It’s your first baby. You’re excited, half desperate for those niggles to start, but with a touch of nervousness, knowing that life will never be the same again.

Who doesn’t love choosing cute gifts for a new bundle of joy – but what about mum – who has to climb a mountain or two before junior shows their sweet face?

Well that’s why I’m impressed with Mama’s Moments – developed by midwives – and who better to get us through that exciting but daunting period from end of pregnancy to new mum – whether it’s baby number one, two or even three?

All products are great quality – carefully made in the UK using premium naturally-derived ingredients, and free from parabens, synthetic colours and fragrances.

I love that the Birthing Essentials Kit comes in a pretty cream bag – all ready for when it’s time to dash to the maternity unit. And those midwives have thought of everything, utilising different aromatherapies to get you through labour, and afterwards.

So what’s in this fabulous goody bag? Starting with Cool It Mama body spritz: with neroli (refreshing and uplifting), ylang ylang (mood enhancer), menthol (cooling) and grapefruit (for mental exhaustion). Sounds perfect for when labour is getting a little too much (and maybe your other half would appreciate a quick spray too?) This smells fabulous, but I love that it isn’t too overpowering either.

Next out of the goody bag is Relax and Breath massage oil – really light, and glides over the skin. Ingredients include chamomile (for relaxation), cocoa butter and shea butter. Get your birthing partner to do their bit, massaging away those labour pains with this beauty.

Then, when it’s all over and you’re able to cuddle your little one, well I hate to mention it, but one can be a bit sore ‘down there’. But no worries, our midwives have thought of this too with Bottoms Up soothing spray, containing lavender (antiseptic, anti-bacterial, pain relieving), witch hazel (anti-inflammatory), cucumber (soothing) and arnica. I also noticed salicylic acid (similar to aspirin) on the ingredients list.

And finally to sleep (well until that 2am feed of course). So to get you into the land of nod after all the excitement, spray some Sleepy Mama onto your pillow and take some long deep breaths. The lavender and chamomile (relaxing and calming), bergamot (helps insomnia) and grapefruit (helps mental exhaustion) should help you doze off and have the sweetest dreams, until baby calls.

If you have a friend who is awaiting the happy day, or yourself, this is a great kit and makes a fantastic present.

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.

Most people can be divided into those who wholeheartedly embrace Valentine’s Day, and the opportunity to spoil someone special in their life, and those who feel that every day should be treated like Valentine’s Day.

Now whilst I laud the latter, I have yet to meet anyone who actually adheres to it. So, if you are one who scoffs at us more romantic types, you should cut your losses and stop reading this review right now.

One thing that I have learned over the years, is that partners appreciate it when we make the effort. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture; it just has to show a degree of thought.

Of course, with lockdown we may have to think a little harder than in previous years, which is why I was thrilled to try Prosecco DOC Rosé available in most supermarkets, at a variety of price points.

This is beautifully dry, fresh, with intense red berry tones, balanced with floral notes and a mouth filling mousse, perfect for Valentine’s Day, to be drunk chilled as part of a perfectly pink Valentine’s Day in 2021. 

Here in the UK, we consume more Prosecco than any other country (including Italy itself) and with Prosecco DOC Rosé we can begin to plan a perfectly pink Valentine’s Day 2021. So come on chaps, time to grab a bottle of Prosecco Doc Rosé and make a special day even more special. Don’t leave me with all the heavy lifting.

Prosecco DOC Rosé is available for Majestic, Waitrose, Sainsburys

I came hot foot to R.J  Ellory and Proof of Life having just finished  Peter Temple’s: Black Tide – you see, I am re-reading all my heroes – Peter Kerr,  Wingfield, and Reginald Hill  – so funny, (well, Kerr not so much,but  amazing characters, living breathing and extraordinarily good novels) articulate, page turning,

So I picked up Proof of Life, and I read Ellory’s first line, and burst out laughing, relaxing even as I had wondered what on earth I was going to read next. Panic over, here it was.

But then, immediately I whimpered. For no, I had misunderstood the  first line: Airports, like crowded cities, seemed a perfect contradiction to Stroud.

I had thought Stroud, near Gloucester.

But no, it was Stroud, former war correspondent. So was I doomed to disappointment?

I read on, and calmed down, because it is sharp, and edge of seat, excellent characters, living, breathing, flawed (but of course, aren’t we all so we can empathise) and really rather fabulous.  In a nutshell, Proof of Life is a gripping unputdownable globe-trotting espionage thriller.  I have a new hero, an erudite writer, empathetic, knows his stuff, and how to pace and has, glory be, a long long backlist.  Thank you, thank you R.J.Ellory for your books, and Orion for publishing this man, I need not worry about my reading list for quite some while.

So, let me tell you a story… Who was it who said that?

Stroud is a former war photographer who left the frontline before his luck ran out like Vincent Raphael’s,  his closest friend, his mentor, his linchpin if you like. Raphael was killed in an explosion in Jordan, a  hand grenade thrown through his car window. Cans of petrol in the car … Whoosh.

It was only an empty coffin that was buried by his family – there was no body, and no car, all gone in a puff of smoke.

Stroud  took the news of Raphael’s death at face value . Well, one would, wouldn’t one? Really, wouldn’t one? And you’d drench yourself with a devasting grief that brings your world crashing in on you…

So, imagine if, six years later, you are shown a blurred distant photograph purporting to be Raphael, in Istanbul – now. Is it him? Stroud can’t be sure. So is Raphael really dead? If not, who, what  was Raphael, for if he was Stroud’s  friend, his mentor, why  just disappear and leave this gaping hole? No, no,  he must be dead.

If you are Stroud, this former globe trotting, former adrenaline fuelled journalist, maybe you take up the challenge to hunt down the truth.  But as the hunt for the elusive facts continues, does Stroud really want to know the truth?

Loved it. Will read the backlist. Will slaver over Ellory’s immaculate writing, and thank him for taking the panic out of what to read next.

Buy it, love it, savour it.

Proof of Life by R.J. Ellory. Available in hb. £20.99 eBook and audio.

Margaret Graham is the author of many novels under various names

We’ve all heard of probiotics – the good bacteria which live in our gut and help digest food. But they do so much more – secreting hormones and chemicals to make us happy, controlling our appetite, helping prevent obesity, diabetes and even cancer. In fact, ongoing research is constantly uncovering just how much we rely on these little critters for our health and well-being. It’s actually quite astonishing.

So how do we make sure we get plenty of good guys in our guts, and avoid the bad guys?

Well we can swallow good bacteria directly – there’s a vast range of prebiotics available, which contain various strains of friendly bacteria.

But more importantly, we need to keep them there. Like any living thing probiotic bacteria like to be fed, and to do this, we should eat good food. If your diet’s mainly junk food, it doesn’t matter how many probiotics you take, the good boys will simply die and bad bacteria will take over.

So what has this to do with eating delicious YaconViva! Cacao Nibs – cacao nibs coated in yummy sweet yacón syrup?

Actually, quite a lot. Let me explain about prebiotics. These contain nutrients which good bacteria love, and fructooligosaccharides  (FOS to their friends) are particularly effective prebiotics. FOS are found in vegetables like onions and chicory root, but also in yacón – a root vegetable from the Andes. The great thing about FOS is, they’re naturally sweet, but, unlike sugar, they tend to stay in your gut, where they provide a tasty meal for good bacteria. And because we don’t absorb them readily, they’re less likely to make us fat or cause sugar spikes – win-win.

Yacón Syrup is a delicious sweet FOS-rich syrup which is extracted from the root of the yacón and it’s a great way to indulge your sweet tooth healthily.

I genuinely love Yaconviva! Cacao Nibs – all organic and a really yummy snack. The only ingredients are yacón syrup and cacao nibs, so they’re vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free, plus they’re packed-full of antioxidants and contain natural caffeine. They taste delicious and yes, they can be good for you, and your gut bacteria – so no guilt today.

And if you want to give the love of your life a healthy choccy gift for Valentine’s Day – you should get plenty of brownie points for choosing Yaconviva! Cacao Nibs.

Available from Amazon UK, and yaconviva.co.uk and good health stores.

RRP £8.99 for a 300g pack.

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.

The Wolfson History Prize 2020 winner was David Abulafia for The Boundless Sea: A Human History of the Oceans.

The Wolfson History Prize (@WolfsonHistory), the most prestigious history writing prize in the UK, has confirmed this year’s Prize dates, with the shortlist of six historical non-fiction books set to be revealed on Wednesday 21 April, and the winner announced on Wednesday 9 June

A key date in the literary calendar, the Wolfson History Prize recognises outstanding works of historical non-fiction from the past year and is awarded annually to a work of historical writing that combines excellence in historical research with readability for a general audience.  Shining a light on the relevance of history and history writing to society today, the Wolfson History Prize is the most valuable non-fiction writing prize in the UK; £40,000 is awarded to the winner, with each shortlisted author receiving £4,000.

The Wolfson History Prize 2020 winner was David Abulafia for The Boundless Sea: A Human History of the Oceans. The 2020 shortlist was also made up of: John Barton’s A History of the Bible: The Book and its Faiths; Toby Green’s A Fistful of Shells: West Africa from the Rise of the Slave Trade to the Age of Revolution; Prashant Kidambi’s Cricket Country: An Indian Odyssey in the Age of Empire; Hallie Rubenhold’s The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper; and Marion Turner’s Chaucer: A European Life.

In its 49-year history, the Wolfson History Prize has awarded over £1.3 million to more than 100 historians, showcasing a huge variety of fascinating and eclectic books, and shining a light on the incredible breadth of historical writing being produced in the UK. Previous winners of the prize have included Mary Beard, Simon Schama, Eric Hobsbawm, Amanda Vickery, Antony Beevor, Christopher Bayly, and Antonia Fraser.

The Wolfson History Prize is run and awarded by the Wolfson Foundation, an independent charity that awards grants in the fields of science, health, heritage, humanities & the arts.

About the Wolfson History Prize

To be eligible for consideration, authors must be resident in the UK in the year of the book’s publication (the preceding year of the award), must not be a previous winner of the Prize and must have written a book which is carefully researched, well-written and accessible to the non-specialist reader.

To learn more about the Wolfson History Prize please visit https://www.wolfsonhistoryprize.org.uk/ or connect on Twitter via @WolfsonHistory / #WolfsonHistoryPrize.

We were talking about how to help your tribe  establish their own self-care practices Alex. Tell us more:

Because I know how much I (& my family indirectly) have benefited from my own self-care practices  I set up my couch to programs. Think a more nourishing & nurturing version of couch to 5k but couch to yoga mat or meditation cushion, or both as some of my clients have embraced.

These programs are aimed at anyone who has heard about all the wonderful benefits of yoga & meditation: physical, mental, emotional spiritual even but just don’t really know where to start. These programs guide you from the basics, establishing a good solid foundation in your practice so that you have the skills & confidence to go to any class online (or in person) & to cultivate your own regular, daily even, practice in yoga or meditation in the comfort of your own home, which is ideal in lockdown.

You can also join this program if you have done a little yoga or have meditated. This program will help you fine-tune, finesse your practice & guide you towards establishing a a regular meditation or yoga ritual of self-care.

So how does it work?

When you sign up, you will get a yoga practice &/or meditation delivered into your inbox everyday for 28 days (we are in the process of building a member’s portal, such has been the success of this initiative).

How much time does this take? 

4 of the 7 yoga practices are less than ½ hour long so that they are easy to fit into your busy schedules & demanding family lives. Similarly, the meditations are between 5-10 minutes long so again easy to slot into your hectic lifestyles.  In the yoga program there are 2 longer recorded sequences you can delve into to develop your stamina, whilst there also an hour long live session in both programs, so that you can experience the wonderful energy of practicing in a group.   

So, the yoga and meditations remain to be  looked at again and again?

Yes, of course. You get life-long access to the  28 different yoga sequences or meditations.  The program is self-led so as long as you do the sessions in sequence, you gain  a sense of progression & transformation whether you take  28 days, or longer.

If you upgrade to the VIP option this includes a weekly 1-2-1 75 minute coaching session where we get to practice together & I can help you to fine-tune your poses & delve into anything that you may be struggling with.  At the end, I hope to have guided you towards embracing a regular, daily even ritual of self-care which includes yoga or meditation & you will be beginning to discover the inner sense of peace & calm these practices provide on the yoga mat or meditation cushion. And the more you practice, the more this serenity, bliss even, will start to translate into your life.

After all, in the midst of lockdown with the backdrop of a global pandemic, now more than ever we need to invest in ourselves to help navigate the challenges these unusual times are bringing to us all. Now more than ever we need to embrace self-care practices to help us getting on getting through this.

And soon, Alex,  you are going to be talking us through some Mindfulness insights and practices  which Frost Magazine is thrilled to be publishing.

Absolutely. Can’t wait.

If you would like more information on 28 Days… message Alex at alex@myananda.co.uk.

For free resources check out her Facebook group: Mindfulness & Yoga for Self-Care, here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MindfulnessYoga4Relationships

Alternatively check out the website: www.myananda.co.uk

Alex is based on the edge of the stunning Cotswolds & has been sharing her love for all things yoga & mindfulness for the last 8 years, not just in the UK but also in Thailand & Germany. Her mission is to help everyone discover their bliss within & to encourage them to embrace self-care. 

An interesting novel, which concerns Newman’s discovery of his sister Abbie’s  unpublished manuscript following her suicide. Considering publication he decides to write an introduction to the novel, whose main character is Vee, a teacher. Vee was previously in love with Max, a psychiatrist, but the relationship was short-lived.

Childhood nightmares about her long-dead Aunt Mary’s mental illness lead Vee to create a “door” in her mind to shut her out. But Aunt Mary’s door is not enough to withstand a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, which ends Vee’s teaching career. Some time later Vee gets a job at Squaremile, a centre for disabled people, but she soon realises that stigma is not just confined to job applications.

Once, when she was a teacher, she was believed and trusted. Now, suffering from bipolar disorder, she is doubted and bullied. Vee meets Max again, but this time as his patient. Max is unable to prevent Vee’s suicide, and feels intolerable guilt, in part because of his earlier relationship with her. Max hopes to find answers in Vee’s novel, a copy of which she gave him at their last appointment before her suicide.

Max, and his wife Helen, who works at Squaremile, are shocked to read of how Vee and some of the residents there have been treated. They investigate the allegations of bullying and neglect and prepare a report, presenting it at a meeting in the boardroom at Squaremile, attended by the chief executive officer of the centre. The atmosphere is tense, particularly as both Max and Helen have health problems, and because of attempts by Sandra, the chief bully at Squaremile, to sabotage their efforts to unmask her.

However, as the story reaches its climax, it is Abbie who will have the last word.

So, my  thoughts on From a Safe Distance? I found this novel an intelligent and sensitive story giving insight into the life of one living with bipolar disorder and the trials that have to be endured as a result of prejudice and stereotypical assumptions.

Do not be put off by grim references on the front cover or the apparent complexity of the synopsis. This novel tells a story within a story where the central message is one of love and hope in the search for better understanding of people who bear the burden of living with bipolar disorder.

The outer shell, that of Abbie’s suicide, encloses her writings where under the pseudonym of Vee she records the progress of her life and how it might more ideally have turned out.

This powerful story gives insight to all of us who have been fortunate enough not to have experienced this cruel, mysterious condition. It is also engaging as a gentle love story and makes compelling reading. In addition, the novel is essential reading for employers, interviewers and all who work in caring professions.

From a Safe Distance is available from Amazon as paperback or eBook.