Sugar is a major problem in Western societies. It causes obesity, street violence (in association with alcohol), and endless ill health.

A spoonful of sugar is the problem not the medicine

Because of the power of the weight-loss industry, many believe that a diet aimed at lowing the GI (Glycemic Index) of foods consumed is all about losing weight. It isn’t — although that’s one of the effects.

For example, do you experience mood swings, mental fuzziness or memory lapses? In the absence of brain disease, you are probably suffering from high blood sugar. The condition often leads to Type 2 diabetes, which affects cells’ sensitivity to insulin.

Adopting a low GI program is the way out of this vicious cycle.

Foods like fresh (not processed) meats, chicken, fish, oils, eggs and cheese don’t appear in GI lists because they don’t immediately raise blood sugar and provoke an alarming insulin response. They do, however, contribute to total calorie intake, so should be eaten in sensible quantities.

We’ll be discussing this in more detail in future posts, so to begin with, here’s a list of low GI foods and their index in ascending value.

Low GI foods
Roasted and salted peanuts 14
Low-fat yoghurt with sweetener 14
Cherries 22
Grapefruit 25
Pearl barley 25
Red lentils 26
Whole milk 27
Dried apricots 31
Butter beans 31
Skimmed milk 32
Low-fat fruit yoghurt 33
Wholemeal spaghetti 37
Apples 38
Pears 38
Tomato soup, canned 38
Apple juice, unsweetened 40
All Bran 42
Chick peas, canned 42
Peaches 42
Porridge made with water 42
Lentil soup 44
Oranges 44
Green grapes 46
Orange juice 46
Peas 48
Baked beans in tomato sauce 48
Carrots, boiled 49
Kiwi fruit 52
Stoneground wholemeal bread 53
Special K 54
Banana 55
Raw oatbran 55
Sweetcorn 55

To balance your blood sugar naturally, feel great, and increase your energy levels, a low GI diet is the way to go.

We have a natural disinclination to drink water from the domestic hot supply. Yet many offices use the hot water on-tap to make coffee or tea.

Why the hesitancy, and is this just an old wive’s tale? Actually, there is a lot of substance in our reluctance.

Many older properties still have lead or copper pipes to deliver the water supply. Hot water dissolves copper and lead more quickly than cold.

Lead damages the brain and nervous system.

Copper contamination can cause liver and kidney deterioration.

So never drink water from the domestic hot water supply.

Conjunctivitis, while not life threatening, is a socially-inhibiting condition because problems with the eyes make us feel uncomfortable in company.

Classic symptoms of conjunctivitis

The symptoms include,

* Eyelids stuck shut when you wake up in the morning (classic symptom)
* Uncomfortable, thick yellow or green discharge (often a bacterial infection)
* Thin, clear drainage from the eye (often a viral infection or an allergic reaction)
* Itching, burning, or feels like sand in your eye (often a viral infection or an allergic reaction).

Here’s a quick sideways treatment :

1. Boil up a couple of pints of water, then allow to cool. Add one tablespoon of boric acid — which you should be able to get from most pharmacies.

2. Dip some cotton-wool in the liquid and gently rinse the eye.

3. Brew up some camomile tea bags — camomile has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. Allow to cool.

4. Place the still-moist bags on each closed eye for 10 minutes. Repeat every two hours.

This procedure should alleviate the condition without the use of drugs or mercury-based ointments.

Most of us know that our nails can tell us a lot about our state of health. But do we know how?

Charlotte Vohtz nails the subject in her book, Naturally Gorgeous, Essential Health and Beauty Secrets.

Here are eight tips from the book.

1. White spots or flecks on nails indicate a zinc deficiency, which may have many causes — too much alcohol or even side effects from taking the contraceptive pill.

2. Ridged or brittle nails may highlight a calcium deficiency or lack of vitamin A.

3. Cracked or broken nails — in the absence of any other reason such as heavy manual work — may show up a lack of fluids. Dehydration can cause many conditions including blocked sinuses.

4. Nails which split easily may indicate a lack of fatty acids in the diet.

5. Dryness and very rounded and curved ends could be a lack of vitamin B12, which may be linked to an iron deficiency.

6. For super-healthy nails make half your diet consist of fresh fruit and vegetables, some raw. This will boost your intake of vitamins, minerals and enzymes.

7. Add foods rich in sulphur and silicon, like fish, broccoli and onions. Also foods high in biotin, such as soya and whole grains.

8. Foods like wild seaweed (kelp tablets will do), which contain iodine for the thyroid gland, an organ that plays a part in the growth of nails, hair, skin and teeth.