Back home after our French holiday and life is now a little bit depressing. I spent so long looking forward to it that I'm not really sure what to do with myself now that it's over! A mini-detox perhaps?

We did after all spend a lot of time in the Champagne Region, but I have a feeling that three days of hot water and cabbage leaves isn't going to cheer me up.

Fortunately, France also turned out to be healthy in many ways too. Aside from the tourist hot-spots, it was easier to find healthy food rather than junk and, just as importantly, the portion sizes were perfect.

You see, instead of loading up their plates with as much food as possible and then inhaling it all at high speed, the French really do take their time over their food. So it's perfectly normal to have two courses for lunch and to spend forever eating it.

Despite the extra courses, the portion sizes are so much smaller that calorie counts probably end up lower. Also, as the food is eaten slowly, it's less likely that excess sugar in the blood ends up being stored in the body as fat.

France was good for me in other ways too. My French is terrible and I am so worried about getting it wrong and looking stupid that I end up speaking very quietly.

This of course makes it all the more torturous, as I have to repeat myself in order to be heard. Eventually, aided by the odd glass of ros?, I began to speak much more loudly ? progress!

I did have one particular set back though when I walked into a hotel and enthusiastically announced to everyone that "I am a reservation." Hmmm...

Never mind, only mildly embarrassing ? especially compared to a few friends who have surpassed themselves in this respect.

Instead of introducing herself as a lawyer, one friend managed to say "I am a goat". Even better, another went into a Patisserie and ? tired of her French stick going stale ? asked for "le pain a fait avec les pr?servatifs, s'il vous plait."

Sounds good doesn't it? But it actually means "bread made with condoms, please". He he!

Now, whilst a little embarrassment tends not to do anyone too much harm, it can occasionally get in the way of good health!

Despite the fact that doctors have seen it all and heard it all before, it can be pretty embarrassing discussing things like thrush and diarrhoea ? so many people ignore the issue.

So in an effort to save you all a few embarrassing moments, this month I'm going to tackle some embarrassing and cringe-worthy topics!

Let's start with cystitis, but please note that if you have anything other than a brief and mild case, it's important to tell your doctor. This advice is primarily meant as preventive!

Cystitis is a bacterial infection of the urinary tract that makes urniation burn a bit at best, and at worst, makes it absolutely agonising. Think hot knives!

One of the problems is that to cure it, you need to drink plenty of fluids, but as this increases urinary flow, many people are afraid to drink.

Fortunately there are some excellent medications that can help, but unfortunately, cystitis is a recurring drama for many people.

This is a classic example of where modern medicine can sometimes fail us. Because in an effort to get rid of the symptoms in the short-term, the root causes of an infection or illness are often not addressed. This means the problem can come back, or manifest itself in another form.

So let's look at cystitis in more detail. Yes, it's a bacterial infection, but there are several factors that can trigger it or make it worse.

Below are the triggers, some dietary steps you can take to address/prevent cystitis and some suggestions for supplements.

By this I mean a lack of water, not just a lack of fluids. Sugary, artificially sweetened and caffeinated drinks can all irritate the urinary tract. Dehydration itself also irritates the urinary tract as the lack of urinary flow prevents bad bacteria being washed out.

Each person needs to drink approximately 1.5 litres of water daily and an extra cup of water for every caffeinated or alcoholic drink.

Low levels of friendly bacteria

Friendly bacteria in your digestive tract are responsible for 60 percent of your immune system. They are also present in the vagina.

A low level can mean vulnerability to any infection. Although antibiotics are sometimes given for bad cases of cystitis, they also deplete friendly bacteria and so can trigger recurrences in the longer term.

Therefore, it's important to follow a course of antibiotics with a course of probiotics (friendly bacteria) ? more on this in the supplements section!

Please also bear in mind that the birth control pill, sugar, stress, alcohol and yeast are also known to deplete levels of friendly bacteria.

As well as causing dehydration and depleting friendly bacteria, excess alcohol can irritate the urinary tract.

Sugar depletes friendly bacteria and increases unfriendly bacteria in the digestive tract and vagina ? both of which can irritate the urinary tract. Cookies, candy, cakes, pastries, concentrated fruit juice, sodas and fruit punch are all obvious forms of sugar.

Be careful for hidden sugars too, in sauces, soups and flavoured yoghurts. Anything that has ten grams of "sugars" or more, per serving, is high in sugar.

Lots of sex can aggravate cystitis, especially in the absence of lubrication (natural or otherwise!) Sexual contact can also put you at risk from infection, especially if you are not using condoms.

Structural abnormality of the urinary tract can prevent free-flow of urine and cause irritation. Your doctor will be able to tell you if this may be a concern for you.

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Drink LOTS of water! Filtered, mineral, spring or clean tank water. Aim for 1.5 litres daily and have an extra cup for any caffeinated or alcoholic drink.

Eat plain, natural, live or "active" yoghurt as this contains friendly bacteria. You can add a little fresh fruit for sweetness.

Replace tea/coffee with decaf herbal teas.

Avoid alcohol totally if you have cystitis, until a week after you have got rid of the infection. Afterwards if/when you do drink, avoid sugary mixers and make sure you fully rehydrate afterwards. As a preventive measure, don't exceed seven alcoholic drinks a week.

Avoid all forms of refined sugar - sugar itself, cookies, candy, cakes, sodas, dried fruit etc. Snack on raw veg with salsa, hummus or cottage cheese instead. Try wholewheat toast with almond or peanut butter. Fresh fruit, nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds are also good options.

Replace refined carbohydrates (white rice, white bread, mashed potato, most breakfast cereals) with complex carbs (brown rice & bread, sweet potatoes, wholegrain cereals.) Sugar and refined carbs promote the growth of unfriendly bacteria.

If you currently have cystitis, try cranberry juice ? so long as it's just real cranberry juice ? no added sugar or artificial extracts (which are both irritants).

Cranberry extract has been shown to prevent bad bacteria adhering to the wall of the urinary tract. Blueberry juice is also supposed to be good! Eight fluid ounces max daily though, and preferable diluted with water (still or sparkling) as it's still high in naturals sugars.

Consult your GP before taking supplements

A quality multi vitamin and mineral. Choose one with a good vitamin A content (soothes the mucous membrane of the urinary tract) so long as you are not pregnant, or planning on becoming pregnant ? pregnant women should not exceed 750ug daily.

Also choose one with a high antioxidant content as antioxidants boost immunity. Life Extension, Solgar, Twinlab and Natrol are all good brands.

Friendly bacteria. Critical for replacing friendly bacteria. The Kyo-Dophillus brand is particularly good and has a dairy-free formulation. Keep refridgerated and do not take with hot food or drinks.

1000mg vitamin C daily. Look for Ester-C as this is gentle on the stomach. This helps to boost the immune system and fight infection.

As vitamin C thins the blood, consult your doctor before taking if you are on blood thinning meds.

Uva Ursi or Grapeseed extract (warning this tastes bitter!). These are natural antibacterial agents. Take at a different time of day to the friendly bacteria. Check with your doctor if you are already on any medications.

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