A QUICK flick through any of the diet books currently topping the bestseller list reveals some expensive ingredients. Whether it's fresh fish, as per the South Beach and Perricone diets or Gillian McKeith's seaweed and pine nut recommendations, these food stuffs are often hard to find and not exactly cheap. But even basic healthy eating can be costprohibitive, according to a report carried out by the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute.

Price varies wildly, depending on where you shop, and the report found that it costs up to 60% more to buy healthy foods from convenience stores. The average weekly cost of a healthy food shop in these shops costs 64 in comparison with 60 in larger supermarkets and 40 in low-cost stores.

Just Do It

JUST as the act of smoking is highly ritualistic . . . the first cigarette of the day, the postprandial puff . . . so too is the process of giving up. Smokers often work up to a quit date and carefully plan their future without nicotine. But new research published in the British Medical Journal suggests that this isn't necessarily the most successful route to take.

Taking a spontaneous decision to quit can work just as well, and in some cases, better. The University College London (UCL) surveyed almost 2,000 smokers and ex-smokers and discovered that nearly half of their attempts to quit were spur-of-the-moment and that these were the most successful. This was regardless of social class or how many cigarettes were smoked. That's not to say that planning ahead isn't without its merits but it does indicate that you don't have to wait to make the big, sensible leap.

The Good Life

WINE-drinking has all sorts of lovely connotations . . . fine dining, witty conversation and a certain level of sophistication. Beer drinking doesn't fare quite so well . . . you've got 'beer belly', 'beer goggles' and 'beer monster' (an urge for even more pints after a number have been consumed) for starters. While studies have indicated that drinking wine has numerous health benefits, new research from Denmark indicates that wine-drinkers also have healthier diets too. Those who purchased wine from supermarkets bought more fruit, veg, olives, low-fat milk and meat than the beer buyers, who stocked up on ready meals, sugar and sausages. So let less lager and more Merlot be your new health goal.