We are undoubtedly becoming more aware of the impact we have on the planet. We may wish to consume more, but, for many of us we are looking to do this without harming the environment on which we depend. Which is exactly why this yogurt caught my attention.

We are constantly told that if lots of us make a small change, we collectively, can have a big impact so if you think as I did, you may very well believe that yogurt is just yogurt, but as I found out, that is not necessarily so.

These dairy Yogurts are a first for the UK, as the Collective have launched its new range of carbon neutral blended yogurts.

I tried three great flavours and whilst Peach and Mango with juicy chunks of peach and mango stirred into tangy live yogurt, was my absolute favourite, the Black Currant and Blackberry offered sharp bursts of flavour and came a very close second, and to be fair the Strawberry and Vanilla was also very tasty, so as ever it comes down to personal taste.

They come in 450g tubs, the perfect size for family sharing, each yoghurt is a delicious blend of real fruit and live yoghurt made with British Milk. Continuously seeking to improve their sustainability and recyclability these tubs are 100% recyclable and made from 100% recycled material.

The Collective will work with ClimatePartner to reduce and offset their emissions through Woodland afforestation and Clean Drinking water projects, with a clear reduction plan to become fully carbon neutral by 2025.

The Collective’s 1^st Carbon Neutral Dairy Yoghurt is available nationwide £1.75 RRP per 450g tub.

https://www.thecollectivedairy.com/

I have lamented for years, the absence of a grown- up alcohol-free drink.

Soft drinks, it seems to me, are generally too sweet and not suited to the adult palette. I have tried to make something of soda and lime juice, but this is rarely better than ok.

Nor do alcohol free beer and lager, ever quite cut it for me.

I want something that tastes different, not too sweet and it has to be refreshing, which is where, in my opinion Zag comes in.

Best served chilled, Zag is a new thirst quenching, alcohol free, blend of ingredients, including Kombucha, mint and tea. The taste is not immediately recognisable, and is far more complex than most soft drinks, with a variety of flavours coming to the fore. Th first sip confused my taste buds but by the second and third I was addicted. It seriously delivers on freshness, with none of the cloying taste that puts me off some soft drinks.

However, and here is the clincher for me, each drink is only 54 calories, which means I can enjoy a drink and it still fits into my calorie-controlled diet.

I liked it so much, that we immediately ordered some more. I will certainly be on the lookout for it, the next time that I am the designated driver, or when I feel that my body needs a bit of a rest from alcohol, what’s not to love?

Zag is available from Amazon, https://zagdrinks.com/ prices vary.

Zag (dare I say it) makes a refreshing change and I will definitely be stocking up for Christmas in readiness of both the designated drivers and those who wish to take a break from the alcohol.

And if the Spice Girls are looking to reform, I am always available.

https://zagdrinks.com/

A winter wonderland smorgasboard, if you’ll forgive me.

My wife eyes my role as Frost Magazine’s wines and spirits reviewer with deep suspicion,  no matter how often I explain how tough it is to have to taste each and every drop of wine before I can express an opinion – ho hum. She maintains crisply that tough isn’t the word she would use. So imagine her delight on hearing that my latest task was to review  – wait for it – wait … cleaning materials.

She was even quicker to point out that to be able to review them properly, I really had to test each and every article thoroughly in our kitchen and bathroom.

The new Seep range consists of plastic free and compostable sponges, that not only look good but  can be machine washed for longevity. You see  as they don’t contain plastic,they won’t release microplastics when washed – how excellent is that.

Now to be honest the aesthetics of kitchen or bathroom cleaning items has never been at the forefront of my mind, but I do believe that to change to something else, it would need to do the job at least as well as my usual brands.  The Seep range, I  learned was  carbon positive, offsetting their carbon footprint by 3 times each year by supporting reforestation projects around the world. So Seep and I were off to a great start. 

Carrying out everyday chores in the Rowan household is both tiresome and unrewarding. Whilst we have made many positive changes to be more in line with the environment, the tools that we use, remain laden with plastic – mainly because there was no other option available. But now, with Seep, small, greener choices can add up to a bigger change.

First, I tried the Seep all Purpose Dogbone Sponge – RRP £6.50 for a pack of 2

The shape of the sponge ‘feels right’ if you know what I mean. Sturdy and durable and due to its size, versatile. I can attest to this, as my wife insisted that I reviewed the sponge thoroughly, on kitchen surfaces, both horizontal and vertical; awkward corners where apparently, I do not reach properly with a mop.

It was excellent for the bigger washing tasks too, The Seep All-Purpose Dogbone Sponge is made from cellulose wood pulp, its larger size and seriously soft and absorbing 100% renewable material is ideal for most washing tasks, especially those of heavier duty both in and out of the house. At the end of its useful life this sponge can be placed in a garden compost bin where it will naturally break down.

The Seep bin liners are the brand’s latest addition to the range. Coming in a handy 50L, 30L or 10L roll, the compostable, biodegradable liners are a high quality, gentle on the planet option. The bases of the liners have also been reinforced to prevent annoying leaks. Which I confess is something of a bug bear of mine, as I transport it from the kitchen caddy to the compost bin at the end of the garden.

Speaking of bin liners, these are made from one of the best bio polymers on the market – taking less than 8 weeks to break down in a composting facility. If they are used for normal household waste and disposed of in landfill or an incinerator, they are still better than their traditional plastic counterparts since they don’t release microplastics or toxins. And they don’t stick to the tines of your garden fork when you are trying to dig in the compost (I speak from bitter experience.)

There are also bin liner bundles to choose from

Small Compostable Bin Liners 10L – RPP £17.50 for 5 x rolls / 25 bags (125 bags in total)

Medium Compostable Bin Liners 30L – RRP £25.00 for 3 x rolls / 25 bags (75 bags in total)

All Seep products are available here: www.theseepcompany.com or via Amazon.

Such a great collection of novels out this week. What about reading them all?

FEAR ON THE FENS by Joy Ellis is out now. Twenty years ago: A family is destroyed by tragic secrets.
A father who’s a killer. A brother who’s disappeared.
That is . . . until now? Detective Nikki Galena must find a man who’s been missing for two decades and unravel the painful past of a broken family before anyone else dies.   99p / 99c.

Murder at the Folly Roy Lewis.    OUT NOW — ONLY £1.99 / $2.99

A ruthless new boss shakes up Arnold’s quiet life at the council.  Now, he is saddled with a project he never wanted: the Ridgeway Viking Trust.   But is there more to the Trust than meets the eye?
Muck-raking journalist Alan Crickley seems to think so. He’s got the scent of corruption and he’s on the trail.

The Money Race by Paul Bennett.   OUT NOW — ONLY 99P / 99C

Follow the money, find the girl.
A local councillor’s daughter is missing, as well as several hundred thousand pounds of council funds.
But who’s responsible?    It’s up to Nick Shannon to find out.

Sister Joan Mysteries by Veronica Black . 6-8 Box Set excellent value at only 99p/99c

Sister Joan is a sharp and modern-minded heroine. Outstanding!” Publishers Weekly

Joffe  has told Frost Magazine  that The People’s Book Prize voting has begun and it’s great to  see so many Joffe Books authors represented in this year’s nominations.

Not one, but three Joffe Books authors are in this year’s collection and are hoping  to snatch that award. Last year’s winner, Victoria Dowd, is in the running again this year with the second novel in The Smart Woman’s Guide to Murder series, Body on the Island.

Joining Victoria are debut novelists Kerry Buchanan with Knife Edge and Lyn Yeowart with The Silent Listener.

Grab your copies of these amazing novels today and vote for your favourite here

Body on the Island by Victoria Dowd
Knife Edge by Kerry Buchanan
The Silent Listener by Lyn Yeowart

Last time we talked about how yoga can help manage stress & improve our mental functioning & wellbeing. We also talked about the delicate balance of the autonomic nervous system. Let’s take this a little further.

Relaxation occurs when our body & our mind is in a state of balance. Yoga helps create space in both our body & our mind which encourages balance & relaxation, creating inner peace, contentment, happiness & self awareness. It helps to reduce blood pressure & heart rate, increase oxygen utilization, improve digestion, the immune system, hormone balance & better neuro-muscular coordination.

If you practice yoga, you will know this just from stepping onto your yoga mat: a sense of peace & calm begins before you even start practicing as your body & mind are aware of what is to come.  The physical poses (asanas) in yoga all have different benefits, stimulating different systems in the body: standing poses strengthen leg muscles, open the hips, flex the back & improve circulation; forward bends are calming & restorative; backbends increase flexibility & mobility in the spine, stimulate the central nervous system & may help deal with negative emotions (possibly because we are opening the heart chakra – research into the chakras is still in its infancy so I’ll leave it there for now).

Do you remember at the beginning of the piece last time I was challenged about my claims regarding inversions? Let’s explore the claims behind the benefits of inversions. Dr. Fishman (remember him from part 1?) notes that inversions improve bone density which he attributes to the muscles working against gravity. Reversing the effects of gravity on the body has a profound physiological effect on the body. In 2000 NASA reported that when humans enter zero gravity it causes severe biomedical problems: the sense of balance is destroyed, blood floods upwards speeding up the heart, muscles waste & bone mass drops.

On earth, gravity weighs us down & as the years progress so does the damage: varicose veins & hemorrhoids, the heart falters & more. The ancient yogis called gravity ‘the silent enemy’.  So by inverting ourselves, we reverse the effects of gravity. Our body is made up of 60% water, when we upend ourselves, the tissue fluids of our lower body drain more effectively helping to clear congestion.

David Coulter who taught anatomy at the University of Minnesota said, “If you can remain in an inverted posture for just 3-5 minutes, the blood will not only drain quickly to the heart, but tissue fluids will flow more efficiently into the veins & lymph channels of the lower extremities & of the abdominal & pelvic organs, facilitating a healthier exchange of nutrients & wastes between cells & capillaries” Couldn’t have said it better myself.

There are 4 major systems in the body: cardiovascular, lymphatic, nervous & endocrine. Inversions give the heart a break but also challenge it in the opposite way to how it usually works. This means we are benefiting the circulatory system but in a very gentle but very effective way.

We used to think that inversions flooded the brain with freshly oxygenated blood but we now understand that the brain is protected from an influx of blood which would overwhelm its delicate structures. However, we now believe that inversions could affect the movement & production of cerebrospinal fluid which is the juice of the nervous system.  The lymph system, like the heart relies on muscular movement & gravity to facilitate its performance. When you are upside down the lymph system is stimulated which strengthens your immune system & starts to drain more effectively.

The effect of inversions on the endocrine system is the least well documented or understood. Some believe that the shoulder stand helps regulate the thyroid gland but it has not been proven; whilst the benefits to the pineal & pituitary glands from headstands have also not been confirmed…yet.  At the end of the day, a lot can be gained from being upside down, simply because by having a different physical view of the world can change our mental & emotional viewpoint too.

I think the important thing with inversions, whether you believe in their physiological effects or not, is not to rush into them. Take your time & only work with a good teacher who can guide you safely into & out of the poses. There are plenty of other ways you can practice inversions: legs up the wall (viparita karini) is deeply restorative & doesn’t tax the spine or the neck. Same with bridge pose (setu bada), downward dog, standing forward fold.

So there you have it, the science (in very lay-man’s terms!) behind the enormous positive effects practicing yoga can have on your body, brain, nervous system & immune system. Whilst we may not have ‘proved’ that yoga slows the aging process, if you stack up all the positive impact it does have it certainly suggests it could very well do so.

If you would like to put some of these scientific benefits to the test & practice yoga with Alex her YouTube channel offers free short classes for everyone & is available here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQlKZJ7MeyYc6lqkv6seISw

Alternatively all of her classes are streamed on live on Zoom, for more information message her at alex@alexbannard.com   Free resources are also available on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AlexBannardYogaMindfulness   And her website is www.alexbannard.com

Alex is based on the edge of the stunning Cotswolds & has been sharing her love for all things yoga & mindfulness for almost a decade, not just in the UK but also around the world. Her mission is to help everyone discover a more mindful way of living & to encourage them to embrace regular self-care practices for a happier & healthier way of being.

Check out this Uplift video for more information:   https://uplift.tv/2017/watch-science-behind-yoga/

Or these articles for more science based facts:   https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/everybody-upside-down    https://www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/the-science-behind-yoga   https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-benefits-of-yoga#section13

Do you feel compelled to start Christmas shopping in October, due to a recurring dream that it’s late on Christmas Eve and you’re buying your loved ones ‘gifts’ from the local garage because everything else has shut and Christmas had completely slipped your mind? No? That’ll just be me then, and I’ve probably over-shared.

Whatever the reason, I make no apology for enthusing about ARRAN Sense Of Scotland’s amazing new Home Fragrance Set – which make a perfect Christmas gift for that special someone.

ARRAN Sense Of Scotland products are all made with top-quality ingredients, reflecting the three generations family-run company, based on the Isle of Arran, and Frost has featured them on previous occasions.

I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating, ARRAN Sense Of Scotland really does bottle the wildness and beauty of the Scottish Isles, and their room fragrances transport you to the mountains, or a cosy log fire in a woodland cottage. They are pure luxury and simply rather special.

The new Home Fragrance Sets are great, because you get a reed diffuser – a blend of oils in a lovely clear glass bottle with natural wood reeds, plus two luxurious 8cl candles in glass holders, each with up to 12 hour burning time. The set comes in a very attractive gift box, featuring a map of Arran. The choice of fragrances reflects the company’s respect for nature – personally I love After The Rain – lime, rose and sandalwood, and also Bergamot and Geranium, but they have some fabulous limited edition fragrances too, such as Mountain Lavender (great for the bedroom) and special Christmas fragrances. They each cost £40 from the website.

If you love this company as much as I do, you may want to look at their full range of candles. Besides the gift sets, they have larger (35cl) candles in a beautiful glass holder, which come in different unique fragrances, and their mixed boxed sets of four 8cl candles make a lovely gift too.

Once you’ve tried ARRAN Sense Of Scotland I fear you won’t want any other make – I know I’ve been spoilt for life.

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning 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.

From the respected to the disrespected, though perhaps not in his own lifetime. Certainly, though, following Cook’s exemplary research ,respect is not the word that springs to mind.

Dr Gramshaw was a successful familly doctor in Yorkshire for 35 years, which is when his professsional and personal life crashed down around him, and not before time, one can only think.

As Cook explains, it was Easter 1908 when he attended 19 year old Margaret Brown who had been his patient before, and who wanted his advice again.

Oh, oh, Margaret… By the end of the month, Margaret was dead and a Cornoner’s inquest was peeling back the layers of information regarding the young governess and the doctor.

In The Crimes of Dr Gramshaw , Cook explores the crimes, the lies, the success and deceit… Shall I go on? Oh, all right then: the adultery, bigamy, insanity.

These events are reconstructed meticulously, using public records and as the truth emerges one cannot but  ask: could no-one have guessed, suspected, even known the truth?

Should his family have had an inkling? And why, why, why when his behaviour was exposed did 1000 people attend his funeral?

The Crimes of Doctor Gramshaw follows hot on the heels of The Nightingale Shore Murder,  Rosemary Cook’s first venture into  crimes with a nursing or medical connection. There will be more.

The Crimes of Doctor Gramshaw by Rosemary Cook available from Amazon.co.uk

www.rosemarycookauthor.co.uk