In a speech by HRH The Prince of Wales at the fifth annual Integrated Health Awards, Prince Charles reaffirmed his passionate support for alternative medicine.

Prince Charles with his two sons in 1996

Ladies and gentlemen, over the past fifty years we have witnessed the concerted fragmentation of every aspect of our lives, and of Nature Herself. I happen to believe, for what its worth, that there is an ever more urgent need for re –integration and for the restoration of harmony and balance. In health and medical terms, this is why I believe so strongly in integrated health care – treating the whole person (mind, body and spirit) with the best of the ancient and modern within medical practice.

When you think about it, what on earth is the point of throwing away our lifeline; of abandoning the priceless knowledge and wisdom accumulated over 1,000’s of years relating to the treatment of the human condition by natural means? It is sheer folly it seems to me to forget that we are a part of Nature and to imagine we can survive on this Earth as if we were merely a mechanical process divorced from, and in opposition to, the unity of the world around us.

As exponents of “sideways” treatments, this website endorses his views absolutely.

New research confirms that a short afternoon nap can make a major difference to your work performance and health, especially if you’re involved in mental work.

A new book by Harvard University sleep expert Dr Sara Mednick, Take a Nap! Change Your Life, describes the simple process of taking a nap as a “lifesaving habit”. She claims that snoozers make fewer mistakes and have boosted brainpower. One of her experiments involved one group taking a nap, another group drinking a mug of coffee (200mg of caffeine), and a control group taking a placebo (an inert substance).

They were then given a series of tasks, including typing and spatial skill tests. The coffee drinkers performed much worse than the placebo takers, while the nappers performed best of all. So the common assumption that coffee will keep you going through the day is a myth — or probably fed to us by the coffee industry.

Dr Mednick, a psychologist and research scientist, has accumulated a lot of evidence that a simple siesta in the afternoon is the best medicine for a happier, healthier life. People who sleep for 30 minutes at least three times a week had a 37pc lower chance of a heart attack, according to a lead researcher from the Harvard School of Public Health.

In another study, recently published in Nature Neuroscience journal, the good doctor put 30 well-rested people through the same set of tasks four times in the course of a day, starting at 9am through to 7pm — a typical working day for freelances and the self-employed.

Performance dropped by 50pc in those who stayed awake all day. However, the volunteers who took an afternoon nap kept up their performance throughout the day.

NASA –as you might expect — gets in on the act. Tests conducted by them show that astronauts who took a brief snooze doubled their alertness even if they were not tired before the nap. They also increased their work productivity by at least 13pc.

The ideal time to nap apparently is between 1pm and 3pm which enables the most restful kind of sleep pattern for boosting performance.

That’s it, I’m off to take a nap.

One of the more unusual treatments for knee problems, including moderate to severe osteoarthritis, may be seaweed extract.

In a 12-week study at the University of Minnesota, 70 people were given either a daily seaweed supplement or the standard treatment of glucosamine suphate. Others took a placebo.

Both the seaweed and glucosamine groups showed significant progress compared with the placebo group. But the seaweed takers improved twice as much as those who were given glucosamine.

Kelp and other seaweed tablets may be just the job for stiff, painful knees.

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.