haemoglobin and ferritin levels. Ferritin is an iron-storing protein and this test can give a good indication of your body's iron stores.Iron aweIf you're active, you may be more prone to anaemia. Heavy training can increase your iron needs by 1-2mg per day

're not getting enough omega-3s," says Leslie Bonci, one of the authors of Total Fitness for Women."What do we athletes do instead? We go straight for anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen. What we should be doing is aiming for 1,000g to 2,000mg of omega-3 a day

.In general, plants contain less iron than animal foods and only two to 20 per cent of iron from plants is absorbed by the body, compared with 15 to 35 per cent from meat. Worse still, there are various compounds in everyday foods that affect iron absorption

pastry on your pies instead of short crust or puff pastry," says Norris. Switching to filo saves you 110kcal and 10g of fat per serving, reducing its effect on your blood pressure and cholesterol.17. Chilli peppersThey add heat to a meal, but they also

If broccoli and spinach are the rock stars of the vegetable world, then celery and lettuce are the stage-hands, working hard out of the limelight. For years we've dismissed these pale staples as nutritionally barren, focusing our attention

little time for preparing a decent meal.Sometimes you just need to grab something quickly and that's where the trouble can begin. We asked Dr Kevin Currell, Performance Nutritionist for British Triathlon, for advice on 10 high-street takeaway options

little time for preparing a decent meal.Sometimes you just need to grab something quickly and that's where the trouble can begin. We asked Dr Kevin Currell, Performance Nutritionist for British Triathlon, for advice on 10 high-street takeaway options

and mackerel. But that often isn't the case in the typical western diet, though active people tend to have fairly healthy diets. "We now consume 20:1 omega-6 fats to omega-3s," says Jonny Bowden, author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. "Our inflammatory

't the case in the typical western diet, though active people tend to have fairly healthy diets. "We now consume 20:1 omega-6 fats to omega-3s," says Jonny Bowden, author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. "Our inflammatory factory is overstaffed, and our

Vitamins are essential for good health. This much we can agree on, but then things quickly become murky. There is so much information, contradictory research and advertising out there about the vitamin needs of endurance athletes, and how