Good morning, and with the clocks going back an hour this weekend, I want to talk about something rather smaller in scale than jet lag but built on exactly the same principle. Jet lag occurs because the body’s internal clock can only naturally shift by around an hour a day, which is precisely why crossing several time zones at once can leave us disoriented because our bodies struggle to keep pace with that change.

The clocks going back is, by comparison, a far gentler disruption, small enough that most of us adjust within a day or so, but small isn’t quite the same thing as nothing. For those who sleep lightly, or find that their mood and energy are sensitive to change, this one small hour can often linger for several days, so it may be worth taking a look at Liddell’s Jet Lag, a formulation we introduced last month for circadian disruption, which may offer a gentle nudge back into rhythm because the underlying mechanism, supporting the body’s own realignment, remains exactly the same regardless of how small or large the shift happens to be.
Jet Lag by Liddell Laboratories £22 for 30 ml

Staying with the homeopathic formulations from Liddell Laboratories, it was pretty obvious that Cold & Flu would be the bestselling formulation, primarily because it replaced Triple Flu Defense which is now residing in product heaven, but it was closely followed by Cough & Bronchial, which really didn’t surprise me. Bronchial and respiratory conditions have increased over recent decades, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) prevalence has risen steadily for two decades and it is estimated to affect approximately 1.1 million people in England.

With a soothing blend of Echinacea, Wild Indigo and Nettle, Cough & Bronchial offers relief from coughing, mucus build-up and chest tightness. Prevention is of course far better than cure and we recommend supporting the immune system with a foundational supplement, such as Daily Immunity, which drops in price from £29 to £25 across the weekend. While Daily Immunity plays an integral role in supporting our immune system, Cough & Bronchial may be used as an adjunct to Daily Immunity, or it can be used as a stand-alone product.
VH Editorial: A Daily Supplement That Supercharges Your Immunity; DoSe Daily Immunity £25 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 25 October); Cough & Bronchial by Liddell Laboratories £22 for 30 ml

Let’s talk about bloating, our digestive system and digestive enzymes. Enzymes are required for every function carried out within our bodies and basically act as catalysts, quickening each process they are involved in. Every organ, tissue and cell has its own specific enzymes, without which we would be unable to function. Although we are constantly reminded to drink plenty of water, eat high fibre foods and consume fresh fruit and vegetables, so many of us still experience bloating, gas and indigestion, and one possible contributor is a lack of digestive enzymes.

Our bodies require digestive enzymes to break down food as it passes through the gastrointestinal tract, so that we can gain nutrients. Food is generally grouped as containing fats, proteins, carbohydrates, fibres and other components, and digestion begins as soon as food is ingested, with amylase in our saliva and pepsin in the stomach, before the pancreas releases the main digestive enzymes into the small intestine, helped by bile, which emulsifies fats, from the liver and gallbladder. The main groups of digestive enzymes are proteases to break down proteins, lipases to break down fats and amylases to break down carbohydrates.

The production of digestive enzymes can diminish for several reasons including poor eating habits, imbalanced diets that do not have the correct mix of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, and inadequate vitamin and mineral levels. However, two of the most commonly cited reasons are stress, because our bodies struggle to digest food under stressful conditions, and ageing, because studies suggest that the output of digestive enzymes, from both the pancreas and the stomach, tends to decline as we get older. And so, Digestive Enzyme Complex.

Digestive Enzyme Complex has been formulated with a blend of twelve digestive enzymes, including amylase, lipase and three different types of proteases. Protein is one of the hardest foods to digest, and insufficient breakdown of protein-rich foods can contribute to feelings of fullness, gas and indigestion. Proteases play a crucial role in this formulation, setting it apart from many generic formulations, as they work effectively at different pH levels in the gut, which means that these enzymes are active across the different stages of digestion.

Finally, if you do suffer from bloating, Digestive Enzyme Complex also contains alpha-galactosidase, which helps break down the complex sugars in beans and certain vegetables, and lactase, which breaks down lactose, the natural sugar in milk and other dairy products, two of the most common triggers for gas and bloating. Most obviously I don’t take every supplement I write about, but I do take Digestive Enzyme Complex because I consider it to be a core supplement and I wouldn’t want to live without it. And with that said, Digestive Enzyme Complex drops in price from £29 to £25, also across the weekend.
VH Editorial: Digestive Enzymes For Bloating, Gas Or Indigestion; DoSe Digestive Enzyme Complex £25 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 25 October)

Somewhat inevitably, I am going to follow through by talking about stress and anxiety, because stress touches almost everything, our digestion, our sleep, our immunity and our skin, and it is rarely just one of them at a time. In its most simplistic form, stress is the body’s response to a real or imagined threat, and whether that stress is physical, hormonal or emotional, the adrenal glands release cortisol, the stress hormone, which raises blood sugar to fuel our response.

Over time, persistently high cortisol levels can make our cells less responsive to insulin, a peptide hormone made by the beta cells of the pancreas, often referred to as the ‘fat depositing hormone’, and the body may need to produce more of it. This may go some way towards explaining why some of us put on weight when we are stressed, although it isn’t the whole story, since stress also affects our appetite, our sleep and our mood.

Low mood can be quite prevalent at this time of the year as reduced daylight is thought to affect the brain chemicals, melatonin and serotonin, which influence both our mood and our sleep. For many of us, this is a passing phase, the winter blues, but for some it develops into SAD (seasonal affective disorder), which typically starts in the autumn, but is most severe between December and February, so here we recommend Magnolia Rhodiola Complex, which is our bestselling supplement for stress, low mood and anxiety.

Magnolia Rhodiola Complex combines standardised extracts of plants with a long history of traditional use for stress and low mood, Magnolia bark, standardised for Honokiol, and Phellodendron, which have been studied together in trials for their effect on stress and cortisol; Rhodiola rosea, traditionally used to help the body cope with stress; and L-Theanine, an amino acid found in green tea, associated with a calm, relaxed state of being and, in some studies, better sleep quality. Shabir does the lowdown on stress and anxiety in his article linked below and Magnolia Rhodiola Complex drops in price from £29 to £25.
VH Editorials: How To Combat Stress Effectively; Seasonal Affective Disorder; DoSe Magnolia Rhodiola Complex £25 for 60 Capsules (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 25 October)

I am going to caveat my words by saying that if you are taking anti-depressants, we do not recommend that you take Magnolia Rhodiola Complex as it may contra-indicate. As an alternative, we recommend Florassist Mood Improve, which combines two probiotic strains, Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175, with standardised saffron extract. Acknowledging the stress-gut connection, the two probiotic strains were associated with lower psychological distress in 30-day placebo-controlled trials in healthy volunteers, and saffron has been the subject of ongoing research for its effect on low mood.
VH Editorial: A Probiotic Supplement To Relieve Anxiety; Florassist Mood Improve by Life Extension £23 for 30 Capsules (drops from £26) (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 25 October)

Finally, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that stress affects our skin and stress is also associated with flare-ups of eczema, psoriasis and acne. Skin, when stressed, can look dull, but at this time of the year, central heating also dries the air around us, which can often leave our skin feeling tight, flaky and generally uncomfortable. Before I even write the words I am about to write, most of you will know that I am going to recommend Hyaluronic Acid and Collagen Tripeptide Complex because we believe both support the optimal health and wellbeing of our skin.

I absolutely know I wrote about both of them last weekend, and I also know how many times I write about both of them, but it is what it is and so they arrive again. Collagen is the protein that gives structure to our skin, joints, bones and connective tissues, whilst Hyaluronic Acid works alongside it, binding water to hydrate the skin and to cushion and lubricate the joints. We believe that both of these natural compounds are important and, if possible, should be taken together, one for structure and the other for hydration. I honestly can’t separate the two, so they both drop in price by 15% across the weekend.
VH Editorial: How To Take Collagen Supplements; DoSe Hyaluronic Acid Capsules High Strength; DoSe Collagen Tripeptide Complex (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 25 October)

Onwards and to the end with some seasonal gifts and I’ll begin with two seasonal collections from Olverum, the first of which is their Signature Collection. This is rather fabulous, but then I think Olverum is rather fabulous and the Signature Collection is a complete bathing regimen designed to cleanse, restore and rebalance. It includes the Olverum Body Cleanser (250 ml), Bath Oil (60 ml), Bath Salts (200 grams) together with a Bath Salts Refill Sachet which is also 200 grams.
Signature Collection by Olverum £75 (with a value of £115.50)

The Restore And Revive Collection is a calming evening ritual to help you unwind and prepare for rest. Designed to soothe mind and body, it eases the transition into sleep and it includes the Olverum Bath Oil (60 ml), Nightfall Sleep Pillow Mist (30 ml) and Soothing Hand Lotion (50 ml). The Restore and Revive Collection is £49.50, with a value of £75 and if you have never had an Olverum experience, this would be a wonderful introduction to the brand, which has been granted a Royal Warrant for their Bath Oil. Created in 1931, Olverum is a story of a legacy born from passion. Making a difference. A fragranced, passionate difference.
Restore And Revive Collection by Olverum £49.50 (with a value of £75)

Some more luxurious indulgence, this time from TEMPLESPA. The Truffle Brilliance Firming & Lifting Facial Collection offers a complete day-to-night ritual with five rejuvenating skincare products. Enriched with Black Summer Truffle, Trufflelixir Super Luxe Luminosity Serum (10 ml) goes on after cleansing, followed by Skin Truffle (15 ml) by day and Truffle Noir (15 ml) at night. Eye Truffle 24-hour Eye Rejuvenation (5 ml) is a silky, cashmere-textured eye cream and Golden Glow Radiance Primer (10 ml), which is a limited edition, is a light-reflecting gel to wear underneath make up, or it can be tapped onto the high points of the face.
Truffle Brilliance Firming & Lifting Facial Collection by TEMPLESPA £65 (with a value of £150)

Two more from TEMPLESPA and the first is their Spa Mini Break, four hair and body essentials are in this set, including Good Hair Day (30 ml), In Good Condition (30 ml), La La Lagoon (30 ml) and Peace Be Still (30 ml). The second is Hand On Heart, a duo of luxurious hand care products dedicated to giving your hands a cleansing and hydrating treat. The two products are All In Hand, a cleansing hand wash, and All Is Well, a hydrating hand lotion, both of which sit on a display tray. Keeping it neat.
Spa Mini Break by TEMPLESPA £15; Hand On Heart by TEMPLESPA £38 (with a value of £62)

Finally, let’s do two stocking fillers. A Gift of Energy by Aromatherapy Associates is a thoughtful aromatherapy gift featuring a travel-sized (10 ml) Revive Morning Mood Mist. With a fresh citrus aroma of Grapefruit, Juniper Berry and Rosemary, this blend helps uplift mood and awaken the senses. Also from Aromatherapy Associates, A Gift of Relaxation features Deep Relax Bath & Shower Oil (9 ml), the classic blend designed to help ease tension, calm the mind and create a deeply relaxing ritual as part of your evening routine.
A Gift of Energy by Aromatherapy Associates £15; A Gift of Relaxation by Aromatherapy Associates £15; All Seasonal Gifts

Into the Saturday only treat and with every order placed for £35 and above, we will automatically send you one single Spacemask (original)*, which will gently warm your eye area for approximately fifteen minutes. Offering restful bliss at the end of a long day, product details are linked below.
Spacemasks

Finally, a song for the weekend. And life.
The Times They Are A-Changin’ by Bob Dylan; The VH Playlist

As ever, I want to thank you for all that you are, we couldn’t do any of this without you.

Happy weekend.

With love

Gill x