As I welcome you to the Weekend Read, we begin by taking a look at GLP-1 medications, such as Ozempic and Mounjaro because there can be no doubt that GLP-1 agonists have changed the perception of weight loss in a rather significant way. Having gained mainstream acceptance, the other side of the weight loss equation is the importance of nutritional support, but before I write about nutritional support, it is important to understand how GLP-1 medications work.

GLP-1 stands for glucagon-like peptide-1 which is a hormone naturally produced by the cells in the intestine when we eat. As we eat, blood glucose levels rise and the hormone GLP-1 tells the pancreas to produce more insulin which helps cells to produce energy or store glucose, but insulin also slows down stomach emptying which sends signals to the brain of feeling less hungry.

GLP-1 is produced in very small amounts and it breaks down within minutes, which is why weight loss is not easily achieved for many, yet scientists, in creating GLP-1, have extended the time frame of GLP-1 being effective from minutes to several days, delivering powerful appetite suppression. This far exceeds the natural production of this hormone, but as with all things in life, a balance needs to be achieved and that balance is achieved with nutritional support.

When calories are restricted, the body breaks down muscle tissue for energy alongside fat, so muscle preservation is extraordinarily important in helping to prevent future health concerns. Adequate protein is crucial for maintaining muscle mass during weight loss, yet aside from maintaining muscle mass, a high protein diet has a lower impact on blood sugar levels than carbohydrates, which then helps achieve stable blood sugar levels enabling it to work synergistically with GLP-1 medication.

Of course, this has been studied extensively and experts recommend 1.2 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilo of body weight when taking GLP-1 medications to help preserve lean mass. Here we recommend Organic Whey Protein Powder which should be taken alongside lean sources of protein in the diet and there is an option to add 5 grams of Creatine Powder to the protein powder, mostly because creatine helps to preserve lean body mass. GLP-1 medications aside, protein is important for each of us and Shabir explains why in his article, linked below.
VH Editorial: Why Protein Is Important As You Enter Midlife And Beyond; Organic Whey Protein Powder £24 for 400 grams; Creatine Monohydrate Micronized Powder by Applied Nutrition £18.95 for 250 grams

On from this, when meal sizes are smaller, it follows that lesser amounts of vitamins and other nutrients become available to the body. Numerous studies indicate a lower absorption of B-vitamins, as well as other nutrients and that includes lower iron levels. This results in the body functioning below par and common side effects of low nutritional support include low energy, hair thinning or loss, muscle weakness, low immunity and brain fog, all of which have been extensively documented.

With that said, we believe it is essential to take a food-derived multivitamin supplement, and it really does have to be food-state because there is a huge difference between advanced nutritional science and generic, mass-produced supplementation. Mass-market multivitamins often rely on cheap, synthetic ingredients, often using static outdated formulations essentially designed for a broad demographic, whereas advanced formulations, such as Daily Multivitamins, leverage clinical research, superior ingredient synergy and highly bioavailable compounds that the body can actually absorb and utilise.

The other thing to say here is that low-cost multivitamins are cleverly marketed in an approach to offer a psychological peace of mind to cover a poor diet, but while the ‘insurance policy’ marketing strategy is highly effective at providing that psychological peace of mind, scientific consensus confirms that isolating synthetic nutrients into a cheap pill does not match how the human body processes real food.

In recommending Daily Multivitamins, a food-state multivitamin, and reverting to nutritional supplementation when taking GLP-1 medications, we also recommend Mega Probio since some people experience stomach pain and issues surrounding gut health, such as lower abdominal pain and bloating. Mega Probio is our bestselling probiotic, it is a high strength formulation that delivers beneficial bacteria to the gut and it drops in price from £25 to £22, while Daily Multivitamins One-A-Day drops in price from £30 to £25.
VH Editorials: Supplements To Take When on GLP-1; Are All Multivitamins The Same; DoSe Daily Multivitamins One-A-Day £25 for 60 Tablets (Two months’ supply); DoSe Mega Probio £22 for 60 Capsules (offers end at midnight BST, Monday 22 June)

I’m not quite finished because for varying reasons, such as the cost and the documented side effects of GLP-1 medications, many are choosing to stop taking these medications, so a moment to take a look at Akkermansia muciniphila, a bacteria discovered in 2004 which has been the subject of intense research. Closely linked to improving metabolic health, reduced fat deposition and insulin sensitivity, it also helps in the breakdown of sugar and fats, however studies also show that levels of A. muciniphila decline with age and a poor diet.

One specific study found that A. muciniphila helps to enhance calorie burning, but it also induces GLP-1 secretion, so here we recommend Organic Prebio Fibre Powder, a prebiotic containing a blend of fibres from Baobab and Acacia resin, both of which have been shown to elevate levels of A. muciniphila. This can be taken as a stand-alone supplement regardless of whether or not you have taken GLP-1 medications, but it will also help to maintain healthy weight levels post GLP-1, and it also drops in price, this time from £26 to £22.
Prebio Fibre Powder by Viridian Nutrition £22 for 150 grams (offer ends at midnight BST, Monday 22 June)

With all of that covered, many of you will have seen Shabir recommending Organic Beetroot Powder on a recent 'What’s The Solution', so we are going to take a closer look. Beetroot powders, juices and supplements have gained significant recognition recently, most because studies indicate that supplementing with beetroot may provide many health benefits including the maintenance of healthy blood pressure, improving oxygenation of tissues by enhancing circulation and improving the health of the endothelium, the single layer of cells which line both the blood and lymphatic system, which regulates blood flow.

Studies have further indicated that beetroot supplementation may also protect against inflammation and help to prevent improper blood clotting, and it has long been established that beetroot is rich in vitamin c, iron, magnesium and folate, as well as other trace minerals, polyphenols and naturally occurring nitrates. Nitrates are particularly beneficial for heart health as they help to relax and widen blood vessels, helping to lower blood pressure to within normal levels, but the relaxation and widening of blood vessels also helps to improve circulation.

With specific studies showing that beetroot supplementation can reduce systolic blood pressure by 3-5mmHg for those with mild hypertension, these studies also note that this reduction can often occur within hours. While other compounds help reduce inflammation in the body, which is often linked to chronic diseases, including osteoarthritis, beetroot supplementation has also been shown to support brain function, gut health and healthy digestion as well as being beneficial for exercise performance and recovery.

Often labelled as a ‘superfood’, beetroot is packed with antioxidants such as betalains and it is these antioxidants which gives beetroot its deep red colour. Beetroot supplementation is generally regarded as safe, but if you suffer from low blood pressure, you should avoid taking beetroot supplementation since the nitric oxide products may further lower pressure. Additionally, beetroot powder is high in oxalates, so if you are prone to kidney stones, you should avoid taking beetroot supplementation.

Since recent studies have indicated the numerous health benefits associated with beetroot, there are many forms of beetroot supplementation available. We recommend Organic Beetroot Powder, basically because it is produced from beetroot which is grown without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers, while non-organic beetroot is grown using pesticides and synthetic fertilisers. Nutritionally, Organic Beetroot Powder has a higher content of antioxidants and polyphenols than non-organic and it can be mixed into water, juice or smoothies at a dose of one to three teaspoons per day, dependent on need.
VH Editorial: Health Benefits Of Beetroot Powder; Organic Beetroot Powder by Golden Greens £10.99 for 200 grams

At the beginning of the month, I wrote about healing herbs, specifically referencing Ginger which has been renowned for its powerful health benefits, with over 5000 years of use in traditional systems such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda. I often write how a given compound has several applications for various health concerns and on from that, the convergence of ancient wisdom and modern pharmacology demonstrates that Ginger, together with Ginkgo Biloba, can effectively reduce vertigo and its accompanying symptoms.

So, vertigo. Many people associate dizziness with vertigo, but the two are very different. Vertigo is not just feeling dizzy or wobbly, it makes you feel like you are spinning, or everything around you is spinning, and is generally a sign that there is an issue with the inner ear or the brain. Vertigo symptoms can last for seconds, hours or even days and treatments vary, but include medications, repositioning manoeuvres, together with natural remedies, such as Ginger and Ginkgo Biloba.

Vertigo is often a symptom of other health concerns and aside from spinning, other symptoms of vertigo include balance issues, nausea and vomiting, hearing loss, headaches, motion sickness and tinnitus. There are two main types of vertigo, peripheral vertigo and central vertigo, but the most common form is peripheral vertigo which is associated with inner ear problems or the vestibular apparatus in the ear responsible for balance.

Ginger is often recommended to help resolve vertigo and controlled clinical trials show that ginger significantly reduces vertigo induced by caloric stimulation of the inner ear, and rather than dulling the central nervous system like conventional anti-motion sickness drugs, ginger works peripherally by acting directly on the body parts involved, rather than acting primarily on the central nervous system. In double-blind studies, standard doses of ginger root were shown to drastically reduce the secondary effects of vertigo, such as cold sweating, nausea and vomiting.

Clinical studies also indicate that Ginkgo Biloba works for specific types of dizziness caused by restricted blood flow to the brain and the inner ear and although it does not appear to work for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) or Meniere’s disease, it is nevertheless of value since in some cases both conditions may co-exist. Ginkgo 6000 is one of the highest strength Ginkgo supplements available, providing 120 mg of Ginkgo Biloba extract from 6000 mg of dried Ginkgo leaf, time released so that Ginkgo is released gradually over a period of approximately two hours. Ginkgo 6000 drops in price from £23.95 to £21, across the weekend.
VH Editorial: Vertigo, Symptoms, Treatments & Natural Remedies; Ginger Capsules by Lamberts £12.50 for 60 Capsules; Ginkgo 6000 by Lamberts £21 for 180 Tablets

Moving on, and as much as I love and adore launching new cutting-edge products, there are always those products which have stood the test time, albeit they were pioneering in their day. We launched Altitude Oil for and on behalf of Annee de Mamiel in 2012 and originally blended as a personal inhalation remedy to help combat jet lag, travel fatigue and in-flight germs, it has evolved into a travel essential, as it contains powerful antibacterial, antiviral and antiseptic ingredients to support and protect the immune system whilst in the confines of an air cabin or in stuffy environments, although it can also be used for colds and seasonal allergies, such as hay fever.
Altitude Oil by de Mamiel £36 for 10 ml

Staying with seasonal products, Zap-Ease Instant Bite Relief is a simple and clever tool to relieve the itching caused by mosquito bites, jellyfish and nettle stings. Another travel essential, it is completely safe to use on the human body and it works by repeatedly clicking the Zap-Ease in the area of the bite. The poison is then localised and the production of histamine, which causes the itching and urge to scratch, is reduced, neutralising the toxicity of the bite with no harmful effect on the surrounding skin. Neat.
Zap-Ease Instant Bite Relief by Incognito £7.99

And, once again, to the end and two things here, the first is that I am throwing a 20% discount across each of the Natucain products and that includes the Lash Serum, the Brow Serum and the Hair Activator Growth Serum. Whenever I write about the Lash Serum I reference Sarah’s article, basically because it includes everything you need to know about lash serums and why we have long recommended Natucain’s Lash Serum. Sarah and I have campaigned about the safety of mainstream lash serums for almost fifteen years. And I can’t imagine we will ever stop.
The Natural Eyelash Growth Enhancer That’s Safe And Really Works by Sarah Stacey; Natucain Products

The final fling and we end with a celebration. It is in fact an Ergothioneine Serum celebration because it retains its position of being our bestselling product in the DoSe skincare range. When we launched DoSe skincare, I predicted that Ergothioneine Serum would become a hero product, but I was on pretty safe ground because I had been testing it for approximately two years before launch and I had experienced its outstanding antioxidant, anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory properties. To celebrate that status, when you buy Ergothioneine Serum, we will gift you another Ergothioneine Serum, which is worth £26. Smiling.
VH Editorial: Ergothioneine Serum And Its Benefits For Skin; DoSe Ergothioneine Serum £26 for 30 ml + Ergothioneine Serum £26 for 30 ml Free (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 21 June or whilst stock lasts)

Into the Saturday only treat, and with every order placed for £35 or above, excluding p&p, we will automatically send you Fulvic Conditioner (60 ml)*, mostly because Fulvic is another heroic compound, but also because it can be used as a hair mask and you might wish to save it as another one of those travel essentials. Full product details linked below.
Fulvic Conditioner

And just perhaps with our hair slicked back and those Wayfarers on, we can sing this song. Released in October 1984, The Boys Of Summer was originally composed as an instrumental demo by Mike Campbell, the lead guitarist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, but Tom Petty rejected the track and it was passed to Don Henley who wrote the melody and the lyrics. It remains one of the most defining and enduring tracks of the 1980s. The music video, directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, used black-and-white visuals and went on to win multiple MTV Video Music Awards.
The Boys Of Summer by Don Henley; The VH Playlist

All that is left is for me to wish each of you a wonderful weekend.

With love

Gill x