I have personally tried all of the products below – or given them to a trusted associate better qualified than myself – because I never want to recommend a dud.
I hope you find them suitably delicious or helpful, and that they make your life better in some way. That’s what wellbeing should be about!
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Two new fruity af beers for Sober October
That’s ‘alcohol-free’ of course!
Bunta Citrus Lager
A refreshing lime-tinged lager designed to complement curry – lightly carbonated and only 60 calories to help prevent that bloated feeling. It’s also vegan and gluten-free, while the fun graphic packaging features a cartoon-style portrait of developer Gunnika Ahuja’s brother, to illustrate the concept of an Indian product realised in a more modern incarnation.
Available from Wise Bartender, £3/330ml.
Chouffe Cherry 0.0%
There’s a huge amount of flavour going on in this Belgian beer – the bitter yet balanced mouthfeel gives it some of the bite that can be lacking in 0% drinks, while the strong cherry hit means it’s not for the faint of heart!
Available from ASDA, £1.75/330ml.
What I use for fighting off a cold
No sooner are the kids back at school than the germs make a comeback. At the first murmurings of illness, I start taking echinacea (A. Vogel Echinaforce’s drops, £13.99 for 50ml, are among the most researched). Usually I make a ginger, turmeric and apple cider vinegar shot – it helps that I actually like these – but I’ve been trying the new MOJU Elderberry Immunity shots (£5.95 for a week’s supply). They still have a fiery ginger flavour but with added vitamin C from strawberries and elderberries, plus a big boost of vitamin D, which is also important for your immune system. Stay well out there!
One for the baldies
I want to thank my smooth-headed pal, Nige, who tested out BLD BRO Daily SPF50 (£29.99/60ml). Not known for his adherence to a suncare routine, Nigel has continued using this even after his holiday, thanks to its moisturising and mattifying properties. It’s a great product that does the whole lot in one.
3 products that got me through summer
1. The most beautiful-smelling deodorant
The hottest summer on record was certainly a tough time to put a new deodorant through its paces. But, this natural, aluminium salts-free balm from AKT London (£21/50ml) has had me asking people (well, members of my family) to sniff my armpits as they smell SO delicious!
The Halcyon Summers version is scented with mint, pomelo and tomato vine for a sophisticated fragrance that’s hands down the most beautiful-smelling deodorant I’ve ever tried. It doesn’t prevent sweating (it’s not an antiperspirant), but it’s gentle on skin and a tube lasts for up to eight weeks, so it got me all the way through the heatwave.
2. The sun cream that feels like skincare
With prebiotics, antioxidants, aloe vera, calendula and camomile, this sunscreen goes on matte – in a welcome break from feeling like a greased piglet on the beach. Mineral sun lotion (£29.50/200ml) by Odylique is a 100 per cent natural formulation, with zinc oxide as the mineral protection plus shea butter and sunflower to help protect skin. A slight vanilla scent means it neither smells nor feels like regular sunscreen.
Also available from Amazon, £30/200ml.
3. A soothing bite spray
The heat seemed to bring the insects out in force, so Wasp-Eze’s Cool & Soothe pump spray was much used by all the family. Menthol and peppermint provide the cooling effect, while vitamin E helps repair skin.
Available from Amazon, £4.99/120ml
Antioxidant-rich olive oils
Extra virgin olive oil is a key part of the Mediterranean diet, shown to contribute to a longer, healthier lifespan. Personally, I’d never dream of eating cottage cheese or tomatoes without it. Here are some of my favourites, all of which offer a high polyphenol content – believed to provide many of the health benefits.
Olive oil sommelier and Citizens of Soil founder Sarah Vachon has three tips for choosing a healthy EVOO:
- It must have a container that blocks out the light
- Check the harvest date to ensure it’s as recent as possible
- A bitter flavour with a peppery hit at the end and plenty of plant aromas are the attributes of a healthy, high-quality EVOO
Pictured above, left to right:
High Phenolic Ultra extra virgin olive oil PGI Lakonia organic
£24/500ml (822mg/kg of polyphenols)
Popoli extra virgin olive oil
£18.90/500ml (649mg/kg polyphenols)
Frescobaldi Laudemio extra virgin olive oil
£25/250ml (734 mg/kg of polyphenols)
Also available from Selfridges, £26.49/250ml; Fortnum & Mason, £39.95/500ml
Citizens of Soil olive oil
£30/500ml pouch (779mg/kg polyphenols)
Sweet treat
Sometimes only a sugar hit will do. We can’t pretend too much of that is good for us, but combining it with 6g of protein, wholegrains and unsaturated fat does help. More importantly, these new cinnamon bun-flavoured, gooey nut butter flapjack delights are so delicious, I had to hide them from my younger child, as neither of us could get enough.
Pip & Nut Stuffed oat bars, £19/15 bars.
Also available at Amazon, £19/15 bars and Waitrose, £3.40/3 bars
Sleepytime drinks
The unbearable heat made me desperate to find something to help me sleep, which felt like a good time to try out some of the ‘functional wellness’ drinks around at the moment. While it doesn’t feel fair to judge whether they work at improving sleep in the middle of a heatwave, these were the ones I most enjoyed the flavour of…
Pictured above, left to right:
Magnesium Nightcap by MyOva, £36/30 servings
This brand specialises in hormonal health supplements, so if perimenopause or your menstrual cycle causes sleep issues, it could be a good one to try. There’s a regular cocktail of ingredients, including sour cherry extract, magnesium biglycinate (the right type for relaxation), lavender, camomile and reishi mushroom. It’s strongly flavoured with cocoa and works in hot or cold milk, which I particularly appreciated when my bedroom was 28 degrees at midnight.
Tom Parker Creamery bedtime milk, Ocado £1.75
It doesn’t sound like it should work as a concept – and I really don’t know how it manages it – but this fully shook me with how tasty it is. Lavender, valerian and camomile milk? How…?
Spacegoods Astro Dust chai, £29
A combination of ashwagandha, adaptogenic mushrooms and other sleep-inducing or -improving ingredients – like magnesium, tryptophan and camomile – this is a tasty, sweet, chai-flavoured drink with no added sugar or artificial flavours. It’s third-party tested and the starter kit comes with a nifty little whizzer to make sure it’s perfectly mixed.