Getting to grips with a change in lifesyle may not be as difficult as you think. Don't worry, help is at hand...

Living well

Eva and Nik Speakman are life coaches less ordinary. After battling their own personal difficulties, the now-wealthy couple live what they describe as a ‘fantastic’ life, with two children, a mansion in the north-west of England and a garage packed with performance cars.

Along the way, they’ve helped celebrities, including Kym Ryder, Liz McClarnon, Katie Price and Peter Andre.

But the Speakmans believe that ‘your life can be fantastic too,’ and their mission is to help you believe it, and make it happen.

Their TV series, A Life Coach Less Ordinary 2, currently showing on UKTV Style, proves they are an irrepressible team.

Nik’s specialities are life coaching, personal development, habit-breaking and time management, while Eva looks after health and fitness, including personal training, diet and nutrition.

The TV series shows how they have helped some of their clients overcome problems and there’s plenty of advice, techniques and regimes to try yourself, along with exercise and dietary tips.

But if you’d like to work a bit harder at making your life fantastic by creating your own self belief and a more positive attitude, the Speakmans’ new CD, Your Key To Becoming The Best Ever You! has just gone on sale at £29.95.

A Life Coach Less Ordinary 2 is currently showing daily on UKTV Style. For details of the Speakmans and how to buy the CD go to www.nikandeva.com

Feeling well

Autumn may be the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, but it is summer when we really wake up to the colourful palate of food around us — both by sight and taste.

The sunshine welcomes and highlights the vibrant yellows and oranges of the citrus, the warm reds of strawberries and later in the season the dark plums and blues of soft fruits.

Not only are these foods colourful and tasty but they’re also strong in anti-oxidants, which fight free radicals, a factor in lots of health issues including heart disease, cancer and wrinkles.

Ailsa Higgins, nutritionist for Champneys health resorts, says: "It’s important to eat a variety of fruits. When we look at food and creating a healthy diet we tend to think of just one vitamin or mineral we need and forget there are all these other substances around. We need to have a range of foods in our diet to get the full benefit of all that is available.

"Don’t just think, ‘Oh I’ll just eat a lot of blueberries because I know they are good for me.’ Enjoy creating a rainbow on your plate — and you’ll reap the health benefits too."

Here are a few tips for getting fruity, from Ailsa:

Apples

Apples are rich in iron (red blood cell formation, protein metabolism, energy, stress-buster), magnesium (bone, nerve, muscle health), copper, (enzymes, red blood cells, bones, iron absorption), phosphorus (bones, teeth, cells), potassium (heart and kidney function, muscle contraction). They also contain chlorine, manganese, silicon, sodium and sulphur. The mineral content makes apple juice good for skin, hair and nails.

Bananas

Bananas contain a good amount of potassium — a real bone booster as well as having a lot of sugar for fast energy. Potassium is also good for the heart and kidney function.

Blueberries

You’d have to eat five helpings of carrots, apples, broccoli or squash to get the same antioxidant benefit as a serving of blueberries. Rich in anthocyanins, they’ve been found to slow, and even reverse, some degenerative diseases, help control cholesterol and help vision and eye health.

Cranberries

A rich source of phenols and the flavonoid querticin, found to have anti-inflammatory benefits. Cranberry consumption has been associated with protection against urinary tract infection, kidney stone formation and helps increase ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.

Mango

A good source of vitamin A (eye and skin health), C (immune system, skin health), magnesium, calcium (bones, heart rhythm, nerve relaxation) and potassium.

Orange, Lemon and Grapefruit

Good sources of vitamin C, phyto-chemicals, flavonoids and hesperiden. The latter appears to be cardio-protective, reducing the risk of stroke and the ability to lower ‘bad’ cholesterol.

Passion Fruit

Reported to have mild laxative and sedative properties, it helps fight uric acid build-up.

Pineapple

Contains protein-digesting enzyme bromelain which can help absorb the food entering your digestive system. Nutrients include vitamins A, B-complex (energy, growth, muscle formation, stress-buster), C, calcium, phosphorus, copper, iron and magnesium.

Raspberries and Blackberries

They contain between three and nine times as much ellagic acid as the next best source (strawberries and walnuts). Research suggests this antioxidant blocks the pathways that can promote cancer.

Strawberries

Antioxidant-rich, a good source of vitamin C and contain ellagic acid and vitamins A, B-complex, E and K, plus a range of minerals. The fibre is good for the bowel and helps lower blood pressure.

Ailsa Higgins gives nutrition advise at Champneys health spas. Go to www.champneys.com, or via the website www.stop-the-clock.com

Looking well

There’s no excuse these days for heading to the gym in a ropey old T-shirt and a pair of faded leggings.

Top designers are getting in on the act and the latest collection from adidas by Stella McCartney is due soon.

McCartney’s distinctive collection marries the technology of the sportswear experts with her own creative flair as she takes her inspiration from ballet in the Gym Dance range and Victoriana in the prints and cuts of the Tennis line. For the green-minded there is also a naturally-dyed organic cotton T-shirt cover-up for after classes.

Her Wintersports range is cut to flatter a feminine figure and the Running line features a bold colour and metallic palette which will really make you stand out as you pound the pavements and pathways.

The A/W 08 collection is on sale this month in high-end department stores, adidas Sport Performance stores and selected sports shops. Prices from around £12 for tennis wristbands to £360 for Wintersports All-in-One. Call 0870 240 4204 for stockists.