Most of us imagine ourselves going happily through life, until one day we start to age, and the symptoms domino right before our cataract -clouded eyes. Our bones creak, our backs hurt, we forget names of people we are working with. Soon we are eating dinner at 8'o clock and our primary goal is staying up long enough to catch F.R.I.E.N.D.S. at 8:30 p.m.

So, to add serious, high-quality years to your life, you have to have an Everyday You-Do List.

Walk for 30 minutes
Do it all at once or in three ten-minutes segments, and go fast enough to slightly elevate you heart rate. Throughout the rest of the day add more walking whenever possible. Ideally you should build up to 10,000 steps. A half hour walk is about 3,000.

Floss and brush your teeth
By controlling gingivitis and inflammation, you will help keep your teeth while avoiding both heart problems and wrinkles.
Drink several cups of green tea and lots of water.

Take your pills
Experts prefer that we get the nutrients from our diet, but, very few people do. So unless you are one of them, they suggest a multivitamin, the kind taken twice daily. It is best to get your doctor's approval before starting on any new medication.

Meditate for 5 to 15 minutes
This can take the form of prayer. The key is to search for a path that gives you comfort and offers an opening to finding deeper meaning in life. In a world with more noise than a preschool classroom, our brains and souls need moments of silence to recharge, refocus, and become rejuvenated.

Sleep 7-8 hours a night
There's nothing like a good nights sleep. So, readers, do not scoff at my to-do list. It really helps. And it specially might help people who call me and ask me to write fun stuff and not serious ramblings, not realising that it is not my chronicle but, an attempt to go and get moving and at the same time maybe motivating somebody out there who wants to get...Fit at Forty.

Hummus
Ingredients:
8 ounce of chickpeas soaked in cold water overnight & drained
1 onion peeled and roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
Juice of one lemon
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crusted
2 tbsp olive oil
300 ml of low fat yoghurt
½ tsp of ground cumin seed
Salt, to taste
Put the chickpeas into a pan and cover with fresh water. Add onion, the bay leaf and bring to boil. Lower heat, coves and cook for 1-1 ½ hrs. till tender. Drain and remove bay leaf.
Now puree the chickpeas, onion and mix in the lemon juice, garlic, oil, yoghurt and cumin to make a fairly soft consistency. Season with salt. Cool the hummus then garnish with black olives and serve with warm whole meal pita bread.
* This Arabian dish is very popular as an appetiser. Canned chickpeas can also be used to make this dish.

Tuna Fish Pâté
Ingredients:
7 ounce can tuna fish in brine, drained & flaked into small pieces
1 ½ ounce olive oil
1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp grated lemon rind
1 ounce bread crumbs
Salt & pepper
Method:
Place the tuna in a blender with the oil and blend till smooth. Turn into a bowl and stir in the lemon, rind and breadcrumbs. Mix well adding salt & pepper to taste. Spoon into serving dish and garnish with lemon wedges. Serve with toast.

Marinated Mushrooms
Ingredients:
1 pound of canned button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced.
Marinade:
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
Few drop of Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 tbsp cold water
1 ½ tsp dried mixed herbs
(thyme, oregano, basil)
1 small onion, peeled & grated
1 clove garlic, peeled & crushed

Method:
Put all the ingredients for the marinade into a large screw-topped jar and shake well. Add the mushrooms. Shake the jar once again so the mushrooms are coated with the marinade. For those of you who do not have a screw-topped jar, use any covered container. Stand the jar in a cool place and leave for 24 hours, shaking occasionally so that mushrooms soften. They will reduce in bulk considerably and also produce more liquid. Serve cold with fresh whole meal rolls.