Grandma Vine’s is a natural therapeutic skincare range created by Barbara Dennie and produced by the company she founded, The Best of Nature. Barbara felt that there was a gap in the UK market for products that offered consumers an alternative to the plethora of harsh, chemical based toiletries found in today’s high street and pro-actively developed the Grandma Vine’s range to fill this gap. Having suffered with eczema for most of her life, she experienced difficulty in finding off the shelf ``normal`` skincare or body care products to moisturise and care for her skin. Barbara had to rely on tubs of greasy emollient creams, which were not easily absorbed and laid on the surface of her skin, feeling uncomfortable. She longed for natural, therapeutic products that would be easily absorbed and leave the skin feeling soft, supple and hydrated again.

Natural Antiseptic Gel
Organic cider vinegar was used to fight bacteria and infection as early as 400BC, and now Grandma Vine’s resurrected it for the 21st century. Effective for cuts and grazes, rashes and spots, insect bites, and cold sores, this versatile product forms a protective covering to help the healing process begin – fantastic for those accident prone under 10s! 50ml (1.8 fl.oz) £4.85

Heavenly Feast Body Cream
From delivering rich natural moisture whilst releasing a feeling of up-liftment to fight infection and easing minor skin conditions, this body cream has it all! Rose, Blackberry extract, Sweet almond oil and Apricot Kernel oil protect and hydrate simultaneously leaving the skin feeling great with a healthy glow. 250ml (9 fl. Oz)
£8.99

Instant Comfort Foot Balm
Peppermint, Rosemary, Lavender and Sweet Almond oil are combined in this balm that offers complete all round relief for most foot problems. The perfect relaxant after a hard day on the move and a great way to treat yourself. 100ml (fl oz 3.6) £4.99

Perfect Peace Bath Soak
The addition of Sweet Almond oil and Apricot Kernel oil to this Rose Geranium and Sandalwood preparation gives the ultimate in bath time relaxation. Skin is covered with a gentle moisturising film which protects and hydrates making bath time a luxury for all the family as well as helping to ease inflamed skin conditions. A must for moody teenagers and stressed out adults! 250ml (9 fl. oz) £16.99

Tender Loving Hand Cream
Developed using Calendula, Juniper, Lavender and Wheatgerm this hand cream does so much more than just adding moisture to your skin. This product will calm and relieve sensitive skin symptoms developed through increased exposure to chemicals in everyday life whilst bringing rich penetrating moisture to invigorate the skin. 100ml (fl.oz 3.6)
£5.85
All of Grandma Vine’s products are made using the finest quality essential oils at therapeutic levels, are ethnically sourced and not tested on animals. They are the perfect choice for any one who wants to eliminate potentially harmful chemicals from their family skincare routine and each product has its own specific benefits of use.

“Homocysteine is the new cholesterol. It’s potentially your most important health statistic.” Dr. Chris Steele, ITV’s This Morning.
One in two people dies from preventable diseases, and one in two people has a high homocysteine level. The question is, which one are you?
Patrick Holford’s new book, The H Factor (£8.99 from Herbs, Gardens & Health) describes in detail what this toxic substance is, the 100 diseases it has been directly linked to, how to lower your H level and add 20 years to your life.
Solgar’s product, Homocysteine modulators, to help control levels, is available at £8.95 for 60 Vegicaps. Solgar say high levels in the blood are associated with
Cardiovascular disease
Increased risk of heart attacks and strokes
Deep vein thrombosis
Pulmonary embolism
Alzheimer’s disease

Gymnema 60 caps-£6.85:
Gymnema is standardized for a minimum of 135mg of crude Gymnemic acids.
Gymnema is an Ayurvedic herb known for maintaining sugar metabolism. Its name itself, "Gur- Mar", literally means "sugar destroying". illustrating its usefulness in conditions of blood sugar imbalance. Gymnema has been used for centuries to treat glycosuria conditions.
The leaves of the gymnema sylvestre plant have been used in India for more than 2000 years. Its common name is "sugar destroyer", because chewing the leaves destroys the ability to discriminate the sweetness of foods. The primary clinical application for this botanical is as an anti-diabetic agent. Gymnema has been the subject of considerable research since the 1930s, with promising results for types 1 and 2 diabetes. Gymnema's anti-diabetic activity appears to be due to a combination of mechanisms. It appears to greatly increase the number of insulin-secreting beta cells in the pancreas, while returning blood sugar levels to near normal. It increases the activity of enzymes responsible for glucose uptake and utilization. It has also been found to inhibit some forms of hyperglycemia.

Livfit 60 caps-£6.49:
Livfit is standardized for Andrographolides & Kutki.
Livfit is a combination of extracts from 5 potent hepatoprotective herbs that help in the smooth functioning of Liver. This formulation alleviates liver disorders, protects liver tissue against the injury inflicted by hepatotoxins. It has a proven efficacy in treating Hepatitis B & E viral infections.

Neem 60 caps-£6.49:
Neem is standardized for total bitters of Neem.
Each capsule contains extracts of various parts of Neem (Azadirachta Indica) leaves. Acting as a blood-purifying agent, it is an effective remedy for disorders caused due to impure blood circulating in the body. It also has an important role as an immuno-modulator. Neem is helpful in many skin disorders like acne and is a good adjuvant to anti-diabetic drugs. It is an effective counter to bacterial, viral and fungal infections.

Shilajit 60 caps-£7.70:
Shilajit is standardised for 3mg Fulvic acids and the presence of Benzopyrones.
A completely natural mixture of minerals with organic and inorganic compounds obtained from rock surfaces in the Himalaya, SHILAJIT acts as a general rejuvenator. Shilajit boosts the immune system and optimizes physical performance. It is recommended for a wide range of common ailments including bronchial disorders, skin disorders, piles, anemia, inflammation, excess fat and digestive disorders like dyspepsia, worms and constipation.

More in the next issue...

I wrote to The Isle of Thanet Gazette’s Letter Page on the 4th July, and it was published in the 1st August issue. It read, “Dear Gazette, On Monday 30th June, The House of Lords sensibly voted against bringing into UK Law The EU's Food Supplements Directive. The Government, however, said that it's too late to back out now. Perhaps they are worried about fines from the EU if we do not comply with their legislation or something similar?
On Thursday, a Commons Standing Committee narrowly voted in favour of the Directive, due to become UK Law at the end of this month. This will lead to the banning of more than 270 vitamin and mineral supplements in Britain. The Government's "victory", however, was only ensured when former sports minister Kate Hoey was abruptly replaced on the committee, after the Government learnt that she was against the legislation. Tory MP Graham Brady, a critic of the directive, said to The Daily Telegraph (apparently the only national paper that will print what the Government doesn't want printed), "This sort of skulduggery is an affront to democracy. The Government stuffed the committee with yes-men, but still couldn't find anyone prepared to argue convincingly in favour of this."
I simply cannot believe that after all the effort on the part of the health food industry, Consumers For Health Choice and others, to maintain our freedom of choice to be able to purchase the supplements we've been safely using for the last 30 years, or whatever, and even the House of Lords voting against the directive, the Labour Government are still forcing it through.
The Tory's, apparently, may be able to get it brought up again, if they wish. How about it then, Roger Gale? Labour were wrong to "Fix" the vote. Did the House of Lords waste their time completely?”
I was very pleased to see Roger Gale MP’s response in his “Gales View” column the following week. “We have a veto.” He said. “Use it”.
The Food Supplements Directive is now British Law. We are going to lose many forms of vitamins and minerals over the next couple of years. The Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive is next. And Labour just want to go along and comply with as many EU Rules and Regulations as possible, it seems. We’re still fighting a battle. The Alliance for Natural Health’s London-based EU barristers, the only lawyers to have overturned an EU Directive, are now at an advanced stage of preparation for a legal challenge of the EU Food Supplements Directive. Log on to
www.alliance-natural-health.org for more information.

Christine Hamilton says, “I am delighted to have found PureLogicol. It is a great beauty booster and helps to banish those winter blues when your skin needs a kick-start. The serum and face mask both feel wonderful on the skin and after using the products for nearly a year, I can see and feel the long-term benefits of taking the collagen internally as well.
I thoroughly recommend it to anyone past the first flush of youth, and I just wish it had been around earlier, so I could have started to benefit years ago.”
Clinical results and customer testimonials show that the skin becomes smoother, visibly reducing fine lines and wrinkles. Hair and nails became stronger by up to 36%.
Collagen naturally contains 20 amino acids and glucosamine and chondroitin and is beneficial to the joints, too. Capsules cost £30 for 90, Velvet Firming Serum £39.99 for 30ml and the mask kit, enough for 20 masks, is also £39.99. Top quality products.

The “tea mushroom” is more than a mushroom – it is a symbiose of algae and fungus. Kombucha is a lichen (a type of moss). Kombucha is life, sustains life and promotes life.
Kombucha supports each person's area of need in the body, helping it to function better, which alleviates many symptoms and discomforts. Everyone has his or her own health weakness, e.g. arthritis, kidneys, skin disorders, circulation, etc, or just needing more energy on a daily basis. Kombucha is particularly known for detoxifying the body, strengthening the immune system and balancing the metabolism. It helps with a whole range of symptoms, such as digestive disorders, blood pressure, arthritis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME), MS, asthma, elimination, eczema, etc.
Available in capsules: £8.99 for 30, £23.99 for 90, Liquid Press Extract 50ml for £21.99 as well as the deliciously revitalising and refreshing Rabenhorst Organic Kombucha drink 750ml for £2.99.