Words are thought provoking and I have always believed that words hold the power to change lives, for the better and, sadly, for the worse.  If we are going across the spectrum, I want to throw the focus here on the words that can bring a sense of understanding, an understanding that supports who and what we are at any given moment of our lives.  Words heal, words comfort, words embrace us when we need them the most.  Words also enable the freedom of choice, providing a platform of knowledge and learning when sourced from trust, together with the guidance of our own innate intuition and discernment.

We learn from each other, that much I know, and it is that very learning that enables our own growth, strengthening our core to help withstand the difficulties we are so often faced with.  We are not alone, we can never be alone when we have each other, which is why acknowledgement and respect is so incredibly important if we are to walk together.  And that too is a choice.

I have never under-estimated the responsibility that we have, which is why it is crucially important to be aware of ongoing research, studies and clinicals in order that we may determine and recognise the ingredients and formulations which offer credible and therapeutic solutions.  To a large extent, this determines changes in supplementation, which is something I have been writing about since the beginning of the year.  And I’m about to write about it again.

There can be no doubt that sleep issues are increasing and there can also be no doubt that in the vast majority of cases the causal factor is stress.  So, we are going to talk about it because lack of sleep can impact our lives to the extent that we are unable to function properly.  Of course, the first thing I am going to say here is that we have to try to do the best we can to help manage our stress levels, and I wrote about that last weekend, recommending Magnolia Rhodiola Complex, which is one part of the equation, the other being sleep supplementation.
VH Editorial: How To Manage Stress Effectively; Magnolia Rhodiola Complex £28 for 60 Capsules

Before I go any further, I absolutely know that not all sleep supplementation is created equally, but more than that, sleep supplementation cannot be compared to prescribed medication in that it takes time to kick in and it won’t knock you out on the first night.  So, having established that, I will now tell you that Sleep Tight, has now become Sleep Tight Plus because Shabir has tweaked the formulation thereby increasing its efficacy.

Sleep Tight Plus contains herbal extracts of Passionflower, Magnolia bark, Oat straw and other herbs to help promote relaxation, improve sleep quality and sleep duration.  In addition, Sleep Tight Plus also provides the benefits of a strong extract of Valerian Root.  This therapeutic level of Valerian helps to increase levels of GABA, a compound in the brain which can help you to fall asleep faster, thereby enhancing sleep quality.  As a point of interest, Gamma-aminobutyric Acid (GABA) is an amino acid that serves as the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.  And in another point of interest, we are launching Sleep Tight Plus at £23 across the weekend, after which it will revert to £26.
VH Editorial: Are You Getting Sufficient Sleep; Sleep Tight Plus £23 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 18 June)

Staying with health concerns, I often write about thinning hair and hair loss and I do so because this is a tremendously emotive subject.  I honestly don’t care if I write about it every week and many of you will have seen that Shabir recommended Biotin, also known as Vitamin H, in the most recent What’s The Solution. In this instance he was recommending a specific supplement to help nourish hair follicles and to encourage keratin production, but that supplement had to be safe for use after chemotherapy.  And because it does not display oestrogenic properties, Biotin is generally considered to be safe and that is of critical importance, as is checking with your health professional before taking any form of supplementation.
Biotin 5000ug by Solgar Vitamins £22.50 for 50 Capsules

With that covered, our bestselling hair supplement is of course Superior Hair, which has several key ingredients including Biotin, Zinc Picolinate and Copper Sulfate.  So, let’s take a closer look at Biotin because it’s a versatile vitamin and whilst it contributes to the maintenance and health of hair, it also encourages healthy skin.  Additionally, It can help to reduce feelings of tiredness as it helps to support normal energy yielding metabolism.  However, we are throwing the focus on hair here and because we are doing that, I am dropping the price of Superior Hair from £32 to £29 across the weekend.
VH Editorial: Addressing Menopausal Hair Loss; Superior Hair £29 for 90 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 18 June)

But I’m not finished yet because I need to caveat my words by saying that hair thinning and hair loss is a notoriously difficult health concern and it can take up to six months, and sometimes longer, to see any noticeable difference.  The other thing I need to say is that I have linked Shabir’s article above, and although it refers to menopausal hair loss, it does in fact cover most forms of hair loss.  Finally, I really can’t write about hair health without mentioning the Fulvic Hair Care range, so as I mention it, I am dropping the price of Fulvic Shampoo from £25 to £20 and I’m doing the same with Fulvic Conditioner.  Fulvic Mist also drops from £25 to £20.  Forever Fulvic.
Fulvic Acid Shampoo £20 for 240 ml; Fulvic Acid Conditioner £20 for 240 ml; Fulvic Acid Mist £20 for 120 ml (offers end at midnight BST, Sunday 18 June)

Moving on and staying with supplementation, I completely understand that it is a veritable minefield out there, but one thing is extraordinarily clear and that is the fact that not all supplements are created equally, which I have referred to above.  The difference between synthetic and food-state vitamins is so vast, but perhaps it is somewhat synonymous of the health industry where the marketing of supplementation has reached peak levels, which can often create confusion because the messaging is so often misleading.  But the health bandwagon rolls on because health is considered a good game to play.  Except it isn’t a game.  And I write that often.

When writing about supplementation, there are of course the targeted supplements which have been formulated for specific health concerns, which are set aside from foundation supplementation.  Additionally, age-related supplementation is also relevant because the supplements which were important to take in our 20s and 30s differ from the supplements we recommend taking in our 50s and 60s.  So, two articles from Shabir here, both age-related and both have the same in common, the recommendation of Daily Multivitamins One-A-Day, formulated by Shabir and price dropped by me from £30 to £27. 
VH Editorial: Vitamins To Take In Your 50s; Vitamins For The Over 60s; Daily Multivitamins One-A-Day £27 for 60 Tablets (Two Months Supply) (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 18 June)

Right, some new products to tell you about and the first is Vitamin B12 Zooki, which is a high-dose vitamin B12 containing the active form of Vitamin B12, known as Methylcobalamin.  I think the easiest thing I can do here is to refer you to Shabir’s in-depth article on B12, which supports the importance of this vitamin.  As ever, there is a choice and the choice here is take B12 in an oral liquid format or as lozenges.  Being neat, B12 also features in the age-related articles above, so all that is left for me to do here is to take down the price of Vitamin B12 Zooki from £22.99 to £19.99.  For the interim.
VH Editorial: Are You Getting Sufficient B12; Vitamin B12 Zooki £19.99 for 60 ml; B12 Elite by Life Extension £14 for 60 Lozenges

A new product from Viridian, so please allow me to introduce you to Organic Prebio Fibre Powder, which is a low FODMAP, water-soluble prebiotic fibre, ideal for supporting microbial diversity in the gut.  This dietary fibre travels to the lower digestive tract where it can help to feed the friendly bacteria in the gut and also increases akkermansia levels.  Akkermansia is a beneficial bacteria strain which has shown to help regulate metabolism and as such it can support weight management.

FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, which are short-chain carbohydrates (sugars) that the small intestine absorbs poorly, so being low in FODMAPs is important because it means that it is better tolerated by those who may experience gastrointestinal upset when they consume resistant fibres.  Organic Prebio Fibre Powder is a blend of two natural ingredients, Baobab pulp and Acacia resin.  The Baobab and Acacia prebiotic fibres are low FODMAP accredited, gentle on the gastrointestinal tract and provide a value source of resistant fibres to feed the microbiome. 

With all of that said, Organic Prebio Fibre Powder is £24.45, but I am launching it at £21.45 for the interim.  And the finer details, this is a pleasant-tasting powder and as such it can be added to water, yoghurts, smoothies and cereals.  This jar contains thirty servings, at the clinically studied dose of 5 grams per day.  And one thing leads to another.
Organic Prebio Fibre Powder by Viridian Nutrition £21.45 for 150 grams

And it leads to another thing because having just mentioned that you can add Organic Prebio Fibre Powder to a smoothie, you may wish to use The Perfect Whisk to blend that smoothie, if you have one.  The Perfect Whisk is from PerfectTed and I had a big thing about this whisk a couple of weeks ago, essentially because I am besotted with it, and it seems that rather a lot of people are also besotted with Matcha Tea. There is no doubt in my mind that this will become one of those health bandwagons, most especially because an unnamed brand is aggressively marketing Matcha Tea at £60.  It’s enough to make you choke on the stuff.
The Perfect Whisk by PerfectTed £13; Organic Matcha Powder by PerfectTed £14 for 30 grams; Organic Matcha Green Tea Sticks by PerfectTed £9.99 for Ten x 1.5 gram Sachets

And if we are on the subject of being besotted with products, Shabir is having a moment with the Copper Tongue Cleaner, which I wrote about last weekend.  My apologies here because the Copper Tongue Cleaner tipped into a wait list, as I thought it would, but we are now back in stock.  And not to feel left out, Lara has also decided to have a moment, which comes next.  There are times when I think I’m writing a soap opera, which might not be a bad idea because there are so many stories to be told.  Leaving it there. 
VH Editorial: The Benefits of Tongue Scraping; Copper Tongue Cleaner by Urban Veda £12

So, Lara’s moment is all about Perfect Legs by This Works.  This is not a new moment and of course this is not a new product, but never mind that because Lara’s story began many years ago.  Her background is in luxury fashion and as such she was involved in high-end fashion shoots, and the most-used product on those shoots was of course Perfect Legs.  The full name of the product is Perfect Legs Skin Miracle and it is indeed a miracle product as it is powered by repairing vitamins and it happens to transform legs with a natural, no-chemical tint, which can be used all over the body leaving it with a delicate shimmer in seconds. 

This is not a fake tan, and it shouldn’t be confused as such, but just to also say that the formulation includes Arnica, known for its ability to help fade bruising.  On from that, This Works was founded by Kathy Phillips and it was one of the first beauty brands we listed on our site and that was a couple of decades ago, which is in line with an article written by Sarah and Jo, the Beauty Bible girls, at that time which I will link below.  The thing is that the three of us grew up together, and we grew up in an era when beauty really was beauty, which is so far removed from the beauty industry today.  Reflecting, but not necessarily dwelling.

Anyway, in celebration of Perfect Legs and each of the other This Works products, when you spend £30 or above on any product from This Works, we will automatically include Perfect Hands (75 ml) as a gift with purchase.  Perfect Hands has a value of £19 and as this is an extraordinarily limited offer, there is only one gift per customer and I really don’t think this offer will last very long at all.  You will know the offer is over if Perfect Hands fails to go into your basket, and to be equitable we reserve the right to merge multiple orders.  I’m sorry to be so strict on this but sharing as widely as we can is incredibly important to me.  It always has been.
Summer Legs by Sarah Stacey & Jo Fairley; Perfect Legs Skin Miracle by This Works £40 for 150 ml; All This Works Products

Last weekend I wrote about the launch of NutraTea, a range of functional teas that have a therapeutic action which can be used as an adjunct to supplementation, or they can be used as a stand-alone.  I wrote about three of those teas and I am going to write about three more today, but just to say that NutraRelease Tea was the bestselling tea.  So, let’s do another three teas and see what happens this weekend.
NutraRelease Tea by NutraTea £4.99 for 20 Tea Bags

We will start with NutraBoost Tea, a robust tea blend to maintain the release of energy containing a powerful blend of energy-boosting herbs such as Green Tea, Ginseng, Gotu Kola and Ashwagandha.  This is also known as a focus tea, and it serves to help release the nervous tension and anxiety that can sometimes come with caffeinated drinks.  It does rather well when used as an adjunct to Ashwagandha supplementation, KSM-66 supplementation as also referenced last weekend.
NutraBoost Tea by NutraTea £4.99 for 20 Tea Bags; Ashwagandha KSM-66 by Nutriburst £21.99 for 60 Gummies; KSM-66 Ashwagandha Plus by Wild Nutrition £22.50 for 60 Capsules

NutraLiver is a liver detox tea which combines herbs like Milk Thistle and Turmeric, which are packed with antioxidants.  This tea also contains Peppermint, Fennel and Liquorice to help soothe and calm the digestive system in order to optimise detoxification.  The liver is of course extremely important for our overall health and it is thought to be responsible for up to 500 functions.  The liver breaks down food to make energy, removes potentially damaging toxins from blood.  It also plays a vital role in the immune system and it helps to regulate the levels of sugar, fats, cholesterol and amino acids in blood.  It adjuncts with Milk Thistle supplementation.
NutraLiver Tea by NutraTea £4.99 for 20 Tea Bags; Milk Thistle Complex by HealthAid £13.99 for 60 Tablets

The third and final tea in this section is NutraFlow, which was formulated to help maintain general urinary health and kidney function, protecting against urinary tract infections.  In helping to support the kidneys, a combination of herbs are used including Parsley, Horsetail and Yarrow, the formulation also includes Cranberry and Goldenseal that have antibacterial and antifungal properties to help relieve the symptoms of cystitis, urinary tract infections and thrush.  As such, it adjuncts rather well with Cysticlean.
NutraFlow Tea by NutraTea £4.99 for 20 Tea Bags; All NutraTea Teas; Cysticlean 240 mg PAC £26.95 for 30 Capsules

The final fling in the product section and we might as well talk about our feet again and I am going to do so by telling you that I am dropping the price of Basix Skin Defence Cream Foot Food from £12.99 to £10.99.  Basix Skin Defence Cream Foot Food has been formulated for seriously dry feet and it contains 5% Urea.  Urea attracts and retains moisture, whilst forming a protective barrier that helps lock water into skin cells.  It is joined by Peppermint Oil which creates a soothing, stimulating effect to help revive tired feet.  That will do.
Basix Skin Defence Cream Foot Food £10.99 for 50 ml (whilst stock lasts)

And from one treat to another, into the Saturday only treat we go and with every order placed for £30 and above, excluding p&p, we will automatically include Faith In Nature’s Grapefruit & Orange Body Wash (100 ml), which cleanses and refreshes the body.  Full product details are listed below.
Grapefruit & Orange Body Wash by Faith In Nature

As we come to the end of another Weekend Read, I want to refer to the beginning of this newsletter where I was talking about the impact that words can have, but from the other end of the spectrum.  Words can cause reputational damage and words can destroy, and because I absolutely know this to be true, I feel moved to write some words about this.

Mental health issues are extraordinarily complex and can be triggered by any number of circumstances, including harmful words, and once spoken or written there can be no retraction because it is too late, the damage has been done.  The violation of another human being is beyond cruel, but we are living in a world where bullying and abuse has almost become a normal part of life.  Never mind that we are all human beings, the media and social media platforms are complicit in creating clickbait headlines designed to shame, and there can be no forgiveness.  The shame is on them.

This song.
Words by Bee Gees; The VH Playlist

With love

Gill x