As I welcome you to another Weekend Read, it is abundantly clear that a sense of belonging is of critical importance to so many of us as we continue to reach out when we need it the most.  So, I would like to take a minute to say thank you for your words last weekend in response to my own words.  We are not cushioned from cruelty and we are not cushioned from trauma, so we do what we have to do in order to retain our own sense of being.   We fight the good fight and we do so because we have to uphold our values and we have to seek justice for the unjust.  And that’s a mission.

The mission has no boundaries, I will go wherever I need to go and I will do whatever I have to do, there is no other way if we are to stand in our own truth, offering support, guidance and protection wherever we can.  I am heart-led, I always have been, I think it’s important that we are all on the same side, most especially because so very often I find myself at odds with the shenanigans of the health and beauty industry, which really doesn’t bode well on trust issues.  It is what it is and market share is totally irrelevant here, what is relevant is that we continue to have the freedom of choice and the right to exercise that choice.  No matter what.

And with that said, let’s begin this next section by talking about an extraordinarily common health concern, high cholesterol.  As we know, high cholesterol levels are linked to cardiovascular disease which, in turn, is the main cause of death in the Western Hemisphere.  Additionally, heart disease and stroke are the main causes of death and disability for those with Type 2 diabetes, so it is important to talk about this.

I think it is also important to say that there has been a notable increase in prescribed medication to help lower cholesterol levels, but many are seeking a natural solution, mostly because of the noted and numerous side effects from such medication.  The thing here is that high cholesterol does not produce symptoms until significant damage has been done, which is why we must have our blood pressure tested regularly in order to understand where we are at, which allows us to take immediate preventative steps if required.

It goes without saying that prevention is better than cure, so I am going to refer you to Shabir’s article, linked below, which gives an in-depth understanding of cardiovascular health and the difference between good and bad cholesterol.  On from that, Cholestsafe was formulated to help lower cholesterol levels and its two key ingredients, Red Yeast Rice and Policosanol have both been studied extensively, with a suggestion that Red Yeast Rice supplementation can help lower cholesterol levels by twenty to twenty-five percent.  Policosanol, a compound derived from the sugar cane plant, has also been shown to help lower cholesterol by a similar percentage in one particular study.

It is known that the majority of cholesterol production occurs during the early hours of the morning, so the recommended dosage is one capsule in the morning and two capsules in the evening, and that is almost that on Cholestsafe.  The other thing to say here is that I am lowering the price of Cholestsafe across the weekend, which means that it drops from £26 to £23.  Another statement.  Another mission.  And there is more.
VH Editorial: How To Lower Cholesterol Naturally; Cholestsafe £23 for 90 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 25 June)

And the more is that I cannot write about lowering cholesterol levels without mentioning oats.  Oats contain more soluble fibre than most other grains, specifically oat beta glucans.  With over 100 scientific studies proving the positive benefits of oat beta glucans, the evidence is quite conclusive and Oatwell Powder has been proven to reduce cholesterol, improve digestive health and reduce blood sugar peaks after eating.  And because one serving of Oatwell Powder has the same benefits as four servings of porridge oats, it can be used as an adjunct to Cholestsafe or as a stand-alone.  Either way the price drops from £13.59 to £12, also across the weekend.
Oatwell Original Powder £12 for 150 grams (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 25 June)

I want to talk about probiotics and I want to throw the focus on specific forms of probiotics, which I will do in a moment, but for now we are going to talk about Mega Probiotic ND.  Mega Probiotic ND is a non-dairy broad spectrum probiotic supplement containing eight species of friendly bacteria that can colonise the gut after passing through the harsh environment of the stomach.  We have always referred to Mega Probiotic as a core probiotic supplement and because most of us take it, and because our stock levels allow me to, I am taking the price of Mega-Probiotic down from £22 to £19 across the weekend.
VH Editorial: The Most Important Supplement For The Whole Family: Probiotics; Mega Probiotic ND £19 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 25 June)

And now I want to throw the focus on two specific forms of probiotics and I will begin with a probiotic for travel and unsurprisingly it’s called Travel Biotic.  Traveller’s diarrhoea is invariably caused by contaminated or tainted water and it can also be caused by poor hygiene, most especially when food has been contaminated by insects and/or bacteria.  The bacteria responsible for traveller’s diarrhoea include Salmonella, Campylobacter and various strains of E. coli.

Once again prevention is better than cure, and if you are travelling you may wish to take a course of Travel Biotic beginning seven days prior to travel, continuing for the duration of your trip.  Travel Biotic contains a unique non-pathogenic yeast called Saccharomyces boulardii which helps increase the volume of bacteria residing in the gut and in turn these bacteria produce lactic acid, which prevents pathogens from thriving, thus helping to prevent and treat diarrhoea.  Travel Biotic can be taken as an adjunct to Mega Probiotic, or it can be used as a stand-alone.  Either way, I am dropping the price from £28.70 to £25.70, also across the weekend.
Travel Biotic by Viridian Nutrition £25.70 for 30 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 25 June)

Constipation is a huge issue for so many of us, so we are going to take a look at a specific strain, Bifidobacterium lactis HN019, which has been clinically studied and found to help alleviate both occasional and recurrent bouts of constipation.  This particular strain works by enhancing the production of short-chain fatty acids, which sets off a chain reaction helping to speed up the motility in the gut leading to bowel regularity.  A high concentration of Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 is required in order for it to be effective and it needs to be in the correct therapeutic dose.  Florassist Daily Bowel Regularity conforms and because it does another price drop, this time from £21 to £19.
Florassist Daily Bowel Regularity by Life Extension £19 for 30 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 25 June)

Right, let’s do suncare, which translates into skincare.  Like skincare, suncare is a considered choice and it needs to be because we all have our favourite products.  I absolutely know that I have been throwing the focus on the Darling suncare range for many reasons, most specifically because I think the products are exceptional.  However, there are many brands and products which are exceptional in this genre and Coola is one of them.  This much I know, because I have been using their products for a very long time. 

So, not to be left out, let’s do a treat and it goes like this.  If you spend £25 or over on any products from the Coola range, we will automatically include Coola’s Classic Body Sunscreen Spray Guava Mango (60 ml).  This is a limited edition offer and as such there is only one gift per customer.  As ever, I am not sure how long this offer will last, but it’s over when it’s over and as such the gift will not appear in your basket.  Let the sun shine upon us.  Safely.
Coola

Staying on subject, I have often written about Aethic Sôvée and with their unique patented eco-compatible products, Aethic formulated the world’s first sunscreen to be certified Marine Positive. And now, there is one more product to add to their range.  It is called Concentrée Triple-Filter Ecocompatible Sunscreen SPF 50+ and it has been specifically formulated to protect highly exposed areas, such as under our eyes, on our cheekbones and on the nose and forehead.  Highly suitable for water sports enthusiasts, it is also recommended for those who have sensitive skin.  A dab here, a dab there.  We are complete.
Concentrée Triple-Filter Ecocompatible Sunscreen SPF 50+ by Aethic Sôvée £21 for 30 ml

We are most definitely in summer season mode and Prickly Heat, also known as heat rash or Miliaria, is a very common issue that occurs in hot, humid weather conditions when small particles of sweat block the sweat glands with symptoms of a rash developing on several parts of the body.  Composed of tiny spots or bumps, these spots are surrounded by an area of red inflamed and itchy skin, which causes localised irritation and it can be extraordinarily uncomfortable.

Shabir does the lowdown on Prickly Heat in his article, linked below.  He recommends a few products, but I’m pulling out two of them.  Stinging Nettle is generally used to provide relief for Hay Fever and other allergies because of its ability to inhibit the release of histamine, which in this instance is responsible for the rash.  Additionally, Stinging Nettle leaf extracts are powerful diuretics helping to eliminate the compounds that are responsible for the inflammation of the sweat gland.  Specifically recommending Stinging Nettle Urtica Drops, I am dropping the price of this tincture from £11.99 to £10.  For the interim.
Stinging Nettle Urtica Drops by A. Vogel £10 for 50 ml

Topically, Thyme Out is brilliant for helping to reduce inflammation, thereby calming your skin.  We love Thyme Out, we think it is an exceptional product and it has served so many of us over the years.  So, Thyme Out for Prickly Heat, absolutely, but Thyme Out is also excellent at helping to treat acne and eczema, and let me also say that it treats sunburn rather well too.  I think Thyme Out may well be one of those holiday essential products and because I’m prone to heat rashes I won’t leave home without it, so let’s share its brilliance by dropping the price of the Original Thyme Out from £18 to £16. 
VH Editorial: How To Treat Prickly Heat; Thyme Out £16 for 200 ml (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 25 June)

If we are talking about uncomfortable skin conditions, then we have to acknowledge that summer cold sores fall into that genre, as do insect bites.  Summer cold sores first, and we always, always recommend Lysine Lip Balm containing monolaurin, which alongside Lysine is a powerful antiviral, used to help prevent cold sore outbreaks.  And insect bites, well Mrs White’s Unstung Hero remains a heroic summer product and it has achieved that status ever since we launched it.  It is totally resplendent, not least because many of us also use it as a room spray to deter mosquitoes, ticks, black fly, wasps and bees.  Most frequently used in my bedroom.
VH Editorial: Prevention & Treatment Of Cold Sores; Lysine Lip Balm by Good Health Naturally £5.95 for 5 grams; Mrs White’s Unstung Hero Mosquito Repellent £20 for 250 ml

Returning to supplementation, as many of you know we released Sleep Tight Plus last weekend which, once again, was formulated by Shabir.  Let me just say here that we have not finished yet, there are more cutting-edge supplements to come, but I would just like to thank you for your continued loyalty and support.  And if we are talking about sleep issues,  here are three of my favourite products to help you relax, all of which can be used as an adjunct to Sleep Tight Plus.  Actually, this is easy, those three products are Spacemasks, Sleep Patches and NutraRelax Tea.  And they all drop in price across the weekend, as listed below.
Sleep Tight Plus £26 for 60 Capsules; Spacemasks (original) £13.50 for Five Spacemasks (drops from £16.50); Sleep Patches by Ross J. Barr £12 for Ten Patches (drops from £15); NutraRelax Tea £4.99 for 20 Tea Bags (drops from £5.99) (offers end at midnight BST, Sunday 25 June)

Racing through the year, we are nearly in July and as such the current offer from Temple Spa will end on Friday 30 June at midnight BST.  In case you missed it, this month’s offer from Temple Spa is Eye Truffle, a rather luxurious cream that will help nourish and hydrate the fragile eye area.  You can of course read far more about Eye Truffle on the product page, but for now I just need to say that until next Friday, the price of Eye Truffle is lowered to £35 from £65, so that’s a £30 saving.  I’m rubbish at maths, but even I can work that one out.  Each to their own.
Eye Truffle by Temple Spa £35 for 15 ml

We are obviously in treat territory, so let’s continue and we will continue with Aurelia’s Revitalise & Glow Serum (15 ml) which delivers potent botanicals, peptides and antioxidants to help soothe and hydrate our skin.  This is a lightweight serum and it incorporates Aurelia’s signature probiotic ingredients, working hard to transform dull and fatigued skin.  Two things to say, the first is that the price of Revitalise & Glow Serum drops from £36 to £19 and the second thing to say is that if you are allergic to essential oils, please don’t use this product because it is loaded with them.  Amen.
Revitalise & Glow Serum by Aurelia London £19 for 15 ml (whilst stock lasts)

Nearly finished, but I just want to say that I often forget to put things onto the Weekend Read and most of the time my memory returns about five minutes after publication. This happened last weekend because I meant to tell you that Smooth Upper Lip was back in stock after a short absence, but I forgot.  I’m not sure how I forgot because I have a thing about this product, not least because over time it will help soften those horrid vertical lip lines, which I wrote volumes about when we launched Smooth Upper Lip.  Anyway, that’s all I need to say other than please, please give this product time to work, it’s not an overnight fix.  If only it was.
Smooth Upper Lip by Dermelect Cosmeceuticals £45 for 15 ml

Into the Saturday only treat we go and with every order placed for £30 and above, excluding p&p, we will automatically include Coola’s Sun Silk Drops SPF 30 (5 ml)* into your order.  Formulated with the plant-derived BlueScreen Digital De-Stress Technology, the Sun Silk Drops provide broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection to help mitigate the effects of HEV light (blue light), Infra-Red and pollution.  Full product details listed below.
Sun Silk Drops SPF 30 by Coola

Finally, I would like to share some more words about words, which were sent to me last weekend.  I think we all know the expression ‘think before you speak’, but I believe that the Persian translated version of that saying is far more profound, ‘Taste Your Words’.  Taste Your Words is thought-provoking.  If only people would taste their words before writing or saying them, the world would be a far better place.  Once again, thank you for sharing, we are as one.

Always remembering that words can heal, let’s sing.
Heal The World by Michael Jackson; The VH Playlist

With love

Gill x

 

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*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.