Your health is written in your hands

Could you be anaemic?

Place one hand palm down on a table. Now, with the other hand, press the nail of the index finger down. Release, then watch to see how long it takes for the nail's natural colour to return. ‘If it's slow to return, it's a sign of deficiency in iron or another mineral, and you should aim to include more fish, pulses, greens, nuts and seeds in your diet,' says Simon Brown, a macrobiotic consultant for www.chienergy.co.uk. Spoon nails (nails that dip in the middle instead of being convex) are also a sign of anaemia, as lack of iron weakens the nail so it thins and begins to collapse.