In my article Managing Stress Through Your Diet, I explain how the food we eat can be a major cause of stress and I talk briefly about the effects of stress on the body in terms of stress related illness.

Here, I want to share with you 10 simple ideas for changing your diet and reducing stress:

1 Stop buying packaged breakfast cereals. They are generally sugar-laden, are of little nutritional value and will leave you feeling hungry around mid-morning. Instead, make your own muesli from oats, seeds, nuts and a few raisins or cook your oats to make porridge. Both of these will kick start your metabolism and provide steady energy that will last until lunch time.

2 Cut right down on dairy products, particularly those made from cows milk. Substitute sugary yoghurts for plain live or bio ones and add your own fruit. Try using a good brand of Soya Milk or make your own almond milk. If you want cheese, go for goats cheese. A word on butter though its a better choice than margarine or low-fat spread if used sparingly.

3 Give up the red meat. Organic free range chicken and turkey and non-farmed fish are the way to go.

4 Get shot of the caffeine. If you drink coffee regularly, then going cold turkey will probably result in some fierce headaches, so wean yourself off gradually by switching to herb teas. Peppermint tea seems to be the most popular amongst herb tea virgins.

5 Swap white for brown. That means opting for wholewheat bread and pasta and brown rice and no more biscuits, pastries and cakes unless you make them yourself from wholewheat flour.

6 Limit alcohol intake to special occasions only. If that is too scary, choose the purest white wines and clear spirits you can find.

7 Grill, bake and steam rather than frying and boiling.

8 Center your main meal of the day around vegetables,always including a green one. Buy organic or locally grown wherever possible.

9 Get into beans. Using dried beans can be time consuming, so buy canned beans with no added sugar or salt. There are so many to choose from and they are not only extremely good for you, but they are also cheap and versatile. Make casseroles, stews, salads or blend to make burgers and dips.

10 Start reading the ingredients labels on every packaged food you buy. You will be shocked by the numbers of preservatives, additives and chemicals many of them contain. Stop and think for a moment about what you are putting into your body. Chances are you can create a more the same thing from scratch for a fraction of the cost and itll be more flavoursome and nutritious.

The key thing is to clean up your diet of all the nasties that are causing you stress whether you realise it or not. Get creative. Use herbs and spices in abundance. Before long you will be bouncing with energy and wondering how you ever survived before.