Throng

the diet doctors: inside & out(6/8)

The health and lifestyle show continues its third series with a new team of expert presenters. Dr Samina Showghi, nutritionist Pam Stepney and chiropractor Dr Ben King take on some truly shocking habits as they battle bad diets and unhealthy lifestyles. Tonight’s subject is Dominique Williams, whose poor diet, lack of exercise and low self-esteem have led her to develop some classic symptoms of bad health.

Dominique Williams has become a victim of her stay-at-home lifestyle. The 36-year-old mum and housewife says that sugary snacks are her greatest downfall – especially biscuits and chocolates – and she freely admits that she is not one of life’s cooks. She and her family live off ready meals and pasta with tinned sauces. Despite having a comfortable lifestyle and a lovely home paid for by her husband’s job in the City, Dominique has become trapped by inertia, with little energy to throw herself into new pursuits.

Dominique’s poor diet and lack of exercise have led to a number of symptoms of ill health, including guttate psoriasis, which causes bright red patches of dry skin all over her body. She has also been diagnosed with gallstones – although these have not yet caused her discomfort – and she complains of cracked heels, varicose veins, irregular periods and mouth ulcers.

Along with her health problems, Dominique has struggled with her self-esteem. Her confidence and self-image have been dented, resulting in a dip in her libido. Her social life has suffered ever since she got depressed trying on outfits for a party. Now Dominique has decided that she wants to get back to being the woman with whom her husband fell in love and finally tackle her flabby figure. She also hopes to build her confidence and find part-time work, now that her children are of school age. Can the Diet Doctors make Dominique’s dreams a reality?

Samina, Pam and Ben agree that Dominique’s road back to health has to start with her junking the sugary snacks and replacing her beloved ready meals with nutritious home-made meals from fresh ingredients.

To combat the symptoms of her psoriasis, Pam recommends that Dominique embark on an antiinflammatory diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, found in salmon, tuna and seeds. In addition to this, she wants Dominique to increase her calcium intake from sources such as sardines, kale and natural bio-live yoghurt.

One month into the plan, Dominique is showing promising signs of weight loss, but faces the challenge of going on a family holiday to America. She is afraid that American food, with its famously large portions, will pose a serious problem to her progress. In spite of this, however, she manages not to gain any weight at all.

At the first clinic check, the Diet Doctors find Dominique has lost a respectable seven pounds. However, her psoriasis shows no signs of abating, so Pam places her on an exclusion diet, avoiding dairy, wheat, sugar and citrus. Samina suggests that Dominique try a course of thalassotherapy – a type of treatment that uses seawater and seaweed to revitalise the skin. Dominique follows their recommendations and reports back at the end of the 12-week course for the final check. How has she fared in the meantime?