Our bodies need iron. Not the sort used in barbells, weights and stream trains but the essential mineral we get from our food. And especially so if you're a teen, an athlete or a woman — even more so if you are pregnant. Read on for my outline of what iron does in the body, how much you need and where can you get it.

Last week I was invited to a fabulous lunch put on by McCormick (makers of herbs and spices among other things) to hear how they've looked into their foodie crystal ball and are brave enough to predict five key global food trends for 2013. Known as the McCormick Flavour Forecast®, they've pulled together the best hunches from their chefs, sensory scientists, dietitians and culinary trend trackers to have a stab at forecasting what will be in fashion for the year head.

Having a child with a weight problem needs perseverance and patience. An overweight child will typically not achieve their healthy weight range in anything less than six months and an obese child may be looking at several years before they get there.

Dinner is the hardest meal when you have kids. It's the end of the day. They're tired and cranky. You're tired - but you've still got to feed them, get them into a bath, read a story and then off to sleep (hopefully!).