FASHION & BEAUTY Stylish tweed

A Friend in Tweed

A friend in tweed is a friend indeed, and this month we’re showcasing a range of autumn clothing that’s stylish, as well as being warm and practical...

This Page: Joules Jillian cape in camel herringbone pattern £129.

Holland Cooper Chiltern cape in Bourbon tweed, £649.

Holland Cooper Knightsbridge tweed skirt £169.

Dubarry Blackthorn tweed coat with woodrose stripe £499.

Joules blue tweed fieldcoat £249.

Top/Left: Dubarry Bracken coat in sorrel tweed, £429. Top/Right: Shöffel ladies tweed cap, £59.95. Bottom/Left: Shöffel ladies culottes, £229. Bottom/Right: Rydale Bramham II blue tweed coat, £75. For Local Stockists see: Joules, www.joules.com; Holland Cooper, www.hollandcooper.com; Dubarry, www.dubarry.com; Schöffel, www.schoffelcountry.com; Rydale www.rydale.com.

AUTUMN COSMETICS

Light & Beautiful

FRESH BRIGHT COSMETICS TO TAKE YOU INTO THE AUTUMN MONTHS

1. Flawless skin from Elemis with a new mask...

Spa-favourite Elemis presents its new Dynamic Resurfacing Peel & Reset. It’s a two-part home treatment, consisting of a Phytic, Ellagic and Mandelic acid peel to resurface and rejuvenate skin, plus a phase two treatment which is designed to smooth and rejuvenate skin with deep hydration. Clinically proven in independent trials, £70/ 2 x 15ml.

5. An ecological scent for Autumn from Issey Miyake

Issey Miyake triumphs again with this Eau de Parfum, created using green chemistry. Musky and hypnotic, the perfume opens with notes of damask rose, and lilac as well as orange blossom. Ingenious perfumer techniques avoid real lilacs needing to be harvested, allowing the fragrance to be as eco-friendly as possible, £84, 90ml.

2. Luxury from Hermès

Hermès, body lotion. “I dreamed of this garden; I created a perfume woven from its memories, the cycle of trees and flowers, nature still enduring within it,” says Christine Nagel, Hermès’ perfumer. Moisturises skin leaving it soft and supple, £42/200ml.

Neom presents this hand balm with shea butter and cocoa butter to sooth your hands, and with lavender, chamomile and patchouli plus 11 other essential oils, it’ll help to ensure you enjoy a good nights sleep too, £20/100ml.

3. Sooth tired eyes...

Equilibrium, from Hourglass, provides soothing hydrating comfort for tired eyes thanks to its clinically proven formula designed to reduce the look of puffiness around the eyes and reduce fine lines. Reduces inflammation and boosts collagen for refreshed-looking eyes, £92/16.3g.

4. Sleep well... 6. New Aromatherapy Associates diffuser...

Aromatherapy Associates’ exquisite ceramic diffuser is fully portable with optimised run times and a soft halo of light, allowing you to truly relax into the ultimate in luxurious wellbeing. Inspired by spa atomising technology, it disperses a micro-fine mist of 100% natural, pure essential oil blends, RRP £120.

n All our beauty products are available from local independent stockists unless otherwise stated, please note that prices stated are RRP and may vary.

A Vision of the Future at O’Briens

We explore the best ways to achieve clarity this month as O’Briens Opticians of Brigg provides an overview of the latest lenses, frames and approaches to eye-care...

Dr Sheeraz Janjua and his team have a clear vision; one to provide 21st century eyecare. As a practice they’re always seeking new innovations and now services to bring to their customers, many of whom travel from as far away as Lincoln, Boston, Skegness and Louth, as well as the area around Brigg, where the practice is based... proving that for quality eyecare, it’s worth the journey. Low Vision Services “One of our new innovations is our low vision service,” says Dr Janjua. “It’s an area of academic interest for me, as well as a specialism for the practice and a subject in which I’ve just achieved a Professional Certificate in, from Cardiff university.” “It’s a service that’s especially useful to patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Glaucoma, the consequence of which may be difficulties performing everyday tasks like reading or studying close-up subjects.” “Some opticians provide as highly-corrective spectacles as they’re able to can and declare that’s ‘as good as they’re able to do,’ but their good isn’t good enough for us. We’ve adopted a new range of low-vision aids from Eschenbach, a leading manufacture of magnifying aids to help with reading, crosswords and so on, or reading restaurant menus, supermarket labels and so on.” “These aids take different forms – some can be worn over spectacles, some are handheld, some are credit card-sized, some feature LED lighting... but all will help with tasks that are difficult with low vision, used in conjunction with conventional corrective spectacles.” Blepharitis and Dry Eyes “Another of the practice’s specialism, and one that was the subject of my Doctorate in 2017, is the conditions of Blepharitis and dry eyes.” “My colleagues, Jane, Gemma and June, have all achieved qualifications in ocular hygiene and dry eye management. And so, as a practice, we’ve maintained a specialism that’s really beneficial to our patients’ vision and their comfort too.”

Lens Technology “One of our promises to patients is that we’ll remain truly independent in the respect of our suppliers. Like a financial advisor tied to just a few suppliers, for example, some optical specialists are locked into using a handful of lens manufacturers.”

“We’re truly independent and can source lenses from Zeiss, Nikon, Seiko, Hoya, Rodenstock and Essilor, which is why we can supply the latest lenses such as our Nikon Seemax Bright, which cut out glare with unprecedented success, or our photochromic polarising lenses with their unprecedented performance in sunlight.” “This means we can provide world-class optics without compromise and we can provide a fully objective recommendation based on whole-market availability.”

Frames and Eyewear Styling “We’re also delighted to confirm that Jane, Gemma and June have achieved qualifications from the Eyewear Styling Academy to provide a full eyewear styling consultation to recommend any of our ranges from Swiss made Götti’s titanium rimless designs to bright and cheerful acrylic spectacles from British owned Kirk & Kirk to names like Lindberg and Francis Klein.” “Our consultations take account of face shape, hair and eye colour and many other considerations to ensure a perfect look every time. It’s another example of why our vision for our customers is leading eye care, every time.” n

Find Out More: O’Brien’s welcomes new patients. The practice is open from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Saturday 9am-4pm. Telephone 01652 653 595 or 01652 649 024. O’Briens was established in 1979 and is based on Wrawby Street, Brigg, DN20 8BS.

HOLISTIC HEALTH

A Cacao Ceremony

The idea of medicinal chocolate might seem to good to be true but there are health and wellbeing benefits as well as a couple of caveats, as Ali Hutchinson explains more in her monthly health and wellbeing digest...

Words: Ali Hutchinson. Image: Dorte Kjaerulff Photography.

IF YOU WERE TOLD that drinking a warm, concentrated hot chocolate could help you nutritionally, boosting your iron and magnesium levels and give you a shot of dopamine, the feel-good hormone, would you decline? Probably not. Most of us would be willing to give it a go for the taste alone and that’s what I want to share today.

I touched on it last month mentioning Ceremonial Cacao and how I was using it as part of a daily ‘dieta’ and I’ve had a few raised eyebrows and questions as a result.

If you assumed Cacao was chocolate or cocoa’s older, darker sister, you’re in for a bitter awakening. As it turns out, there’s a lot more that distinguishes Cacao from cocoa than the spelling!

They may have a similar-sounding name and place of origin, but they are not the same thing. Most people who try Cacao for the first time find themselves shocked with the spicy bitterness of the chocolate coloured liquid that looks and smells like regular hot chocolate, but tastes nothing like the bars so many of us reach for when dealing with emotional situations.

What is cacao? Cacao is the natural and unprocessed seed of the Theobroma Cacao tree. The ancients called it food of the Gods from the translation Thea meaning God and Broma meaning food. Cocoa is actually the powder left behind after the outer husk of the cacao beans has been removed, the bean processed, and the butter removed. Cacao is the more highly concentrated, or natural, version of chocolate with many nutrients and much of the fat still in place. Most mass-produced chocolate, even the good varieties, contain only 20 to 30 per cent cacao! The rest is milk, sugar and solids with things like animal fats and palm oil being thrown in to create the sweet addictive taste we have come to associate with emotional release.

The West is new to the art of using Cacao for healing so you may never have heard of ‘Mama Cacao’ but she has been used for medicinal and ceremonial purposes for thousands of years. Cacao was considered sacred, and the ritual of drinking it as an elixir for good health has its roots in the ancient Olmec, Mayan and Aztec traditions in Central and South America.

The Cacao I am using, and suggesting you try, is used in spiritual ceremonies and is almost pure ground Cacao bean mixed with Cacao butter, water and maybe a few spices.

Health benefits of Cacao Healers in many cultures have traditionally used Cacao to alleviate a host of mental and physical afflictions, such as depression, insomnia, nervousness and excitability, as well as regulating blood pressure and sugar levels, and preventing cardiometabolic diseases –the number one cause of death in the world according to the WHO.

It stands to reason then, as multiple clinical trials have shown, that consuming cacao can help with anaemia (especially among vegetarians and vegans); lower the risk of cardiometabolic diseases by improving the markers for triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and fasting insulin; improve brain function and our ability to focus; and improve our mood including supporting our serotonin, dopamine and endorphins. Now you seriously want to give it a try... don’t you?!?

Locally you can try it at one of my Cacao ceremonies in person or online; message me for future dates, as days and times over the summer may change. Or if you want to consume it at home I’ve found a fabulous source in Pablo at Forever Cacao (forevercacao.co.uk).

I always check people’s health before offering cacao but the great thing about it is it will automatically tell your body if you’re overdoing it. Too much will give you migraines and stomach aches indicating that you should lower your dose or stop. If you’re contemplating switching from coffee to cacao for the increased health benefits and want some advice on how to get started please message, I’m here to help and support you.

What happens at a Cacao Ceremony My cacao ceremonies are always a restorative and deeply channelled event with a meditation and often a combination of healing practices such as reiki, sound, dance, yoga and meditation.

A typical ceremony involves a group of people sitting in circle together, setting intentions (what you hope to achieve or to rid yourself of during the exercise), drinking Cacao, sharing intimate confidences without judgment, and allowing Cacao to guide you to an elevated meditative state.

They typically last between an hour or two but I’m looking at collaborating with other local healers to put on a day long retreat in the Autumn and looking for local people to collaborate with so please also get in touch. n

Find Out More: If you’re struggling with perimenopause or menopause, experiencing gut issues, or need support with energy levels, weight loss or weight management I’m here to help. Book a free call via my blog www.ali-hutchinson.co.uk or email hello@ali-hutchinson.co.uk or call to find out how I could help you on the path to a brighter future: 07973 843020.