My final three words on the last Weekend Read were very simple and taken from the song, November Rain.  They were ‘Everybody Needs Somebody’ and I think I would like to talk about that for a moment or two.  I have always believed that there is a great strength in vulnerability and weakness, which is where so many of us have found ourselves over the past two years.  Except, it’s not only just since the pandemic hit in, it has been there for all time, but it has been brought to the fore by excessive trauma, grief and uncertainty.  And the punches keep on coming.  It would seem.

It takes courage to stand in our own truth and it takes even more courage to reach out when we need it the most.  Thus the strength.  None of us can cope with the rawest emotions on our own, and neither should we.  All we can ever do is to be our authentic selves.  No more, no less.  We are not super-human.  We do not need to conform to anything other than who and what we are.  And I’m sick and tired of articles telling me who I should be or how I should feel, mostly written by those who have no conception of reality or a basic comprehension that the financial implications of the recent past have all but crippled so many.

What a world we are living in, but we have to hold onto our core values, no matter what.  Because those core values will help heal us in time, if we trust and if we believe.  And I believe.  I believe that words, and the writing of words, are cathartic.  I believe that we are stronger together.  And I also believe that as long as we continue talking to each other, we will get through with purpose and understanding.  So let’s talk.

And I want to start by saying that so many of you responded and related to the words I wrote last week about our emotions and the liver.  I would just like to follow through by saying that on differing levels, Milk Thistle serves not only as a detoxification of the liver, but as an emotional cleanse, as I indicated last week.  Of course this is not going to happen overnight, but it needs to be said that you may find yourself crying, which can be triggered by the smallest of things.  Please allow those tears to come. 

There are hundreds of different tears, RJB (Ross J Barr) tells me, and they all serve a purpose.  We both believe that most will leave you lighter.  But as with all things in life, it is a process.  And I think it is a particularly important process.  If we try to be brave by holding back the tears, we are actually doing ourselves a great disservice in terms of our health and wellbeing.  So with that said, I feel so strongly about this subject, I am repeating what I did last week by taking down the price of Milk Thistle from £12.99 to £11.  And one from me.  After the tears, jump up and down on your bed and scream.  Repeat as needed.  Throwing your pillows at the wall, if required.  I require.
VH Editorial: How To Heal Your Liver; Milk Thistle Complex by HealthAid £11 for 60 Tablets (Offer ends midnight GMT tomorrow, Sunday 14 November)

On from that, I read an interesting study this week.  We all know that sleep is a great healer, but we also know that a lack of sleep has serious implications on our health and wellbeing.  You really don’t need me to tell you that this lack plays out in several different ways, predominantly led by feeling totally worn out and exhausted.  And that in and of itself can send our emotions spiralling.  All things are connected.     

So let’s try and join up the dots.  A recent study published in the European Heart Journal indicated that there appears to an optimal bedtime which may be linked to better heart health.  It is thought that synchronising sleep to match our internal body clock may explain the association found with a reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes, and it can also impact concerns such as blood pressure.  This study was carried out on 88,000 volunteers and Regina Giblin, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation said: ‘This large study suggests that going to sleep between 10 and 11 pm could be the sweet spot for most people to keep their heart healthy long-term’.

Whilst of course far more conclusive research is needed, the concept is up for discussion and thought.  I know that burning the midnight oil doesn’t work for me.  I actually go to bed, whenever I can, at around 10 pm as I prefer getting up at 5 or 6 am, but of course it is one thing going to bed at 10 pm, but it’s quite another thing to be able to fall asleep at that time.  Most of us need help in that respect.  So let’s take a look at some of the products that may help resolve these issues.

And we’ll start with a supplement.  Cherry Night has been formulated for those with sleep disturbances and for those who cannot maintain a healthy sleep pattern.  This powder is loaded with magnesium, glycine, red date and cherry extracts.  Shabir has written an article about this, so that means all I need to do is tell you that I’m dropping the price of Cherry Night from £27.75 to £24 across the weekend, or whilst stock lasts.  Just one more thing to say on this, Cherry Night will not cause drowsiness, which is just as well, as we don’t need to wake up feeling like we have landed on Planet Zog.  Although that could be rather interesting.  I feel.
VH Editorial: Signs And Symptoms Of Sleep Loss; Cherry Night by Viridian Nutrition £24 for 150 grams (Offer ends midnight GMT tomorrow, Sunday 14 November)

The reason I want to write about this next product is because it is an interesting tincture, which can either be used as a stand-alone, or combined with Cherry Night.  Passiflora Complex Drops are quite brilliant for supporting anxiety-related sleep disturbances.  Passiflora has a traditional history of use as a remedy for anxiety and it can be taken on a long-term basis as it has no side effects.  The effects of Passiflora are strengthened when blended with Avena Sativa, also present in this tincture, as it acts as a mild sedative in alleviating the symptoms of stress. I’ll drop the price of this product too from £10.85 to £9.  Love a touch of sedation.  Seriously.
Passiflora Complex Drops by A. Vogel £9 for 50 ml (Offer ends midnight GMT tomorrow, Sunday 14 November)

Two more products to go in this sleep section.  If you are yet to discover Weleda’s Relaxing Lavender Bath Milk, I invite you to do so as I stay in mode and drop the price from £15.75 to £13, across the weekend, or whilst stock lasts.  This is one of Weleda’s classic aids to peaceful sleep and if it didn’t contain essential oils, I would be extraordinarily tempted to pour an entire bottle into one bath and dream of being Cleopatra as I wallowed in the depths of this rather divine soft milky bath.  Well that’s not going to happen, so another dream gets shattered as I wake up to the harsh reality that I can’t join in.  Which is probably just as well.  For our stock levels.
Relaxing Lavender Bath Milk by Weleda £13 for 200 ml (Offer ends midnight GMT tomorrow, Sunday 14 November)

Spacemasks.  I really couldn’t write an entire section on sleep issues without including these amazing eye masks.  They warm to touch and they are best used when you go to bed as they are the perfect antidote to stress-filled days.  This is interstellar relaxation at its very best.  The warmth will last for approximately fifteen minutes, although I think they last a little longer than that.  But, in the very best of circumstances, you won’t be counting the minutes because you may well have fallen asleep.  So let’s spread the joy and I will include a single Spacemask with each box of five sold.  Keep.  Or share.  And good morning to you Harriet Ingram.  Founder.  And friend.
Spacemasks £15 For Five Masks + One Free Mask (Offer ends midnight GMT tomorrow, Sunday 14 November)

Having mentioned cardiovascular health above, let’s just go there for a moment.  And we’ll go there in the shape of Shabir’s article on High Blood Pressure and his recommended supplement, Cardio Peak.  Often termed as ‘the silent killer’, we are mostly unaware of the symptoms of High Blood Pressure, medically referred to as hypertension.  I think it is important that we understand the symptoms and causes, being that the predominant cause is stress.  Cardio Peak will help protect against many concerns associated with the heart, including High Blood Pressure, and such is its importance I am dropping the price of Cardio Peak from £32 to £28.
VH Editorial: High Blood Pressure; Cardio Peak with Standardized Hawthorn and Arjuna by Life Extension £28 for 120 Capsules (Offer ends midnight GMT tomorrow, Sunday 14 November)

Let’s flip over to skincare.  And I want to start by saying that Everything Cleanser is on its way to us.  At last.  All things being equal, it should land next week, at which time the wait list will finally be conquered.  I think you all know that I absolutely adore Everything Cleanser, but then I adore all the NGS products.  My worst nightmare is launching a product or a brand and then going out of stock almost immediately, which is of course what has happened here.  Global supply chain issues continue and the disruption to business is massive, so all we can ever do is to tell it as it is and hope that global resolution isn’t too far away.  I am so sorry for the wait.
Everything Cleanser by Non Gender Specific £25 for 237 ml; Everything Serum by Non Gender Specific £49 for 50 ml; Everything Mask by Non Gender Specific £34 for 50 grams

After the launch of iS Clinical’s Active Peel System last weekend, I just want to tell you that these brilliant pads are now back in my bathroom.  And that’s something that makes me very happy.  But then all iS Clinical products make me happy because each and every one of their formulations are exceptional.  Given that it takes anything between three to five years for a product to emerge from the lab, I still believe that nothing will ever touch the immaculate Sheald Recovery Balm.  I would go as far as saying that this is my hero product of all time, across all products and brands.  And I think it always will be.  Nothing, but nothing, compares for wound and scar healing.
The Active Peel System by iS Clinical £75 (15 x Step One & Two Treatments); Sheald Recovery Balm by iS Clinical £52 for 60 grams; Sheald Recovery Balm by iS Clinical £20 for 15 grams

Onwards and into another one of those skincare treats.  Before anything I absolutely know this won’t last more than a few hours because we have a very limited volume of stock.  So here it is.  It’s from Aurelia and it’s called the Day & Night Duo.  With a value of £64, you will receive the Cell Revitalise Day Moisturiser (30 ml) and the Cell Revitalise Night Moisturiser (30 ml).  And in one sentence, this one, I am dropping the price from £64 to £29.  For the sake of logistics, if it fails to register in your basket, that means that the offer is over.  And ended.
Day & Night Duo by Aurelia London £29 (Limited Offer)

A few new products to tell you about this week.  The first is from Better You and it is their Air Defence Daily Oral Spray.  This is a scientifically formulated blend of Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 and Selenium.  It has been formulated to help support the immune system and helps protect cells from oxidative stress, which can be caused by fine particles in the air we breathe.  The flavour is natural peach and pomegranate, the price is £11.95, but I will take the launch price down to £9.50.  Ongoing throughout this week.  And perhaps next week too. 
Air Defence Daily Oral Spray by Better You £9.50 for 25 ml (32 Daily Doses)

The next two products are for children and both are from brands that we trust implicitly.  Viridian Nutrition have launched ViridiKid Vitamin C Drops, featuring ecologically-grown acerola cherries, a potent and natural source of Vitamin C.  This delivers up to 30 times more Vitamin C than oranges and it will help support a healthy immune system.  These drops taste delicious and they are easily dropped straight into the mouth, or alternatively they can be mixed into food and drink.  Suitable for children from six months and upwards, this is the second cherry product from Viridian on this newsletter, so to celebrate that, I am taking the launch price down from £13.50 to £12 ongoing.  Again.
ViridiKid Vitamin C Drops by Viridian Nutrition £12 for 50 ml

And a second appearance too for A. Vogel as they launch Cough Spray For Kids.  Suitable for children aged four and above, this cough spray helps bring rapid and effective relief to dry, tickly coughs.  The spray creates a layer of protective film in the throat and helps ensure that irritated mucus membranes are not further irritated.  Registered as a medical device, I am staying with it as I drop the launch price from £11.99 to £10.  For the duration.
Cough Spray For Kids by A. Vogel £10 for 30 ml

One more new product to talk about.  And it’s the world’s first solid bamboo electric toothbrush head.  Many of you will remember when we launched The Truthbrush, and after two years in research and development, this electric toothbrush head has been specifically designed to use with a Philips Sonicare brush, without the need to buy a new base.  It is thought that two in three adults now use an electric toothbrush, so this is a good fit if you are looking for a sustainable replacement head.  In full transparency, I haven’t tested these because I use Braun’s Oral-B Toothbrush, but if you have a Sonicare and wish to try, the toothbrush heads come in packs of two.
Truthbrush Electric Toothbrush Head £9 (Pack of Two); The Truthbrush

I nearly always lead these newsletters by reducing the price of one of our bestselling products, but for various reasons I am all upside down this week.  So I’m going to end with it instead and I will go straight in as I tell you that I am taking the price down of our bestselling probiotic, Mega Probiotic ND.  It drops from £21 to £18 across the weekend and I honestly don’t think I need to say any more, other than Shabir has written twelve articles about this product, all of which are on the product page.  And I take it.  Of course.
Mega Probiotic ND £18 for 60 Capsules (Offer ends midnight GMT tomorrow, Sunday 14 November)

Into the Saturday only treat we go, and this week with every order placed for £30 and above, excluding p&p, we will automatically include a single unit of Sarah Chapman’s Platinum Stem Cell Eye Mask*.  This eye mask harnesses cutting-edge technology and advanced actives, actioning signs of ageing and tiredness around the eyes.  I have linked the product below so that you can read more about it.  I think we have enough for each of you, but will substitute with another gift if we run out.  Which could happen.
Platinum Stem Cell Eye Mask by Sarah Chapman £78 for Four Units

As we end, I would like to take the following words from Brothers In Arms.  I am more than aware of the reasons why this song was written, but I am using these words in recognition of who and what we are together.  I don’t want to write too much here, but I think these words speak volumes about the ongoing need for compassion and understanding.  They also speak of my unrelenting stance of standing up for everything that I believe in, with you by my side.  My Brothers In Arms:

Through these fields of destruction.
Baptisms of fire.
I’ve witnessed your suffering.
As the battle raged high.
And though they did hurt me so bad.
In the fear and alarm.
You did not desert me.
My brothers in arms.
Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits; The VH Playlist

Always.

Gill x

 

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Prices and products advertised at times of sending and publishing are subject to change and availability. 

*Free gifts will only be granted if the items purchased are physical products and your total basket value exceeds the required amount noted.  Saturday only treats are subject to change should the specified gift run out prior to your purchase and are only included in orders placed between 7.45am (GMT) and Midnight (GMT) on the Saturday the Weekend Read is sent.  VH Addicts membership is a digital product and therefore will be excluded from the basket value.  Some gifts are blocked from international shipping due to local limitations imposed based on the country destination.  If this is the case, we will replace the gift with one that is able to be shipped to your destination.