Consumer organisation Which? have issued another worrying report on the sugar and salt content of popular breakfast cereals, many of which are marketed directly at children or as foods with ‘health benefits’. These products are so heavily marketed, we are constantly bombarded with messages that they are ‘good’ for us and provide a healthy start to the day.

Their top 10 for sugar content are (per 100g):

• Morrisons Choco Crackles (38.4g)
• Kellogg’s Coco Pops Moons & Stars (37g)
• Kellogg’s Frosties (37g)
• Kellogg’s Ricicles (37g)
• Sainsbury’s Choco Rice Pops (36g)
• Tesco Choco Snaps (36g)
• Nestle Cookie Crisp (35.3g)
• Nestle Cheerios Honey (35.1g)
• Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut (35g)
• Nestlé Nesquik (35g)

See http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/apr/29/breakfast-cereal-survey-health-food for the full story.

One teaspoon of sugar is roughly 5g, so even in a 30g serving of any of these cereals you are getting a good 2 tsp of sugar and many people will add more to that – I know I used to add a good teaspoon of sugar to my cornflakes as a child (not any more though, and I certainly don’t eat cornflakes!).

The cereal manufacturers claim that the sugar and salt content are not an issue because the products provide so many vitamins, minerals and fibre that they MUST be healthy. Don’t believe the hype!

There are plenty of healthy alternatives available for example:

• Porridge – add cinnamon powder or fresh grated apple/pear to sweeten
• Mixed seeds with natural live yoghurt and a portion of chopped fruit
• Scrambled or poached eggs on 1 slice rye bread
• Sugar free muesli with nuts, seeds and dried fruit

With any food that’s bought in a packet, you need to read the labels and look for added sugar and salt. A lot of my clients think they’re eating really healthy breakfast cereals eg Dorsets and Jordans, but although these are marketed as such, many of their products are very sweet with a lot of added sugar.

My advice to clients is to ignore everything they’ve ever been told about food (especially by TV adverts) and try to buy foods as close to nature as possible. If it comes in a brightly coloured box with lots of claims on it, it’s trying too hard; if it contains more than 5 ingredients or you need a degree in chemistry to understand what the ingredients are then don’t buy it.

Keep it simple, eat real food, and live life…

Here’s an article by Claire Smith of The Scotsman newspaper, who came to see me  for Nutritional Therapy advice and went through a series of colonic hydrotherapy treatments with my Detox Clinic colleague, Dawn Leuchars:

Read the Article (11/4/09)

I just spotted this column on the BBC website discussing integrated healthcare:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7974880.stm

For more information about the Princes Foundation for Integrated Health click here.

I regularly receive referrals from GPs especially for health issues such as menopausal symptoms and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).  I have worked closely with NHS GPs, pharmacists and consultants where patients wish to use Herbal Medicine or Nutritional Therapy alongside NHS treatment, and I contact each client’s GP (given their permission) to let them know that they have come to me for treatment so that we are both aware of any drugs or supplements used to ensure the patient’s safety.