Listen to Your Body

"Our bodies are talking to us all the time, but unless we make an effort to listen, we don't hear them until they scream," says Tracy Gaudet, M.D., executive director of the Duke Integrative Medicine Center and author of "Consciously Female." Committing to a daily listening practice, ideally in the morning, can transform your health -- and might catch imbalances before they develop into illness.

Start by taking a breath and bringing your attention to the present, she says. "Then ask, 'How does my body feel? What does it need from me today? Do I have any discomfort or pain? How is my energy?' " This practice can shift the "me-versus-you attitude we often have toward our bodies, where we get mad when it's tired and frustrated when it's sick," says Gaudet. "Open a dialogue and you have a chance to form a real partnership. It's simple, it's fast, it's free -- and it will redefine how you think about your health."