7 experts' best advice for staying healthy: discover the tried-and-true ways natural health experts beat stress, sleep well, maintain a healthy weight, and balance their lives

LOOKING TO FIND THE SECRETS to great health, Natural Health went to the country's most respected authorities in natural medicine. We learned that despite their hectic schedules, these experts really do practice what they preach. Almost all of them follow the same five healthy habits, like getting a daily dose of nature and taking naps (for details, see "5 Golden Rules for Great Health," page 65). And each expert has also developed ways to overcome a personal health obstacle, whether it's too much travel, occasional insomnia, or nagging stress. Here they share their most effective tips for staying well.

WEIL Andrew Weil, M.D., 60 Holistic physician, founder of the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson, and co-author of The Healthy Kitchen (Knopf, 2002)

Weil travels for at least a week each month, which he feels poses the biggest challenge to maintaining his health. "When I was in my 20s," he says, "the physical aspects of travel rolled off me. They don't roll off me as easily now." Fortunately, Weil has figured out how to stay well no matter where he goes.

Pack a High-Energy Meal. Whenever it's practical, Weil brown-bags some fruit, cheese, delicatessen-style soy meats, baked tofu, and a wrap or thin rye bread for the plane ride.

Loaded with fiber and protein, this meal maintains his energy level and replaces airplane fare, which is usually high in saturated fat, sodium, and artificial ingredients and low in nutrients. "So few airports and airlines have decent food," Weil says.

Take Melatonin to Sleep Well. If he's crossing more than three time zones, Weil takes 2.5 mg of melatonin under his tongue at bedtime for the first two days after his arrival. He repeats the dosage on the first two days back home in Tucson. Melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep cycles, helps him adjust faster to changing time zones.

Fit in Exercise. Exercise keeps Weil calm and fit. His favorite activity is swimming daily in his outdoor pool. He also works with a personal trainer up to three times a week. When traveling, he aims to weave in some form of daily physical exertion for at least 30 minutes, although it's typically not aquatic because he can't stand the chlorinated water in hotel pools. Instead, Weil uses the hotel's indoor fitness equipment, usually the elliptical trainer.

Stick with Supplements. Most of the supplements Weil takes every day are antioxidants, which fight unstable molecules, or free radicals, in the body. He takes them because current research supports the theory that antioxidants protect against environmental toxins and premature aging--and he never skips a day, even when he's traveling. In addition to a twice-a-day multivitamin, his supplement arsenal includes 250 mg of vitamin C, 800 IU of natural vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol), 25,000 IU of mixed carotenoids, and 200 mcg of selenium.

NORTHRUP Christiane Northrup, M.D., 53 Gynecologist in Yarmouth, Maine, Natural Health advisory board member, and author of The Wisdom of Menopause (Bantam, 2001)

Northrup values a balanced life and doesn't allow work demands to overshadow her personal needs or her relationships. The payoff of this approach is less stress and a happier outlook, she says.

Take Regular Breaks. Northrup leaves her home office for lunch almost every day of the week. She says that having someone else prepare and serve her a healthy meal in a pleasant public environment makes her feel more nourished and relaxed than if she prepares the same meal at home. Northrup also schedules blocks of free time to minimize her stress. She says, "If I don't schedule in breaks--time to see a movie or do something fun--I find myself wanting to burst into tears."

Respect Your Sleep Needs. Northrup feels best on 10 hours of sleep a night. "I am not one of those people who can get by on five hours," she says. Every night, she takes a bath for 15 minutes and then reads a novel for 15 minutes to help her relax and sleep. To improve her sleep quality after menopause, she also cut out caffeinated foods and beverages. "Caffeine clears more slowly from a woman's system than from a man's and is a bladder irritant that can wake you up at night," Northrup explains.

Boost Mood with Exercise. "I never argue with myself about doing exercise," says Northrup. "If I had to pick one prescription to keep my endorphins going, it is exercise." (Endorphins are brain chemicals that are associated with enhanced mood.) Every day she does 20 minutes of intervals (aerobic exercise that varies in intensity) on an elliptical trainer. She also lifts dumbbells three times weekly, working her chest and triceps on one day, her back and biceps on another, and her legs and shoulders on a third.

Write Away Stress and Guilt. Three times a week, Northrup lights a candle, puts on a CD of baroque music, and for 15 to 20 minutes practices proprioceptive writing, a stream of consciousness technique that allows her to explore her thoughts. She writes about what's on her mind and then questions the thoughts that are emotionally charged. The writing, which Northrup doesn't share with anyone, allows her to get to the root of her emotions. "It tells me what I am feeling good about and what I am feeling bad about," she says. This technique also helps Northrup reaffirm positive thoughts and deal with anxious ones.