Q: I’m confused. I recently heard experts saying that drinking 8 glasses of water a day isn’t essential for good health but I always thought it was. Do I need to be drinking so much?

A: According to Dan Negouianu and Dr Stanley Goldfarb from the University of Pennsylvania who recently published their research in the Journal of the American Society of Nephronology there is no solid evidence that drinking plenty of pure water is good for your skin, wards off weight gain or helps rid the body of toxins.

 

I beg to differ and so does the British Dietetic Association which says that the typical woman needs around two litres (6-8 glasses) of water a day. Numerous studies back up the undoubted health benefits of drinking plenty of water and time and time again in my clinic I’ve seen the health, weight and mood of my patients improve when they increase their water intake. Most of us simply do not drink enough and rely on nutrient depleting and dehydrating teas, coffees, soft fizzy drinks and even alcohol for our fluid intake. Up to 75 per cent of your body weight is made up of water and water is needed to keep every organ in your body functioning at optimum levels. It’s also essential for hormone balance and for keeping bloating at bay. Drinking plenty of water therefore makes perfect sense and although I don’t recommend drinking water all day long I do recommend drinking at least 6 glasses of water a day for optimum health and well being. Remember, waiting until you are thirsty to drink isn’t good enough because thirst is a sign that dehydration has already set in so carrying a water bottle with you at all times is advised.

Q: I suffer from a rather embarrassing problem and it gets worse in the summer. I sweat excessively under my arms. I don’t want to put chemicals into my skin but unless I use a hard core deodorant, I get terrible body odour and sweat so much that I have to change my clothes. Are there any natural ways to deal with this problem?

A: Although sweating is perfectly normal, naturally and necessary as it’s your body’s way of getting rid of toxins and cooling you down when you are over heated, I can understand why you feel distressed as excessive sweating is an embarrassing condition. There are a number of causes and these include hormone imbalances, which often occur around the menopause, anxiety or an underlying disease.

 

If an hormonal imbalance is causing your problem may I suggest that you try the herb agnus castus. If anxiety is a contributory factor, I would suggest either herb passiflora or Siberian ginseng. Relaxation techniques such as yoga to calm your nerves, increase circulation and reduce stress can also be helpful.  To make sure that your sweating isn’t linked to an underlying condition, such as heart disease, diabetes, thyroid problems and other illness that cause excessive perspiration, do be sure to speak to your doctor to have these ruled out.

 

Also bear in mind that hot flushes are common in women approaching the menopause. This is thought to be due to lack of oestrogen affecting the region of the brain that controls body temperature. The herb black cohosh could be helpful for this stage of your life (see the Resources Page for herbs).

 

As far as your diet is concerned you should ensure that it is as fresh and whole food as possible. Reduce your caffeine intake and substitute tea and coffee with herbal teas such as chamomile or cooling peppermint. Eat little, regular meals as the heat generated by the process of digesting a large amount of food can sometimes bring on a flush or sweat. A good multivitamin and mineral is a good investment in your health and you may also want to add in a good vitamin B complex supplement to nurture your adrenal glands and build up your resistance to stress – another cause of excessive sweating.  (I use the multivitamin and mineral MenoPlus which contains good amounts of the B vitamins and well as magnesium, which is known as nature’s tranquiliser.)

 

As well as stress; exercise, alcohol, smoking and spicy food can make sweating worse. Being overweight is another trigger so if you’ve got weight to lose then slimming down may well help. This is because obesity places an insulating layer around your body that stops heat leaving and results in more sweating. If none of these common causes applies to you then some people simply have a tendency to sweat more than others.

 

It goes without saying that personal hygiene is essential so showering or washing with natural soap first thing in the morning and before you go to bed at night is essential. Keep a small spritzer bottle handy, filled with witch hazel, three drops of lavender essential oil and three drops of peppermint essential oil. Lightly mist yourself during the day when you feel hot and sticky. Also use an absorbent natural body powder and wear clothes made from natural, breathable fibres such as cotton.

 

There are many natural products on the market that work as well as deodorants so experiment with these. I know it is tempting to use regular antiperspirants and deodorants but I strongly advise against doing so as the chemicals they contain place an unwanted burden on your body and some studies have even linked them to an increased risk of breast cancer. They also contain aluminium which has been linked to an increased risk of dementia. The answer is to search for chemical free, aluminium free deodorant from a health food shop. A natural deodorant will not be as effective against sweating but it will stop the odour. Crystal rock deodorants, work well in some cases.

Q: My aunt suffers from terrible osteoporosis and having seen her suffering I don’t want to head down the same road. Please could you tell me what essential nutrients I need to be eating to keep my bones healthy and strong?

A: Our bodies need a wide range of different nutrients, vitamins and minerals to maintain healthy bones, so as well as eating a healthy diet I do recommend taking a quality multi vitamin and mineral every day to ensure against deficiencies.

The most important nutrients for your bones are without doubt calcium, magnesium and vitamin D so be sure that you eat foods rich in these nutrients.  Trace minerals such as boron and manganese also play a role in calcium metabolism. Vitamin B6 is also used to provide tensile strength and structure of proteins in bone tissue.

Calcium is the key component of bone, and essential for bone health throughout our lives, regardless or our age, sex and lifestyle. Calcium is found in dairy products but don’t forget that you can also get plenty of calcium from dark green leafy vegetables, like broccoli, fish with bones, tofu, nuts, seeds and oranges.

Vitamin D is necessary for healthy bones and teeth because it helps maintain blood levels of calcium, which it does by increasing calcium absorption and uptake from food, as well as controlling how much calcium we lose in our urine. When more calcium is needed than is available to us in our diet, Vitamin D transfers calcium from our bones to our bloodstream. Much of our vitamin D is synthesised in our skin on exposure to sunlight – however we may also need additional supplies in our diet. Dietary traces of Vitamin D include: avocado, egg yolks, butter and fish oil.

Like vitamin D, magnesium is essential for calcium to be absorbed properly in our bodies and bone density to be maintained. About 60% of the magnesium in our body can be found in our bones. Good dietary sources are artichokes, nuts, beans and shellfish.   (I use OsteoPlus in the clinic which contains calcium, magnesium, boron, zinc, vitamin D and digestive enzyme to maximise absorption.)

 

Finally, as well as eating a healthy, bone building diet a regular exercise programme is crucial for warding off osteoporosis. This is because the more physically active we are, the more bone we will build. Aim for a minimum of 30 minutes exercise five times a week.