Novelist Fay Weldon’s famous advertising slogan for eggs back in the last century is being revised again.

Despite worries about cholestrol, nutritionists are now saying that eggs are one of the most nutrient-dense foods and are suggesting we need one a day for optimum health.

The study, which has been released today and will be published in June in the science journal Nutrition and Food Science, analyzed 71 research papers and documents about eggs.

Eggs are low in calories and a rich source of protein. They contain nutrients essential to good health, like vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium and choline. They have the richest mix of essential amino acids of any other food.

Antioxidants in eggs could help prevent age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness, especially in the elderly.

Dietician, Dr Carrie Ruxton, said: “The health benefits of eggs would appear to be so great that it’s perhaps no exaggeration to call them a superfood — they are one of the most nutrient-dense foods available. Eggs are not only low in calories but are packed with nutrients that are essential to healthy living. They are an ideal food at every stage of life, as well as being easy to cook and enjoyable to eat.”

Eggs are an important dietary source of vitamin D. One egg provides more than 20 percent of the recommended daily allowance. Low levels of the vitamin have been linked with medical conditions, including poor bone health, cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, immune disorders and mental health problems.

Dr Ruxton said, “There are clear nutritional benefits to eating eggs on a regular basis. Emerging evidence suggests that eggs may be beneficial for satiety, weight control and eye health. With previous limits on egg consumption lifted, most people would benefit from a return to the days of going to work on an egg.”

The work was funded by the British Egg Industry Council.

If you spend a lot of time on a computer, you will soon notice a problem — apart from brain fatigue in late afternoon — and that’s eye strain.

So how bad is eye strain for those of us who work on screens most of the day? Do we take the health of our eyes for granted? Are we uncomplaining martyrs to eye strain until something even more painful and debilitating turns up, usually out of the blue?

Are there strategies we can adopt to prevent it?

The main cause of computer users’ eye strain seems to be the result of constant close-focusing. When the eyes are looking at a distant object the muscles are relaxed and loose. When focused on something near they are contracted and tense. Over time, too much close work causes eye problems.

One of the simplest ways to counteract this tendency is by “palming visualization”, adapted from an exercise in the Bates Good Sight Without Glasses programme.

Palming is quite simple: when your eyes are strained, or preferably before, place the palms of your hands over your eyes so as to block out all light. Keep them there for a couple of minutes or so and you’ll find your eyes are quite refreshed.

Now, if you also visualize an object in the far distance, say, a tree, or a ship on the horizon, this will cause your eyes to focus into the distance thus unlocking the clenched effect of close viewing. This double exercise, repeated at 15 or 30-minute intervals depending on the severity of the problem, is very beneficial for eye strain.

It’s often said that dark green, leafy vegetables contain a substance, lutein, which prevents macular degeneration, particularly in older eyes. This is a common problem, apparently. So start digging up those cabbages.

Another tip for persisent problems with screen-induced eye strain is to buy a pair of magnifying glasses. These are just prescription-free reading specs with simple magnifying lenses, typically 2.5x. You can often pick them up in libraries, or even in gift shops these days.

There must be a lot of it about.

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

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.