What does it take to live a healthy life? Doctors have been advising regular exercise and a diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables for years. But there are other things you should and should not do? News Specialist, Carole Mikita is here with details:

Every year Utah ranks very high on the list of states with healthiest people. But there are some health decisions that we all can make, particularly those over 50 that can change our lives. Some of these "Do's and Don'ts" are have proven medical track records, others you may not be aware of but doctors from Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions highly recommend them.

We all want to be healthy. But as we age we realize taking care of ourselves is not as easy as it used to be. These suggestions for you "Baby Boomers" or folks who have hit 50.

DO take an aspirin every other day. This simple practice can cut your risk of heart attack by nearly half.

DON'T use laxatives. All types can cause unpleasant side effects, ranging from irritation of the digestive tract to bloating. Even more serious, they are potentially habit forming.

DO consider hormone replacement therapy if you are menopausal, we are talking estrogen and progesterone. They can alleviate the symptoms like hot flashes and there are other benefits.

((MARK STOWERS, M.D.: "WE KNOW THAT THE ESTROGEN HELPS PREVENT BONE LOSS AND THIS IS EVEN FOR PATIENTS WHO PERHAPS ARE IN THEIR LATE 50'S OR 60'S, WHO HAVEN'T BEEN ON ESTROGEN REPLACEMENT THERAPY))

(("WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE'S A PROTECTIVE BENEFIT AS FAR AS YOUR HEART."))

DO look into dental implants as an alternative to dentures. They are fixed to the underlying bone, so there's no slipping or pain.

((GRANT B. CANNON, ORAL SURGEON: "THE COMFORT THAT A PATIENT EXPERIENCES, AS WELL AS THE AESTHETIC VALUE, MAKE THE IMPLANT, IN THIS DAY AND AGE AN INDISPENSABLE PART OF DENTISTRY." ))

DON'T treat osteoarthritis with diet. Doctors warn you to beware of quacks who peddle everything from cod liver oil to bee venom. There is no scientific evidence to support the idea that diet improves osteoarthritis.

DO get an annual pap smear, especially if you are post-menopausal, this is when cervical cancer is most likely to occur.

((MARK STOWERS, M.D.: "SINCE THE PAP SMEAR ENTERRED THE ARENA OF WOMEN'S HEALTH CARE, THE INCIDENTS OF CERVICAL CANCER AND EVASIVE CERVICAL CANCER HAVE PLUMMETED."))

DON'T go to a walk-in laser clinic for your hemorrhoids. Doctors there may promise less pain and less recovery time but laser therapy is not considered right for everyone or even safe.

DON'T take Minoxidil for baldness because few people benefit.

((DEAN JOLLEY, REGISTERED PHARMICIST: "UNDER 30, MALES, WHO HAVE LESS THAN FIVE YEARS OF THE PROBLEM ARE GONNA BE THE ONES WITH THE BEST RESULTS AND EVEN THEN, IT'S LIMITED."))

This medication may also not be safe for people over 50, especially if you have cardiovascular disease.

Do get a flu shot if you are over 65, have chronic disease, live in a nursing home, live with someone at high risk or are traveling abroad.

DON'T take fish oil supplements to prevent heart disease. Americans spend tens of millions of dollars and doctors say there is no clear benefit. And there are a couple of drawbacks: the supplements have a lot of calories and people say they begin to smell like fish.

I think the two warnings that surprised me the most were the DON'T take laxatives and DON'T use minoxidil, both had serious repercussions for people over 50. I notice most of these DO's and DON'Ts are for both men and women but there are a couple of specifics for women. Doctors told me they are still after all these years trying to get women, especially those over 50 to remember their annual pap smears, mammograms and now hormone replacement therapy...that case, the earlier you start, the more it helps.