FOCUS: HEALTH: THE ATHLETE AND THE MUM-TO-BE

Daniel Herman, 26, is a keen athlete. He often misses lunch, knows he should drink more water, and trains three or four times a week. He varies his supplement programme depending on how often he goes to the gym.

"First thing in the morning I take FitVit, a high-potency vitamin for active people, because, as well as training, I run around a lot at work," he says. "I take cod-liver oil, a straight multivitamin and a product called Y-Arginine, which contains homeopathic tree bark for blood flow and arginine, an amino acid that is lacking in the modern diet. If you're lucky enough to have fruit and veg to hand and the time to prepare it, that's great, but if not, you can redress the balance."

Julie Wilkinson, 34, is expecting her first baby in January. She says that her life as a head teacher is hectic and she tends to eat on the run. "I've fought shy of over-the-counter and prescription medicines, and took vitamin tablets instead. Now I take Pregnacare, a comprehensive vitamin and mineral supplement - you take it from three months before conception, and you carry on through pregnancy and nursing."