KEEPING WELL THIS WINTER

It’s that time of year. Yup, that time where everyone is coughing on everything in sight, when nose blowing noises become the norm, you touch all the lift buttons and public transport rails with your sleeve or elbow instead of your fingers, and you spend your days scrubbing your hands with sanitiser or bleach until your skin starts peeling off.

And, if you’re not sick yet yourself, it’s just a matter of time.

For those without the prospects of being in Fiji by the pool, being hand-fed tropical fruit and lying in the rays, we’ve compiled some must-have items to help you survive the winter. Because we can only avoid being coughed on, touching lift buttons and the bus or train rails for so long…

Sometimes a change or a lovely experience are all you need to get your head out of a rut or to chase unwanted germs away. Wellness isn’t just a physical thing, it comes from inside! Treat yourself to a gorgeous massage or facial in-centre and stock up on some must-have products, such as immune defence vitamins or lemon, honey and ginger tea.

Blackmores Immune Defence Ultra | Harker Herbals Sinus Clear – both from Life Pharmacy | Lemon, honey & ginger from PakNSave

Soak in a bath or jump in the shower! Sometimes the hot steam and pounding of running water is all you need to wash all of your worries and stresses away. Clear the air and your skin with a diffuser that whisks you away to somewhere exotic and remote, or a purifying face mask to nourish and hydrate your winter skin. Add some dissolving bath salts, a thick fluffy towel to the mix, and then end the experience with a soft bathrobe and fun slippers, and you’ve got your own spa experience at home! No dry skin and scaliness on our watch! The Body Shop’s Community Trade Shea Butter is hand produced by more than 430 women in Ghana. They hand prepare and crack the nuts, extracting the precious kernel.

Rubber ducky or flamingo slippers from Typo | The Aromatherapy Co. Rachel Hunter Tour of Beauty Diffuser, Fifian Cocunut & Sea Salt from Farmers| Shea body butter from The Body Shop | Spa of the World Egyptian Milk & Honey bath from The Body Shop | Purifying honey masque from Farmers

You are what you… drink! Invest in a decent blender and some carry drink bottles, so you can take your breakfast smoothie, or healthy pick-me-up juice with you wherever you go. If your smoothie knowledge extends only as far as banana or kale with milk, then pop Green Kitchen Smoothies from Whitcoulls into your shopping basket to add to your smoothie and juice repertoire. While you are there, check out Reader’s Digest Home Remedies, for a bunch of handy tips and tricks to solving issues from the common cold, to much more. For those nights you can’t sleep, or your stress and anxiety is becoming crippling, lavender oil is a much needed wellness ‘potion’ to add to the bedside table stash.

Davis & Waddell Electric 2-in-1 food processor/blender from Stevens | Green Kitchen Smoothies and Reader’s Digest 1,801 Home Remedies from Whitcoulls | Thursday Plantation essential oils from Life Pharmacy

If you can’t escape on a holiday for real, let a book take you there! Lonely Planet’s Wellness Escapes is necessary read for the meditational/yoga enthusiast; pop it in a new duffel carry bag with a snazzy new water bottle, while wearing your shiny new yoga outfit. Throw in some actual meditation or yoga for reals, for the full effect. Your mind and body will thank you for it!

Lonely Planet Wellness Escapes from Whitcoulls | Galaxy and leopard bottles from Typo | Marry me duffel bag from colette by colette hayman | Lorna Jane camo active support sports bra and tights from Stirling Sports

Hopefully these buys help ward off the holiday envy, the flus and all of the other sicks. You’ll find me with my nose in a new book and a very green and too-healthy smoothie in my paws…