Q: My sex drive seems to have virtually disappeared since I started a new job which is rather stressful. I still love my boyfriend but he's starting to think I don't fancy him any more. Help!

A: One of the commonest causes of low sex drive is stress and overwork, so make sure you plan your workload properly, manage your time, and don't allow yourself to be burdened with extra tasks - can you delegate some of your work?

Speak to your boss, if necessary. Eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly to work off the effects of stress hormones, and get plenty of restful sleep (avoid excess alcohol which interferes with sleep).

Relaxation therapies such as yoga or meditation are worth trying. If you are on the Pill, ask your doctor about changing to a different blend of hormones as certain progestogen hormones can affect sex drive.

Try wearing a patch called Scentuelle, which contains an aphrodisiac aroma related to a brain chemical - simply sniff it every hour. Supplements to try include Siberian ginseng (good when sex drive is affected by stress) or Muira puama.

Visit GUM clinic about recurrent thrush

Q: I keep getting thrush which comes back. Treatments only work for a short while.

A: Visit your local genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinic as you may have a bacterial imbalance that mimics thrush but needs a different treatment.

The clinic can also check your blood glucose level to ensure it's normal, and look for iron deficiency which can trigger recurrent thrush.

The Candida yeasts that cause thrush are not killed by low-temperature (40°C) washing cycles so hot iron underwear gussets. Take a probiotic supplement to help get rid of any thrush in your intestines.

Herbal supplements used to discourage intestinal Candida reservoirs include Lapacho, grapefruit seed extracts, and natural enzymes (eg Candigest Plus) that dissolve them.

Low fat diet can reduce gallstone pain

Q: Is there anyway to prevent gallstones which seem to run in my family?

A: Most gallstones are made of cholesterol, although some contain high amounts of bile pigments and calcium salts.

Only one in five people with gallstones develop symptoms - it's only when they try to leave the gallbladder and pass down the bile duct that trouble starts. As it's dietary fat that triggers contraction of the gallbladder, which may push a gallstone into the mouth of the bile duct, following a low fat diet helps to reduce symptoms.

Olive oil is a rich source of mono-unsaturated fat that has a beneficial effect on blood cholesterol balance to reduce cholesterol gallstones, so use this during cooking and in dressings.

Omega-3 fish oils are also beneficial so aim to eat fish two or three times a week. Plants rich in soluble fibre such as pectins (eg apples, carrots) and gums (oat bran and beans) bind to cholesterol and bile salts in the gut to reduce their re-absorption.

Supplements to consider include lecithin (which is an essential part of bile and helps to reduce stone formation), milk thistle extracts which have beneficial effects on the composition of bile (eg reduced cholesterol content) and globe artichoke leaf extracts, which stimulate bile flow (but don't take these if you have experienced gallstone pain, if gallstones are obstructing bile flow or if jaundice is present).

Vitamin C supplements help to prevent cholesterol from solidifying out of bile to form stones. You should also drink plenty of water.

Natural options for psoriasis

A: For weeks now I've had psoriasis on my forehead. The prescribed creams seem to irritate. Are there any natural options?

A: Psoriasis is linked with lack of essential fatty acids, and supplements supplying omega-3 fish oils and evening primrose oil are worth taking to reduce inflammation.

Aloe vera gel is soothing and can reduce itch when applied to the skin. Other natural skin treatments to improve psoriasis include Dead Sea mineral salts/mud, Mahonia ointment (made from the Oregon grape extract), and Zambesia Botanica - a cream made from the African Kigelia tree.