Cider vinegar is surprisingly good for you, according to health experts and long-term devotees.

You may shudder at the taste of vinegar — a surprising number of people, especially children, do — but it really is good for you.

Image by Syntagma Photographic

Cider vinegar taken with meals will reduce your blood pressure just as it’s likely to rise.

A shot of the liquid, twice a day, cuts out cravings and helps the body digest food.

Cider vinegar is deemed preferable to other forms, like malt, wine and balsamic, because it is said to have added health benefits, such as antioxidants, as well as tasting sweeter, rendering it more palatable.

It can be bought in good grocery stores, or unfiltered in health food shops.

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 office or domestic hot water supply.

With autumn round the corner, it’s time to shed that dull looking, dried-out summer skin.

During the sunnier weather it’s not necessary to wear as much makeup and it’s not great to clog the skin with thick foundations, so it’s time to give the skin some TLC before winter sets in.

Beauty starts from the inside, so a good diet will help produce healthy looking skin. Increase your vegetable and fruit intake and reduce the amount of salt you eat to deal with puffiness and minimise the risk of spots and blemishes.

Health food stores often sell supplements to pep up the skin, but use discernment as it can sometimes be trial and error when finding out what’s right for you.

Start by tightening up your daily facial routine. Invest in good, natural cleansers, toners and moisturisers and start doing those toning facial exercises you promised yourself you’d try out. You’ll be surprised what a difference this makes.

Next, ensure that you’re using a good exfoliant on a regular basis. A gentle facial scrub will slough off dead skin cells that make the skin look dry or dull and leave you with fresh, new, glowing skin underneath. The massaging action that you use will also help stimulate the blood and lymph flow in the facial area, getting the circulation going and eliminating toxins.

Deal with those puffy eyes and dark circles – there are plenty of beauty products on the market that promise to soothe the eye area and draw out toxins. Using green tea bags as a poultice will really make a difference too – they’re full of antioxidants and much cheaper than chemical based cosmetic products that have just come out of the lab.

If you still want to reach for the foundation, try a lighter, moisturising product with a high SPF that will protect your skin from increased sun exposure. Experiment with colours for the eyes and lips and go for shimmer all the way – think light and bright and you’ll step into the new season looking fresh and vibrant.

Rhian Gibbings

A study by Harvard Medical School suggests that eating peanuts or peanut butter at least five days a week can nearly halve the risk of a heart attack.

Peanuts appear to lower bad cholesterol, reduce inflammation in the body and boost the health of blood vessels around the heart.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School analysed the diets of more than 6,000 women who had type 2 diabetes, which can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

They found that those regularly eating peanuts had the greatest protection against heart attack and stroke. A report published in the Journal of Nutrition, claimed the risk was reduced by up to 44pc.

“Consumption of at least five servings a week of one ounce of nuts or one tablespoon of peanut butter was significantly associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.”

In Britain, it’s well known that poor diet and lifestyle has led to a surge in cases of type 2 diabetes, from 1.5 million five years ago to 2.2 5million now.

Ellen Mason of the British Heart Foundation said, “It is beneficial to include nuts in our diets as they are low in the saturated fats that raise our cholesterol. However peanut products can be full of added sugar or salt so check the label first. Also don’t forget that nuts are high in overall calories. Eating more of one food in isolation will not make a dramatic difference to your health if you are inactive and don’t have a balanced diet.”

Of course, peanuts are not really nuts but part of the legume family, which includes peas and beans. But it seems they have similar properties to nuts in general.

It would be interesting to compare these findings with results from other types of nut.