Health Notes: Sarah's Victoria Health favourites
I’m trying to remember a time before Victoria Health – VH as it’s very fondly known to its millions of devotees. When we didn’t have a pharmacist cum boffin (Shabir Daya) to tell us the best supplement for practically any concern, having read all the research and interpreted it in the context of decades of practical experience. When I was at the Mail on Sunday YOU magazine, readers regularly wrote in to tell me of the invaluable advice they’d received. And always the amazing service in every way, down to Shabir’s co-founder Gill Sinclair, who also sleuths out the best beauty products worldwide.
So, take it from me (well, us as Team BB and our families are all endlessly grateful for information and support from VH): Victoria Health is simply the best. We can’t recommend them highly enough.
These are the everyday products that come top of my list at the moment:
Mega Probiotic ND/£22 for 60 capsules. My daily must as I’ve always had a dodgy gut after a work trip to India about 30 years ago when I was given a peeled mango at a dinner. That led to a year of illness and fatigue and left me with a lifelong vulnerability to digestive problems. This contains eight probiotic strains to help balance the bacteria in the digestive tract. I still have to be careful about resting properly (particularly if I’ve been unwell) and avoid too many sugary and gluten-containing foods, but this has helped greatly.
Neuro-Mag/£32 for 90 capsules. Unlike Jo, my bones are pretty strong but I take this form of magnesium (L-Threonate) for my brain rather than bones. I take three capsules every night (I learnt years ago that this is the best time to take mineral supplements) to help calm my mind. If I have a stressful day, I pop another couple. Magnesium may also help avert restless legs and cramps, both of which used to affect me. According to Shabir, it’s very hard to maintain optimal levels of magnesium in the brain, especially as you get older – and magnesium deficiency (which is very common at all ages) increases with the passing years.
Terranova Life Drink/£30.10 for 227g. Shabir recommends this as a general energy boost when everything’s flagging. (As it is now, with a chest infection and just coming out of a shed load of work with Awards and the rest!) A scoop full of the sage-green powder in full fat yoghurt (or have it as a smoothie) at breakfast is not the most delish thing ever but golly it works and I’m addicted to it now because of the effects in terms of energy and stamina. It’s basically busting with every nutrient you can possibly imagine; Shabir describes it as ‘a staggering array of naturally-occurring phytonutrients, micronutrients, balanced protein, enzymes, probiotics, essential fatty acids, fibre and much more’.
BetterYou D3000 Vitamin D Oral Spray/£9.45 for 15ml (100 measured doses). The simplest and very reliable way to absorb vitamin D is to spray it under your tongue. My husband – originally a sceptic about supplements – now has his own supply of this ‘sunshine vitamin’ having finally accepted that all the research is true. Vitamin D3 is involved in most of our body functions from bones, teeth and immune system to mood. The British Government now accepts that most of us could benefit from a supplement as few people have optimal levels, particularly during the winter when sunlight is in such short supply. There’s a children’s version of this supplement for those under 13.
Natucain Lash Serum/£59. A couple of years ago I’d resigned myself to my formerly luscious lashes looking thin, short and weedy. Now they are healthy, thick and while not quite the Jersey cow length they were in my/their heyday, they are healthy looking and I am very happy. That’s due to diligent application (twice a day without fail for the first three months, now once daily) of this all-natural lash serum. I’ve written about the whole story here but briefly I’ve been fighting for many years against the hormone-based serums available over the counter because, while they do work, they can also have potentially damaging side effects (most eye experts worldwide feel the same). But until biochemist Dr. Stephanie Seyda developed this product, there was no effective natural alternative. This is an investment to start with, but it lasts for months and months. And, providing you follow the directions, I found it really, truly works.
