Your mission this Christmas...

I’ve been hanging silver baubles on the tree, dusting mince pies with icing sugar, soaking dried fruits in marsala … and cursing when the sticky tape sticks to itself instead of the wrapping paper I’m using for my Christmas presents.

Yes – it’s that time of year again. 

And I love it. 

Love looking at the Nativity pictures on my grandchildren’s school website. 

Love listening to choirs singing Once in Royal David’s City (The Pogue’s in New York, not so much).

But I’m also thinking about those who find Christmas so much more of a struggle.

Who, this year, are in too much pain to bake or decorate or fill stockings.

The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society says, for example, that there are 690,000 people in the UK coping with RA this Christmas.

And in order to raise awareness of the need for improved management of the disease they are calling for more recruits to their Remission Mission.  

They say: “It’s really easy to join – simply take a photograph of yourself, upload it to the photo wall using the upload button and tell us what remission means to you by following the instructions.

The photo wall is open to everyone with RA, family members and friends, regardless of age.”

Sounds like a lovely idea. Happy snapping – Happy Christmas. 

Hangovers past and present

Snoring

Sad to say the asonor was not a success. But I did find out a possible reason why. I am the wrong kind of snorer.

The British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea website has an online sleep test which helps people work out what kind of snorer they are - it appears I am a multifactoral snorer.

So before you invest in any kind of anti-snoring aid, I’d suggest you visit this site and take the test.

Psoriasis

My guinea pig failed to report back, so I am none the wiser. However, I was reasonably impressed with the before and after pix the pr sent of a case study, so I guess if you can afford to try this, it might be worth a go.

Finally … I’ve been sent two products to check out: one aimed at fitness fans, the other at party animals. (I’ll let you guess which category I might fall into).

Blood pressure/endurance

BEET IT Sport Pro-Elite bar www.beet-it.com contains oats and 400mg of ‘natural dietary nitrate, the equivalent of 400ml beetroot juice.’

It is being marketed as a sport nutrition product because research shows that nitrate ‘interacts with enzymes in alive to boost nitric oxide levels in the blood. This natural vasodilator increases blood flow and oxygen supply to muscles with a beneficial impact on strength and endurance.’

I can’t vouch for that – but I do that know drinking beetroot juice every day can lower your blood pressure. I did it. The only trouble was, I soon began to detest the taste.

It’s possible the BEET IT bars would have the same effect. They certainly taste nicer than a glass of  beetroot juice. (You can get them at Holland and Barret rrp £1.85 a bar). 

Hangovers 

O.R.S Hydration Tablets contain a formula of electrolytes, glucose and minerals which, when dissolved in water, help to rehydrate you if you’ve been ill or are have a hangover. (That thumping headache is a sign of dehydration.)

The tablets come in three flavours – lemon, blackcurrant and strawberry – and cost £4.99 for a tube of 12 or £6.99 for 24.

So far, I haven’t had an opportunity to try them out – but there are a few Christmas parties on the calendar so maybe …

ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz (if only)

OK – I snore. So does my husband. It’s sometimes so bad one or other of us decamps to the spare room. I know I should lose weight and drink less red wine in the evening. But until I manage to do both, will Asonor help?

ASONOR

Claim:

The first ever clinically proven nasal spray for the relief of snoring … provides relief in 75 per cent of cases, offering snorers (and their partners) a better night’s sleep.

How it works:

It lubricates and softens the mucus membranes in the throat while also tightening its musculature.

Price:

RRP £14.75 available online from www.scrubsuk.com and Boots.

I don’t get psoriasis – but two members of the family do. It is unpleasant and demoralising. They will try anything that might make a difference. Will Dermalex? I’ll keep you posted.

DERMALEX REPAIR – Scalp Psoriasis

Claim:

A new non-greasy, steroid and coal-tar free gel for mild to moderate scalp psoriasis. In clinical studies … it has been proven to reduce scalp itching from the first week, and has shown a reduction in scaling from two week.

How it works:

The topical barrier repair gel normalises skin cell production and facilitates the skin’s own repair mechanism. It fortifies the skin’s barrier by creating a protective shield and preventing water loss and soothes symptoms such as scaling, itching, dandruff-like flaking and redness.

Price:

RRP £18.99 and available, for example, from www.lloydspharmacy.com and Amazon. 

Oh, I wish I'd looked after my teeth

I was never as negligent as the person in the Pam Ayres poem but, even so, my gnashers have always been trouble.

They have been filled, refilled, and extracted. I’ve had crowns, a bridge and an implant, and before my daughter’s wedding I spent many sleepless nights trying to adjust to the gumshields full of an expensive whitener that I hoped would neutralise the effect of the red wine and coffee I’d been drinking so recklessly over the years.

It worked – but only temporarily. So I was keen to try Rapid White’s Instant Whitening Toothpaste. Launched last month and available in Boots it claims to leave teeth up to one and half shades whiter after just one brushing.

Apparently: “The brightening formula with new ‘optical brightening technology’ (no, I don’t know why this is in quotes either) absorbs light and increases the amount of blue light reflected from the teeth, eliminating yellow hues to give you a brighter smile without damaging tooth enamel.”

I brushed optimistically but afterwards I couldn’t see a difference at all – I even took before and after selfies to show you but decided not to publish pictures of my teeth on the grounds that they are too scary.

I will carry on using the toothpaste until it’s finished but at £7.99 a tube (or £5.99 if it’s on special offer) I don’t think I’ll be buying another one!

A little bit of froth

Dualit is one of those brands I think we should all support: iconic designs and – as importantly – stuff that’s made right here in Britain. The company has just announced that they are launching a special pink edition of their classic toaster in October which is, as I’m sure lots of you know, breast cancer awareness month.

Having had my own brush with breast cancer some years ago I don’t really need a special month to make me aware of it, but tie-ins like this are one way of raising money to support various worthy charities. In this case, a charity called the Haven – which has centres in London, Leeds and Hereford providing a wide range of therapies to complement the medical care patients get from the NHS – will get a £20 donation for each toaster sold.

Meanwhile my other half is discovering his inner barista playing with our latest kitchen gadget – Dualit’s milk frother. 

Maybe the novelty will wear off, but until then I am enjoying my cappuccinos and next time the littlies are here he will be able to magic up babyccinos to amuse them. Who needs Harris and Hoole?

Eye, eye

When did you last have your eyes tested? 

I only ask because I learned last week that having a digital retinal photograph taken could alert you to a range of health problems including diabetes.

Many of us, it seems, overlook some of symptoms of this condition – extreme tiredness or getting up to go to the loo in the night, for example – because we assume this just happens as we get older.

Indeed, according to a survey commissioned by ShARP (the Simplyhealth Advisory Research Panel) almost half of those questioned were already displaying one or more warning signs. Yet 53 per cent had convinced themselves that they were at no risk of developing Type 2 diabetes at all!

So why might a retinal scan be useful? Diabetes can damage the retina – the light-sensitive layer of cells at the back of the eye. The damage occurs because a continuously high blood sugar level can cause the tiny blood vessels that supply the retina to become blocked or leak.

And if the blood vessels in your eyes are affected then so, too will the blood vessels be elsewhere in your body – in your kidneys, for example.

My eyes turned out to be fine. Time you checked yours? http://www.mylocaloptician.co.uk/subcontent.asp?id=1&subid=108

Grow your own

Edible flowers always seem like a lovely idea - so I was pleased when I was given a grow your own kit for my birthday. But how successful would I be?

Not very, it seemed back in May - leggy cornflowers

But look at the marigolds and nasturtiums now!