Nigella Lawson reveals her health saviour

Renowned for her flirtatious presenting manner and simple, stress-free cooking, Nigella’s food is sometimes indulgent and not always healthy! So how does Britain’s most popular female celebrity chef make sure she’s doesn’t get run-down?

Nigella says, “It is almost impossible to get through this time of year without feeling exhausted or going down with something, and this is my insurance policy against either. Known in my house as a "Brian", it is a mixture of the effervescent multivitamin Berocca and Spatone, a liquid iron supplement in individual sachets, drunken daily dispersed in some water. I am no doctor, so I am not prescribing, but it helps me get through the winter in fine fettle.”

When that Monday morning feeling stays with you till Friday, it’s time to look at the underlying causes.

One of the first symptoms of iron deficiency is tiredness. A government report shows that 91% of women aged between 19 and 64 years are consuming less than the RDA of iron. That doesn’t necessarily mean being anaemic, fatigue can begin long before anaemia sets in.

People who are iron insufficient get tired very easily because their bodies are short of oxygen. Iron builds haemoglobin and myeglobin (parts of the blood which capture and carry oxygen around the body and help muscle cells to store it). The oxygen burns our internal fuel for energy and is needed for proper cell growth and development. Supplementation may be the answer for those who are finding it hard to include enough iron rich foods in their diet. Yet conventional iron supplements can have unpleasant side effects such as constipation, stomach upset or headaches.

Spatone is a unique natural iron containing spa water found in the Welsh mountains of Snowdonia National Park and, as a food, can easily replace the missing iron from your diet. The iron in Spatone is so easily absorbed you need only take small quantities to get your entire average Actual Daily Requirement, which is how you avoid the common side effects.

Spatone is available from Boots, Holland and Barrett and independent health food stores and pharmacies, price £6.95 for 28 sachets (4 weeks supply).