Two things determine how healthy you are. The first is your genetic make-up or constitution-your body and mind map. The second is your immune system.

Constitutionally, we tend to stay the same throughout life, and it is our inherited genes that dictate how we will cope.

On the other hand, our immune system can go up and down like a yo-yo. When it’s low, it’s open season to any number of germs, viruses and stresses that can put enormous strain on the body, thus demanding extra reserves that may already be depleted.

Think of the body as a bank account. The currency keeping you in the black is nutrition, relaxation and joy. What pushes you into the red is the opposite: toxins, stress and anger. In developed countries, it’s a fact of life that most of us not only have a sizeable overdraft but, indeed, a bridging loan.

How come? One of the biggest mistakes we make is to underestimate the cumulative effect of poor nutrition, stress and toxicity on our bodies. This is because most of us can process an enormous number of toxins unnoticed - until we’re around 40, which is when cracks start to appear. While we may be more “content” at 40 than at 20, physically we’ve seen it, drank it, inhaled it, spat it out and started over many times.

But don’t despair. Instead, let’s review the good news. Your body wants to be well - it’s as simple as that. It will respond with unbounded enthusiasm at the first sign of encouragement.

So how to do this? First, start by asking what you can and cannot change in your life. In homeopathy, factors in your life that cannot be removed but which contribute to illness are known as a “maintaining cause”. If the cause were not there, your body might return to a more balanced, healthy condition.

So if the cause is your lifestyle, it will be a tricky one to deal with. Being a teacher, as with many other occupations, you automatically face circumstances which challenge your immune system as you juggle your workload and adapt to shifting goalposts - with the inevitable stress as a result.

Let’s assume that at the end of the day you have some wine - a few glasses, or a bottle perhaps - to help you unwind. Your body will have made good use of all the nutrition you’ve put into it during the day, but the more toxins you consume, the more you need to counterbalance their effect.

As a basic starter pack, kick off with blue-green algae. This isn’t a vitamin supplement - it’s actually a food. Algae is right there at the bottom of the food chain, consuming toxins and turning all kinds of fantastic tricks. It has the highest concentration of B vitamins, and it oxygenates the blood and helps to balance the metabolism.

At around pound;14 a throw, it is expensive - but it is well worth it. And here’s another tip: don’t buy the powder form, which has to be mixed with water, unless you are an ox. Get the more palatable capsules.

If you want to concentrate on vitamins, bear in mind that B12 is depleted with alcohol intake, so get B complex with additional B12.

Vitamin C is vital, especially if you tend to catch colds easily. If this is the case, you can invest in echinacea tincture, which helps to clean the blood and shores you up against colds.

Drinkers need to support the liver and kidneys and should therefore buy milk thistle tincture. Tinctures are more effective than tablets because they are purer and contain much more of the original active substance.

On that note, don’t buy own-brand products. Instead, choose Bio-Force from good chemists and health food shops.

The homeopathic remedy Nux Vom is excellent for taking away the sickly feeling that accompanies over-indulgence. Buy it in the 12c potency, and take twice daily for a month. This is a good liver support.

If your blood-sugar levels are out of synch, you may find that you crave sweets between 1pm and 4pm. Far better to go for foods with a slow sugar release such as bananas and fruit. You’ll pacify the craving with chocolate, but its effects are short-lived and can have the opposite effect of making you more tired.

Dehydration is a major factor in illness. In the West, most of us do not drink enough water. It’s common in homeopathic practice to see many symptoms diminish just by adding water.

View RDAs (recommended daily allowances, which are printed on the product) with caution. For instance, if you live overlooking The Stray in Harrogate, you’re hardly going to need the same amount of vitamin C as someone living within a stone’s throw of the M25.

So why take 1,000mg a day? The more exposure we have to poisons, the more we need to tailor our use of supplements.

To balance yourself properly, and avoid extra planning and confusion, you should take time out to visit a good homeopath. These people have spent many years learning about how to clean up all that accumulated muck in your body.

You’ll pay around pound;25-pound;40 and your remedies will be included. If you have a homeopathic college near you, go to the student clinic.

Whatever it costs, your body bank manager will thank you.

Lawrence Bogle is a final-year student at the College of Practical Homeopathy, London