Do you need a jump start in the mornings? Has your spark plug lost its spark? Well, maybe all you need is a health and beauty MOT. JO HAYWOOD tells you how to look as sleek as a Porsche

YOUR car might just about make it through the winter, but will you? To make sure you don't conk out while hurtling down the A64, here are a few tips to keep your motor running smoothly and your bodywork in mint condition.

CHECK YOUR OIL

The average UK diet provides up to 30 times more omega 6 essential fatty acids than omega 3 - an imbalance that can lead to allergies and depression. Try Organic Choice Optimum Oil Blend (£12.99 for 500ml, Holland & Barrett) to maintain a healthy balance. That's your insides sorted, but what about your exterior bodywork? If your skin is showing signs of sun damage after a summer of catching rays in the back garden, splash on a blob or two of vitamin E oil (health shops and beauty outlets such as The Body Shop carry a range of vitamin E products).

CHECK YOUR BRAKES

If you are having trouble sleeping but don't want to take a heavy duty sleeping tablet for fear of not being able to stop snoozing, why not try a natural remedy instead. Sedonium (£5.99 for 30, Boots and independent pharmacies) contains the herb valerian to help you get a better night's sleep without any groggy after effects.

CHECK YOUR LIGHTS AND INDICATORS

Make sure you are giving off all the right signals by investing in a natural aphrodisiac. Herbal vX for women and Herbal vY for men (£19.99 for 60, Superdrug, independent pharmacies and health shops) is extracted from a potato-like South American plant that has been used for centuries by the native Peruvians to help rejuvenate sexual desire and performance.

KEEP YOUR PETROL TANK CLEAN

Your liver can take a bit of a beating once the party season gets underway, so why not combat the effect of toxins with a drop of the powerful natural supplement milk thistle. Cynara Milk Thistle (£7.99 for 30, Boots) contains high levels of dried standardised extract of milk thistle in capsule form.

SWITCH TO FOUR WHEEL DRIVE

Heavy winter food can lead to heavy going in the digestion department. For a smooth, regular digestive journey try FiberForce-6 (£8.49 for 100, Holland & Barrett).

HAVE A WAX AND POLISH

Your bodywork could do with a bit of a buff at the best of times, but in winter it needs even more tender loving care than usual. For total, all-enveloping indulgence, check out the Mini ParaSpa Paraffin Bath (£49.99, mail order 0161 798 5885), which contains a whopping 3lbs of wax. Or you could opt for Napiers Detox Kit (£18.50, mail order 0131 343 6683), which contains extracts of dandelion, burdock, prunes and artichoke to remove dead skin and leave a silky smooth, blemish-free finish.

PREVENT TOXIC EMISSIONS

Not to put too fine a point on it, it can get mighty windy in winter. To keep flatulence at bay, silicon gel (£15.99 for 500ml, Holland & Barrett, health shops and independent pharmacies) acts as a natural stomach soother. Found naturally in oats, barley and millet, which are no longer common in the modern diet, it neutralises excess acidity and absorbs toxins, carrying them safely out of the body in a quiet and completely non-combustible fashion.

KEEP YOUR FOOT ON THE GAS

energy levels tend to drop during winter, so why not give yourself a boost by powering up your body through your feet. HoMedics Thera:P Magnetic Soles (mail order 0161 798 5885) make sure your energy fuel tank is full without you having to do a thing.

KEEP YOUR WHEELS AND AXELS TURNING

It is a lesser known scientific fact that cold weather can make you creak. To keep your joints moving freely, try Lichtwer Pharma's Bromelin (£7.99 for 30, Boots, independent pharmacies and health shops). This pineapple supplement is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent that reduces pain and swelling and promotes tissue repair.

BUFF UP YOUR BUMPERS

With ice and snow come slips and bumps, so be prepared with a Pain Ease Patch (£24.95, mail order 0845 602 1632). It can be used again and again to help combat localised pain and swelling, from back pain and joint ache to period pain. The patch emits a constant, low level micro-electric current that attracts blood and oxygen to the affected area, stimulating the body's healing process along the way.

AVOID EXCESS BAGGAGE IN THE BOOT

If you are fed up of travelling through life with a sign reading "Wide Load" on your rear end, maybe now is the time to invest in NatraShape (£14.95 for 90, mail order 0870 8499 950). These capsules are rich in hydroxycitric acid - a natural fruit acid - that can curb bingeing on high-carb foods and help to stimulate the production of natural blood sugars which, when detected by the brain, send a signal to the body that enough food has been ingested.

OR PARK UP FOR WINTER...

If all this sounds a bit too much like hard work, you could of course consider putting yourself in storage for the winter. Just don't expect to be firing on all cylinders come the spring.

Updated: 11:06 Monday, November 11, 2002