We are who we are, we do what we do and in an ever-changing world I would like to talk about the role we play in each other’s lives.  It is a role that embraces sharing, understanding and education for each of us and although the world of health and beauty has changed inexorably over the past few years, we remain steadfast in the retention of our core values.  So this:

Some of you may remember a column which used to run weekly in the Sunday Times Style magazine.  It was a health-based column called What’s The Alternative and each week three questions were answered offering alternatives to prescribed medication.  It had a massive following and Shabir worked closely with the author of that column, Susan Clark, as together they helped offer solutions from the complementary world of medicine with honest and unbiased reporting.

That was another era, but it exemplified the very real need of supporting health and wellbeing issues with responsibility, knowledge and integrity.  And, in a twist, we are re-creating that column, which will be led by Shabir and it will be published and sent to you each Tuesday morning.  What’s The Solution retains the format of three questions and three answers and it will offer a forum where we are able to answer specific questions from each of you. 

What’s The Solution is an open validation of the work we do each and every day in helping to resolve personal concerns across health, wellbeing and skincare.  As such, we will be sharing some of the questions asked, which will, in time, become an important resource for those seeking answers to wide-ranging issues, all of which will sit alongside our in-depth articles where we throw the focus on individual health concerns.  At last, Shabir has his own column which has nothing whatsoever to do with me.  He is a qualified pharmacist specialising in natural health.  And I’m not.

That’s the explanation, the rest is easy.  If you have a specific question then please mail us, as below.  I will caveat all of this by saying that it won’t be possible to publish every question asked, but we will do our very best in this regard.  I also need to say that your personal information is not shared with third parties, it never has been, so you are completely safe.  We are governed by the legalities of the Data Protection Act, which we respect and honour.  As such we will never associate names, or initials, with any of the questions asked.   Professional protocol negates the need for exploitation.  And therein an opus. 
solution@victoriahealth.com

Moving into the product section we are, and always have been, led by some of the most common aspects of health and wellbeing and a lack of energy certainly falls into that category.  There are many different reasons for a lack of energy, but we all have phases of low energy, most especially when we are stressed and feel unable to cope with the ongoing and extenuating circumstances so many of us are facing.  I think we all know the main symptoms of tiredness, with mid-afternoon slumps and irritability being just two of them, both of which are perfectly understandable.  But let’s dig a little deeper.  And talk about adrenal stress.

If you are constantly tired, even after resting, then this may be indicative of adrenal stress.  The adrenal glands are mainly responsible for releasing hormones when we are under stress.  Stress in this case can by physical stress or hormonal stress, the latter being attributable to ageing and the decline of hormone production.  In both cases, the adrenals over-produce cortisol, the stress hormone, and in so doing the adrenal glands are not able to produce sufficient quantities of energising hormones and enzymes, resulting in constant tiredness.

So, let’s look at the products that really can make a difference to your energy levels, and there are three of them.  Daily Energy has been formulated with Siberian Ginseng to help ensure that the adrenals are able to produce energising enzymes and hormones.  It also contains Maca root, Brazilian Ginseng and Ashwagandha, all in food-state, with each ingredient contributing a specific role in helping to enhance energy, mental agility and a lack of libido.  And, as you would expect, I am dropping the price of Daily Energy from £20 to £16, essentially because I believe most of us can relate to this concern.  And we need to address it.
Daily Energy £16 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 19 February)

Two more products to recommend, the first of which is Magnolia Rhodiola Complex, which I often write about, but I do so for good reason.  Extracts of Magnolia have been shown to lower cortisol levels, which is the all important thing here, and it will also help relax the body and elevate mood, so it works really well when taken in conjunction with Daily Energy, so a price drop here too, this time from £28 to £24.
VH Editorial: How To Combat Stress Effectively; Magnolia Rhodiola Complex £24 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 19 February) 

Finally, Multi-Guard ADR is a specific multivitamin which is loaded with Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5) and Korean Ginseng, which is one of the most extensively studied herbs and has a long history of use as an adrenal adaptogen, a natural substance that helps the body cope with stress.  And that’s a wrap on low energy levels, low mood and varying forms of stress which, unsurprisingly, are all inter-linked.  Like a jigsaw.
VH Editorial: Adrenal Stress; Multi-Guard ADR by Lamberts Healthcare £25.95 for 120 Tablets (drops from £27.95 and offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 19 February)

If we are talking about common health concerns, then we need to take a look at Candida overgrowth. There are approximately 150 known species of Candida, a yeast-like group of fungi that exist in more than 80% of us and they usually exist in the genitourinary tracts, respiratory tract and the gastrointestinal tract.  Typically, they are not harmful, but an abnormal overgrowth of these fungi can cause infection, which is often referred to as Candidiasis.

There are of course many remedies available for treating Candidiasis, but we recommend Clove & Oregano Complex for the eradication of fungi.  Clove buds contain natural clove oil which has been found to possess strong antifungal activity against Candida albicans, Aspergillus and other fungi.  Oregano oil is an antifungal herb which is extraordinarily powerful in working to treat Candida overgrowth, vaginal yeast infections and topical yeast infections.

I am going to refer you to Shabir’s article on Candida overgrowth below where you will also note that Shabir recommends Daily Immunity to be taken in conjunction with Clove & Oregano Complex. If I may, I’ll add in Triple Flu Defense+ here because there are any number of infections flying around at the moment and we need to play safe.
VH Editorials: How To Treat Candida Overgrowth; Clove & Oregano Complex by Viridian Nutrition £19 for 60 Capsules (drops from £21.85); Daily Immunity £23 for 60 Capsules (drops from £27); Triple Flu Defense+ (2022-2023) £26 for 30 ml (drops from £28) (offers end at midnight GMT, Sunday 19 February)

The Ingredient Focus:  Today we are taking a look at Ginger, which has a long history of being used as a digestive remedy, most specifically for the prevention of travel sickness, yet some interesting studies have been carried out which are proving its effectiveness for migraines.  In one specific study, outlined in Shabir’s article, the severity of migraine attacks were reduced within two hours, which paralleled with prescribed medication, although it was notable that the side effects from Ginger were far less.  And that’s all I really want to say here, other than we recommend Ginger Capsules from Lamberts because each capsule provides 24 mg of gingerols, the volatile compounds that make an important difference in the efficacy stakes.
VH Editorial: Ginger For Treating Migraines; Ginger Capsules by Lamberts Healthcare £9.95 for 60 Capsules

Fulvic Nail Cream.  Well, I started to laugh last Saturday when I realised that I had written chapter and verse about the reasons why I didn’t want to over-label the incorrect date-stamp on Fulvic Nail Cream, yet I forgot to write about the product itself.  Being one of our bestselling products, most of you are aware of the considerable attributes of Fulvic Nail Cream, but for those who don’t know, it promotes nail growth, it strengthens nails and its antibacterial and antifungal properties help in the effective treatment of athlete’s foot and fungal nail infections.  And if you read the reviews on this product, you will find it can almost walk on water, such is its brilliance.
Fulvic Nail Cream £9 for 30 ml (date-stamped incorrectly, should be July 25, not July 23)

And if we are talking about products that can walk on water, I cannot leave Fulvic Face Cream out of the equation.  Fulvic Face Cream does everything I wanted it to do and it is one of those statement products.  It doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is, an exceptional moisturiser for all skin types, including sensitive skin, which also has wound-healing properties.  It doesn’t need a label, menopausal or otherwise, it has honesty, integrity and efficacy written all over it and you can dose it with serums if you so wish.  This is what we call skin alchemy.  And with that said, if you buy Fulvic Face Cream (60 ml), you will receive Fulvic Face Cream (30 ml), which is worth £15, as a gift.  Only one gift per customer as this is a limited edition offer.
Fulvic Face Cream £30 for 60 ml + Fulvic Face Cream 30 ml Free (whilst stock lasts)

In a running theme about cortisol levels, let’s take a look at acne, chin acne to be specific.  Since a review of studies in the Journal of Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigative Dermatology, which took place in 2018, it was noted that there was, and still is, a significant increase in adults suffering from acne on the chin.  Hormonal changes are often cited as being a causal reason, but stress also plays a major role in acne. 

At times of stress, whether physical or emotive, the adrenals produce vast quantities of cortisol and other inflammatory hormones, which I referred to above.  And in this instance, since this is an inflammatory response, it can lead to excess oil production and as such is also considered to be a causal factor for chin acne.  I’ll leave further detail to Shabir as he takes an in-depth look at chin acne in his article linked below, but I would just like to pull out two products from that article, which we believe will help prevent recurrent episodes of chin acne, or for that matter, acne per se.  The first is Clinisoothe+ Skin Purifier and the second is Niacinamide Serum.

Clinisoothe+ Skin Purifier helps soothe and calm the skin, promoting rapid skin recovery.  Suitable for all skin types, it can also be used for those prone to eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis and rosacea with an advanced hypochlorous technology that helps to cleanse and purify skin.  Niacinamide helps regulate oil secretions and helps calm underlying inflammation.  High concentrations of Niacinamide can cause skin irritation and redness, so we have kept our Niacinamide Serum at 5%, which is really important.  And in another important matter, we are offering you the opportunity to buy the oversized Niacinamide Serum, meaning that you will receive 45 ml for the price of 30 ml.
VH Editorial: Tips To Prevent Chin Acne; Clinisoothe+ Skin Purifier £14.95 for 100 ml; Niacinamide Serum by Garden of Wisdom for VH £11.50 for 45 ml (whilst stock lasts)

A Lanolips treat.  A simple Lanolips treat actually and it goes something like this.  If you buy any product from Lanolips, irrespective of the price of that product, we will automatically send you a free gift.  That free gift is Lano Rose Hand Cream Intense (50 ml), an intensive moisturising cream for dry hands, which has a value of £8.99.  I think I know what is going to happen here, so let me just say this is a limited offer, there is only one gift per customer and if the gift fails to go into your basket, that will mean that the offer is over.  Please don’t go near this if you have a Lanolin allergy.  And some of us do.
Lanolips Products

Right, one more thing here and because we are in a simplistic mode of being, another treat and this time it’s from Ameliorate.  If you spend £25 or above on any of the Ameliorate products on one order, we will send you their Softening Bath Milk Oil (250 ml) as a gift.  Specifically formulated for dry, dehydrated, rough or bumpy skin, Softening Bath Milk Oil has a value of £20 and it is particularly suitable for those of us with sensitive skin.  Soothing and relaxing, this is another limited offer and as such there is only one gift per customer, with the same caveat as above, if it fails to go into your basket, the offer is over. 
Ameliorate Products

Into the Saturday only treat we go and with every order placed for £30 and above, excluding p&p, we will send you a pair of Calm Patches from Ross J. Barr.  The Calm Patches were specifically formulated as a convenient and natural way to help alleviate stress headaches and tension, as well as helping to ease anger and frustration.  Just to mention here that these patches have a strong fragrance when first applied, but that is how they are meant to be.  Full product details below.  Tapping in.
Calm Patches by Ross J. Barr

What’s The Solution. Coming Back As We Are.
The Scientist by Coldplay; The VH Playlist

With love

Gill x 

DISCLAIMER: The views, opinions and information expressed in this article and on Victoriahealth.com Ltd are those of the author(s) in an editorial context.  Victoriahealth.com Ltd cannot be held responsible for any errors or for any consequences arising from the use of the information contained in this editorial or anywhere else on the site.  Every effort is made by the editorial and content team to see that no inaccurate or misleading information, opinion or statement appear, nor replace or constitute endorsement from medical bodies or trials unless specified.  Victoriahealth.com Ltd accept no liability for the consequences of any inaccurate or misleading data, information, opinion or statement.  Information on Victoriahealth.com Ltd and in the editorials is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional.  You should not use the information on this website or in the editorials for diagnosing or treating a health concern or disease, or for the replacement of prescription medication or other treatment.

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.