Whether for health reasons, because you have a problem with alcohol, because you don't want the excess calories on your bikini body, or because you just don't like being drunk, an alcohol-free life is a commitment and a lifestyle for some of us. But the summer can be a difficult time for teetotallers.

Time to muster up fun, inspiring ideas for all levels of exercisers. There are still unconventional ways to expend calories without having to go to the gym! 'No pain, no gain? Not in my world. Just dedicate your work-out to someone you love and believe me, there will be no pain, only pleasure!

What comes with yoga is a whole new healthy lifestyle, you become more in tune with what's important in life. Practising yoga on a regular basis has improved my mental and body awareness, flexibility, concentration levels and complete inner peace.

Never do I see suggestions for the one thing that, over 90 percent of the time, fixes the actual problem within 24 hours. This one thing is Magnesium. A mineral found in low levels in many foods, it is a component of more than 325 different enzymes in the human body.

Walking up to 30 minutes burns up to 130 calories, not to mention helps you relax. Next time you have a stressful day at work, instead of hopping on the bus stick those headphones in and enjoy a brisk walk home, it will even help you work up an appetite for dinner!

What a sad headline in the Daily Mail - 'Struck Down by Rickets, boy who was covered in sunblock to play outside'. Chris Head thought she was merely being a dutiful parent by liberally applying Factor 50 sunscreen on her six year old son.

Spending time with my friends children, my nieces and nephews, makes me much more aware of the kinds of foods that are easy to prepare and that satisfy them, but the biggest question is are they nourishing them from the inside out?

"I've been sticking to the diet perfectly for weeks, but I'm STILL not seeing any progress. What's wrong with me?" Sound familiar? It certainly does to me, ranking high in my top ten questions I'm asked on a daily basis. Nine times out of ten, this is down to one significant issue with said 'perfect' diet: you are eating more than you think you are.

The wellness holiday industry has been increasing in popularity and will continue. We have become more aware of the importance of staying fit and healthy and our holidays reflect this trend. People don't want to sit on a beach sunning themselves for 10 hours a day; they want to return home with lasting benefits.

Nobody is perfect, we are all flawed in one way or another. But we are all unique and all carry a host of skills and attributes which have the potential to become powerful tools in our arsenals...we just have to realise it!

I'm at odds with the whole idea of living some puritanical existence where self control becomes self obsession, this does not appeal. There is a middle ground in all of our lives where the angel and devil meet and shake hands. I guess it all boils down to understanding that are you happy with the way you look and feel?

All in all, my Spa weekend at OneWorld Retreats was both inspirational and pleasurable. I cannot wait to go back there to join one of the retreats; having experienced a taster of what the place has to offer, I can only imagine how its own healing energy can magnify the retreat experience.

There is little more soul destroying than putting your all into something and seeing no progress. I receive emails and messages daily from frustrated dieters who, despite sticking to their plan 'perfectly', are not seeing any results and are one more disappointing weigh-in away from giving up entirely.

I feel duty bound to highlight that it isn't just women who are expected to subject themselves to bizarre and often dangerous practices in order to look good on the pages of magazines.

ADHD is being grossly overdiagnosed in the USA and in some other countries for a range of commercial and social reasons. For millions of children to be taking powerful drugs which can have dangerous side effects is an example of the sort of pharmaceutical scandal that emerges every few decades, usually as a result of lazy and lax prescribing habits by doctors.

Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered who on earth is staring back at you? Parkinson's is slowly stealing away my smile and expression. If I were a poker player, this would give me a distinct advantage, but other than that, it's very difficult for others to know what I am thinking.

Cancer. It's hard to make that a word with any sort of positive association. But in fact it's a word that has changed in meaning. No longer does it mean certain death or disability. Today more than 60% of people will live longer than five years after their treatment has finished.

Research indicates that a short 20-minute snooze is all it takes to lower stress hormone levels and super-charge your stamina. Naps been proven to be beneficial to your heart, hormonal maintenance and overall cell repair. They are brilliant at helping combat burnout. Napping also increases your creativity, productivity and alertness.

As a personal trainer, when I'm writing nutrition and training programmes for my clients, their personality is a key consideration. Even a diet plan perfectly tailored to your physical requirements and daily schedule is going to fall flat if it's not structured in a way that motivates you to stick to it.

Everyone wants the best for their children. But when you can't trust what is written on food labels, it's impossible to feel sure you are making positive choices for your family. As a working Mum, I know how hard it is to do a long day in the office and then come home to try and figure out what I'm going to cook for supper.

We live in a country where 30% of children leave school obese or overweight and where we spend £6billion on treating diet related diseases every year. We have a generational skills gap - 60% of 18 to 25 year olds leave home without being able to cook five basic dishes. And it is making us unhealthy and unhappy.

I was one of those keen new gym members in January. I started off determined to get into shape, but at the same time I was also terrified.