I must confess I am not good with holidays, usually leaving it to the last minute, and then slightly dreading them as the time to ‘get away from it all’ draws closer.  Oh the expectations are so very high; the weather, the food, the mattress, the view, the other people if we’re in a hotel, the lack of other people if we’re half way up a mountain.

Beetroot is not everyone’s favourite vegetable but it has had a bit of a revival recently thanks to its use by athletes at the Olympics for increasing blood flow to the muscles. For women undergoing IVF with thin uterine lining I often recommend 300mls of beetroot juice a day until embryo transfer for the same reason.

This just the most delicious soup EVER! It’s from my friend Ali Godbold’s lovely recipe book ‘Feed Your Health’. I give the recipe to all my clients because it includes so many good ‘fertility’ foods but everyone loves it. The original recipe isn’t blended but, for me, smooth is best. The recipe is exactly as it says, so if you follow it, it will be perfect and it is so simple to make.

OK, this is not for all men who are going through fertility problems; I see lots of men who are so willing to take on board anything that will help them to become fathers, even if it is not ‘their issue’. They recognise that sperm needs to be healthy, but also that their partners need the support, the acknowledgement that you are both in it together.

The recent headlines confidently claiming that omega-3 ‘causes’ prostate cancer have caused a bit of confusion for sure. I suggest omega-3 regularly for my clients for its anti-inflammatory and blood thinning properties, especially if they can’t or won’t eat fish, which in itself provides such a wealth of nutrients, as well as omega-3.

All my clients know I am mad about watercress; those peppery little leaves pack an amazing nutrient punch.  It’s a bit of an acquired taste I know but absolutely worth it. Watercress is particularly good if you have ever smoked; it contains a specific compound that may protect against lung cancer, and like broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables it also seems to protect against other common cancers like breast and colon.

When I first blogged about this (see 5:2 diet), I had just begun to inflict it on my husband and our hapless long-stay visitor, as well as my poor, unsuspecting clients. It was the early days and my enthusiasm knew no bounds; I forced us all to eat broccoli soup for lunch AND supper – why complicate it?

I have a bit of a thing about chemicals and how they may affect both male and female fertility, according to more and more research. This latest study links premature ovarian failure with chemicals called PCBs (Poly Chlorinated Bisphenyls) and phthalates. PCBs (Poly Chlorinated Bisphenyls) are found in fatty animal products.

There is a bit of a myth that women are the ones with age-related fertility problems and a man can father children even when he’s ancient! Yes there are famous older Dads – Charlie Chaplin, Des OConnor and Bruce Forsyth to name but a few, but new research has shown that actually sperm ages too, with deterioration of the DNA leading to a higher risk of genetic problems in the offspring, such as schizophrenia and autism (Wyrobek et al).

One of the dilemmas of my work is convincing people that you can eat healthy food that actually tastes of something. When you are asking people to cut down the three things that make food taste good – salt, sugar and fat it can be a hard call.

Yet again vitamin D, or rather the lack of it has hit the headlines again. The completely tragic case of the young parents arrested for the murder of their baby, who turned out to actually have severe rickets, has reinforced the importance of this vitamin.

My slow cooker is my absolute favourite piece of kitchen equipment. I love it and for those of us without the luxury of an Aga it really is the next best thing. You just bung all your ingredients in, switch it on and when you come home in the evening you are greeted by the most delicious smells and nothing to do but sit down and eat, heaven!

This week it was reported in the news that the previously held understanding that brain function begins to impair at 60 was incorrect. It is actually 45, and I and most of my friends can definitely verify this! Whether you have a family history of dementia or Alzheimers there are certainly steps you can take to slow down the ageing process of your brain.

I have always believed that grazing is a good thing to do as theoretically it keeps your blood sugar steady and should stop you from snacking on the wrong things because you won’t have cravings. However with some people I now think this is a bad idea, for two reasons.