MOST women would jump at the chance of being taken out for a slap-up meal, but Amanda Peach used to beg her husband to let her dine at home.

For 34-year-old Amanda had developed a phobia about eating out in restaurants and would literally be sick at the sight of food.

"When the meal arrived I would start getting palpitations and feeling sick and would end up running out of the restaurant and being sick on the pavement," says Amanda.

"It was awful. I think people thought I was becoming anorexic or bulimic but I still enjoyed food as long as it was in the comfort of my own home."

But up until four years ago, Amanda, who lives with her husband Darren and five-year-old twins in Queen's Park, had always enjoyed being wined and dined.

"I used to eat out in restaurants a lot - even as a small child I was taken out for dinner and I am a real omnivore, too, - I eat everything.

"The first time it happened, I thought I was sickening for something, then I started blaming it on the food, the sauce was too rich, I was eating too late, the restaurant was too dark... but when it happened again I realised I was having a panic attack."

One theory is that her phobia was the result of all the trauma she went through following the birth of her twins, Elliot and Georgia, who were born more than three months prematurely.

Amanda and Darren were told that their children, who weighed less than four pounds between them, had only a 60 per cent chance of survival. They were kept under 24-hour care in the special baby unit at Poole for three months.

"I coped with it all at the time but apparently if you suppress trauma it can suddenly manifest itself in strange ways," says Amanda.

"It was a very debilitating condition but I am a very confident person and I was determined I was going to do something about it."

Amanda went to see her GP and was initially prescribed drugs to treat her heart palpitations. She also tried counselling and learnt calming breathing exercises.

"I didn't like taking tablets and I didn't find the breathing exercises very effective so I decided to try hypnotherapy. I was a bit wary at first because I had never tried anything like it before."

After just three sessions Amanda says she is now able to enjoy eating out in restaurants. She agrees to meet me for lunch in a Bournemouth restaurant where she polishes off a steak and salad.

"I feel OK," she says afterwards. "I was a bit fidgety when I first arrived but it was fine. I feel I can start to enjoy eating out in restaurants again."

Vanessa Holderness, a local clinical hypnotherapist, who helped Amanda overcome her restaurant food phobia, says it's important not to underestimate the power of your own mind.

"A fear of eating out in restaurants is not that uncommon. I have come across quite a few cases.

"The trigger could be the result of bereavement or some kind of stress or trauma and very often the phobia is totally unrelated to the cause.

"But under hypnosis the brain is in a calm and relaxed state and can take on board positive suggestions through visualisation to change thought patterns and behaviour."

Local DJ James Lloyd, aka Lloydie, formerly of 2CR FM and now at Power FM, is also a great believer in the power of the mind.

When he's not on air, he also practises hypnotherapy and Neural Linguistic Programming (NLP) and often treats clients at his Bournemouth home.

"It has really helped me in my work and I really get a kick out of helping other people do better in their lives too."

Lloydie will be talking about the power of the mind on the All Woman Show on Hope FM (106.3) between 9.30am and 11am on Wednesday, December 7. He will also be inviting listeners to phone in with their fears and phobias and offering help and advice live on air. Amanda Peach will also be a guest on the show, hosted by Ruth Oliver, who will also be broadcasting her exclusive interview with Uri Geller.