Diet and lifestyle

Ration your intake of stimulants like coffee, black tea, cola etc and opt for herb teas, fruit or vegetable juices and water instead.

As with any disorder of the nervous system avoid fizzy drinks as these leach out important nutrients from the nerve tissues.

Diet should include a wide variety of healthy foods such as wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts to ensure optimum nutrition.

Foods containing bitter principles like artichoke, chicory, radicchio, dark leafy greens, olives etc have a stimulating and therefore cleansing effect on the liver. Keeping the liver in healthy working order is important in keeping depression (melancholy- literally 'black bile' in Latin) away.

Alternate breakfasts of porridge, muesli and wholemeal toast with yeast extract.

Seed and nut 'butters' such as tahini are excellent sources of calcium and other nutrients.

Fibre is also valuable as it helps keep the system clean by avoiding constipation.

Foods containing calcium, magnesium and B vitamins are especially valuable in nourishing and stabilizing the nervous system.