1. Blueberries: Sweet blueberries are bursting with antioxidants and phytochemicals that can help sharpen your brain.
2. Leafy greens: Folate and vitamin B6, found in broccoli and kale, help convert tryptophan into serotonin, a brain chemical that boosts your mood and alertness.
3. Salmon, Sardines, and Herring: Oily fish is full of brain boosting omega-3 fatty acids so granny was right: oily fish is the best brain food. In addition to cold water fish (mackerel, salmon, herrings and sardines) good sources of omega 3 for vegetarians include pumpkin seeds, linseeds (flaxseeds) and walnuts.
4. Grape Juice: Drinking red wine in moderation may boost your brain function but since alcohol in excess can slow down the brain’s ability to function properly, antioxidant rich grape juice may be a smarter beverage choice.
5. Whole grains like brown rice: One of the best things you can do to improve your intake of brain boosting nutrients is to switch to brown rice. It’s packed with protein, vitamins and minerals your brain loves.
6. Cranberries: These tasty berries are particularly good for your brain because they are bursting with brain boosting antioxidants. Don’t use cranberry juice as it is usually loaded with sugar.
7. Curcumin: This spice that gives curry its yellow colour can help protect your brain against disease and mental decline.
8. Olive oil: Rich in antioxidants for healthy brain function. The extra-virgin organic variety is best because the oil is produced naturally without chemical treatment.
9. Garlic: This pungent herb is a powerful antioxidant that can also help shake off stress-induced colds and infections. Raw, crushed garlic is best; cooked garlic is less powerful but still benefits circulation. If you prefer to take it in supplement form I use a special garlic in the clinic called Aged Garlic which has been used in over 550 clinic trials for lowering cholesterol and homocysteine, liver detoxification, anti-candidia, immune-boosting and anti-stress. Call 0845 8800915 for more information.
10. Brazil nuts: Brazil nuts are the highest known food source of selenium (one Brazil nut contains 50mcg – 100mcg of selenium, depending on the selenium content of the soil in which it is grown). Selenium, a powerful antioxidant, is concentrated in the brain and is an important nutrient for brain function.

Q: How can I stay away from sweets when I have a really big sweet tooth? I’m finding it really hard.

A: The reason you have a sugar addiction in the first place is because you eat too much sugar. When you eat sugar your body tends to overproduce insulin. This excess insulin causes your blood sugar to drop. Your body then craves more sugar in order to raise your blood sugar level back to normal. You find yourself caught in a vicious circle.

The only way out of this never-ending sugar addiction roller coaster is to break the cycle – that means eliminating sugar from your diet, or at least cutting down on it dramatically. The less you eat, the less you will crave.

Now as you said, it’s not all that easy. The first steps are to eliminate foods containing sugar from your diet, anything with an –ose on the end of the word is a sugar e.g. sucrose, dextrose, maltose, so read the ingredient list carefully. There can be sugar in savoury foods such as tomato ketchup and baked beans.

At the same time, make sure that you eat little and often, not leaving more than three hours without eating as this will stop the roller coaster of blood sugar and reduce the cravings. In order to help your body while you get your blood sugar under control add in a chromium supplement as this mineral is needed for the metabolism of sugar. Avoid chromium in the form of picolinate as this is a synthetic form of chromium and has been linked to DNA damage, liver dysfunction, skin blisters and anaemia (see my book ‘Fat around the Middle’). Chromium polynicotinate is fine.

If you’re taking a good multivitamin and mineral but still find it hard to feel energetic throughout the day it could be time to consider herbs. There is no herbal equivalent to a multivitamin but herbs can help treat symptoms such as anxiety, poor concentration, headaches, insomnia and lack of energy.

For concentration: Ginkgo biloba is the memory herb and studies have shown it can help prevent dementia.

For ageing: Milk thistle is a fantastic herb to help your body get rid of the effects of ageing free radicals.

For anxiety: Valerian and skullcap can help relax your nervous system when you feel anxious and tense. You can take them daily until you start to feel calmer.

For hot flushes: The best herbal supplement for hot flushes is black cohosh. Buy the whole herb in capsules or tincture and get organic where possible. I use a mix of herbs in the clinic containing black cohosh, agnus castus, dong quai, sage and milk thistle; they are contained in Black Cohosh Plus

For headaches: If you get recurring headaches you need to find out why. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you under stress? While you are working out why try taking feverfew everyday.

For mood: Taking St John’s Wort three times a day is a great way to lift your mood. Studies have shown that it is effective as an antidepressant, as long as you are NOT on any other medication, especially the pill or HRT. If stress or tiredness are contributing to your low mood try taking rhodiola daily for four weeks.

For weight loss: The best way to lose weight is to eat healthily and exercise more but some herbs, such as as green tea extract could help rev up your metabolism to help you burn more calories.