The cost of living has risen sharply, and health care has become particularly expensive. Staying fit, preventing disease and coping with ailments before they become serious are things that we can all do to save money during the tough times.

We are what we eat
Take a look at the recommended eating plans in the Balanced diet centre to find practical eating plans for weight loss, adjusting to seasonal changes and finding more energy to get through the day. For more detailed advice, write in to DietDoc for a personal reply to your nutrition questions.

Wise use of supplements
Vitamins are vital to maintaining good health, and in a perfect world we would get all the micronutrients we need from the food we eat. But vitamins are often broken down in the cooking process, or degrade while fruit and vegetables lie under lights, or in cold storage. Supplements seem like an easy answer, but taking them incorrectly can cancel out their nutritional value, and may even have a negative effect on our health.

Write in to the Vital vitamin expert for some sound advice on how to use supplements for optimum health benefits.

The natural way
Fruits, vegetables and plant extracts form the basis of many medications, and there are many natural remedies that can be used for common ailments.

Read what the Natural health expert has to say about many natural options, such as:

• use of natural remedies to treat mild depression
• whether peppermint oil used correctly can relieve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• the health properties of green tea
• natural hormone supplements for relieving the symptoms of menopause
• natural remedies to combat hairloss

Read more:
Healthy foods
10 immune system boosters

(Joanne Hart, Health24, November 2009)