Everything your mother ever -- or never -- told you to keep you and your family healthy, wealthy and wise.

Apples are nutritional stars, low in calories and chock-full of nutrients. Their strongest asset is their combination of antioxidants and flavonoids, which fight cancer and heart disease. They also contain pectin, a form of soluble fiber, which helps lower "bad" LDL cholesterol. Apples are low on the glycemic index, which means they help keep blood sugar steady and are excellent for both diabetes prevention and management.

Apples also keep the dentist -- and his drill -- away. Apples are called nature's toothbrush. When you chew on them, they stimulate your gums and increase the flow of saliva, which helps kill bacteria that cause tooth decay. For a mere 90 calories, one medium apples is potent medicine.

Get to bed early . . .

Studies have indicated that sleep loss can cause any number of health problems - from cancer to obesity to road accidents. Take Mom's advice -- get a good night's sleep. (But don't sleep too long: that, too, may not be all that healthy.) The optimal number of hours of sleep appears to be seven. Japanese researchers who followed more than 104,000 people aged 40 to 79 for an average of almost 10 years found that those who slept seven hours had the lowest risk of death from all causes. (On the other hand, it found that people who slept more than eight hours didn't fare as well health-wise as those getting fewer hours of rest.)

Researchers looking at the link between lack of sleep and health problems are studying certain protective hormones -- including melatonin, cortisol and some appetite control hormones -- that might be affected by sleep deprivation.

A good night's sleep is also important to remain on the ball mentally. There's plenty of research showing that sleep deprivation impairs the brain's ability to think clearly.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure . . .

Think about cardiovascular disease as just one example of the widespread truth of this wise maxim. It's the No. 1 killer of Canadian men and women. A full 35 percent of all female deaths, and 33 percents of male deaths, are attributable to heart disease, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. And the cost of treating heart disease is a staggering $18 billion per year, which far outstrips the cost of healthy lifestyle changes that could lower your risk.

Dr. Michael F. Roizen, a professor of medicine and anesthesiology at State University of New York Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y., writes in his book, "The RealAge Makeover" (Harper Collins, 2004) that neglecting the health of your cardiovascular system can age you by up to 20 years. But it's never too late to change, writes Roizen. Quitting smoking, getting plenty of exercise, eating a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruit and lean protein; and reducing your stress can reduce your "real age" and lower your risk for heart disease and stokes. It's an investment that will grow over time.

This, too, shall pass (or tomorrow is another day) . . .

This wise counsel probably has so many versions because it speaks to such a hallmark of successful living: optimism. What differentiates an optimist from a pessimist, explains Lucy MacDonald, a certified-counselor in Montreal and author of "Learn to Be An Optimist: A Practical Guide to Achieving Happiness" (Chronicle, 2004), is than an optimist will visualize a time and a place when a problem is much or less severe or gone completely, creating hope, moving ahead after a setback is difficult.

Resilience -- the capacity to see opportunity in life's curveballs -- is an important component of mental fitness. It allows you to minimize and manage stress and increase your immunity to stress-induced mental illnesses, such as mood and anxiety disorders. Resilience can also boost your self- esteem. It allows you to bounce back from setbacks or even serious traumas.

Phrases such as "This too, shall pass" can be used to stop negative thinking. Time really does heal. You have to ask yourself, Will this matter in five years time? Chances are it won't.

Eat Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper . . .

There is no question that breakfast is vital to your well-being and overall health. It kick-starts your metabolism in the morning, when your blood sugar is low, and improves your concentration at work or school.

Typically, people use more energy during the earlier part of the day. Eating breakfast boosts your brain power, improves your concentration and memory and gives you a leg up on activities that happen in the morning. We tape off as the day goes along, so it makes sense to eat the way we live.

A big breakfast that features most of the food groups is an excellent way to get a head-start on your body's daily nutritional needs. Cereal, fruit and milk gives you a good dose of fiber, calcium and B vitamins. Plus, a big breakfast fills you up and keeps you from heading down to the coffee shop for a fat-laden doughnut or bag of chips later on.

As the day wears on, eating smaller meals as you become less active is sensible. The calories in a huge dinner won't get used up if you're relaxing and trying to unwind at the end of the day -- and your body will have to store them as fat if it can't burn them up. Having a big dinner right before bed is also likely to interfere with your sleep. What you shouldn't do is eat and then go to sleep. Always give yourself some time for your food to digest before you go to bed.

Eat your vegetables . . .

There's no doubt about it, study after study concludes that eating vegetables is a surefire way to stay healthy and stave off disease. The buzzwords now are variety and color. Each of the different colors gives you a different range of nutrients. The key is to eat a little bit from every color in the rainbow: reds, oranges, yellows, greens, and whites.

Dietitians recommend that you eat five to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day to meet your daily requirements of vitamins A (in the form of beta-carotene), B, C, K, and folate; minerals, such as iron and potassium: disease-fighting plant chemicals, such as indoles, lycopene and lutein, and fiber.

About the Author: Author: Susan Rutter -- Publisher, Nutritionist, and Instructor who assists patients and the public make healthy choices and changes in their lives. Web Site: Healthy YOUbbies http://www.geocities.com/healthyoubbies/ Contact Email: sm.rutter@sympatico.ca