As I welcome you to another Weekend Read, we are going straight in and I want to take a moment to follow through on Sarah Stacey’s recent report about the College of Medicine Beyond Pills Campaign, which I wrote about on 2 August.  If you missed what I wrote, you can read it here, but essentially the Beyond Pills Campaign now has representation in Westminster politics with the Beyond Pills All-Party Parliamentary Group in direct response to the Government’s National Overprescribing Review.

With much of the focus on the over-prescription of antidepressants, a recent study indicated that for the majority of patients, antidepressant withdrawal is largely mild, brief and understated, which is far from the truth and has drawn robust criticism worldwide.  Given that this study delivered a dangerously distorted picture, Dr Simon Opher, Labour MP for Stroud and Chair of the Beyond APPG said that the study was misleading and could cause significant harm, stating that the authors appear to have been influenced in their conclusions by evidence that is not scientifically compelling.

I have always believed in integrated medicine and taking pharmaceutical antidepressants remains a considered choice, but there are some wonderful natural solutions for anxiety and mild to moderate depression, which Sarah writes about in her follow-through report, linked below.  Research into the antidepressant activity of compounds in plants is ongoing and in a recent Cochrane Review of trials, published in March of this year, the effects of several compounds were shown to be equal to SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) in treating mild to moderate depression, including St John’s Wort, Saffron and Lemon Balm.

Referencing four formulations in her report, St John’s Wort, Saffron Extract, Magnolia Rhodiola Complex and Florassist Mood Improve, it should be noted that St. John’s Wort and Magnolia Rhodiola Complex contra-indicate with pharmaceutical antidepressants, so please do not take either as an adjunct to pharmaceutical antidepressants.

A mention here too for Vitamin D, because low levels are linked to increased symptoms of depression and anxiety, and here Sarah recommends Vitamin D 3000 IU Oral Spray, which drops in price by 15% in line with each of the other products referenced, which also drop in price by 15%.
Natural Alternatives To Pharmaceutical Antidepressants by Sarah Stacey; Hyperiforce St. John’s Wort Tablets by A Vogel; Saffron Extract by Viridian Nutrition; DoSe Magnolia Rhodiola Complex; Florassist Mood Improve by Life Extension; Vitamin D 3000 IU Oral Spray by BetterYou (offers end at midnight BST, Sunday 21 September)

One more thing here before we move on, and on a poignant note I have written some words about Sally Brampton in the ‘Going Back’ section, further down this Weekend Read.  Sally was a fierce advocate for mental health awareness, her battle with depression is well documented and she shared her darkness in order to give light. She campaigned tirelessly to try and obliterate the stigma of mental health, and upholding her mission, a promise I made, each of her articles are linked at the end of this newsletter and they remain as profound today as they ever were.

On subject, articles are a way of being, our way of being, because they support all aspects of our health and wellbeing, but more than that, they enable an in-depth exploration into clinical research and that is where we are going next.  The subject is oral health and research from medical colleges in India, with studies illustrating that Curcumin should be considered as an adjunctive treatment for oral inflammatory conditions.

Published in GMS Hygiene and Infection Control, these studies indicate that Curcumin significantly decreases markers of inflammation, enhancing the healing processes and providing pain relief.  Referencing the studies, Curcumin was demonstrated to help inhibit inflammatory pathways that contribute to gum swelling and tenderness and because Curcumin has antimicrobial properties, the studies indicate that this may help to reduce harmful oral bacteria linked to plaque build-up and gum disease, enhancing tissue repair and supporting the regeneration of healthy tissue after irritation or injury to the gums.

Noting that by neutralising free radicals, Curcumin can help protect gums from oxidative stress, which plays a major role in gum disease, the studies also referenced that after varying outcomes with different formulations, the efficacy of Curcumin supplementation was important, and of course we fully concur.  Containing three of the most potent anti-inflammatory and protective compounds found in Turmeric, notably Curcumin, Demethoxycurcumin and Bisdemethoxycurcumin, Curcumin C3 Complex has been clinically evaluated, we consider it to be best-in-class in its genre and it drops in price from £27 to £24 across the weekend.
VH Editorials: Curcumin For Healthy Gums; Turmeric: The Spice With Health Benefits; DoSe Turmeric Curcumin C3 Complex £24 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 21 September)

Moving on, there are occasions, several of them actually, when products are out of stock for various reasons, most commonly because of raw ingredient issues, which is becoming increasingly problematic.  Notwithstanding that fact, we always breathe a sigh of relief when these issues have been resolved so, with relief, I can tell you that Viridian’s Clove & Oregano Complex is now back in stock.

Clove & Oregano Complex is an amazing supplement, it is one of the bestselling products from Viridian Nutrition, helping to address many of the symptoms of intestinal parasitic infections.  Intestinal parasites are extraordinarily common, and it is estimated that around 80% of us have parasites in our guts, usually microscopic organisms that invade the gastrointestinal tract where they live alongside a host of good and bad bacteria and fungi.  There are approximately 3200 species of parasites and they feed on nutrients, increasing the incidence of nutritional deficiencies.

In his article, linked below, Shabir takes a look at some of the most common parasites, including round worms, pin worms and tape worms, and referencing the formulation, Clove buds are one of the key herbs used in Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of gastrointestinal infections.  Cloves contain a powerful oil, 'eugenol', which has been studied extensively and found to help in the eradication of numerous pathogens in the gut. Clove oil has also been found to dissolve the eggs left behind by worms and it is believed to be the only oil that destroys almost all parasitic eggs. 

In all of this, we recommend the use of Clove & Oregano Complex for one month, once or twice a year, to help eliminate parasites from our bodies and because Clove & Oregano Complex is now back in stock, and as we prepare for seasonal changes, it would seem to be a good time to do this.  So, Clove & Oregano Complex drops in price from £23.80 to £21, across the weekend.
VH Editorial: Most Of Us Have Intestinal Parasites; Clove & Oregano Complex by Viridian Nutrition £21 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 21 September)

Having mentioned seasonal changes, I want to follow through by talking about ear infections, primarily because ear infections are most common during autumn and winter, most particularly middle ear infections, known as ‘otitis media’, which often follow colds and other upper respiratory illnesses.  Inner ear infections, ‘otitis interna’, are often viral and although antibiotics are often administered for ear infections, antibiotics are not effective against viral infections because they are designed to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria, which are living, single-celled organisms, but viruses are not living cells and any given virus replicates by invading host cells.

With that established, we recommend Wally’s Natural Organic Ear Oil, which are natural ear oil drops formulated to provide pain relief from earache and they contain Mullein extract, Garlic oil, Tea Tree Oil and Echinacea extract.  Mullein and Echinacea are excellent anti-inflammatories and their role is to help soothe inflammation caused by an ear infection.  Garlic and Tea Tree oils both display powerful antimicrobial properties and may help with the treatment of recurrent middle-ear infections, negating the need for antibiotics.
VH Editorial: Ear Oil For Earaches And Infections; Wally’s Natural Organic Ear Oil £16.95 for 30 ml

Staying with seasonal infections, and on the subject of seasonal viruses, I wrote about Dr Nenninger’s Triple Flu Defense for 2025-2026 season last weekend, so this weekend a few words about Dr Nenninger’s Cold And Sinus Solution.  The Cold And Sinus Solution helps reduce the duration and symptoms of the common cold and sinusitis, addressing concerns such as runny nose, nasal congestion, coughs and sore throats.  As with Triple Flu, this is a homeopathic remedy providing fast-acting symptom relief with no harmful side effects.  
Triple Flu Defense (2025-2026) by Dr Nenninger £30 for 30 ml; Cold And Sinus Solution by Dr Nenninger £28 for 59 ml

Closing this section of the Weekend Read, we are offering a 20% discount on all the Nuzest products, with a note to say that there are three new products in the range, Glowing All Over, Immune Amie and Vibrant Insides.  The current bestselling product in the range is Good Green Vitality, a nutrient superblend formulated to help improve memory, reduce stress and boost metabolism.  Containing over seventy-five ingredients, of which twenty-four are essential vitamins and minerals, we will automatically include a Good Green Vitality Sachet (10 grams) with every order placed for Nuzest products, whilst stock lasts.
Nuzest Products (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 21 September)

Skin Health

This is a very short section, which is probably just as well, but two things to say here, the first is to thank you for your wonderful response to Daily Cleansing Balm, which we launched last weekend.  There is something rather magical about balm-to-oil cleansers, perhaps it is the sensorial experience of the texture transformation combined with the potent ability to melt away impurities, or perhaps it’s because it feels like a relaxing, spa-like ritual, but actually I think it’s both.  And if you leave it on your skin for two or three minutes, it becomes a hydrating mask. 
DoSe Daily Cleansing Balm £25 for 125 ml

Secondly, Shabir often gets asked about which serums to use with, or after, microneedling, a cosmetic treatment using tiny needles to create controlled micro-punctures in the skin, triggering a natural wound healing response that stimulates the production of collagen and elastin. Explaining the four different phases of microneedling, Shabir recommends Roller Noir by Nannette de Gaspé, and takes a look at the science of the healing process of skin, referencing the serums to use in each phase.  I will leave you to read the article with a note to say that we are offering a 15% discount across all serums mentioned in the article until midnight BST, Sunday 21 September.
VH Editorial: Serums To Use After Microneedling; Roller Noir by Nannette de Gaspé £45

Seasonal Gifts & Saturday Only Treat

We’re on a roll, as it were, and with three new seasonal gifts to tell you about this weekend, I’ll begin with a new seasonal product from TEMPLESPA, Gratitude.  Gratitude Reflect & Indulge Bath & Shower Luxe embraces the ritual of self-care, offering an opportunity to reconnect and rebalance with this luxurious bath soak and body cleanser enriched with soothing Rose Water.  Transforming into soft, cloud-like bubbles, Gratitude is infused with notes of Rose, Pink Pepper, Blackcurrant, Vetiver, together with creamy woods and maximises the use of the exceptional fragrance developed for TEMPLESPA’s 25^th Anniversary.  Gifting 'Gratitude' could become a thing. 
Gratitude by TEMPLESPA £25 for 300 ml

The next seasonal gift is the Pure Indulgence Christmas Collection Cabinet from Margaret Dabbs, containing ten of her best-loved products. This carefully curated exploration includes Pure Restorative Foot Lotion, Pure Repairing Hand Cream, Pure Overnight Hand Mask, Pure Cracked Heel Treatment Balm, the Professional Foot File and Luxury Treatment Gloves.   The Christmas Collection Cabinet is £149, it has a value of £179 and with every Christmas Collection Cabinet bought, we will automatically include a luxury scented candle from Margaret Dabbs, which is worth £42, whilst stock lasts and to manage expectation, we don’t have that many to share. 
Christmas Collection Cabinet by Margaret Dabbs £149

Finally, the Wellbeing Discovery Collection by Neom includes four products, Perfect Night’s Sleep Mist (30 ml), Happiness Travel Candle (75 grams), Real Luxury Magnesium Body Butter (30 ml) and Super Shower Power Body Cleanser (50 ml).  The Wellbeing Discovery Collection is £50, but it has a value of £64, and actually there is one more thing.  At the beginning of the month, I wrote about Neom’s Wellbeing Pen Discovery Set and by 8.30 am on the Saturday morning of release, I had heart palpitations because I knew we wouldn’t have enough stock, and we didn’t.  So just to say, it is now back in stock and I’ve held the price at £45.
Seasonal Gifts; Wellbeing Discovery Collection by Neom Wellbeing £50; Wellbeing Pen Discovery Set by Neom Wellbeing £45 (3 x 12 ml Pens)

Right, into the Saturday only treat and with every order placed for £35 and above, excluding p&p, we will automatically send you Miracle Foot Cream (45 ml)* by Margaret Dabbs, a highly effective overnight foot treatment which is ideal for treating dry feet and cracked heels.  Product details linked below.
Miracle Foot Cream      

Going Back

The year is 1970 and this year marked a major transition in music including the break-up of The Beatles and the deaths of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, both at the age of twenty-seven.  On 26 January 1970, Simon & Garfunkel released ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’, their fifth and final studio album.  It was to become the bestselling album of 1970 and 1971, winning six awards at the 13^th Annual Grammy Awards in 1971, with the title track winning the Grammy Award For Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year.

‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ became Simon & Garfunkel’s most successful single and taking another track from the album, ‘The Only Living Boy In New York’, written by Paul Simon, tells of his loneliness when his life-long friend, Art Garfunkel, went to Mexico to act in the film ‘Catch-22’.  Leaving Paul Simon alone in New York to write songs for the album, ‘The Only Living Boy In New York’ reflects the bittersweet emotions of this period of separation and the impending end of their relationship.
Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel; The Only Living Boy In New York by Simon & Garfunkel

On 23 September 1970, the album Abraxas by Santana was released, yet the iconic ‘Samba Pa Ti’ was not released until 1973, reaching Number 27 in the Official UK Singles Chart in October 1974.  Towards the end of the year, on 27 November 1970, George Harrison released his triple album, ‘All Things Must Pass’, his first solo work after the break-up of The Beatles.  Deeply influenced by his immersion into spirituality, several musicians contributed to the recording sessions including Eric Clapton, Badfinger and Ringo Starr, the only other Beatle to play on the album.
Samba Pa Ti by Santana

Badfinger provided the acoustics for ‘My Sweet Lord’ which was released as single on 15 January 1971 and went on to become the biggest-selling single in the UK in 1971.  Reciprocally, George Harrison produced Badfinger’s album ‘Straight Up’ and he played guitar on their biggest selling single ‘Day After Day’ which was released a year later. 
My Sweet Lord by George Harrison; Day After Day by Badfinger

Some more words. I can’t listen to ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ without thinking about my brave and wonderful friend, Marie Colvin, The Sunday Times War Correspondent who was killed on 22 February 2012 in Homs, Syria.  Writing a tribute in The Sunday Times, the-then Editor, John Witherow, saluted a woman of guts and glamour who loved to party, but did not flinch from her dangerous occupation.

John and Marie had planned to sail the Atlantic together and in typical Marie style, the plan was to sail hard and party even harder at the end.  Suggesting to Marie that they needed a song to sing, she responded by saying that she loved ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ and that she wanted to be the ‘silver girl’ (‘sail on silver girl’).  Also thinking of my beautiful friend, Sally Brampton, also a Sunday Times journalist and one of us.  We lost Sally on 10 May 2016 and somewhere in my head, I would like to think that Marie and Sally are partying together in the sky, conducting the songs we share each week.  And just perhaps they are.
Sally Brampton

In tribute, we are sailing.
The VH Playlist; Sailing by Rod Stewart

Have a wonderful weekend.

With love

Gill x