The shape of your hand is another good indicator of what kinds of health conditions may affect you. Following is a rundown of the basic hand types, with an idea of the health conditions that their owners should look out for and guidelines to help them avoid the problems that are most likely to plague them:

• Air-handed people should be aware that they are vulnerable to respiratory problems such as asthma and colds. Because they think and worry all the time, they also have a tendency to nervous conditions and can easily tire themselves out and run themselves ragged with frenzied anxiety. Those with air hands should avoid smoking and learn to relax, both physically and mentally.

• Earth-handed people may eat and drink too much and too quickly, in which case they are likely to have digestive problems. They need to watch their diets and to learn to exercise often, both to help control the weight and to work off stress and anxiety. Their love of the outdoors will help them achieve this goal.

• Fire-handed people like to burn their candles at both ends; they need to slow down and relax so as to avoid heart and circulatory problems. The speed that these people live at also makes them prone to accidents; they must learn that careful and deliberate action is much safer and just as productive.

• Water-handed people are extremely sensitive and have a vulnerable psyche, so they are at risk for depression, addiction, and other mental illnesses. They should take extreme care to avoid overindulgence in plumbing the psychological depths. They are also vulnerable in areas that relate to the immune system, such as arthritis and allergy.