By Judy Davie **”My 15-year-old daughter has decided to become a vegetarian for ethical reasons. I’m totally supportive of this but worry that she won’t have enough protein in her diet now. Are there any dangers or benefits to a vegetarian diet?” — Joanne** It’s wonderful that your daughter has your full support, but ensuring […]

By Judy Davie **”I just can’t seem to get full. I’m constantly hungry, but any weight-loss supplements tend to make my moods swing badly. Can you suggest anything to help me please?” — Mary** Weight loss supplements often contain certain ingredients that claim to suppress the appetite, boost metabolism, burn fat or control cravings. Common […]

I used to think that eating less made me lose weight. Since doing some study on exercise science recently, I found out that too few calories actually brings about weight loss through muscle depletion, not fat loss. If you don’t consume enough calories each day for simple functions, your body stores what you eat as […]

By Judy Davie **”I try to make sure I buy healthy packaged food but noticed when I read last month’s fridge audit on your site that some of the products that I buy each week were not that healthy. What should I be looking at when I’m shopping for food?” — Jenny** It’s quite understandable […]

By Judy Davie There are numerous additives used to preserve products, maintain consistency, thicken sauces etc. Many are harmless, but those to be weary of are preservatives, flavouring and colouring. Although manufacturers must use these products minimally, many are known to trigger behavioural disturbances, skin allergies, asthma and migraine headaches in children and sensitive individuals. […]

Oats are very important for heart health — and not just because they taste great and fill and warm you up in winter. Eating oats as part of a healthy diet low in saturated fat can lower your cholesterol, one of the risk factors in heart disease. Oats are also a rich source of soluble […]

Tapping into the power of guided imagery can reduce blood pressure, ease anxiety and more. The theory is, in terms of brain activity, that there isn’t much difference between imagining something and actually experiencing it. Brain scans prove that visualising something — sucking on a lemon, for example — triggers activity in the visual cortex, […]

You can probably recite the obvious habits for good health by heart — don’t smoke, cut down on alcohol and so on. But did you know that singing and cold showers also put time on your side? Try these fun and easy tips today. Be a clown Children are fearless, but as adults we can […]

By Jo McKinnon Getting into exercise after your bub is born is good for your body and your soul. Many a new mum has looked at her post-preggers tummy in shock. What was once a gorgeously round pregnant belly may, after the birth, look more like a deflated beach ball, as taut and toned as […]

By Judy Davie **”My husband wants to lose about 10kg over the next six months. He says he’s going to exercise every day and cut out carbohydrates completely. Is this safe?” — Sophie** If your husband was able to stick to a carb-free diet and exercise every day for six months, he would lose weight […]