Last minute Christmas gift ideas?

I got excited about lots of random things last week, call it Christmas if you will, I'm just putting it down to the fact that I'm easily pleased!

First off, the grand finale of Strictly Come Dancing. Apparently, this rather cheesy program has taken the nation by storm and I was one of the few people left in the UK who sneered at the idea of minor celebrities attempting to pump some life into their public profile by signing up for 4 months of ridiculous outfits. Alas, to my dismay, it truly is addictive. My parents cajoled me into their Saturday night ritual (or Sunday afternoon if I was being social, thanks to our Virgin +Box) and from the very first moment I was hooked. Demonstrating more loyalty than most Manchester United fans I watched the progression of often porky and flatfooted individuals into astonishingly competent dancers. Thus, the finale was a suitable mix of fancy routines, fireworks and more bling than Beyonce's Christmas tree dressed in her own outfits. I'm more than a little sad that it's now over, but congratulations to the winners. (no spoilers here!)

Fantastic event #2: I wore the Breathing Relief™ dilator to my spin class and was suitably impressed at its effectiveness. Now, this isn't the sports blog so I won't hark on about the logistics of the dilator with regards to a work-out schedule, however I will say the following: It's AWESOME. Yes, that is the technical term for the incredible power of the device. I was quite excited to use it as Elen Rivas is a fan (as everyone should be) and has tweeted on several occasions when using the product. Despite getting distracted by a small pool of sweat stuck between my nose and the dilator I have no complaints whatsoever and couldn't believe the extra calories the computer on my bike said I had burnt. Much like the Berocca Advert, it was like me working out, except on a really good day. I insist you all try it now.

 And lastly, whilst trying to decide whether I wanted volumising shampoo or the kind that takes care of coloured hair (I know, the dilemma is quite great),  I noticed the following product on the shelves:

It turns out that Boots have cottoned on to the fact that sleep (or the lack of it) is a serious issue and have started stocking a range of light therapy products.

Just so we're all clear, my excitement about the Lumie Bodyclock stems from a previous post where I wrote about light therapy and its potential for the fight against SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and to help regulate our natural body clocks and circadian rhythms You can read that post here:  SAD about Winter?. This product helps you to get to sleep and to wake up being simulating the natural fade of light to black and vice versa as in sunrise and sunset, thus fooling your body into thinking it is a natural time to go to sleep (and wake up). Therefore you don't feel assaulted when you have a light night or struggle to wake up when it's dark outside. It's the perfect way of maintaining a normal and most probably unhealthy lifestyle whilst convincing your body you're not doing it any harm!


I rushed home to look on the Boots website to see if they had a greater range of equipment than the one available in my locals store. It was almost impossible to locate the products through the options listed on the Boots homepage and it wasn't until I typed "lumie" into the search box did I see a list of all the products available. Sadly that particular page was almost identical to the lumie page itself and I wondered why Boots had chosen to replicate the information instead of providing their customers with a somewhat subjective view on why they thought these products would appeal to the general market.

Now I'm a little strapped for cash and I'll admit that I haven't tried any of the products to offer you guys a critique. Some of you may say that I'm clearly showing a lack of dedication to the cause...but whatever, I've brought you this far. I have one extra tidbit of information to add. If you buy one of the select products in this list you can earn up to 1000 Advantage Card points. Oh I know that's going to titillate your proverbial bargain hunting taste buds, so don't say I never get you anything. Consider it an early Christmas present, from me to you, reaching out through cyberspace to bring you health, wealth and knowledge (ok, maybe not so much the wealth bit).

So, there you have it...two ideal Christmas presents. What's the second you ask? The Breathing Relief™ dilator, of course. You think I'd leave a post without drumming it in that everyone needs to own one of these? Silly you, you've clearly had too much mulled wine already. Time to move onto the ginger tea methinks...

In conclusion, have a very Merry Christmas and take care of yourselves, your liver and your loved ones.

Ginger, our secret saviour

Ah, December is well and truly upon us. My cheeks are windchapped, I hear Buble everywhere I go and the talent shows are drawing to a close; X-Factor this week, Strictly Come Dancing next week. I wait with baited breath to see what nuggets of tele-extravaganza will arrive with the New Year. 2012 has been a hotly anticipated year and the capital is certainly gearing up for one hell of an Olympic session. As a commuter into the City, I've had the opportunity to observe the landscape of the East End change this past year, with the completion of the stadium and the surrounding buildings it definitely feels like something big is coming.

But enough, 2011 is barely over and here I am looking forward to the warm summer nights already, filled with cheers of millions of spectators and the hungry enthusiasm of participants. We should focus on what lies in the more foreseeable future. Christmas. By Christmas I mean, parties, booze, over indulgence, split dress/trouser seams, hangovers and the overwhelming sense of guilt. You know that feeling...you've been dieting since September in the hope of fitting into the Vintage lace ensemble which really will cut off circulation to your limbs; and men you've done the manly thing where you don't really admit you're on a diet, instead you just cut out beer. Whiskey has far fewer calories you sheepishly tell your mates in the pub on a Friday night,  and then hasten to add at least you're not drinking something pink.

So in the name of "health" we've starved ourselves, cut back on treats, fitted in a few extra workouts, only to enter the month of December and allow all of the forbidden foods to be consumed in quantities enough to horrify the cookie monster. I myself am guilty of this very dietary anomaly. Friday I attended my very first Christmas party of the season. I spent all of last week fretting about whether or not I would fit into my skin-tight dress, I replaced meals with porridge, took extra long bike rides only to guzzle down a 3 course meal with all the trimmings come Friday night. I have only one word: NOM.

In all seriousness, we take for granted the large scale abuse our digestive systems are about to receive in the coming weeks. It's not just stomachs that are affected, the alcohol consumed will wreak havoc on livers (and of course, sleep cycles), not to mention all the late nights spent "dancing". I use inverted commas as I'm not too sure how much you can consider stumbling to "Rocking around the Christmas Tree" whilst balancing a plate of sausage rolls and a glass of Merlot, actual dancing.

How do we get through this season with all of our health (and dignity) intact? I propose one little addition to your diet, call it a wonder-treatment if you like, and I assure you, your body will be eternally grateful to me. Goodbye heart-burn, goodbye hangover, sleeplessness and lethargy, hello zing-aliscious ginger!

Ginger has so many healing properties, it's often cited as a preventative measure and/or cure for almost anything; from Bowel Cancer to fighting the common cold.

The following site offers a concise and easy to understand outline of all the properties and benefits of ginger:

http://www.nutrasanus.com/ginger.html

As an added bonus, I'll share my grandma's recipe for delicious ginger tea, the perfect balance between zing, citrus and sweet and will keep you going all winter long. It's best consumed within an hour of boiling, but you can bottle leftovers and save for later. So pack it into your flask and go herbal on the morning commute!

2-4 thin slices of fresh ginger per person
Lime or lemon (dependent on personal taste)
Honey or Agave Nectar
Green Cardamom pods
Fennel Seeds

Grind the Cardamom pods and fennel seeds and add them with the ginger into a pan. Bring to the boil.
Simmer for 15-20 minutes, allowing the ginger to yield its goodness.
As you turn off the heat squeeze in as much lemon/lime juice you can bear. You want it tangy but not too bitter.
If using agave, sweeten to taste.
Ideally honey will be consumed alongside the tea.  The chemical make up of honey breaks down when you add it to hot water rendering it useless, therefore, pour out a teaspoon and let it trickle down your throat slowly as you take sips of tea.

The taste of ginger actually works really well with alcohol, so I've got a special treat for you (see I'm not all finger wagging and humbug) check out these fabulous ginger cocktail recipes, perfect for not only getting your daily dose of the good stuff but also showing off to friends and family during the Holidays.

All I've got left to say is, enjoy the festive season, take it easy on the treats and most of all, get some rest in between all the parties..black bags under the eyes have never been a fashion accessory. Oh and if you're stuck for gift ideas, there's always the Breathing Relief's nasal dilator.