When younger and invited to Christmas parties the only questions I ever asked were ‘when and where?’

These days I am far more likely to check what plans I have for the following day and if a monumental hangover is going to be a price worth paying.

I have had these ‘Good Night, Great Day’ capsules on my desk for some weeks, not wishing to waste them on a few drinks, unlikely to result in a hangover.

The longer they remained untouched the more my scepticism grew, but finally myself and a friend arranged to go out in London and knowing my friend, I suspected that the dreaded hangover was only a day away.

We met for a late lunch and plumped for the tasting menu which had 5 courses with an accompanying glass of wine, (white, red and a Sherry- see the lengths I am willing to go to for you?)

After a short walk we found ourselves in a favourite wine bar, where we shared a bottle of white and a glass of red.

From the wine bar to a cocktail bar where we each had three rather tasty cocktails (all in the name of science you understand)

I had dutifully taken two capsules before I began drinking alcohol much to the bemusement of our waiter.

I also took the precaution (but my friend didn’t) of placing a capsule next to a toothbrush, so I didn’t forget to take it when I returned home.

Given my earlier scepticism you can imagine my surprise, when I woke up this morning without a hangover. I laid in bed for a good 10 minutes, convinced that it was going to kick in at any moment but no, I feel fine.

I also contacted my forgetful friend who reports a hangover, so it would seem that you must take all three capsules to fully benefit.

The capsules boost liver function and increase energy levels whilst being the mother of all antioxidants, helping to reduce those unwanted effects from the night before.

I appreciate that this is not a scientific review and all I can say is that on this occasion, they most definitely worked for me.

However, they are not an excuse for drinking irresponsibly and the lack of a hangover does not mean that you will necessarily be fit to drive the next morning. So please, always be drink aware.

That said, if you think that there is an occasion when you may drink more than usual, these capsules could just be the thing to ensure that you have a Good Night and a Great Day!

Good NIGHT, Great DAY Capsules can be found at yetiandthefox.com with prices starting at just £6.00.

365 Simple Daily Practices to Boost Happiness & Fulfilment

I was emptying the dishwasher the other day and stabbed myself on a sharp knife as I reached in. I didn’t see it. Why not, I wondered, it was so obvious.

Later, while talking to my brother we discussed the simple philosophy of how sometimes things are right in front of us but we don’t see them, are we so preoccupied with other things that we are not paying attention to the matter in hand? Looking but not seeing or looking from the wrong angle?

Theresa Cheung’s The Ritual Yearbook is, for a personal growth and spiritual development book, surprisingly down to earth. It is full of insights into how we see ourselves and how to be the best we can be.

With just a few minor changes to our days she suggests that simple things: making our bed as soon as we rise, having a good stretch each morning, getting out in the fresh air, are all rituals that can transform our lives. Even smiling in the mirror at ourselves each day (not so easy first thing in the morning unless you do it before you put your glasses on) can have a transformative effect.

The one ritual I found difficult at first was writing down things I’m grateful for. Theresa suggests writing three things each day.

At first I felt slightly overwhelmed. Was I grateful for the rain, the sun, the trees and to be alive?

Yes, I am grateful for those things but I’m also grateful for small things: My comfy bed, my warm house, my phone. And because I am grateful for these things, I realise that I don’t have to feel guilty that I have them.

I have watched Theresa Cheung on a podcast with Russell Brand, and with Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain. Sometimes she looked nervous but she held her own and was never lost for words, not even when faced with a barrage of disbelief from certain interviewers.

The Ritual Yearbook has given me permission to believe that, if I follow the rituals and look at the world from a different angle, everything will be ok.

Theresa Cheung allows me to believe in angels.

The Ritual Yearbook: pb £14.99

Prezzybox aims to create moments of happiness, by delivering the extraordinary and has won an award for its customer service.

We all seek that moment of elation when we find the perfect gift and Prezzybox believe that they have a range of gifts suitable for the office Secret Santa, Stocking Fillers up to and including more substantial gifts.

The gifts themselves range from the whimsical to the unusual and provide the perfect presents to give to family and friends alike.

How about Unicorn’s Blood? A gin and rose flavoured jelly containing edible glitter enough to put the sparkle into any Christmas breakfast.

Still with the breakfast theme, but perhaps at the other end of the spectrum is the ground coffee entitled Black Like my Soul, 250g of a single origin, dark roast, naturally processed Vietnamese ‘robusta’ ground coffee. This coffee is full bodied, laced with rich cocoa flavours leading to a luxurious lingering chocolate after taste.

The Underwater disco light turns bath time into a vibrant disco light show. The light glows and flashes with an array of bright colours, bobbing on the surface of your bath, projecting 5 different 360 degree light patterns. Perfect for the disco diva in your life, that really wants to get into the mood, whilst getting ready to go clubbing.

The Cable Bite is an amusing pun on the word bite, in the shape of a small dog which both decorates and protects, preventing the cable from disconnecting.

If you wish to continue with the doggy them, how about pairing the Cable bite with a pair of Corgi socks?

These and a wide range of other gifts are available from Prezzybox

https://www.prezzybox.com

Insomnia used to be considered a nuisance. Now we know that sleep deprivation contributes to serious chronic illness including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, dementia and even obesity. As if it weren’t bad enough tossing and turning into the small hours, it’s making you fat too. Life can be a bitch.

The good news is all the good quality information on sleep problems which is emerging. One suggestion is, rather than staring at the ceiling during the early hours, get up and read – and Calm – The Magic of Sleep –  was written by Michael Acton for this very situation.

It’s a fairly light-hearted book – but then you don’t want to be studying heavy facts at 2am. However it is informative. It explains the science – what happens during sleep, the benefits, what makes us fall asleep and what stops us sleeping. There are nice easy quizzes to help us establish our own sleep type and set up good sleep habits and sleep hygiene.

Much of the book is dotted with sleep trivia and interesting stories – great to distract you before you settle back down to sleep again.

There are short sections on specific issues, such as childhood and adolescent sleep needs and how to deal with them, useful for any parent, particularly those whose own sleep problems stem from a crying baby.

He’s also included a fascinating section on dreams, with suggestions on how to keep a dream journal, which is very interesting.

The book doesn’t pretend to be an encyclopaedia on all things sleep, and in fact the author refers us to Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep for more detailed science, direct from a sleep scientist. However it still manages to slip in a lot of useful information in an easy and digestible style – with attractive illustrations and amusing quotes.

It’s linked to the Calm sleep app available at http://www.calm.com which you can try for free. This provides guided meditations, breathing coaching and special bedtime stories for adults with music and the occasional celebrity narrator.

As the book explains, many of nature’s sleep triggers, such as darkness, elude us in this modern world of city lights and mobile phone screens, and it provides many tips on how to restore our body’s natural rhythms – with recipes for calming herbal teas and advice on the best sleep positions.

Acton explains to us that sleep isn’t just dead time – one thought-provoking insight was a study where language students remembered more new vocabulary if words in the new language were played to them whilst they slept. Sports scientists are discovering that good quality sleep can give that competitive edge which makes the difference between a silver and gold. So good sleep is more important than we realise for our health and life success.

Acton’s suggestions on how to get the best sleep are definitely more helpful than W.C. Fields’ contribution, ‘The best cure for insomnia is to get a lot of sleep.’ His book is certainly worth reading if you need help with sleep.

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

I know what you’re thinking, who is Banjo Robinson? Well Banjo is a globetrotting feline who will write to your child(ren) twice a month about his latest adventures: where he has been, what he has seen and done. As well as where he hopes to go next.

In the first pack you will find a personalised letter from Banjo himself, personalised stickers, stamps, reply stationary, colouring in activities as well as a large and beautifully illustrated map of the world. My son absolutely loved his letter, he was amazed that Banjo knew his name, where he lives and even the street name. Together we read about Banjo and discussed what he had been doing and where he would be going next, My Son was so eager to write Banjo a letter with the paper and envelope provided that he sat down and got to it.

My Son is 5 (soon to be 6) and he is not the biggest fan of reading and writing- he would much rather be playing football. And he was engrossed with his letter which was roughly one and a half pages long.

With Banjo Robinson there are several different subscription options available:

12 months (24 Packs) £2.50 per pack- £59.99 billed annually

3 months (6 packs) £4.17 per pack- £24.99 billed quarterly

6 months (12 Packs) £3.33 per pack- £39.99 billed half yearly

Each pack is based on Banjo’s adventure in a different country which you can track using the map provided. As well as all of that excitement I can log in to my account and choose to personalise a “PS” from Banjo so if my son had done particularly well in something I could write that as a PS from Banjo for example “I was so pleased to hear how well you are doing with your swimming lessons” which adds that extra touch of magic and excitement.

I would recommend this subscription for children age 5 or older (I have a 4 year old daughter who was interested to see what the fuss was about, she wasn’t as amazed by it and wouldn’t yet to be able to fully read and write back). It’s a perfect alternative to “screen time” and as there is so much fun to be had my son will not even be aware that not only is he practicing his reading, writing and spelling but also his geography.

The subscriptions would make a lovely gift, especially for Christmas and birthdays when children receive so many toys that they soon tire of or break, (or is that just my two?) with this my son will have something exciting to look forward to every month.

www,banjorobinson.com

But why Courvoisier?  Well because it’s incredibly smooth and tastes delicious. But don’t just take my word for it – it’s graced the tables of European Royal households for years, and was specifically requested for the grand opening of the Eiffel Tower.

They say that when bad things happen good things follow. Perhaps the opening of the Courvoisier company in 1809, in the wake of the bloody French revolution is a great example. Its reputation rose so rapidly that Emperor Napoleon visited the distillery and requested the cognac as his special luxury when he was exiled to St Helena.

As you twist that stopper and watch the splash of gold whilst you pour a generous measure into a fine cut glass, take it to a comfortable seat by a cosy log fire and swirl the glass, smell the heavenly aroma whilst warming the liquor in your hands, anticipate that moment when you will bring it to your lips and finally sip pure luxury – do you really know what you’re holding? Why it tastes so, so good?

Well the Courvoisier distillery now combines the best of both old and modern methodologies in its relentless pursuit of excellence and in 1983 became the only cognac house in France to receive the ‘Prestige de la France’, the highest accolade for quality.

But what does VSOP mean? Does it matter? Well, yes – cognac has different quality grades:

• V.S. (Very Special) or ✯✯✯ (three stars): a blend of brandies, each having been stored in a cask for at least two years.
• V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale) or Reserve: the brandies been in the cask for at least four years.
• XO (Extra Old) or Napoléon: currently means at least six years in the cask.

The prolonged storage is one reason for the wonderful smoothness of a good cognac.

As a doctor I cannot recommend excessive drinking of alcohol, but I’m a firm believer that a little of what you fancy probably doesn’t do much harm.  So if you’re going to indulge, make it something worthwhile – Courvoisier VSOP for me please.

Available from Morrisons, Sainsburys and Asda.

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

I have just read Spies of Warsaw, and embarked on Mission to Paris both by Alan Furst: fabulous novels, taut, anxiety promoting reads, and written with such restrained delicacy that I would re-read passages for the sheer pleasure they gave me. Then,  Under Occupation arrived in Frost Magazine’s office. Being a wise old bird,  i hid it from my book review team and devoured it myself.

Under Occupation is set in occupied Paris in 1942 where the presence of the German masters is ever constant, as is the unseen – usually – German security services.

This is a Paris which still hums, restaurants which still serve food and wine, a Paris which somehow has a measure of the ambiance of a Paris before the war. Why? Because it is the playground for Germans on leave. But what is actually going on beneath the surface? Is there a resistance network? If so, who is in it? How do you become embroiled?

Well, by accident or design.

Either way, it is nerve tingling, an almost impossible way to live: who is friend, who is foe? How can one ever sleep soundly, for when will the Gestapo beat on the door at midnight?

As always, Alan Furst’s research is thorough, the world he creates is utterly believable, the tension he evokes makes putting down the book almost impossible.

Scenario: a man is being chased by the Gestapo. He is shot, and hands an onlooker, Paul Ricard, a plan but of what? Who should Paul share this with, or should he just forget all about it?

So, there we are, by accident Paul Ricard is given a choice. He accepts the challenge and becomes one of those below the surface.

Paul is also an author. He is writing a book, it is his only piece of sanity, the only thing he is in control of, the only world he can manipulate with certainty as his life becomes that of an agent. with only uncertainty as his companion.

One assignment leads to another, he travels into Germany, he grows enamoured of his handler Leila, he works with another, Kasia, This war becomes a battle for survival, not only for Ricard but for France. So many small pieces create a mass, a mass of information, a mass of actions, which will ultimately help those who are helping France.

Under Occupation is enlightening, evocative, heart stopping. Read it, try not to bite your nails. Bravo Alan Furst. A triumph.

Under Occupation by Alan Furst. pub Weidenfeld and Nicholson. hb £20.00

Annie Clarke’s latest novel, Heroes on the Home Front pub Arrow is out in paperback.

Last week I went for a walk. Halfway through it started to spot with rain, by the end it was bouncing off the paths. We splashed through streams, jumped over newly forming rivers and tried not to slip on the carpet of sodden leaves. With my unsuitable trainers acting as sponges, I couldn’t have been wetter or colder.

When I got home I went straight up to run a bath.

Shivering, I peeled off my sodden clothes then reached for the tall, slim bottle of my new coco and cherimoya bath and shower gel by Guava & Gold.

I poured a generous amount under the running tap then sank slowly into the luxuriously scented water.

Closing my eyes I was instantly transported to sunnier climes; the delicate aroma of coconut with undertones of cherimoya and bergamot assailed my senses as the cold wet walk became a distant memory.

I now use this wonderful product each morning, its rich velvety lather leaves my skin soft and fragrant, and me positive and relaxed.

I read somewhere that the cherimoya fruit is grown in tropical regions throughout the world and pollination has to be done by hand. This takes extra time and effort but, in my opinion, it is so worth it.

Guava and Gold have many more products which are available to buy online, and with their reputation of having a ’ strong commitment to sustainable development’ and prices from just £20 they are a must for any Christmas stocking.

https://www.guavaandgold.com