantra, ‘just be here’. This connects me back to the present moment and to whatever it is that I am doing, this simple shift of my attention helps anxiety dissipate instantaneously”.

— Dr Clodagh Campbell, psychologist

12. “Start tracking your menstrual cycle. It’s more than just your bleed. It’s a monthly hormone symphony that impacts your energy, appetite, motivation, sleep, and even how you perform and recover from exercise.

“Understanding your cycle phases can help you make more supportive choices around food, movement, and rest. Start noting how your sleep, cravings, mood, and strength fluctuate so you can tailor your lifestyle and routine to meet your body’s changing needs.”

— Dr Hazel Wallace, nutritionist and founder of The Food Medic

13. “Take regular screen breaks — follow the 20-20-20 rule, which is looking at something 20m away for at least 20 seconds, every 20 minutes.”

— Dr Elizabeth Hawkes, consultant oculoplastic surgeon and ambassador for OPTASE

14. ”Work can have an enormous impact on your brain health. A job that keeps you moving, thinking, and socialising is ideal. Later in life, consider cutting down your work hours gradually, as the traditional ‘stop at 65’ can lead to a cliff-edge drop-off in physical and cognitive activity.”

— Dr Shane O’Hanlon, geriatrician

Psychologist Dr Aoife Durcan. Picture: Yvonne Keane.

15. “If you are a sensitive person, you experience the world deeply. This can be a beautiful gift — you have a big heart and lots of empathy, are intuitive and highly attuned to your environment. This depth also means you need to be gentle with yourself. All of this deep processing can sometimes leave you more vulnerable to becoming overwhelmed. Taking a small pause, to rest, soothe, and reset, is a caring way to honour your nervous system.”

— Dr Aoife Durcan, senior counselling psychologist

Professor Tim Spector, epidemiologist, King’s College London.

16. “Reheat your carbs to maximise their nutritional value. If you cook, cool, and reheat starchy foods, like pasta, rice, and potatoes, you create resistant starch — a type of fibre — which your digestive enzymes can’t break down as easily. This starch generally slows down the digestive process, helping you feel fuller for longer and reducing blood sugar spikes, which over time may reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

17. “Frozen fruits and vegetables are often frozen at peak ripeness, locking in nutrients that can be lost during transport and storage of fresh produce. Don’t underestimate the freezer aisle — it’s a convenient, affordable, and sometimes an even more nutritious option than ‘fresh’ that’s been sitting around for days.”

— Professor Tim Spector, epidemiologist, King’s College London, and co-founder of health science company ZOE

18. “Don’t use cotton buds to ‘clean’ your ears — you’re actually more likely to cause earwax blockage and further issues by doing this. Rather than removing the earwax, it pushes it further into the ear, which leads to a build-up, or impacted earwax. Your ears are designed to be self-cleaning and will normally produce enough earwax to prevent problems occurring, which eventually makes its way out of the ear completely on its own.”

— Specsavers audiologist, Orla Walsh

19. “Mouth cancer is the sixth most common cancer in men. Not smoking will hugely reduce your risk of oral cancer. Avoid drinking too much alcohol or rinsing with an alcohol-based mouthwash. Make sure to attend a dentist once a year to ensure any developing lesions are picked up as early as possible.”

— Dr Gillian Smith, dentist, the Fitzwilliam Clinic

20. ”Not every mental health challenge shows up as a crisis. Sometimes it’s subtle, like feeling more tired than usual, snapping at others, or losing motivation. When we take time to notice these early signals, it can help us take steps before things escalate. Whether it’s a chat with a trusted colleague or accessing an in-the-moment support service or short-term counselling.”

— Nicole Paulie, counselling psychologist and clinical lead at Spectrum.Life

21. “Vitamin D and B complex can aid implantation and support early pregnancy. Avoiding smoking and reducing alcohol intake can also improve fertility outcomes. And, importantly, don’t delay seeking medical advice, early assessment and support can make a big difference.”

— Dr Alejandro Montilla senior fertility consultant, Sims IVF

22. “Never listen to your music above 60% of full volume. Cancelling out background noise by turning up the volume can cause long-term damage to your hearing and conditions such as tinnitus, which is irreversible.”

— Specsavers audiologist, Orla Walsh

23. ”Make exercise snacks part of your daily routine. Blending exercise with chores, having walking meetings, parking a little farther away or getting off the bus a stop earlier, are simple exercise snacks that will bump up your step count. If you can, set aside 10 minutes a day and build momentum from there”

— Dr Shane O’Hanlon, geriatrician, Mater Private

GP, Dr Mark Rowe.

24. “Become the CEO of your health and wellbeing. As a more proactive participant in your wellbeing, you understand that you are responsible for the choices you make. You value your health by scheduling timely health checkups and relevant screening, mindful of your personal and family history. You appreciate the importance of building health-enhancing habits through small positive changes. You know the key performance indicators that keep you on track, both from an everyday habit and a longer-term health check perspective. As any CEO will tell you, the numbers matter — what gets measured gets done.

25. “Gratitude is a powerful habit to bring perspective to the past, peace to the present moment and hope for a brighter future. Gratitude does not paper over the cracks or pretend everything is perfect. Rather, it is a conscious choice to focus more of your awareness on what is going well. The best way to express gratitude is to ‘write it down’ which makes it more intentional and real. This practice can act as an effective antidote to toxic stress and feelings of anxiety while boosting your emotional bank account with positivity.”

— Dr Mark Rowe, GP