Dear Healthy Friend,

A friend of mine is off the Greece in a few weeks... I can see it now, beautiful beaches, warm weather, sparkling blue waters, Ouzo and of course olives, olive oils and tzatziki... It all sounds so heavenly and surreal...

I know going on holiday has a relaxing aspect, but Greece could have a health benefit for her too... Want to know what it is? Christine O'Brien tells us...

In the name of good health,

Taryn Strugnell
Managing Editor of Nutrition & Healing

P.S. Imagine no longer being able to do the things you love... Not being able to play golf, take a walk with your dogs or taking a simple jog in the mornings... Well, that's what it's like for one of our readers that is no longer able to run due to agonising pain... Dr Wright offers him a solution...

Powerful heart help - even after an attack
Christine O'Brien
Contributor,  Nutrition & Healing

Rich in olive oil, fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and fish, the Mediterranean diet has become a household term over the past few years.

Plenty of research has shown that people who follow a Mediterranean diet have lower rates of cardiovascular disease and cancer and tend to live longer.

But until now, everyone's figured the Mediterranean diet is all about prevention. Once you have heart disease or cancer, people just assumed this diet couldn't do much for you.

Well, researchers in Greece have come up with some very good news.

A team looked at 1,000 patients who had suffered heart attacks or severe chest pain and rated their diets based on how closely they matched the Mediterranean ideal.

They found that patients with the diets closest to Mediterranean had a 31% lower risk of suffering another heart attack or experiencing chest pain during the first month after discharge from the hospital. They were half as likely as those with diets least in line with the Mediterranean style to have another heart-related event in a year and were almost 40% less likely to experience repeat problems within two years.

In fact, with every additional point on the diet score, a person's risk fell by 12%. The power rests in the vegetables and nuts that feature so prominently in the Mediterranean diet. People who ate vegetables and nuts daily or weekly had a 20% lower risk of repeat heart problems compared to those who ate veggies and nuts monthly (or even less often).

The results of the study appear in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The bottom line is that it's NEVER too late to reap the benefits of a healthy diet.

Arthritis sufferers don't have to give up running

Q: My husband is an avid runner. A diagnosis of severe osteoarthritis in both hips has left him devastated. Is there anything you can recommend that will help him?

Dr. Wright: My first suggestion to all osteoarthritis sufferers is to eliminate nightshade vegetables - such as tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, paprika and eggplants - from the diet. I also suggest 500mg of glucosamine sulphate three times a day - but stay away from chondroitin, since it may increase the risk of prostate cancer. A separate note of caution, in people with diabetes, glucosamine may elevate blood sugar.

Along with the glucosamine, I recommend 1,000mg of niacinamide three times daily. Many people report complete relief of their pain and swelling within three or four weeks of taking niacinamide.

Also quite effective, yet largely unknown to many, is boron. I advise taking 3mg twice daily. As an added bonus, boron also is a treatment for osteoporosis and aids in cancer prevention.

If adjusting the diet and these supplements don't bring relief, S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) may be worth trying. It can be expensive, but some patients - though not all - have been helped by it. I usually recommend 400mg once or twice daily. These supplements are all safe and natural, and I have been recommending them for years to relieve arthritis pain with great success.