Hello and welcome to another Weekend Read where we continue on from last weekend as we take a look at summer health and wellbeing, together with the products that help to support us through the season.  However, I am not going to restrict this newsletter solely to summer health, because there is much talk about, so I am going to begin by telling you that another supplement has arrived with the DoSe branding, and that supplement is Cholestsafe. 

So, let’s talk about high cholesterol because it is thought that cardiovascular disease is the primary cause of death in the western hemisphere, so unsurprisingly there has been an increase in those being prescribed medication to help lower cholesterol levels.  Given that there are side effects to taking statins, which are well documented, many choose natural remedies, but as ever it is a choice and all we can ever do is offer that choice, a choice which is backed up by researched studies.

There are two types of cholesterol, LDL the ‘bad’ cholesterol and HDL, the ‘good' cholesterol. LDL is naturally produced by the body and the volume produced can be hereditary, so if too much LDL circulates in your blood it can clog arteries through the build-up of plaque, directly increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.  In order to achieve balance, we need to lower our LDL cholesterol and raise our HDL cholesterol.

Throwing the focus on the ingredients found in Cholestsafe, studies have indicated that Red Yeast Rice can lower cholesterol levels safely, but obviously this refers to taking the correct therapeutic dose of this compound.  Red Yeast Rice is derived from white rice which has undergone fermentation, it has been shown to reduce triglycerides and lower LDL levels and it naturally contains Lovastatin, together with numerous other compounds which have been clinically evaluated and shown to reduce cholesterol levels, mostly within eight weeks, as per the clinicals, and without side effects.

Cholestsafe also contains Policosanol, a compound which is derived from the sugar cane plant and here one specific study indicated that it may help lower cholesterol by roughly the same amount as Red Yeast Rice by lowering the ‘bad’ cholesterol and increasing the levels of the ‘good’ cholesterol.  Other nutrients, such as Chromium, Phytosterols, Artichoke Leaf Extract and Co-Enzyme Q10 each have a role to play in helping to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, so they are included in this formulation for optimal efficacy and, with that said, I am dropping the price of Cholestsafe from £27 to £24, across the weekend.
VH Editorial: How To Lower Cholesterol Naturally; DoSe Cholestsafe £24 for 90 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 9 June)

In recent years, whenever I have written about lowering cholesterol levels, I always mentioned oats because there are more than one hundred scientific studies which have proven that oat beta glucans can reduce cholesterol, improve digestive health and reduce blood sugar peaks after eating.  Oats contain more soluble fibre than most other grains and here we recommend OatWell Powder essentially because we believe this formulation is best-in-class, so as such I am dropping the price of OatWell Powder from £13.59 to £12 and all you need to do is sprinkle it over cereal, or any food you choose actually.  Easy.
OatWell Original Powder by Lifeplan £12 for 150 grams (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 9 June)

I would just like to refer back to the ingredients included in Cholestsafe and talk about Artichoke Leaf Extract for a moment, specifically because Artichoke Leaf Extract helps to support the liver. The liver is the primary gland that manufactures and destroys cholesterol, so its presence in the formulation of Cholestsafe is crucial and it can safely be used as an adjunct to Cholestsafe. However, with that said, the health benefits of Artichoke Leaf Extract are numerous and have been studied extensively, so let’s take a look at one specific health concern, dyspepsia.

Dyspepsia is a generalised term which covers digestive complications, such as gas, indigestion, stomach upset and bloating.  Artichoke Leaf Extract helps to stimulate the production of bile and bile is incredibly important for the digestive process as it helps break down fats, as well as aiding in the absorption of many vitamins.  In one study carried out at the University of Reading, a 40% decrease was evidenced in the symptoms of gas, bloating and indigestion in those with dyspepsia, citing the efficacy of Artichoke Leaf Extract.  Shabir does the lowdown on the benefits of Artichoke in his article linked below, as I drop the price of High Strength Artichoke from £17.50 to £16.
VH Editorial: The Health Benefits Of Artichoke; High Strength Artichoke by Lamberts £16 for 180 Tablets (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 9 June)

Right, let’s kick into seasonal products and I will begin this section by talking about the Moskinto patches again, purely on the grounds of their brilliance.  As I wrote last weekend, Moskinto patches are chemical-free and I will follow through by saying that the patches work due to their original and patent-pending grid-shaped invention that allows the body’s lymphatic system to drain away the itch-causing residue left behind by insect bites by virtue of a subtle lifting effect giving almost instant relief from itching.  You only need one patch per bite and although you can remove the plaster at any time, each patch will last between four and seven days.  I wish I had invented them. I didn’t.
Moskinto (The Intelligent Patch) £6.95 for 24 Plasters

Onwards, and jet lag is one of the most common travel problems if you are crossing different time zones and it is characterised by a number of symptoms which are dependent upon the length of journey, but they include nausea, fatigue and headaches.  The issue here is that our bodies are not synchronised to time zones, so it is often difficult to sleep and if you do manage to sleep, you tend to wake up really early in the morning, most specifically if you have flown long haul.

There are many sleep remedies on the market, but we recommend DoSe Sleep Tight Plus, primarily because this formulation contains Magnolia bark which works to physically relax the body, helping to reduce the levels of stress hormones.  Sleep Tight Plus also contains Valerian, Passionflower, Hops and Oat straw which work synergistically to help induce sleep and to enhance the quality of sleep, thus allowing our bodies to adjust to the correct time zone.   Of course, Sleep Tight Plus is an important supplement to help support sleep deprivation at all times, not just when we travel, and in recognition of that I am dropping the price of Sleep Tight Plus down from £26 to £23.
DoSe Sleep Tight Plus £23 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 9 June)

With nausea being one of the symptoms of jet lag, let’s talk about travel sickness, which is thought to be induced as a result of conflicting messages sent to a very specific region in the brain from the visual, gastrointestinal and inner ear nerves.  There are some basic rules which should be adhered to and these include the avoidance of highly acidic and high fat foods before travelling, so the recommendation here is to eat neutral foods such as yoghurt, a few hours before flying and if you are prone to travel sickness, avoid reading whilst travelling because this takes your vision away from your location and can contribute to feelings of nausea.

Ginger is a traditional herbal remedy which has long been used as a travel sickness remedy, a remedy which has received extensive scientific scrutiny.  Interestingly, it has been shown that Ginger capsules were more effective than an over-the-counter medicine in preventing travel sickness, with the research concluding that Ginger absorbs acids and blocks nausea in the gastrointestinal tract.  Once again, the correct therapeutic dose should be taken for efficacy and we recommend Ginger Capsules with a further recommendation that one capsule should be taken daily, three or four days before your journey, and of course on the day of travelling.
Ginger Capsules by Lamberts £10.95 for 60 Capsules

Plantar Fascilitis is the inflammation of the planter fascia when the ligament suffers from microscopic tears and it can be a real issue because the pain can be excruciating.  The plantar fascia is a broad ligament-like structure that extends from the heel bone to the base of the toes and as such it acts like a thick rubber band on the bottom arch of the foot.  Plantar Fascilitis often occurs due to poor biomechanics and over utilisation, but it is often triggered by excessive barefoot walking, or walking without proper protection of the arch, most especially during the summer months due to the disproportionate wearing of flip-flops.

For the alleviation of the pain of Plantar Fascilitis, or for any joint or muscle pain, we recommend Pure Magnesium Oil Original Spray.  Magnesium helps to relax muscles and nerves and used topically, magnesium is absorbed transdermally through the skin into the bloodstream, helping to relieve pain fast.  Just a note here to say that when spraying magnesium onto the skin, it can often cause the skin to redden, which is perfectly normal and is generally indicative of a magnesium deficiency, which is also perfectly normal because most of us are magnesium deficient.  In mode, so I’m dropping the price of Pure Magnesium Oil Original Spray from £14.99 to £12.
Pure Magnesium Oil Spray by Life-Flo £12 for 237 ml (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 9 June)

Lyme Disease is an infection caused by a specific bacteria which is transferred into the human body by ticks biting into skin.  These blood sucking ticks are capable of spreading many diseases, including Lyme Disease, which can, in severe cases. be life changing.  The first few symptoms of Lyme Disease include a rash, flu-like symptoms, muscle pain, joint pain, fever and chills.  It is therefore imperative that ticks are removed urgently, so if you are concerned then please seek professional medical help, because if Lyme Disease is not detected early enough it can result in numerous concerns which usually appear months after the original tick bite.

I write about the Tick Remover Card every single year, because I think it is important to do so. The Tick Remover Card is a credit card size device which contains two different size tools for different size ticks and a magnifying lens to ensure the proper removal of the tick, being careful not to twist or crush the tick.  The aim here is to remove the tick in one piece, seal it in a plastic bag and take it to a medical professional, who will probably prescribe antibiotics to help prevent bacteria transmitting within the body.
VH Editorial: Lyme Disease And The Tick Remover Card; Tick Remover Card £4.49 For One Card 

This next product really doesn’t have anything at all to do with summer, except it launched during the summer last year, at least I think it was last year, and because it was green and matched grass, I wrote at that time that it would be perfect for summer cocktails in the garden.  I am of course talking about The Perfect Whisk, because it is perfect and although it was designed to be used with Matcha Powder, it can be used for smoothies, milkshakes and egg whites.  The Ceremonial Grade Matcha Powder is exceptionally good too, so I am linking Shabir’s article below on the benefits of drinking matcha tea.  In the garden perhaps.
VH Editorial: The Benefits Of Drinking Matcha Tea; 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 10 x 1.5 gram Sachets

Two or three weeks ago, I wrote about the importance of oral hygiene, so I would just like to follow through here by extolling the virtues of tongue scraping.   The art of tongue cleaning has existed for many centuries, so with a nod to ancient wisdom, Shabir writes about the benefits of tongue scraping in his article linked below, and he concludes with a recommendation for Urban Veda’s Tongue Cleaner, essentially because copper tongue scrapers are antimicrobial and antibacterial, ensuring efficacy in eradicating bad bacteria in the mouth.
VH Editorial: The Benefits Of Tongue Scraping; Copper Tongue Cleaner by Urban Veda £12

Let’s talk about a new product, so please allow me to introduce you to Optase Life’s Sensitive Eye Makeup Remover.  I often write about eye concerns, so although this product has been specifically formulated for those with sensitive eyes and eyelids, it can be used by everybody.  It has been clinically tested for sensitive eyes, which is important, and it is ophthalmologist-approved.  Containing patented ionized water technology, it gently removes makeup and the daily build-up of pollutants and impurities, so I suppose you could call it an eyelid and lash cleanser, but a word of caution, if you wear contact lenses, you will need to remove them before use.
Sensitive Eye Makeup Remover by Optase Life £9.99 for 100 ml

And because we are in June, this month’s offer from TEMPLESPA looks like this.  There are two Life Defence products in the range and the first is Life Defence SPF 50 Protection Moisturiser, a light moisturiser with a high sun protection factor providing an environmental skin filter against pollution and UV radiation.  The second is Life Defence SPF 30 Protecting Moisturiser which also creates a barrier against pollution and UV radiation and until midnight BST, Sunday 30 June, both drop in price by £10, so £44 becomes £34 for each.
Life Defence SPF 50 Protection Moisturiser by TEMPLESPA £34 for 50 ml; Life Defence SPF 30 Protecting Moisturiser by TEMPLESPA £34 for 50 ml

Right, I’ve written about sensitive eyes, so now let’s talk about sensitive skin, which is one of my favourite subject matters because I have extraordinarily sensitive skin and I declared long ago that I was the poster-girl for formulations that address that concern.  So, thank you Green People for formulating a shower gel which has been clinically proven to be gentle on sensitive skin.  It doesn’t contain artificial scents or essential oils, but it is loaded with plant-based polysaccharides to provide long-lasting hydration and Aloe Vera, which helps soothe the skin. So, because thoughtful formulations should always be celebrated, I am dropping the price from £17 to £14, whilst stock lasts.
Scent-Free Shower Gel by Green People £14 for 200 ml

Aloe Vera sings to me in the summer months, I have always loved Aloe Vera, so I was thrilled to launch the Aloe Wrap a few weeks ago, which is another one of those very clever products. Essentially, it’s Aloe Vera on a roll, a hydrogel roll which can be cut to size when required and as Aloe Vera is known to accelerate wound healing, it provides fast, long-lasting relief for sunburn, household burns or any compromised skin concern, including rashes.  And if you are travelling, just perhaps this Aloe Wrap should be packed into a suitcase alongside the Moskinto plasters. 
Aloe Wrap For Sunburn Relief by TermaBurn £19.95

The final fling, and it’s a limited edition final fling, which means that I honestly don’t know how long this offer will last, but here it comes.  If you buy Ameliorate’s Transforming Body Lotion (200 ml), we will automatically include their Exfoliating Body Mitt, which is worth £10.  Transforming Body Lotion was of course formulated to address Keratosis Pilaris and the Exfoliating Body Mitt was designed for those with very dry skin, dehydrated skin, to exfoliate away dead skin cells, whilst also helping to reduce the incidence of ingrown hairs.
VH Editorial: Treatment Of Keratosis Pilaris; Transforming Body Lotion by Ameliorate £24 for 200 ml + Exfoliating Body Mitt Free Worth £10 (whilst stock lasts)

Into the Saturday only treat, and with every order placed for £35 or more, excluding p&p, we will automatically include Color Wow’s Large Bombshell Volumizer (50 ml)*, which is an ideal styling product to give hair bounce and gloss.  Arriving in a travel-sized version, full product details are listed below.
Large Bombshell Volumizer

As we come to the end of another Weekend Read, I wish each of you a restful weekend and, as ever, I will leave you with a song to sing for summer.
Sunny Afternoon by The Kinks; The VH Playlist

With love

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 (BST) and Midnight (BST) 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. One gift per customer, whilst stock lasts.