We are about to go to Florida with our five-month-old baby, and I know from a previous holiday, heat rash is going to be a problem. How can I avoid it, or minimise her discomfort?
Pack two remedies formulated specifically for babies by Green People (www.greenpeople.co.uk, 01403 740350) a company specialising in organic bodycare products for adults and children, including infants.
Massage the organic baby lotion (£8.69 for 150ml) into your child's skin before exposure to heat. This lotion contains organic aloe vera which is both cooling and soothing to hot skin making it an excellent after-sun lotion for older children too.
If you spot the telltale signs of heat rash, use the Soothe & Calm Baby Balm cream on those parts of the skin that look irritated and inflamed. This cream (usual price £8.69 for 40g but currently on offer at £4.35) contains calendula or marigold which is a traditional remedy for skin outbreaks.
You can be sure all the products in this range really do what they promise on the label because the founder of Green People, Charlotte Vontz, only set the company up when she could not find anything organic to help treat her own daughter's eczema.
Two months ago I took the anti-malarial drug, Malarone, for two weeks, at the end of which my tongue felt as if I'd just burnt it and the inside of my lips felt dry. The feeling went away after a month but now it's back. Do you think they're linked and what should I do?
I often think if herbal and nutritional supplements came with the same alarming long list of recognised and unpleasant side-effects as many prescription drugs they might then actually deserve the suspicion with which they are so often treated.
You need to check the data sheet supplied with the drug to establish that these sensations could be side-effects but even if they are, I have had such a complete hammering in the past for suggesting any kind of alternative (including homeopathic and herbal remedies) to prescription drugs for malaria that I am afraid you will have to persist with this medication and instead, try to deal with the possible side-effects which, for a small number of people taking them can also include nausea and vomiting.
To alleviate the sensation of burning in the mouth, take a good zinc supplement which can help accelerate tissue healing. Once you have finished your course of tablets, you might also want to consider using a liver cleansing supplement to assist with detoxification.
Nature's Plus Dyno-Mins Zinc (90 capsules for £11.35) provides a high dose of 50mg per tablet so take these until the burning and dry sensations have passed. Nature's Secret's Ultimate Liver Cleanse (£19.95 for 60 tablets) provides milk thistle and dandelion to help support the liver. You can mail order both remedies from Victoria Health (0800 413596; www.victoriahealth.com).
It's barefoot season but I can't go out in sandals or flip-flops because I have horrible cracked yellow toenails and a red rash between my toes. Help!
It may be barefoot season but with the warmer weather, it is also fungal season because the most common organisms causing these types of problems thrive in warm, damp environments such as hot feet. You can change this fungal-friendly environment by taking silica in the form of tissue salts which the body can easily absorb. Silica No. 12 is a biochemic tissue salt made by New Era which costs £4.29 for 450 tablets. Take as directed on the bottle.
I'm really trying to stay away from sugar, but still have terrible cravings for something sweet after a meal. Why does this happen and what can I do?
If you've been in the habit of eating a lot of sugar-rich foods, then your body will now be missing the rapid highs (and unfortunate lows) that follow and trigger the cycle of sugar cravings.
Breaking this cycle is the underlying theory of the popular GI diets and cookbooks where GI stands for Glycaemic Index. This is a system of ranking carbohydrate foods according to how quickly they raise blood sugar levels and then giving a guide to those foods that release energy more slowly and thus break the cycle of sugar highs and lows.
For a more detailed explanation of the theory and the types of low GI foods you need to be eating more of (for example, most fruits and berries are fine), get The Montignac Diet by Michel Montignac who was one of the first pioneers of eating according to GI principles.You can also visit www.montignac.co.uk to either buy foods or get more ideas of what you can eat that will still taste sweet without sending your blood-sugar levels sky high.
Life on the knife edge: the midweek spa break
The trouble with every hotel in the world tacking one on is that spas have become debased - many staffed by barely trained amateurs. So it was a relief to discover that the grande dame of English spas - Grayshott in Hampshire - has lost none of its expertise in the course of its multi-million pound overhaul. When this 46-year-old establishment changed hands last year the new owners were quick to recognise the quality of their spa staff.
Hit the ground running with a midweek break and mix treatments, classes, swimming and gym in between the yummy meals (devised by charismatic chef, Adam Palmer). See the lovely dietician for the best food intolerance and mineral analysis, where your reaction is tested to more than 120 foods. The spa isn't tied to one beauty range so offers a wide selection of traditional and complementary treatments.
Two-night programmes from £395 per person, including accommodation, 3 treatments, use of all facilities, classes and meals. Details: 01428 602020; reservations@grayshottspa.com
· Before following any medical or dietary advice in this column, please consult your GP if you suffer from any health problems. Susan Clark's website is www.whatreallyworks.co.uk
