After the excess of recent festivities, are you feeling the winds of change?

Is your body yearning for some balance?

New Year's resolutions, for many, will mean crash dieting or detoxifying.

This year, why not look at a complete lifestyle change.

Consider the time, effort and maybe even money you put into your healthier diet and lifestyle a sound long-term investment.

You could lose weight and keep it off, reduce your waist size and reduce your body fat content.

Down-size your energy intake Avoid energy dense foods such as cheese, pizzas, biscuits and cakes and favour less energy dense ones like fruit, vegetables, lean meat, fish, beans and pulses that are rich in nutrients.

Choose fruit, vegetables or small quantities of unsalted nuts for snacks.

Down-size your portions Eating smaller quantities is key to reducing your energy intake.

Make smaller portions last longer by eating slowly.

Changing the habits of a lifetime may seem daunting but with perseverance it will become second nature.

Match your new healthy eating with plenty of exercise and activity that gets your heart pumping faster.

By the end of this year you could be fitting into your old clothes, have more energy, have lowered you blood pressure and done your heart the world of good.

For more information and advice about healthy living, contact Heart Research UK on 0113 297 6206 or email lifestyle@heartresearch.org.uk