Where is the Wellness Trend Headed?

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Health and wellness trends change over time as new ideas surface and gain traction with the health-conscious public. It’s always sensible to look out for new thinking on the subject of wellness because, as medical research confirms how alternative ideas about medicine have greater validity, products are released to provide new relief or a boost to health backed by the research.

Here are some of the wellness trends in 2019. 

Personal Massage Treatment for Sore Muscles

The Theragun first got noticed at tennis tournaments when players began using it to relieve muscle tension by encouraging the muscles to relax again. The device eases muscles which relieves nerve tension and stops the pain. Nerve pain is one of the worst types of pain to deal with because it cuts right through you and painkillers don’t help much.

The HyperVolt hand massager is another percussive tool that works similarly and has been seen being used in chiropractors across the U.S. before making spinal adjustments to patients.

Be sure to visit sites like UpgradedReviews.com to find great deals on wellness products that you’re interested in purchasing. 

CBD and Hemp Products Go More Mainstream

As the legislation clears the way, consumers are using hemp-based and CBD products to relieve fatigue and anxiety to feel better. 

There are now many of these products that offer wellness benefits and are sold in spray, oil or edible form. The natural anti-inflammatory properties are the main driver here. It also helps consumers stop taking traditional medicine like aspirin or ibuprofen which is a popular change.  

It’s not for everyone but nevertheless, the market and number of providers is expanding rapidly. 

Oat Milk

Oat milk is the new almond milk. For milk lovers who look for the latest thing, oat milk delivers all the goodness they expect and a rich full-bodied taste that satisfies their taste buds too. 

Oatly is the biggest brand to watch in this space. They’ve had to move to a larger factory and increased production by over 1,000% since oat milk began to rival almond milk in popularity. 

Brain Health Becomes More Relevant

With the ongoing research into Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s, the understanding of the human brain is getting better. This is leading to new products to help you get more from your brain matter. 

According to Lisa Mosconi, who previously wrote Brain Food, it all comes down to what we feed our brain. When we take in rich nourishment, our brains function better. However, when we eat poorly with low nutritional meals, our cognition and long-term brain health is at risk.

Eating more plant-based foods and avoiding additives is leading the charge. Plant-based burgers are becoming a hot space for some food companies. They’re even perfecting the look and smell of a beef burger without the animal fats. Even non-Vegans are interested in this healthier, lower fat option to fast food. 

Fruit Juices on the Way Out?

We’ve seen the earlier trend towards drinking a glass of fruit juice in the morning at breakfast. However, it’s now been indicated that we should be careful about that. Researchers have indicated that the sugar in fruit juice isn’t as great for our health when consuming more than a glass a day. Therefore, while consumers have moved increasingly away from soda, switching to fruit juice isn’t much better for the teeth, gums or overall health either. 

Healthier flavored waters and vitamin water solutions are encouraging consumers to stick with water and avoid sugar-loaded beverages altogether. Beverage companies are responding well to this new trend with many bringing out healthier drinking options, including Coca Cola and Pepsi too. 

Many of the wellness trends are good ones this year. Pick your favorite one and try it out to see how you like it. You might be surprised. 

 

Sponsored Post. 

JULY BEAUTY EDIT

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From miracle hairbrushes to an egg mousse for the body, you’re in for a treat with our July Beauty Edit!

Protect your skin from free radicals

Daytox Natural Day and Night facial oil is a light, dry oil that easily absorbs into the skin. This must-have contains vitamins E and C to help fortify and strengthens the skins natural barrier, and almond oil, a powerful natural antioxidant that prevents the effect of stress and harmful ultraviolet radiation rays to the skin. We’re assured it’s fab for the fight against pollution on the skin too.

£24 – Ocado

 

Turn up the TLC with this meringue-like mousse

 

Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Body Oil magically transforms into an oil that absorbs deep into your skin for ultimate hydration. It instantly softens rough skin for cashmere-soft smoothness and is a cocktail of five botanical oils creates a protective moisture barrier without clogging pores. Egg yolk extract and albumin in egg white extract work together to boost the skin’s natural ability to repair and regenerate, supporting natural cell turnover and collagen production for firmer, more supple skin.

£24.50 – Boots

 

Soothe your strands with GHD’s hot brush

Known as the ‘super brush’, this invention gives ‘I woke up like this’ salon worthy hair. Not yet available here in the UK but you can pre-order this hot commodity (pardon the pun) which makes it worthy for our wishlist. This one will tames and smoothe dry hair, reaching 185 degrees and eliminating frizz in just a few strokes. So, miracles do exist.

£139 – GHD

Summer scented setting sprays

There are few things more iconic on the beauty scene than MAC’s Prep + Prime Fix + Extensions. So, what have the beauty boffins gone and done this time? Given us five, yes five, limited edition scents of the miracle mist, each still leaving you with that soft sheen. Choose from cucumber, watermelon, Peony, Pineapple or white tea.

£12.50 – MAC

Lift the lashes with Too Faced

If it gets a thumbs up from Huda Kattan, then it gets a thumbs up from us! Too Faced have kept pretty loyal to their absolute wonder mascara that was Better Than Sex until this super recent surprise drop. With endorsements FLYING in for the soon-to-be fan favourite, the formula is described as “a revolutionary creamy mousse, developed with a special blend of whipped melting waxes (waxes injected with air)’. This blend will give you a ‘ weightless super lash’ and volume like no other.

£22 –Too Faced

 

 

SISTER SCRIBES: SUSANNA BAVIN ON SKIPPING

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Do you ever skip parts of a book? You don’t want to give up on the book because you’re interested enough to want to know the ending… but, still, you find yourself skipping through bits of it.

I have a group of friends I meet up with each week for coffee – well, hot chocolate, in my case. We talk about all kinds of things, but this week there was a conversation about books and one friend talked about a book she had started reading with pleasure, but then she had gone off it a bit, though she still wanted to know what happened at the end, so she had skipped parts of it.

That got me thinking about what might make a reader skip bits of a book and I have come up with three reasons why I have done it:

 

  1. Padding…

… by which I mean excessive description. Yes, description is important – of course it is. It creates the setting and contributes to the mood and atmosphere. It deepens the reader’s relationship with the character and submerges the reader more fully in the book. But you can have too much of it. It shouldn’t make the description read like a piece of authorial self-indulgence. I’m thinking now of a book in which the writer spent two whole pages describing the kitchen(!). And then there was the novel in which an architect spent a whole chapter walking round a city, admiring its buildings and finding inspiration for his own work. It didn’t advance the plot – or if it did, I missed that part because I skipped to the next chapter.

  1. Lecturing

Or should I call it The Dreaded Lecture? In another novel involving a real theatre, the author had obviously done his homework – the operative word being ‘obviously.’ He couldn’t stop himself sharing every single thing he had learned about the theatre’s history. It turned into a page and a half of lecture. It didn’t advance the plot and nothing in the paragraphs of history was ever referred back to as being a crucial detail later on in the book. In fact, this theatre appeared only once in the narrative and then the action moved on elsewhere. In other words, the author hadn’t understood that, just because you’ve picked it up in the course of research, doesn’t mean you have to commit it to paper.

  1. Back Story

I’m not saying there should never be back story. Some is essential to an understanding of the plot, but entire chapters of it…? I came across a book a while ago, which involved a family which, in spite of minor tensions, was clearly happy and united, with Mother as the lynch-pin. Early on in the plot, Mother died in a freak accident. How would her adoring husband cope? What fresh responsibilities would fall on the shoulders of our young heroine? What would happen next? What actually happened was a trip back in time to wander through Mother’s childhood and see how she grew up to meet and marry Father. I wasn’t interested in that – I wanted to know what happened next.

SpaceView Baby Monitor Review

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I have tried many baby monitors in my life and the eufy Spaceview HD Wireless Baby Monitor is by far the best. The portable 5″ monitor has excellent HD video quality and two way audio. It has the things you would expect like night vision, the ability to pan, tilt and zoom, but it also has a bonus wide-angle lens so you can see the entire nursery. It has a secure wireless connection and the transmission is delay-free. Very important. It has a long battery life.

It is also stylish. It looks good. It has a built in thermostat which is very handy. There is zero set up and a wall mount is included. You can also attach the included lens and get a 110° full view of the nursery. SpaceView can also detect the ambient noise to be louder than what you set and it alerts you when your attention is needed. The coverage is large: 460ft.

In my opinion the Spaceview Baby Monitor is the best baby monitor on the market and it gets the Frost Gold Standard.

Spaceview Baby Monitor costs £159.99 from Amazon.co.uk

 

Summer Reads

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A Maiden’s Voyage Rosie Goodwin

Thursday’s child has far to go . . . 

1912, London.

The latest book in the Days of the Week series from Rosie Goodwin – A Maiden’s Voyage – is sure to be a hit with her many fans. I have to say I think this a great idea for a series and the way Rosie Goodwin has come up with the stories and characters to express the sentiment of each day has been truly imaginative.

Thursday’s child is the story of Flora Butler who lives in London, working as a lady’s maid to Constance Ogilvie. It suits Flora perfectly; she enjoys her work and is able to provide for her parents and four younger siblings. But  when tragedy strikes Flora faces a difficult decision – move to new York with her mistress, or lose her job and stay with her family.

Before long, Flora and Connie are heading to Southampton to board the RMS Titanic…

With strong settings and likeable characters, this is a page turner of a book to sail away with.

 

Secrets of Santorini by Patricia Wilson

How far would you go to save those we hold deep in our hearts? What would you sacrifice to save the ones you love from harm? Secrets of Santorini is a love story, it’s ancient history with a modern twist. But most of all, it’s a love letter to the gorgeous island of Santorini.

Sent away to a convent school in Dublin at the age of five, Irini McGuire has always had a strained and distant relationship with her mother, Bridget, a celebrated archaeologist who lives on the paradise island of Santorini. So, when Irini receives news that Bridget has been injured at a dig and is in a coma, she knows it is finally time to return to the island of her birth.

Reading through her mother’s notes at her bedside, Irini starts to realise how little she knows about Bridget’s life. Now, driven by rumours that her mother’s injury was no accident, Irini must uncover the dark secrets behind her family’s separation.

Will she discover the truth about her parents and her past before it is too late?

The story flips between the past and the present day as Irini pieces together her mothers past. One for the suitcase – whether real or imaginary. You’ll feel you’re in Greece as soon as you start reading.

 

 

The Woman in the Photograph Stephanie Butland

The Woman in the Photograph by Stephanie Butland

It’s 1968 and Veronica Moon is a junior photographer on a local paper in an Essex. She never gets good assignments, and no one takes her seriously. And then she visits the picket line at Dagenham Ford Factory and her life is changed forever.

At the front line of the fight for equal pay for women workers she meets Leonie – a privileged, angry activist, ahead of her time and prepared to fight for equality with everything she has. Veronica has never met anyone quite like her. She breaks off her engagement and moves to London with Leonie to begin a game-changing career and an intoxicating friendship.
Fifty years later and Leonie is gone. Veronica is a recluse with a crippling degenerative disease. For a while she was heralded as a pioneer, leading the charge for women everywhere. But her career was shockingly and abruptly ended by one of the most famous photographs of the twentieth century. It is a photograph that she took.
Now, as that controversial picture hangs as the centrepiece of a new feminist exhibition curated by Leonie’s niece, long-repressed memories of Veronica’s extraordinary life and tumultuous, passionate and – at times toxic – friendship begin to stir. It’s time to break her silence and step back into the light.

And she will no longer hide from the truth about that dark time.

Beautifully written, it draws you into the period from the first page. Such evocative writing and careful attention to detail really brought the 1970s to life.

Wilde Women by Louise Pentland

Robin Wilde is crazy busy with her exciting job and her lovely new man. She’s parenting with flair, and she’s feeling better after the heartbreak of last year. But with so little time to herself, and best friend Lacey’s increasing struggle with post-natal depression, the cracks are beginning to show. Cue a team trip to New York. It might just be the tonic Robin, Lacey, Auntie Kath, Edward and even Piper need.

Will the city that never sleeps make them or break them …

The latest adventures of Robin Wilde is sure to be a hit with Louise Pentland’s many fans. Witty, fun, and full of warmth that will leave you with the feel good factor.

The Women of Primrose Square by Claudia Carroll

Claudia Carroll takes us back to Primrose Square with a new set of characters.

When Frank Woods at number seventy-nine Primrose Square comes home to a surprise birthday party thrown by his wife and adoring children, it is his guests who get the real surprise.

Finding himself alone, he befriends the cantankerous Miss Hardcastle, who hasn’t left her home for decades, and Emily Dunne – fresh out of rehab and desperate to make amends.

As gossip spreads through Primrose Square, every relationship is tested, and nothing in this close-knit community will ever be the same again.

Full of warmth, humour and compassion. A perfectly lovely summer read.

Available from www.amazon.co.uk and www.waterstones.com

 

My Writing Process – Morton S. Gray

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I am a published writer living in Worcestershire, UK with my husband, two sons and tiny white dog, Lily. I wrote my first novel when I was fourteen. It was a swashbuckling seafaring adventure, complete with galleons, cannons and a dashing hero. The story was heavily influenced by the Errol Flynn films I used to watch with my grandmother on Sunday afternoons. I got swallowed up after that by the education and work system and didn’t write much more than reports and meeting agendas for many years.

Starting to write more seriously when I was taking a break from work due to ill health, I took lots of writing courses and began to shortlist in writing competitions. Then in 2016, I got my publishing break, I won Choc Lit Publishing’s Search for a Star competition!

I have had three books published by Choc Lit so far – The Girl on the Beach, The Truth Lies Buried and Christmas at Borteen Bay, these are all romances with a mystery to solve and set in my fictional seaside town of Borteen. I am promoting the three Borteen Bay series while I finish my next books.

I write almost everywhere I go the old-fashioned way with notebook and pen – cafés, appointments, waiting for trains. I have piles of notebooks filled with stories. I generally prefer to write away from home, as I get too distracted by things that need doing in the house and, of course, by the dog. At least writing longhand in this way, the first time I put the words onto my computer it acts like a first edit of the manuscript.

My genre is romantic suspense, but I usually get so carried away with the mystery part of the book that I have to catch up with the romance when I’m editing. I don’t plan, I just write, that way the novel writing process is enjoyable for me as I don’t know what is coming next. My novels appear to naturally evolve. I read a book called Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (the same person who wrote Eat, Pray, Love) and in it she talks about ideas and stories floating in the ether waiting to download to a receptive person and this is truly how it feels when I’m working.

I love writing, but with a teenager doing exams, a dependent mother, a husband who works abroad and a demanding dog, I often struggle to find time to myself (hence the haunting of coffee shops!). Nothing can compare to the feeling I get when the words are flowing and I get very twitchy if I haven’t had space to write.

For aspiring writers I think the most important thing is to write a story that sings to you, because that will allow you to write a story that sings to your readers too.

 

Biography for Morton S. Gray

Morton lives with her husband, two sons and Lily, the tiny white dog, in Worcestershire, U.K. She has been reading and writing fiction for as long as she can remember, penning her first attempt at a novel aged fourteen. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and The Society of Authors.

Her debut novel The Girl on the Beach was published after she won the Choc Lit Publishing Search for a Star competition. This story follows a woman with a troubled past as she tries to unravel the mystery surrounding her son’s new headteacher, Harry Dixon. The book is available as a paperback and e-book.

Morton’s second book for Choc Lit The Truth Lies Buried is another romantic suspense novel, The book tells the story of Jenny Simpson and Carver Rodgers as they uncover secrets from their past. This book is available as an e-book, paperback and audiobook.

Christmas at Borteen Bay is Morton’s first Christmas novella. It is set in her fictional seaside town of Borteen and follows the story of Pippa Freeman, who runs the Rose Court Guesthouse with her mother, and local policeman Ethan Gibson, as they unravel a family secret as Christmas approaches.

You can catch up with Morton on her website www.mortonsgray.com, on

Twitter – @MortonSGray, her Facebook page – Morton S. Gray Author – https://www.facebook.com/mortonsgray/ and 

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/morton_s_gray/

Purchasing links for The Girl on the Beach at http://www.choc-lit.com/dd-product/the-girl-on-the-beach/

Purchasing links for The Truth Lies Buried at http://www.choc-lit.com/dd-product/the-truth-lies-buried/

Purchasing links for Christmas in Borteen Bay at https://www.choc-lit.com/dd-product/christmas-at-borteen-bay/

Scentered Essential Oils – Simply Heaven – by Dr Kathleen Thompson

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I love Scentered.  If you  want to treat your body as the temple it should be, (in between the odd aperol spritz and naughty desert that is) then I would strongly recommend these lovely aromatherapy balms and candles.

Essential oils have been extracted from aromatic plants and used medicinally since ancient times, and for good reason and Scentered prides itself on high quality.  Their balms are blended moringa and shea butters, infused with essential oils, in a handy twist-up container. They are 100% natural, so no nasties such as parabens, artificial fragrances or colours.

The first thing you’ll notice when you open the packet is the amazing smell. And the second, and third thing you’ll notice is the amazing smell – nothing more, nothing less.

This set of five balms is a real treat – ‘Be Happy’, ‘De-stress’, ‘Focus’, ‘Escape’ and ‘Sleep well’ – the names speak for themselves.

You can rub the balm onto pressure points as you dash out, or you can take time, lie down and relax, apply the balm of your choice, then take some deep breaths and send yourself to another place and time, just for a few minutes in your busy day – or longer if you really want to feel the benefit.

 

 

Personally I suffered from terrible jetlag – it’s been the bain of my working life, and my holiday-time too.  There’s nothing worse than staring at a hotel ceiling, conscious that the few hours before that important meeting are ebbing away, and yet no amount of counting sheep is doing the trick. So I was delighted to spot the Sleep Well and Focus travel pack. It contains a 5 g stick of each of these two balms – to help you get off to sleep, and then to focus at that meeting – and the pack is small enough to slot into your hand luggage.

There are more suggestions on how to use these products on the Scentered website, where their lovely balm sticks, and beautiful scented candles can be purchased.

Go on – treat yourself, you deserve it.

 

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.

Teeth are a nuisance: miserable when they are coming, and when they are going, so my mum said. Baby To Love teethers seem to work wonders.

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Well, when they’re coming, anyway. Not sure I’ve seen any senior citizens lining up to buy these for themselves, but, YES, they buy them for their grandchildren, as I have done.

Baby To Love sooth those tired, teething gums with an ultimate must have collection of teething accessories. That provide a much needed distraction to help avoid those inevitable teething tantrums.

Leo The Snail (Green or Pink) is available to buy online for £11.95 from BabyToLove.

Both a rattle and a teether toy, Leo The Snail’s original spiral shape in a flexible, soft silicone makes it easy for little hands to hold. Leo the Snail will certainly become one of your baby’s favourite toys as it’s two jingles and feelers are made to imitate pacifiers, which provides even more of a pleasant chewing experience for your baby. Not to mention, Leo is fitted with two rattles inside his little shell for additional play value, tackling those teething troubles at the same time.

The Hugging Monkey Teether Toy (Green, Yellow, Blue or Pink) is available to buy online for £9.95 from BabyToLove.

Super soft on sore gums and budding teeth, this adorable Hugging Monkey Teether Toy in an extra-soft silicone. A fantastic resource of manipulation, thanks to its long arms which can be transformed into a multitude of different shapes. Giving baby many play options to relieve teething pain, this cute hugging monkey is both super fun to chew and play with, what’s more it also becomes a hugging companion for your little one’s bottles, perfect for busy parents on the go, in the car, at the park, shopping or anywhere else for that matter.

Bonnie The Octopus Teether, (Purple, Yellow, Blue or Pink) is available to buy online for £13.95 from BabyToLove.

Bonnie the Octopus is the perfect teether toy to sooth teething discomfort that can even reach the back teeth. This adorable little octopus is both pleasant to chew and play with thanks to its eight tentacles and four different textures, brushes on the one side and bumps on the other. Not to mention a slotted hat and smooth body which covers the different needs that your child has, according to his or her age. The 3D hollow body makes it light enough to hold, thanks to it’s smart design this teether won’t slide out of your baby’s mouth like all the others do.

For over 10 years, specialising in creation of original, innovative and trend led baby products provide a helpful hand throughout every moment of your baby’s life look no further than BabyToLove. Designed and developed in France BabyToLove are committed to the quality and safety of their products, to achieve only the best results.

My youngest grandchild has found these invaluable, as have her parents. P-E-A-C-E…

 

https://shop.babytolove.com