FutureYou Super Vitamin D with K2+

RRP: £19 for a 28-day supply

--What does the promo say?--
"Super Vitamin D with K2+ combines 25µg (micrograms) of vitamin D with 180 µg of vitamin K2 in the form of menaquinone-7 (MK-7).

The body produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, hence why it is regularly referred to as the sunshine vitamin.

Vitamin D contributes to musculoskeletal health. It allows calcium and phosphorus to be absorbed normally, contributes to the maintenance of normal bones, and plays a role in the maintenance of normal teeth. It also contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system, maintenance of normal muscle function and contributes to normal blood calcium levels.

Vitamin K2 works together with vitamin D3 to mobilise calcium from the blood vessels into the bones, maintaining bone health. Vitamin K2 is found in particularly high concentrations in fermented foods. These include sauerkraut, hard cheese and natto, a traditional Japanese dish made with fermented soybeans.

The vitamin K2 included in Super Vitamin D with K2+ has been the subject of 19 research studies, highlighting the importance of vitamin K2 in bone and cardiovascular health."

--Packaging--

The yoga pose on the outer cardboard box evokes both relaxation and strength, and as such, good health. 

The capsules come in traditional plastic and foil blister packaging, and the foil is clearly labelled with days of the week to help you remember to take the capsules regularly.

--Usage--

Take one capsule per day, swallowing it whole with liquid. I usually take mine at the start of the day with breakfast.

--Appearance--

The capsules are an off-white colour, leaving no visible residue in the mouth.

--Scent--

Nothing discernible.

--Texture and consistency--

The capsule coating is thin and smooth enough so as to not be difficult to swallow, while not melting too quickly in the mouth.

--Effects--

While most of the benefits of vitamin K2 are not immediately visible (such as its positive impact on heart health and bone density), it's also starting to be hailed as a beauty supplement due to its healing properties. As a result, my habitually acneic skin definitely seemed clearer while I took this supplement, with the vitamin healing existing spots more quickly and preventing new ones from appearing. Skin also seemed less red and more 'glowing' - so I was definitely impressed by my 28-day supply (sent to me by FutureYou - thank you!).

It's also posited that K2 has anti-ageing properties, although of course the irony is that if this is working in this way, then nothing will happen - so in the short term, I won't be able to tell if it's really doing this.

--Value for money--

At 67p a day, it's up to you if you think this is worth it. For me, it is. The cost also goes down when you subscribe and save (£15 a month, or 53p a day) - arguably a small price to pay for both the internal and external benefits of vitamin K2.

www.futureyouhealth.com

Dincwear Women's Muscle Back Sweat Top

RRP: £37
sizes available: S, M, L

--What does the promo say?--
"Muscle back sweat top featuring a contrast drawstring hood, marl finish, front kangaroo pocket and fitted hem line with embroidered logo detail. 79% Viscose 10% Poly 7% Angora 4% Elastane."

--Appearance--
Dincwear's promise to combine dance, fitness and fashion seems to have been achieved in this high-quality item. The hood is great for warmth (or just shutting out the world) and the front pocket is both cosy and practical. As you can choose grey or black, the top's neutral colour goes with any bottoms that you care to wear. However, as the arm holes are rather large (which is not visible in the Dincwear website pictures) you WILL need a basic tank top or similar to wear underneath it. Again, as the top's colours are neutral, you can wear any colour. Dincwear would therefore do well to expand their range of crop tops and such in order to capitalise on this.

--Texture and comfort--
Again, this top seems to combine luxury and practicality. The inclusion of angora in the top's composition means it is supremely comfortable, which is helped by the 4% elastane (which adds stretch). Equally, the viscose and polyester are practical fabrics: viscose is structurally similar to cotton, and so allows breathability, while polyester is durable and provides insulation. As polyester does not absorb water (read: sweat), but viscose does, your clothing also doesn't get too soaked while you exercise!

--Practicality--
Washes well, and doesn't wrinkle easily when it's just been shoved in your wardrobe after a gym session.

--Value for money--
At £37, this is not a cheap exercise top, but is comparable in both price and style to tops sold by direct competitors, such as Pineapple Studios. However, its fashionable appearance and practicality mean it will be desirable for many. Having only had mine a month or so (thanks, Dincwear PR!) I can't yet comment on its longevity, but definitely will keep wearing it to the gym to find out.

perfect partners
Paneled Mesh Crop Top, £26
Paneled Mesh Body Suit, £37
2-in-1 Harem Jumpsuit, £43

Beauty Website Review: Instant Body Upgrade

With Christmas fading into a distant memory and summer holidays on the approach, thoughts often turn in January to the spare tyre sitting around our waists. How to shift it?! The problem with many diets or gyms is that we don't receive enough guidance and can easily fall off the bandwagon.

Donna Richards and Tora Cullip, health coaches, aim to provide an alternative through the Instant Body Upgrade programme, which is available for a one-off payment of £97. This payment gives access to the Instant Body Upgrade website, which supplies a host of resources and support from Donna and Tora themselves to help you get the body and confidence that you want. 

So what do you get for your £97? The three-pronged approach dealing with your mindset, metabolism and motivation is dealt with mainly through videos where Donna and Tora can talk directly to you and share their expertise. This allows you to see that their bodies really do look like the photos (!) and allows them to reassure you in a largely non-patronising way through their friendly hints, advice and tips. Inspiring fact sheets are also available for download, as are recipes to get your eating on track, and progress sheets to track your fitness and inch loss. Exercise videos, and Donna and Tora's responses to user comments, are equally valuable.

The nicest part about this programme is that it's got no gimmicks or fads attached. This is good simple healthy eating and exercise, packaged in a way that suits busy women and supported by Donna and Tora themselves. The diversity of resources available, presented using clear straightforward language, is another plus.

This is not to say that there are no possibilities for improvement. Firstly, as this is supposed to be a long-term lifestyle change, there need to be far more recipes available (rather than only a short ebook's worth). This could be easily achieved through having a recipe space available for users to upload their healthy finds and discuss recipes after trying them. Speaking of this kind of collaborative space, a forum page would be equally useful, allowing users to not only comment on individual pages but also interact with each other much more closely. However, as the Instant Body Upgrade site is merely a glorified Wordpress page, Donna and Tora would need to upgrade their website significantly to make this possible. Equally, a 'MyPlate' facility similar to that on LiveStrong would enable users to track their food intake in more detail, which is also important to a programme of this type.

Nevertheless, despite these suggested improvements and the fact that a 'body upgrade' can never be 'instant', access to this website is still worth the £97 price tag. It costs little more than a 3-month gym membership and has the added bonuses of free recipes and motivational support from professional coaches. The modifications mentioned above would make it even better value - but even as it is, it will see you well on your way to having something closer to the body you want by the time you have to hit the beach.

*Bianca's Beauty Blog was offered free website access by Donna and Tora.

Taking in your skin

SPONSORED CONTENT

I hate exercise and have been through all of the excuses under the sun so as to get myself out of it. It's too hot out. Too cold out. I hate getting sweaty. The sofa is so comfortable and gym membership costs so much.

my gym

And yet I know exercise is so important - not just for our health but, on a more shallow level, our beauty and wellbeing too. Regular exercise has been proven to tone our bodies, help us lose weight, improve our skin condition, ease stress, make your hair healthier, create more collagen to stop wrinkles in their tracks, ameliorate sleep patterns and reduce bloating. But with autumn and winter just around the corner, the motivation to get outside and go for a run is bound to diminish. 

It was the motivation to exercise ALL year round - not just on days where it was sunny enough to go and chase some squirrels around my local park - that motivated me to join a gym in January (well, that and the post-Christmas flab). But unlike many January sign-ups, I've kept going to the gym and now go at least 3 or 4 times a week. It is expensive - but that encourages me to keep going to get the most for my money.

Happily, though, you have more choice in the UK than I do here in France: British gym memberships aren't held to the same restrictions and tend to be much cheaper. Britain is also better at special offers: Vibro Suite, for instance, is currently running a competition via its website to win four months' worth of free gym membership to celebrate its fourth birthday. Besides the contest, it also offers a free personal training session, and, throughout September, has waived all of the administrative fees usually associated with joining a gym. Plus, whenever you buy three personal training, beauty or sports therapy sessions, you'll get a fourth one for free, which adds further value. Additionally, if you're in charge of these sorts of benefits where you work, Vibro Suite runs special corporate deals whereby they'll waive the gym's administrative sign-up fees for your employees, reduce monthly membership fees, or even offer free membership depending on the deal you strike with them.

With September being the back-to-school season, it often feels like the beginning of a new year for many, meaning that it can be a good time to readjust your habits and change your lifestyle. There are good deals everywhere, so there's little excuse: MyGymCompare lets you compare prices for all of the gyms in your area, and the £30 deal they came up with for me (nearest my parents' house) looks a darn sight better than the going rate of €47 a month (that's £40 at today's exchange rate) that I pay in France. Just as good is comparison search engine The Gym Website, which got me a deal of £35 a month for a gym within walking distance. Even better are some of the deals on Groupon - such as a one-off payment of £10 for two months' access to Zumba classes.

So get yourself moving, and you could be taking in the sight of your new skin, hair and body in no time at all - which is much better than having to take in your clothes.

Nailner Repair Spray

 RRP: £21.99 for 8ml
 
--What does the promo say?--

"Nail fungus is a common and irritating problem that can cause discomfort and embarrassment. There is now an easy solution: New! Nailner Repair Spray - a nail protecting innovation. Its unique, patented carrier system allows the ingredients to saturate the nail and combat the fungus at its core by changing the nail's environment to the disadvantage of the fungus. Improvements are visible in just a matter of weeks! Clinically tested, Nailner Repair Spray is an innovative and new over-the-counter product. The ingredients have been shown to help treat nail fungus by protecting the newly grown nail from getting infected. The handy spray allows an easy and quick application. Each spray contains approximately 100 single applications. Say Goodbye to Nail Fungus!"

--Packaging--

The white and teal-coloured spray bottle is small, neat and functional. Would slip easily into an overnight bag for trips away and takes up little space in the bathroom. However, the spray function itself doesn't always work well: sometimes it sprays perfectly over the whole nail, while at other times the liquid dribbles down the side of the spray canister.

--Application--

As mentioned above, how easy spraying the affected nails is can vary. However, it's not usually too difficult to get the liquid to come into contact with the nails - even if you have to run your finger down the side of the canister and smear it onto the nail yourself. Integrating the twice-daily required spray into your routine is also not difficult - spray it on before your deodorant, or before brushing your teeth, so that it has time to dry (not that this takes long - especially compared to treatment nail polishes designed to have the same effect). You also don't need to eschew nail varnish for it to work - it's contact with the nail bed, not contact with the nail itself, that's important.

--Appearance--

A completely clear watery liquid that dried invisibly on the nail. 

--Scent--

The essential oils included in the spray are detectable but not overwhelming. However, they're clearly natural, which makes a change from chemical-smelling products.

--Effects--

I'd been having problems with a nail on my right foot for at least 18 months, whereby even treatments prescribed by the supposedly top French medical system had not worked. THIS WORKED. Thank the Lord :)  I'll now be using it on my big toe, which has just started to develop a problem on the same foot, to try to nip things in the bud immediately.

--Value for money--

I was surprised by the £21.99 price tag - but when my free tube from Nailner runs out, I would happily spend my own pennies on this. Boots also have a buy-one-get-one-half-price offer on at present, meaning that two tubes would cost you £33 rather than £44 at the moment. A tube lasts AGES as well, so I would definitely recommend it - it's the only product I've tried that works.

perfect partners

Nailner Repair Pen, £20.75 

Nailner Repair Brush, £20.75

Helpful Herbs for Health and Beauty (Barbara Griggs)

--The blurb--

"Herbs have a myriad of uses, and not just for cooking. Herbs are also incredibly useful for healing the minor medical miseries of life (and some of the major ones too) and in many cases, they are more effective than the pharmaceutical alternative.  Nothing zaps a sore throat faster than Propolis, sorts out a painful gum infection more efficiently than a shot of Marigold or takes the sting out of sunburn better than Aloe Vera.  For as long as people have been able to pick berries and forage for food, herbs have been used for medicinal purposes. There is even evidence to suggest that Neanderthal Man knew about and used herbs. Country people the world over have always relied on them, especially when no other doctoring was available.  And you don't need to be a trained herbalist to be able to use them. It’s simple. All that is needed is information, inspiration and a little savvy and that’s where Helpful herbs for health and beauty comes in! Discover the many medical uses of nature's bounty, and also find out the canny natural beauty tricks that really work."

--The review-- 

Homeopathy and herbal remedy garners a range of different views, from those who dismiss it all as sheer quackery to those who shun traditional medicine in its favour. Barbara Griggs, the author of Helpful Herbs for Health and Beauty, does not quite fall into this latter category, but offers us so many solutions for everyday illnesses and injuries that don't involve talking to someone in a white coat that it's hard to not sit up and listen.

Sensible and realistic, Helpful Herbs serves as a Bible for all ages and ailments, as well as seeming to cover every eventuality. Its many short chapters are easy and readable to consult, although the 'how did it go?' section is awkwardly named. It presents a good combination of familiar and new ideas, enabling readers to already feel slightly expert while learning new things.

Some of the recommended herbs are repeated often, but this is hardly Griggs' fault, as many of them have multiple uses, and this won't be so obvious if you are using the book encyclopaedically, rather than reading it chronologically. Some information is also covered less well, with more expansion being required: how are novice readers supposed to know, for instance, how often to use the greasy hair remedy, or whether to use this in place of shampoo or in addition to it, or what a 'reliable' brand of herb is? While it's refreshing to not see an author name-dropping, a little more guidance in this area would have been appreciated.

Nonetheless, the author is extremely informative and authoritative without being patronising, and gives plenty of useful information on incompatibilities between different herbs, as well as regularly advising readers to consult qualified herbalists if unsure and to continue to see traditional doctors for more serious illnesses. Griggs' advice is backed up with plenty of statistics and published research, and her own long publishing history is equally reassuring. At times contradictions are present: for instance, valerian is not to be used if the patient is depressed, but at the same time, it can be used to help sleeplessness caused by anxiety. The author indicates that she is aware of these contradictions, however (and there are not many of them in any case). There are also one or two omissions: chicory (which can help to treat sinus problems and gastroenteritis), for instance, is a commonly-used substitute for coffee, and while herbal tea is talked about a lot, no mention is made of this. A chart at the end of the book of ailments and solutions would have also been greatly prized, although the bibliography, suppliers list and list of herbalists is excellent.

Helpful Herbs is in the end an honest guide: magic is not promised, and caution is urged. There is plenty of food for thought here - far more than the "52 brilliant ideas" promised by the book series name. It utilises an international approach, with tips taken from around the world, and covers health, beauty and well-being, thus making it truly all-encompassing. Highly recommended.

other works by Barbara Griggs

Baby's Cook Book (1979)

Home Herbal: A Handbook of Simple Remedies (1983)

The Food Factor (1986) 

Superfoods (1990; with Michael van Straten)

The Superfoods Diet Book (1994; with von Straten, Mason, and David)

Green Pharmacy: The History and Evolution of Western Herbal Medicine (1997)

The Complete Woman's Herbal (1999; with Anne McIntyre)

The Green Witch: A Modern Woman's Herbal (2000)

Superfoods for Children (2001; with Michael van Straten)

Superfoods Super Fast (2006; with Michael von Straten)

(cross-posted to Bianca's Book Blog)

Anti-age with your whole body

 SPONSORED CONTENT

It's fairly well-known that when it comes to anti-ageing prevention is better than cure, and there are many approaches we can take on a day-to-day basis to combat the ravages of time, all of which are basic and fairly well-documented: drink lots of water, exercise, moisturise, eat well, use sunscreen, don't smoke...

Given all of that, it's all very well for us young 'uns to be virtuous and say we'd never go under the knife. But how are we to know until we get there? One of my neighbours looks great in her late 50s/early 60s, but I wouldn't have known she'd had fillers if a little birdy hadn't told me (which just proves that cosmetic surgery doesn't have to make you look like you've been the wrong way through a vacuum). I know other ladies of a similar age who are considering treatments, and one of my colleagues in her early sixties certainly looks amazing after a few procedures (and you can tell these have been well done, for it took me a while to work it out, and she definitely doesn't wear a permanent expression of surprise on her face either).

And ladies considering plastic surgery are spoilt for choice. As well as the famous Botox, there are several other options, such as the more invasive nose job or facelift, fillers, or blepharoplasty (that's eyelid surgery to you and me). But what about more 'natural' options? After all, Botox is the most acutely toxic substance known to man, and some medical professionals have already responded to this concern through treatments such as Evolence, which uses pig collagen due to it being the closest possible to human collagen. 

But now there's a new kid on the block (well...kind of...it has been around since 1975, after all, which is longer than even I have been *cough*). Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy, or PRP, has also picked up a few more gruesome names in the mass media, such as 'Dracula therapy' or 'the vampire facelift'. However, all it does is take Evolence's idea a step further: instead of using pig collagen to plump up faces and reduce the appearance of lines, your own plasma from your body is used. And this treatment isn't just for older ladies, which the St Andrews-trained founder of La Maison de l'Esthetique, Dr Vincent Wong, also recommending the treatment for those who suffer with acneic skin, or have cellulite, sun damage or scarring.

The first treatment in the world to be 100% autologous (meaning the treatment is derived from the same person who's receiving the treatment - meaning it's closer to a skin graft than a blood transfusion), it's also perhaps up there with the quickest of them - from start to finish, Dr Wong promises that this only takes one hour. He also seems to be realistic, commenting that "heavy smokers and those who drink beyond the recommended limits are less likely to benefit from the treatment" and that like with most treatments a series of sessions is needed for the best results.

So how does it work? Here comes the science. Our blood is composed of two parts: the cellular part (with red and white blood cells) and the liquid (i.e., the plasma). In plasma, platelets are found, which release several healing-associated growth factors. During the treatment, a small amount of blood is taken and then separated so that the platelet-rich plasma can be extracted. This is then mixed with a calcium solution, which acts as an activator and stimulates wound healing and collagen production when injected back into the face. 

This more natural approach to beauty and skin repair can definitely seem appealing in the face of various chemical assailants found in other treatments and off-the-shelf skincare products (did you know, for instance, that some products contain caustic soda, which is also used in the home to strip paint and clear drains? Yep.). And this promising method of using DNA to repair skin also could have even greater consequences in, for instance, the world of athletics, where it is already being used as a treatment for injury.

With 3 sessions of PRP costing £1200 at Dr Wong's flagship Harley Street clinic, this isn't a cheap option in itself, but competes well with other methods of cosmetic surgery: fillers can cost up to £750 a session, for instance, while procedures such as a facelift can run into thousands of pounds. Even though I can't see myself having cosmetic surgery - mainly due to my chronic fear of needles - who knows what the future holds? And, either way, I'm all for newer and more advanced procedures like this one which rely less on artificial stuff and more on what our own bodies can achieve.

Onça Company Beauty and Energy Supplement

RRP: £156 for a 30 day supply (60 sachets)

purchase from https://www.oncacompany.com/en/onlineshop/onca-30-day-supply.html in Euros, US $, HK $, £ sterling, Swiss francs, or Japanese yen

--What does the promo say?--

"Onça is a natural supplement, a powder of superior quality designed for beauty, energy and anti-ageing. Its essence is to give a real sense of well being. It is a very exclusive product, but not simply for the sake of elitism. Due to the very limited availability of the fruits, combined with the unique production process necessary to retain the nutrients, output is on a very limited scale. We can produce sufficient amounts to supply 3,000 people worldwide. Onça provides a complete formula with tropical botanicals, lipids (omega), amino acids, hydrolyzed collagen, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids and flavonoids as present in the fruits of the Amazon rainforest. The fruits are harvested deep in the Amazon, from the most fertile soil on Earth. None of Onça's ingredients are plantation fruits. As two drinks per day Onça gives your body what it needs. By day, it is energising, cleansing, detoxifying, creating harmony and a sense of well being. By night, Onça is supporting the bodies recovery, rebuilding health, beauty and body cells. One Onça box contains 30 activator sachets (10 grams)  to mix in your morning drink and 30 regenerator sachets (10 grams) to mix in your evening drink. For the Onça community, the feeling of well being is multi-dimensional. It is not solely about the huge benefits of Onça as a natural source of beauty and energy, it is also about a spiritual connection to the rainforest. The physical manifestation of this is our partnership with Atini, a non-profit organisation formed by Indian leaders to defend the rights of the indigenous children of the Amazon. Onça donates a percentage of all revenue to support their work and specific projects."

--Packaging--

Onça keeps things simple with white sachets, gold writing on the front (with emphasis on the brand name and on whether it's a morning or an evening sachet), and black writing on the back (only in Portuguese though!) outlining the ingredients. Brief, precise and classy-looking. 

--Usage instructions--

Dissolve one sachet in the morning and one sachet in the evening into a drink of your choice (250ml liquid). Onça recommends a milk-based or soya based drink, but as I'm not a massive fan of milk, and it's hardly hot chocolate season (probably the only way you can actually get me to drink milk), this was out. You can dissolve it into *any* drink, though, so this doesn't matter (more on this subject later). I'd recommend putting in the powder first (not last) and stirring throughout the addition of the liquid, and also throughout consumption. Hot drinks in general are also better (again, more on this later).

--Appearance--

The morning supplement did not look good at all: it was the colour of chocolate, but lacked the thickness to really convince yourself it was actually hot chocolate. Plus, no matter how well I mixed it, or into what drink, there always seemed to be more lumps/sediment than in the evening. The evening drink looked more like tomato soup due to its deep orange-red colour and proved much easier to mix for some reason (thus resulting in fewer lumps). Some of the lumps are actually camu-camu fruit, which you can eat and which are delicious. To be fair to Onça, they do mention that you can prepare the drink in a liquidiser if you don't "do" lumps, but I didn't try this.

--Scent and taste--

The morning drink was like a poor man's version of a Terry's Chocolate Orange: there was a chocolatey flavour and scent, and an orangey flavour and scent, but for some reason the flavours didn't seem to blend well together. There was also a third, yeastier flavour which may account for some of the unpleasantness I felt when drinking it. Blended with water, it was not nice. I found I was best off blending it with fruit juice or a smoothie as this seemed to make the flavours work better together.

The evening drink proved a far pleasanter experience. The unusual fruit scents of mana cubio and passionfruit fused together for an intensely citrusy, but not sour hit, of flavour, and for some reason this drink had a creamier scent and taste too. Overall it was much nicer to drink, and again it can work well in fruit juice or smoothies, but this blend was much nicer just mixed with water too.

--Texture and consistency--

As mentioned, I found the morning drink unpleasant not only because of its weird taste but also because of its gritty texture: no matter what I did I just couldn't get the lumpiness to go away and there was always a layer of sediment left at the bottom of the cup that I had to force down. The evening drink went down much more easily, with there being far fewer lumps each time. To reduce lumps, I'd recommend adding the powder to the cup first, then the liquid; stirring constantly throughout the mixing and consumption of the drink; and making the drink with hot liquid (it's possible that the heat makes the powder dissolve better). You could also try Onça's recommendation of preparing the drink in a liquidiser.

--Effects on the skin--

One of the product's main advertised benefits is smoother, plumper skin due to the increased collagen provided by the product (it's hydrolysed and is the main ingredient in the evening supplement). Firstly, you are never going to see a difference in five days' supply alone (this is the amount sent to me by Onça's press team), so on that score I can't say whether it really works or not. Secondly, the fact of touting collagen as the principal benefit suggests to me that this product is not really aimed at people my age (26) - so even if I did see benefits they would possibly not be optimal or as visible as in someone older. Many of the ingredients in the supplement are packed with vitamins (including A and B) which are supposed to improve skin health and condition generally, but again, in five days I did not notice any change in my acne, even though Onça contains lycopene, zinc and selenium - all famous acne-busting ingredients. Another thing which suggests this may not be aimed at my age range is that hydration is cited as a major skin benefit from this product  - which I am not convinced is something my oily skin requires.

--Other effects--

From the morning drink, I was supposed to notice the following effects: 

- an improvement in hearing and memory

- strengthened skin, hair, teeth and nails

- healthier and more youthful appearance

- the feeling of being happier and more relaxed

- the feeling of being energised

- ease in controlling weight

- greater hydration

- a boosted immune system

The only aspect of this that I can truly say I noticed was in terms of energy: although my medical-student sister believed this effect to be a mere placebo, I definitely felt more energised in the mornings and felt I had a greater spring in my step. The major fallout has to be in terms of the immune system part: this not only failed to prevent me from catching my sister's cold but also did not lessen its effects or duration. However, a lot of the effects listed above are also not really measurable, especially over only a 5-day course (when it is supposed to be taken for a minimum of 30 days).

The evening drink promised the following:

- strengthened skin, hair, teeth and nails

- healthier and more youthful appearance

- the feeling of being energised

- improved sleep 

- the feeling of being happier and more relaxed

- healthier eyes

- improved digestion

- pain relief

- decreased bloating

Of these, I would say that I primarily experienced pain relief (of recurring toothache due to wisdom teeth coming in - but this could also have been due to the paracetamol I was taking for my cold), and the feeling of being happier, more energised, and more relaxed. To say you instantly feel more tranquil and instantly physically better after (and even during) consumption of the evening drink is no exaggeration - but it's a temporary high, on a par to the instant stress relief you feel when eating chocolate (although unlike eating chocolate, there's no deadly sugar crash with Onça's evening remedy). I noticed no difference to my sleep, skin, hair, teeth or nails and I don't suffer with bloating or digestive problems. Other benefits would take longer than 5 days to see.

--Value for money--

At £156 for a month's supply this definitely needs serious consideration for most of us. If it's that or the gym membership, I'd say you'd get more from the gym membership. However, when you break down the cost, it comes out at around £5 a day - which is probably what many people spend on unhealthy snacks and chain-store coffee a day, as well as possibly other habits like cigarette-smoking, magazines, or lottery tickets. In this case, I would choose the Onça as it will do far more for you than these other everyday 'luxuries'. In my ideal world, though, I'd like to see Onça offer an option where you could choose the morning OR the evening supplements (or both, of course!) as different people will react differently to each of the drinks, and while others may find they benefit hugely from both, I personally was happiest with just the evening drink: it instantly destresses and makes you feel physically better in yourself. If Onça were to offer the evening drink separately (say, at £75-£80 a month - which is what some people spend on their mobile phone bill each month), I would definitely take them up on it.

Beauty Byte: Ex-Smokers Are Unstoppable

SPONSORED CONTENT

Viral video by ebuzzing

The Ex-Smokers Are Unstoppable campaign aims to emphasize the life-changing benefits of giving up smoking. The campaign wants to encourage and assist people to quit, moving towards a smoke-free Europe. There are also more personal benefits to giving up smoking: not only having more of life to enjoy with loved ones, and more money in your pocket, but also better skin and teeth, and the ability to kiss goodbye to the constant smell of cigarettes on your hair and clothes.

Tobacco is the single largest cause of avoidable death in the EU. The Ex-Smokers Are Unstoppable campaign aims to emphasise the life-changing benefits of giving up smoking. The campaign wants to encourage and assist people to quit with the help of iCoach, a free online health coach, hoping to ensure that up-and-coming generations live long and healthy lives in a smoke-free Europe.

Ex-Smokers Are Unstoppable is a three-year awareness raising campaign promoted by the European Commission. The campaign provides smokers with motivation to quit and - very importantly - with practical assistance at www.exsmokers.eu. The campaign highlights ex-smokers as inspiring individuals and role models who encourage current smokers to quit. The site is free to use, and more tha 30% of people who start the program quit smoking. It adapts to your needs, time and goals, and enables you to speak to people like you, meaning you get support from a dedicated community.

For more information on the campaign please visit:

http://www.stopsmokingcoach.eu/home.ashx?lang=en#registertab-tab

Ex-smokers to be captured by famous photographer Rankin

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Famous photographer Rankin is looking for ex-smokers, or people who are trying to quit smoking, from across the EU, to be photographed by him and in doing so make history by participating in the latest campaign to be pro ex-smokers. By going to http://exsmokers.eu, you can enter yourself as one of the prospective 27 European ex-smokers to take part in the project. If you're chosen, you'll be brought to London to be photographed. Rankin enthuses about the project below:

Viral video by ebuzzing

Although, as you will have noticed above, this is a piece of sponsored content, the damage caused by smoking is something very close to my own heart. Not only do I work in an affluent international school, where worrying numbers of young people with too much money at their disposal take up smoking despite our best efforts to dissuade them, but both of my grandfathers also died of lung cancer because they smoked. Smoking not only makes you smell bad and burn a hole in your pocket, but it can yellow your nails and teeth, and accelerate the ageing process. Hardly a way to make yourself look beautiful. But more than that, smoking can cause a long, horrible, premature and painful death. Seriously - it's never too late to stop. If you're a smoker and want to quit, or already an ex-smoker, I really encourage you from the bottom of my heart to sign up.