Not Another Cold Sore: Oh the Horror

from: http://www.bakersfield.com/news/columnist/schultz/x1997183852/VALERIE-SCHULTZ...

Here's a brief diary of one of the more horrible cycles of life:

Day One: There's a tingling feeling on my lip that feels vaguely familiar . . . Oh no. Please don't be a cold sore. Maybe I can think it away. Maybe if I ignore it, it won't happen . . .

Day Two: Dang, I knew it. It's a cold sore. It's in early formation, swollen and tender, and I need to face it with dignity and grace.

Day Three: Maybe this one won't be so bad.

Day Four: It's bad. It's very visible, even with makeup. Maybe prayer will help.

Day Five: Don't want to leave the house. There is an alien on my lower lip.

Day Six: A painful alien that cracks open if I smile, talk, or breathe. It's mutating.

Day Seven: On top of being repulsive, it hurts. Why did God create viruses that severely disfigure human faces?

Day Eight: Everywhere I go, people are looking at my goopy, disgusting lip. I'm grossing myself out.

Day Nine: Is it getting bigger, or smaller?

Day Ten: A little smaller. Need a little less makeup today.

Day Eleven: Almost time to think about breaking this new habit of talking with my hand covering my mouth.

Day Twelve: The horror is fading. The cycle is ending. Until the next outbreak. I never want to do this again: I will take every preventive measure this time. I mean it!

Someone who has never had a cold sore may wonder if I am exaggerating the magnitude of its harrowing effects. Anyone who has suffered through the cold sore cycle, however, knows exactly what I'm saying.

Cold sores, also known as fever blisters, are defined by the Mayo Clinic's website as "fluid-filled lesions caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 infection." I know: nasty things. Hope you're not eating breakfast as you read the paper, because any definition starting with the words "fluid-filled lesions" is pretty nauseating.

The word "herpes" is also a red flag in polite conversation. The genital kind of herpes is actually caused by the type 2 virus, although this is scant consolation to someone plagued with a cold sore.

Although 70 percent of the population worldwide is infected with herpes simplex virus type 1, many people never experience the viciousness of a flare-up. Once the virus is present in the body, it can be triggered by fever, stress, fatigue, menstruation or exposure to the sun: in other words, my so-called life.

Over the years, cold sores have appeared on and around my mouth just in time for job interviews, family photos and holiday gatherings. I developed an unsightly bloom the first (and only) time I ever presented a talk at a conference. My most recent lip explosion has coincided with the stressful wait for an expected layoff letter from my employer, which, mercifully, did not come after all. At least, not this time around.

A lot of people must struggle with the affliction of occasional cold sores, because there is actually a website with the inviting name of 'coldsores.com'. It includes definitions, descriptions, graphs, photos (ick), and a detailed critique of available treatments, both prescription and over-the-counter, as well as ineffective home remedies. I was amazed by how many treatments I had actually tried over the years: topical tea tree oil. Lysine supplements. Ice packs. Anti-viral medication. Every ointment ever marketed. Unfortunately, once a cold sore decides to erupt, there is no instant relief, no magic bullet, no miracle elixir of happiness. It has to run its poisonous course.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health have helpfully named the five stages of the cold sore cycle. They are the Tingling Stage, the Blister Stage, the Weeping Stage, the Scabbing Stage, and the Healing Stage. Just the names induce misery. They are pretty much as described above. But the official stages fail to capture the way a cold sore takes over your life.

Even though you try to reassure yourself that other people aren't really looking at you that closely, that the makeup you spent 20 minutes applying is truly covering the oozing mess, that your life is about far more than the superficial, there is always that one co-worker, family member, or friend who just has to point out the obvious: "Geez. That's some cold sore you got there." And right then, you cancel your evening plans. It's better not to be seen in this state of ugliness. You feel like a Superfund toxic cleanup site. Such is the tyranny of the cold sore.

In the long run, it's a silly vanity: Lord knows, it's not like a cold sore is my lone physical imperfection. But I only have this sense of perspective because I've made it once again to the Healing Stage. I am trying to eat better, get enough sleep, slather my lips with high-SPF lip balm against the sun, de-stress with thoughts of serenity, peace, love and light. My lip is patching itself back together. Repairing my self-esteem may take a few days longer.

These are the opinions of Valerie Schultz, not necessarily those of The Californian. Email her at vschultz22@gmail.com.

Got Winter Pains? How to Fix Dome Winter Body Woes

from: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/02/02/7-sneaky-causes-winter-pain/?test=pa...

Freezing temperatures, icy winds and slippery snow aren’t just bone-chilling: They can also wreak havoc on your body in surprising—and avoidable—ways.

From sadness to eye strain, backaches to foot pain, here are seven ways that the winter can make your body ache, and what to do to feel better fast.

1. Dry winter air
Is there a more frustrating—and uncomfortable—winter woe than dry skin? Our skin is hydrated in two ways: from the healthy fats and water we ingest and by drawing in moisture from the air. But when the air gets drier, there’s less for your skin and lips to absorb, making chapped, flaky skin seem all but inevitable.

Licking your lips makes the problem worse, and can trigger other issues, such as painful cold sores. What’s worse, rough, dehydrated skin can ultimately crack or bleed if it’s not cared for correctly, leading the way to a potential infection.

The Fix: “Develop the habit of caring for your skin on a daily basis,” says Dr. Barbara Doty, a family physician based in Wasilla, Alaska, and an American Academy of Family Physicians board member. “Have easy access to lip balm, use a good moisturizer—especially after showering or bathing—and avoid excessive use of soap.”

Moisturizer doesn’t just soften your dry skin; it helps fight inflammation caused by winter weather, which keeps it healthier.

2. Shoveling snow

Anyone who’s been through a snowy winter knows that moving the white stuff can cause back, shoulder, and chest pain. And the wetter the show is, the heavier it gets. “Shoveling puts strain on your heart,” says Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, a board-certified internal medicine doctor based in Atlanta, Ga., and a past president of the American College of Physicians.

“If you have heart problems, get someone else to do it for you.” But all of us should be careful: there are about 11,500 people treated for snow-shoveling injuries each year, according to a recent study in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine.

The Fix:
If you have to shovel, be sure to wear a hat, gloves, and waterproof shoes—and use your legs, rather than your back, when you bend down to clear it. “It’s best to push snow rather than lift it—and try to get an ergonomically designed shovel,” says Fryhofer.

An ergonomic shovel is lightweight with a curved shaft, which will help you keep your back upright. “There’s a lot of weight at the end of the shovel, which is not close to your body,” says Doty. “Pick up smaller [portions] of the snow, which will give you less weight per shovel.” Also, try to shovel in both directions—people tend to shovel in one direction repetitively across the body, which can cause strain.

3. Dimmer days
One surprising side effect or shorter—and grayer—days? Headaches, which are a potential sign of seasonal affective disorder, says Dr. Laura Knobel, a family doctor in Walpole, Mass., and a member of the board of directors for the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Changes in barometric pressure, which occur when a storm is moving in or away from you—not to mention simply very cold weather—can also trigger migraines in some people, says Knobel. Finally, less sunlight also means less vitamin D.

D deficiency has been linked to an increase in headaches in the fall and winter, say researchers in a recent Journal of Headache and Pain study.

The Fix: “If the headaches are due to a lack of sun, natural spectrum lights can make a big difference for some people,” says Knobel, because these lights best mimic natural daylight.

Using garden-grow lights to cultivate plants indoors can also provide relief, especially if you have the winter blues. “Seeing the seedlings grow can give you hope that spring is on its way,” she adds.

4. Dehydration
You may faithfully tote around a water bottle during warmer months, but remember that staying hydrated in the winter is just as important. “People don’t drink as much water in the winter because it’s harder to handle liquids with gloves on, and people are distracted with trying to stay warm in the winter,” says Doty.

But not drinking enough water can make you feel achier because it keeps your body from effectively processing waste products, she adds.

The Fix:
Do your best to stay on top of your water intake, and avoid relying on warm, caffeinated drinks like coffee or black and green tea. “People drink caffeinated beverages, which are a diuretic, and then their bodies are at a deficit,” says Doty. Good old H2O is what you need here.

5. Cold season
You probably don’t have to go farther than your own living room to know that winter is the time of year when most of us catch colds and flus—and the dry air can make matters even worse.

“In winter, nasal passages get plugged more easily, and with a lot more mucous, it can get irritated down in the back of your throat, which means you can’t clear it as well,” says Doty.

The Fix:
Flu season ends in early spring, says Fryhofer, so it’s not too late to get your annual flu shot if you haven’t gotten yours already. For soothing an already-sore throat, try these natural remedies and be sure to get enough rest.

6. Icy conditions

Walking on ice is a balancing act for even the most dextrous among us—and you may find yourself yourself unconsciously tensing your body to brace yourself for a fall. This can take a toll on your muscles, making you feel achier at the end of the day—and more likely to injure yourself.

“If you are tense while walking on ice and you slip, you are more apt to pull a muscle than if you fell while you were more relaxed,” says Knobel.

The Fix: “Be conscious of your body tension and try to address it,” says Doty. “On ice, the safest thing to do is a shuffle step without lifting your feet.” Also, make sure your footwear is sensible and comfortable. “Some people’s boots have very poor arch support, and people can have pain from wearing them all day long,” she adds.

7. Whirling dirt
Blustery winds carrying dirt and sand can irritate and dry out your eyes, causing painful stinging and tearing. “Because of the winter conditions, there’s more particulate matter that flies around,” says Doty. “Between the dry air and the dust, it tends to be an irritant to the eye.”

The Fix:
Consider using drops that help your eyes stay moisturized and refreshed—and be sure to keep your sunglasses handy all winter long: They do a good job shielding your eyes from both winter sun glare and flying grit.

Conversion Camping Tips

from: http://ecotourism.etravelnetpro.com/benefits-of-ecotourism/conversion-van-cam...

Conversion van tenting does not give you the luxury of life in an RV, nor the discomfort of sleeping in a tent. It can be robust to soundly warmth a van at night, but it’s low-cost compared to an RV, and you’ll go places they cannot. We spent greater than 25 nights sleeping in our conversion van final year.

Life In A Conversion Van

Make your van into something that’s useable for you, particularly if it should be your residence for days or even weeks at a time. For my spouse and I, this meant having house to maneuver around. We took out the 2 center seats which, I satisfied Ana, would be good armchairs for the dwelling room. Then we had sufficient space for dressing or cooking. The bench-seat in back folds out into a comfortable bed, so we had been all set for camping.

When touring, you need a system of group to keep your space contained in the van livable. After our first long journey, we noticed the various things we never used. We bought more efficient after that. We’re also able to maintain the space open, regardless of carrying many things, by using plastic storage tubs you should purchase nearly anywhere. They stack well, and for those who want extra room at night time, you can put them on the roof. They’re rainproof with the lids snapped on.

Heating A Conversion Van

Camping in a van can be cold at instances, because it was for us in the deserts of Arizona final winter. We began the van and cranked up the heater from time to time, however just for transient periods. The danger of carbon monoxide poisoning is just too great to leave the car working while you’re sleeping.

We also cooked to heat up the van. Our propane camp range burned very clean. Any time it was cold, it was time to prepare dinner dinner, breakfast, or tea. This heated up the van nicely. Again, because of carbon monoxide, I wouldn’t recommend ever sleeping with a propane burner going. Still, typically a quick warm-up is all you need earlier than you crawl underneath the blankets for the night.

The secret to heating a conversion van when tenting is to provide up. Enjoy dinner time heat-ups, however until you’ve got electric energy, I don’t know of a protected way to heat a van all night. Instead, you may warmth yourselves. Put on heat clothing. Carry more blankets than you suppose you’ll need. Prepare a thermos bottle stuffed with sizzling coffee each night time, so it is going to be waitng for you in the morning. You get to warm the van while you make it, and heat up yourselves ingesting it for breakfast.

Advantages Of Conversion Van Camping

Touring and tenting in a conversion van costs less than in an RV. The preliminary price is quite a bit much less if you buy used, as we did, and the price of driving it is substantialy less. We averaged 18 miles per gallon on our final cross-country trip. Most leisure autos are lucky to get half of that, and they’re very costly to maintain.

In contrast with tent camping, a van is far more comfortable. Even if you backpack, you’re probably going to drive some sort of automotive to wherever you go. With a van, you may come inside if it starts to rain. If you happen to’re backpacking a great distance from residence, it can save you on motels on the drive to and from the trailhead.

Tenting will be extra snug in an RV, but not in all ways. It is nice, for instance, to park anywhere. We have taken naps in parking lots, and no one was the wiser, due to tinted home windows, curtains, and the inconspicuousness of a van. At a free campground in Florida we acquired one of the best spot, on a bank overlooking Lake Talquin, as a result of our van was small enough to suit there, unlike most of the RVs.

It’s nice to have the ability to drive anywhere. Within the conversion van, tenting wherever we’re when it will get darkish is not any problem. Lastly, some bigger RVs drag a automotive around because the massive rig simply isn’t sensible for daily driving. Our coversion van is a second residence AND our main automobile for shopping or going to work. That’s flexibilty.

This post is written by Luis Garcia 7, he is a web enthusiast and ingenious blogger who loves to write about many different topics, such as polo shirt embroidery. His educational background in journalism and family science has given him a broad base from which to approach many topics, including custom polo shirts and many others. He enjoys experimenting with various techniques and topics like polo shirts with logo, and has a love for creativity. He has a really strong passion for scouring the internet in search of inspiational topics.

Cold Sores... Down There

from; http://www.csindy.com/colorado/advice-goddess/Content?oid=2412299

Blister wonderful

I'm starting to have feelings for this guy friend I've been fooling around with, but I'm worried he isn't feeling the same way. He's stopped short of having full-blown intercourse with me, which I find odd, although I don't want to have sex yet because I have genital herpes and I'm not ready to tell him. (I take an antiviral drug for this daily, and I'd have him wear protection during intercourse.) Do you think he knows I have herpes? Maybe he just isn't interested in me romantically and doesn't want me getting too attached. — Puzzled

When you start to care about somebody, it's nice to give him little romantic gifts — flowers, a gourmet cupcake, a sweet card, weeping genital sores.

Surely you'd tell the guy pronto if you had a cold: "Hey, don't get too close, because you could catch this and have an unpleasant few days." But colds go away. Herpes is forever. Yeah, I know, so are diamonds. But, unlike a mammoth rock on a girl's finger, a big genital pustule isn't anything you want to be showing off to the crew at the office: "Look at it gleam under the fluorescents!"

Genital herpes hasn't always been such a big stigmatized deal — to the point where it's led to the tanking of countless potential relationships. Until the late '70s, it was seen as "cold sores down there" and often not even worthy of a visit to the doctor. Except in rare cases, the physical symptoms are relatively minor. At the first outbreak, especially, it feels a bit like the flu, with fever, headache and muscle aches. There's also tingling and itching, and there can be pain, burning during urination (and don't forget the yucky sores!).

So, what led to all the stigma? The sexual revolution, for starters. In the mid-'70s, with lots of people having lots of sex, genital herpes spread (as probably did the common cold). In 1979, the CDC, seeing the herpes stats rising, got a little hysterical and announced an "epidemic" (of cold sores!), and the media ran with it. In 1980, Time magazine declared herpes "The New Sexual Leprosy," and in 1982, the Miami Herald called it a "cruel disease." "Cruel disease"? Multiple sclerosis is a cruel disease. But, an infection that gives you the itchies and makes you walk funny for a few days? As herpes simplex expert Dr. Adrian Mindel told the Independent in 1987, "For the majority of people herpes is ... nothing more than an occasional nuisance."

The thing is, if you're having an outbreak of your "occasional nuisance" and your naked parts are rubbing against somebody else's naked parts, you could infect him. The risk of transmission may be reduced by daily antiviral treatment and condom use — provided there are no contagious areas outside the condom zone. But, you can be in a contagious stage and not know it. Of the approximately 1 in 6 U.S. adults ages 14 to 48 who have genital herpes, 80 percent don't show visible symptoms, says herpes researcher Dr. Anna Wald. Research by Wald and her colleagues found that even when herpes carriers showed no symptoms, they were contagious 10 percent of the time. Of course, that's on average. Wald explained to me that there's a range: "Some people may be contagious 1 percent of the time, and others 30 percent, but we don't have a good way to predict who is who."

Putting this guy at risk for herpes without giving him any choice in the matter was not only unfair but pretty dumb. For many people, the betrayal is the biggest problem. If you tell somebody before he fools around with you and maybe pull a fact sheet off the Internet to allay his fears, he'll be less likely to ditch you, and he won't have the rage he would at being unwittingly exposed. To launch the conversation, maybe say something like "Ever gotten a cold sore? I get them sometimes ... but not on my lip!" And then, as datingwithherpes.org advises, don't say "I have herpes," which makes you sound like you're having an outbreak right then. Instead, say "I carry the virus for herpes" and explain how often you have outbreaks ... which should make it sound more like a manageable annoyance than the guy's ticket to a lifetime of Crusty Pustules Anonymous meetings.

NOTE: There are press reports, tracing back to the respected Herpes Viruses Association of the U.K., that drug company Burroughs Wellcome caused the initial stigmatization of people with herpes by marketing the stigma to sell its drug. The association could provide me no evidence supporting its accusation, nor could I find any in 51 years of newspaper and journal articles (from 1960 to 2011). I'm very much for going after drug companies for malfeasance, but not in the absence of evidence they've committed any.

Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or e-mail adviceamy@aol.com (advicegoddess.com). Alkon is the author of I See Rude People: One Woman's Battle To Beat Some Manners Into Impolite Society.

Hiding Cold Sores Until They Are Gone

from: http://m.theglobeandmail.com/life/fashion-and-beauty/beauty/ask-a-beauty-expe...

The question
Every winter I get hit with attack after attack of cold sores that take forever to heal and are hideous. What can I do to minimize the healing time while covering them up?

The answer
Cold sores are not only painful but also embarrassing, so I can understand wanting to cover them up. You should know, however, that they will take longer to heal that way. Reducing daily stress and eating a healthy, balanced diet will help the healing process (and prevent frequent breakouts generally), but if you’re looking to heal and cover one up immediately, try the Polysporin Cold Sore Healing Patch.

These transparent patches have hydrocolloid to treat the sore and adhere to the skin invisibly, so you won’t have a glob of shiny medicated balm hanging off your face. Big bonus with these: You can wear makeup over them without disrupting the healing cycle, so you can cover up the cold sore with a little foundation and/ or lipstick.

Bahar Niramwalla is a celebrity makeup artist and beauty specialist on The Marilyn Denis Show on CTV. Have a beauty question? E-mail style@globeandmail.com.

Is There A Cold Sore Gene?

I was very interested to see this medical report.. I have always thought that I must have a cold sore gene since I often get these ugly blisters whereas my husband never gets them. Is this fair? Why are some people pre-disposed to having cold sores?

I found the report here: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/news/20111118/gene-may-be-l...
By Denise Mann WebMD Health News Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

Gene May Be Linked to Frequent Cold Sores Study Suggests Some People May Have a Genetic Predisposition to Repeated Cold Sores

Nov. 18, 2011 -- Most of us have had an occasional cold sore, but some people get the painful, unsightly sores over and over again. These cold sores, which tend to appear on or around the lips, are caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1).

Exactly why they occur more frequently in some people was not known, but now new research suggests some of us may have a genetic predisposition to frequent, severe cold sores.

The study is published in the Journal of Infectious Disease.

If the new findings are validated in other groups of people and researchers can zero in on exactly how a gene increases cold sore risk, new treatments won't be far behind, says study researcher John D. Kriesel, MD. He is an infectious disease specialist at the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City.

Cold Sore Gene

Kriesel and colleagues narrowed down their search to one specific gene called C21orf91, which the researchers also call the cold sore susceptibility gene 1.

But "genes only account for 21% of susceptibility to cold sores, the rest of the risk is environmental," Kriesel says. Outbreak triggers may include sun, wind, trauma, or stress.

As of now, many people who get frequent cold sores are treated with antiviral medication that targets HSV-1. These can be taken to prevent an outbreak or to shorten an existing one. Oral antiviral medications include acyclovir (Zovirax), famciclovir (Famvir), and valacyclovir (Valtrex).

"This research may help us predict who is vulnerable to getting cold sores frequently. And the hope is that it will lead directly to new therapies," says infectious disease specialist Bruce Hirsch, MD.

"Anywhere from 50% to 100% of us have this virus and only a third get cold sores frequently. That is intriguing," he says. Hirsch is an attending physician at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y.

Read the rest of this article here: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/news/20111118/gene-may-be-l...

Surviving Winter

from; http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/9352996.Diet_is_key_to_keeping_healthy_th...

FROM avoiding chocolate to drinking red wine, the list of food-related suggestions from so-called health experts is long and often contradictory.

Yet, as winter arrives and the annual calorie fest looms, there’s never been a better time to think about what we’re eating and how it’s affecting our health.

“In the run-up to Christmas, our bodies have a multitude of attacks to deal with,” says Lucy Jones, registered dietician and presenter of Channel 4’s new health show, The Food Hospital. “Besides the usual colds and flu, we’re also well known for abusing our bodies, with poor dietary changes and increased alcohol consumption.”

To shed some light on how food affects our bodies, Channel 4 has examined the science behind using food as medicine. It’s perfect timing for those worried about their immune systems ahead of the party season. “This is known as the age of the dietician.

Over the past 10 years, people have developed a real fascination with the way that diet can influence our health,” says Jones. From asthma to varicose veins, the series shows how, by eating and avoiding certain foods, you can ease the symptoms. Oily fish apparently helps asthmatics, while anyone with varicose veins should steer clear of white bread and other refined foods.

“We’re not trying to promote nutrition as an alternative to medicine — people should always still go to their GP. But we’re showing that there’s a lot you can do to help your condition,” adds Jones.

“Food impacts on the workings of every single cell in our body because it’s our fuel, so every bit of cell renewal, every bit of metabolism, will be affected by what you eat.” The presenting team, including Dr Gio Miletto, a GP, and gastrointestinal surgeon Dr Shaw Somers, also aims to debunk some of the myths about healthy eating, from overdosing on socalled “superfoods”, such as blueberries and goji berries, to relying heavily on supplements.

“You should be able to get everything you need from a healthy, balanced diet,” says Jones. Give your body a boost and prevent or cure some of the most common health complaints of the season with Lucy Jones’s top tips.

Bloating Cause: A lack of dietary fibre can lead to a build-up of gas in the stomach, as food sits and ferments rather than being digested. Bloating can also be caused by stress, owing to changes in the digestion of foods. Some people are also sensitive to “fermentable carbohydrates” — known for their gas-producing properties.

Advice: Aim to spread meals evenly throughout the day and eat slowly and calmly. Limit alcohol, keep well hydrated to avoid constipation, which encourages bloating, and consume lots of fibre to keep your bowels moving. Eat fruit, vegetables, pulses such as beans and lentils, oats and wholegrains, avoiding fatty foods. Some people may find certain healthy foods which easily ferment, such as apples and leeks, worsen their symptoms.

Indigestion/heartburn Cause:
Stomach acid refluxing back into the food pipe (oesophagus) can cause a burning feeling. Stress can increase the amount of acid produced and being overweight also makes people susceptible.

Advice: Big meals, fatty foods, smoking, fizzy drinks and alcohol cause the valve at the top of our stomach to relax, which accounts for the massive increase in heartburn at Christmas time. Avoid eating too much at any one time and don’t eat for the two hours before bed. Vegetables offer protective nutrients, which can help repair the damage caused to your oesophagus from heartburn.

Cold Sores Cause:
The herpes simplex virus, with attacks triggered by a range of factors including stress.

Advice:

Try to keep your immune system strong by eating a nutrient-rich diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, sleeping properly and taking regular exercise. Avoid the temptation to overindulge in sweets. Some people find increasing their intake of lysine — found in fish, chicken, eggs and potatoes — or taking lysine supplements helps to reduce the number of attacks. But these supplements could also raise cholesterol, so consult your GP before changing your diet.

Stress Cause:
Stress is a natural phenomenon that gives us our fight or flight response, but chronic stress is damaging to health and increases the risk of illness and chronic disease.

Advice: Stress hormones make you crave fatty and sugary foods — but these can distort your blood sugar levels, leading to spikes in energy levels and mood. Consuming a low glycaemic index (GI) diet can help to keep your blood sugars stable. Consider including more grains, nuts and seeds in your diet. Also, remember that a diet low in B vitamins and iron can leave you feeling exhausted and unable to cope, so beef up the wholegrains and green leafy vegetables. Also eat two brazil nuts a day for selenium, as low levels are linked to low mood.

Insomnia Cause:
Trouble falling or staying asleep is closely linked to stress and can be caused by various illnesses and medications.

Advice: Avoid having excess caffeine, from the afternoon onwards and alcohol, which causes broken sleep, and try having a high carbohydrate snack or hot milk shortly before bed as this can help stimulate insulin production. Eat plenty of magnesium-rich foods, such as almonds, cashews, bananas and dried apricots, as deficiency causes insomnia.

Colds and flu Cause:
The change in weather means spending more time indoors and this increases the risk of catching colds and flu from others.

Advice: Eat plenty of vitamin C (citrus, tomatoes, berries, kiwi and pineapple) and zinc (seafood, dairy, eggs, poultry and nuts) to keep your immune system strong. Garlic has anti-viral properties so is a great food for keeping colds and flu at bay.
Also, keep well hydrated as it is common to urinate more and sweat when you are unwell, so extra fluids are vital. Hot drinks can help to ease chest symptoms, so keep a steady flow going. And the old adage about chicken soup is true — its anti-inflammatory properties help to reduce the symptoms of respiratory infections.

Hangover Cause:
Excess drinking! Alcohol is a diuretic causing dehydration. It makes blood vessels constrict, inflames the stomach and triggers low blood sugar.

Advice: A sports drink containing sugar and salt (it’s very easy to make your own rehydration drink) can help ease some of the symptoms. A low-fat cooked breakfast with orange juice for vitamin C, wholegrain toast for stabilisation of blood sugars and eggs for cysteine is also ideal.

A study published by the Journal Of Inflammation Research found that cysteine, an amino acid found in eggs, breaks down the hangover. It’s best to have them boiled or poached rather than fried in fat

. ● The Food Hospital: Simple, Delicious Recipes For A Healthy Life, by Dr Gio Miletto, Lucy Jones and Dr Shaw Somers is published by Michael Joseph, priced £16.99 ● The Food Hospital is on Channel 4 on Tuesdays