Profile

Michael is a practising osteopath, naturopath, acupuncturist and nutritional consultant in Buckinghamshire.

From broadcasting with LBC every weekend for 30 years, Michael’s voice is well known to Londoners. His books have brought him to an even wider audience with his bestselling Superfoods (Mitchell Beazley), Foods for Mind and Body (HarperCollins), Good Mood Food (Cassell), plus a range of Detox titles (Quadrille, 2003). In 2005 alone he has published Foods for Life (Quadrille) and four other titles. Michael most, The Omega 3 Cookbook (Kyle Cathie), The Complete Superfoods Cookbook, Superfood Pocket Book, Super Duper Soups and Eat Well Live Longer.

 ‘One of the major pioneers of the health food industry’. The Health Food Manufacturers’ Association named Michael the Health Journalist of the Year in 2004.

Biography

Michael van Straten, an accomplished medical broadcaster and writer, and LBC voice for the past 20 years, presents his ever popular programme on LBC 1152 from 7 - 10pm every Saturday evening. The programme brings listeners all the latest news and features on complementary medicine, alternative treatments, pills, potions and all that's controversial across the full spectrum of medical care. Experts from around the world, Government ministers, professors from the great London teaching hospitals, and a range of celebrities from great chefs to the stars of stage and screen, are regular guests.

As a practising Osteopath, Naturopath, Acupuncturist and Nutritional Consultant, Michael has a practice at his home in Buckinghamshire. He is a past Governor of the British College of Naturopathy and Osteopathy and has served two terms as President of British Naturopathic and Osteopathic Association.

He has written more than 30 books that have sold in their millions, including the bestselling series of Superfoods health/cook books and was Consultant Editor to the Reader's Digest reference work Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal. Other books include Foods for Mind and Body published by HarperCollins, The Family Medicine Chest, a book of home remedies, published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson, Organic Living published by Frances Lincoln. The Superfoods series include Superherbs, Superboosters, Organic Superfoods and the very successful Superjuice all published by Mitchell Beazley. Other books are Good Mood Food published by Cassell, The Little Black Dress Diet published by Kyle Cathie (2001), and new Super titles for Mitchell Beazley, Superfoods for Children (with Barbara Griggs), Supersalads and Supersoups. The ORACle Diet, was published by Kyle Cathie in Autumn 2002. His most recent books published by Quadrille in 2003 are Super Energy Detox, Super Radiance Detox and Super Health Detox. In 2004 Mitchell Beazley published Super Cool and Super Hot both about drinks for health and vitality. Michael's latest books Food For Life is published by Quadrille in 2005, Superfoods, Superfast (DK) and Superfoods for Babies & Children (DK), both published in 2006. Most recent is Omega 3 Cookbook (Kyle Cathie, 2006), Super Duper Juice (2007), The Complete Superfoods Cookbook (2007) and More Super Juice (2007), The Complete Superfoods Cookbook (2008), Superfood Pocket Book (2008) Super Duper Soups (2008) and Eat Well Live Longer (2009).

Click on the links below to hear Michael talking about some of his books:

http://www.meettheauthor.co.uk/bookbites/1127.html

http://www.meettheauthor.co.uk/bookbites/1133.html

http://www.meettheauthor.co.uk/bookbites/1139.html

http://www.meettheauthor.co.uk/bookbites/1126.html

Michael has been a regular guest on television shows such as This Morning, Watchdog, Kilroy, the highly confrontational Central Weekend Live and Sky News. He was the alternative medicine contributor to UK Living's Live at 3, as well as for Channel 5's Espresso.

Michael wrote on alternative health for the Daily Express for many years and he is Alternative Health Editor for Woman magazine. He has written for Chic, OK!, Best and Health & Sport. He is frequently asked to give his expert comments by many national newspapers including The Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, The Sunday Times and the Daily Mirror and was a regular contributor to the new monthly food magazine Fresh.

Recent TV ventures for Michael have been the co-presentation with Julia Carling of a video The Complete Guide to Men's Health, his participation in a six-part gardening series Fruity Stories for Channel 4, and guest appearances in Food for Thought for Carlton Food Network. He also filmed his own series Superherbs for broadcast on Carlton Food Network and the end of 2003 saw the release of a video and DVD '10 Day Detox' that Michael filmed with Kim Wilde.

Early in 2004 the Health Food Manufacturers' Association named Michael the Health Journalist of the Year for being 'one of the major pioneers of the health food industry'.

Michael lives in France where he and his wife, journalist Sally Pearce, have a very large organic garden and a menagerie of chickens, ducks, geese, sheep, pigs and cats. As an enthusiastic cook Michael enjoys making jams and chutneys from their fresh organic produce and he relieves his tensions by beating up the dough during Sunday morning bread making sessions.

Updated 28/02/2009