As the global situation on the pandemic takes a harsher grip, I welcome you to the Weekend Read knowing that the trauma has deepened and we have to address this as best we can. That said, we have to keep a positive perspective and try to be pragmatic in all that we are and all that we do.  That age-old saying of ‘This Too Shall Pass’ is, I believe, completely relative here and more than ever we need to trust and we need to believe.  We also need to keep things very real and we will continue on this journey together in doing just that.

I think it is true to say that we each have different coping mechanisms, so let me tell you mine.  I am a total news junkie, I always have been, but I can no longer watch the news and I haven’t done so for several months.  And I’m not alone.  Most people I know have given up on it too.  In moments of flicking, I am so appalled by the total lack of any reasonable balance and the ongoing hypocrisy that I have to turn it off.  For my own sanity.

And just for the record, I think it is far healthier to stay away from the ranting lunacy of social media, not that I’ve ever joined in as most of you know.  Of course there are exceptions, but basically this veritable playground for bullies remains disturbing on too many levels.  I pray that one day it will implode upon itself for the better good of all.  Let’s leave it there.  The mission for resolution continues.  As we walk on.

Another part of the mission, as ever, is to gain a better understanding of the products that will help make a positive difference to each of our lives.  So I want to start by writing about ‘workhorse’ supplements.  Whilst of course certain supplements, such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Zinc, have been written about extensively, there are certain hero products which Shabir considers to be essential, no matter what.  There are three of them and in no particular order I list them below.  With a price reduction on each, these offers will go across the weekend and will end tomorrow, Sunday 10 January at midnight GMT, or whilst stock lasts.

I am not going to do chapter and verse on probiotics, but although probiotic usage often begins with the need to help digestive issues, the ‘workhorse’ elements of probiotics include helping to support the immune system by producing certain proteins involved in antibodies.  Additionally they manufacture energising B vitamins, help cleanse the gut, break down food in the colon and are involved in a myriad of other processes, such as communication with the brain for stress alleviation. 

It is completely obvious that the recommended probiotic is going to be Mega Probiotic, which of course is our bestselling probiotic.  Shabir has a long-standing love affair with Mega P, but then so do I, basically because it helps take down the bloat.  And if we are on the subject of bloating, I also take Enhanced Super Digestive Enzymes, alongside Mega P, which I swear by and if you suffer from constipation, these will help enormously. 

So by virtue of the above, Mega Probiotic becomes £15 (from £19.50) and because I’ve mentioned Enhanced Super Digestive Enzymes they now become £20 (from £23.25) in accordance with the above caveats.  Shabir will have a blue fit when he reads that I’ve included Enhanced Super Digestive Enzymes.  But you know how it is, I do these things in the moment.  And that moment seems to have arrived.  Without consultation.
Mega Probiotic ND £15 for 60 Capsules; Enhanced Super Digestive Enzymes by Life Extension £20 for 60 Capsules 

It is Shabir’s belief that most of us simply do not get sufficient Omega 3 in our diets, which are naturally found in oily fish.  There is sufficient evidence to show that Omega 3’s protect our heart and brain, but it is lesser known that Omega 3’s are also required for the manufacture of hormones and they also help cleanse the colon.  In terms of energy, they are required for medium-term energy enhancement.  Life & Soul Pure Omega Fish Oil capsules provide the purest form of fish oil rich in Omega 3 essential fatty acids and in recognition of their superiority in a fish oil minefield, they now become £25 (from £28.50).  Power to authenticity.
Life & Soul Pure Omega 3 Fish Oil £25 for 120 Capsules 

The third (Digestive Enzymes are listed by default) workhorse supplement is magnesium.  Shabir’s take on this is that most people turn to iron tonics and iron supplements when they have low energy levels, yet it is magnesium, in all its glory, that is involved in the production of the highly energising molecule called ATP, found in every single cell of our bodies.  Magnesium is involved in over 300 biochemical reactions within the body, so it is no surprise to learn that deficiencies of this mineral are very widespread.

There are several different forms of magnesium supplementation, but for the purposes of the above, Shabir has chosen to use Magnesium Glycinate because it absorbs easily and it is thought to be less likely to cause the occasional nausea or minor digestive concerns that some people can experience while taking other forms of magnesium.  All that remains is for me to tell you that in the final offer in this section, Magnesium Glycinate becomes £15 (from £17.99).  Making a difference.  In several ways.
Magnesium Glycinate by Solaray £15 for 120 Capsules

I want to take a moment here to talk about skin health.  Knowing the way things are, expect to see a lot written on this subject over the coming months, like as if skin health has just been discovered.  With a great big sigh, I am not going to dwell because I have far more important things to write about.  And I want to follow through on iS Clinical after my words last weekend about the integrity and efficacy of the brand and its products.  Please bear with me because this is an important aspect of the work we all do together.

The iS Cancer Care Programme launched at the Washington Centre Institute over a decade ago and has since expanded to other esteemed US Institutions, including Cedars Sinai Medical Centre, the UCLA Revlon Breast Centre and The Cleveland Clinic.  It was designed to assist with both the physical and emotional challenges dealing with cancer.  The programme offers skincare solutions and education programmes for patients undergoing cancer treatment and recovery.  In 2013 the iS Cancer Care Spa Day Programme was launched, allowing clinics to extend this charitable outreach to their own communities.

The greatest satisfaction for Bryan Johns and Alec Call, the founders of iS Clinical, is the knowledge that iS Clinical clients and patients will experience a remarkable improvement in their skin’s health and appearance.  2020 marked a pivotal chapter with the launch of the iS Clinical Pure Wellness Collection offering the vital sense of hope and relief for those challenged with the effects of cancer treatments.  

By their very nature, the iS Cancer Care initiatives are only available through medical practitioners, but of course the products are available to each of us with compromised skin conditions because their efficacy runs across the whole spectrum of skin integrity and skin health.  And this is something we have known and have been achieving, face by face, for more than two decades.  The five specific product recommendations would therefore be Cream Cleanser, Poly-Vitamin Serum, Pro-Heal Serum Advance+, Hydra-Cool Serum and Extreme Protect SPF 30.  As a point of interest, iS Clinical’s proprietary Extremozyme technology, as in Extreme Protect, helps repair skin damage caused by free radicals.

If anybody needs more information about the iS Cancer Care Programmes in the UK, please do let me know and I will help point you in the right direction.  And if I may, iS Clinical is the reason I refuse to list other brands in this genre.  In my humble opinion, nothing comes close to these immaculate formulations.  And never will.  And let us not forget Sheald Recovery Balm here.  Used by surgeons all over the world, this was the first-ever product that could be used on open wounds.  With outstanding results.  And so to heal.  Another mission.
Cream Cleanser by iS Clinical £36 for 120 ml; Poly-Vitamin Serum by iS Clinical £58 for 15 ml or £90 for 30 ml; Pro-Heal Serum Advance+ by iS Clinical £72 for 15 ml; Hydra-Cool Serum by iS Clinical £50 for 15 ml or £80 for 30 ml; Extreme Protect SPF 30 £66 for 100 ml; Sheald Recovery Balm by iS Clinical £52 for 60 ml 

Seasonal Affective Disorder, also referred to as SAD, is a condition that affects over half a million people in the UK.  This condition impacts upon the mental health and wellbeing of people, but particularly so in the months of January and February.  I feel it is important to write about this now because of course so many will be triggered by the current global situation, deepening our level of stress level.  Often referred to as ‘winter blues’, Shabir does an in-depth on SAD, recommending two hard-hitting products to help alleviate some of the symptoms.
VH Editorial: Seasonal Affective Disorder; Magnolia Rhodiola Complex £28 for 60 Capsules; Vitamin B Complex with Vitamin C by Terranova £10.50 for 50 Capsules

Let’s do a treat.  Why not.  And let’s make it a Lanolips treat.  So let’s take Lanolips 101 Ointment Multi-Balm Strawberry.  Loaded with alpha-hydroxy acids, which helps slough off dead cells, this clever little ointment will also hydrate your lips, which are probably incredibly dry at the moment.  But more than anything, it brings a reminder and promise of lighter, warmer days, which can only be a good thing.  Perhaps apply it liberally as you are binge-watching the latest box set on Netflix.  Lanolips 101 Ointment Multi-Balm Strawberry is normally £8.99, but whilst stocks last, I am offering this to you for £5.  Because I can.
Lanolips 101 Ointment Multi-Balm Strawberry £5 for 10 ml 

I have written much about Liposomal technology over the past two or three years.  We have also launched some incredibly pioneering Liposomal products, which many of you now take, in particular Liposomal Vitamin C.  When we first started talking about Liposomals, Shabir wrote an editorial explaining why Liposomal vitamins were so important and that many scientific articles and white papers supported their use.  It continues to be of paramount importance to back up the use of all forms of supplementation with knowledge and understanding, which is why I am linking you to that article once again.  With love. 
VH Editorial: What Are Liposomal Vitamins; Liposomal Vitamin C by YourZooki £39.99 for 30 x 15 ml Sachets 

With the majority of last week’s feedback being about our collective stance on bullying, which I will refer to in a minute, I just want to say a couple of things here, which are product related.  For me, writing has always been a ritualistic event and I always write with a candle burning on my desk.  Over the past few weeks my chosen candle has been Inner Strength by Aromatherapy Associates.  Not only is its fragrance divine, but it epitomises my belief that light will always prevail over dark.  And as I light Inner Strength for each of us, I do so in the hope that the light will spread amongst us.  I invite you to join me.  If you can.
Inner Strength Candle by Aromatherapy Associates £42 (40 Hours Burn Time) 

In the knowledge that Shabir will now be running to see how many Inner Strength candles have disappeared from the shelf, let me give him something else to be concerned about.  And that would be my ongoing obsession with Atlantic Seaweed Bath.  The wait list is nearly over, as thankfully this product will be back in stock at the beginning of next week.  Thankfully because this wonderful product helps calm and relax us at the end of the day.  I have now dubbed this the ‘sleep bath’.  So for all those suffering from insomnia, do try this as a friend tells me she has her best ever sleeps after soaking in the Atlantic Seaweed Bath.   As Shabir will soon be rushing from one shelf to the other to see what damage I have done.  Rather a lot.  Actually.
Atlantic Seaweed Bath £12

In the spirit of the moment, I am now going to do the Saturday only treat.  With every order placed today, Saturday 9 January, for £25 and over (excluding p&p), we will automatically include Light Up, a botanical fibre facial mask which is loaded with Almond Oil and Vitamin C.  As ever, this gift will only be available whilst stock lasts and I honestly don’t know when that will be.  I always like to think we have it covered, but strange things can happen.  Often.

With the product section over, I just want to say how incredibly touched I am by your emails of love and support.  Your words continually inspire me and as I was reading your emails last Saturday, I was minded of an article written by Jackie Annesley, the former editor of both The Sunday Times News Review and Style Magazine.  That article was called ‘I Come From A Different World’ and was written over two years ago, but as I write this I really do feel that I come from a different world, I think most of us do.

It is of course a given that the challenges we each face are huge at the moment, but it is more than that.  Far more.  It is almost like the moral fibre of who and what we are is being quashed by greed, deception and corruption across all things.  I once wrote that if you had money, you could buy almost anything in this world, and I watch in abject horror as this translates itself.  And if we are talking about the health and beauty industry, and following on from my comments last week, I long for the days when products were written about on merit because as it stands today, the majority of credits and accolades are given to those who pay the most.  I will not join in.

I think the best thing I can do right now is to refer you to Jackie’s article; I know many of you will have read it before, but it serves to remind us of that different world and as I do so, I send each of you the warmest of hugs.
I Come From A Different World by Jackie Annesley 

Stay safe.

Gill x

 

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