Read the papers and it's easy to assume that failing to get your 30 minutes exercise a day will turn you into a 21-stone slob, a glass of wine will turn you into an alcoholic, or a sneaky bar of chocolate will slap on two dress sizes. But take heart - not everything fun is bad for you. Read on for our top guilt-free pleasures...

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Why women feel guilty

When your partner questions your Maya Gold consumption, smile sweetly and explain. 'Well, dear, dark chocolate contains high levels of antioxidants, said to help prevent cancer and heart disease. Chocolate is also a great source of tryptophan and theobromine, 'feel-good' brain chemicals. Sadly, it's only the expensive kind that's good for you - cheapo chocolate doesn't have the same level of antioxidants.' And then refuse to share...

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Find out more about why chocolate's good for you

Enjoy chocolate without piling on the pounds

A study from Wageningen University in The Netherlands found that wine drinkers live longer than beer fans or vodka bunnies. Red wine in particular is another antioxidant powerhouse. It increases your 'good' cholesterol if you drink it regularly. And, oh happy day, it also apparently helps to keep you younger by protecting your cells from age-related damage. What's the catch? Well, you're supposed to drink it 'in moderation'. Pah.

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Ever felt guilty about ignoring what you 'should be doing' on a Saturday morning while you catch up on some shut-eye? Feel guilty no more. Long hours and a 24-hour culture means we all have a 'sleep debt' which need to pay off at weekends. However, make sure you don't sleep much more than an extra hour or so, otherwise you'll mess up your body clock.

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Read more on how to get a great night's sleep

Eat your way to a better time in bed: asleep or awake

In the morning, with a throbbing head, and insanely loud noise levels, it's easy to regret last night's revels. Draw comfort from the fact that you were not partying irresponsibly. Studies have shown that party animals with strong social networks are likely to live longer, have less heart disease and sleep problems, and even suffer less from colds. Now that's worth a few sore heads.

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'Celebrity Love Island' a taxing intellectual challenge? Yep, says science writer Steven Johnson. In his gloriously titled book, 'Everything Bad is Good For You', he argues that today's TV is far more stimulating to the brain than the one-plot, two-character series of the past. Fair enough. Although even anthropologists with PhDs have problems explaining the success of Paul Danan.

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Why women feel guilty

Some people start the day with a glass of hot water and lemon. For the sane, however, a healthy shot of caffeine is the only way to go. Apart from being another antioxidant-rich substance, the caffeine in coffee acts as a stimulant for your brain. Scientists at the Medical University in Innsbruck, Austria, found that subjects given a small dose of caffeine did much better in short-term memory tests.

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Psst... don't tell anyone, but without gossip we'd still be dragging each other around campfires by our hair. Anthropologists at the University of Wisconsin say that merrily slagging off your boss's new hairstyle or discussing Britney's shaving antics helps outsiders feel more welcome in a group. Gossip also helps define boundaries and unwritten rules within sub-cultures such as the office or the playgroup.

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Why women feel guilty

Go on. Take a deep breath. Now let rip. Feel better? Good. You're not a crazed fishwife, you're a confident, forward-thinking woman. Psychologist Jennifer Lerner wound up 92 students for her experiments. She found that the ones who reacted with a burst of rage had more control over their lives and had a more optimistic outlook than those who reacted with fear.

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Why women feel guilty

Of course, it's not a good idea to regularly fry yourself. But it's also a bad idea to never venture outdoors without the factor 50. Direct sunlight is the body's main source of vitamin D, which is synthesised when the rays hit skin. And vitamin D deficiency has recently been linked to an increased risk of a wide range of disorders including some cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and depression.

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Read up on vitamin D deficiency

If your idea of neatness is being able to see the pattern on the rug, give yourself a pat on the back. You're allowing your creative flexibility to flourish, according to Eric Abrahamson and David H. Freedman, authors of 'A Perfect Mess: the Hidden Benefits of Disorder'. They say messy methods can be more efficient - hurrah!

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Why women feel guilty