There's no doubt that as a nation, we are becoming more conscious about the products we buy. But, with so many different priorities, and different claims made by brands, wading through the greenwashing can be difficult. Here, the experts at ethical brands offer their tips: Compostable packaging: You should try to keep an eye out for products that are using compostable packaging. The experts at Ombar, which uses fully compostable packaging, advise that such packaging does not belong in your...

Wales is the football capital of the UK, while London boasts the most avid runners. That is according to a new poll from Decathlon, which has published a sports map of the UK, revealing where the true homes of different popular sports are. The survey of more than 7,600 Brits in the Decathlon Activity Index 2019 reveals that London was found to be the UK's running capital, with 39 per cent of residents claiming to regularly participate in the sport. This may be due to the many free paths and...

Each and every year, we see new 'diets' gracing the pages of our social media, in magazines and on the TV, all claiming to be the plan to lose weight. So much so that the British Dietetic Association (BDA) deals with hundreds of requests relating to food and nutrition each year, with people asking about the latest celebrity or social media diet trend. Some of them are laughable, while others are potentially dangerous. And so, BDA experts have identified some of the wildest diet fads they've...

The average UK worker will spend over a year of their life commuting to and from work - and it's taking its toll. The statistic comes from Merlin Cycles, which found that today's average commute is 56 minutes a day, and so the brand is reminding how cycling can help alleviate the three key side effects of commuting, which are stress, lack of exercise, and expense. STRESS: A study from the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) revealed that over half of respondents said that commuting...

A leading bodycare brand is helping you to cut your consumption in 2020 for a healthier planet. Dr Bronner's is encouraging consumers to shop more sustainably by highlighting its super-sized 946ml size, 18-in-1 Pure-Castile Liquid Soap. Due to the concentration of pure, organic, natural ingredients, and the variety of ways it can be used, more can be done with less. And to kick-start the next 10 years, Dr Bronner's is encouraging consumers to phase out not one, but 10 personal hygiene products...

With January seeing the influx of detox plans, not to mention marking Sugar Awareness Week, a leading nutrition expert is educating on the impact diets can have on our cravings. Dr Michael Mosley – initiator of the Fast800 programme – has explained how, unless you follow a weight loss plan designed to reduce cravings, diet plans can actually worsen a sugar addition. And so, he is offering tips on how to counter addiction to sugar. Dr Mosley explains that consuming sugary food triggers a...

Emotions can be tricky things to manage, making this new book the ideal addition to your new year health goals. The Mood Diary is a four-week plan to track your emotions and lifestyle and has been penned by Andrea Harrn, a psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, intuitive healer, and expert in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and mindfulness, as well as being the author of the bestseller, The Mood Cards. The Mood Diary is an easy to use therapeutic tracker to help monitor moods and emotions over a...

You may have never heard of functional training rigs, but that is among the trends set to hit gyms in 2020. That's according to Total Fitness' Fitness Content and Programming Manager, Steven Virtue, who has revealed his predictions for the trends we're expecting to see in 2020. "Exploring new fitness trends and finding a training method that suits your lifestyle is a great way to make exercise exciting", explained Steven. "Not only does this provide a new surge of motivation but it allows you...

The cold weather can play havoc with our skin and hair, requiring an inside out approach. And the experts at BioCare are here to help you conquer some of the common winter beauty woes with some top tips. Take an oral probiotic: Start by giving your gut's microbiome a little TLC. This is our ecosystem of healthy bacteria and if it's out of whack, we know it can have an enormous influence over every aspect of our health, from our sleep patterns to our metabolism. Ensuring a plentiful supply of...

Research has shown the power of vitamin D in reducing the risk of respiratory infections, including colds and 'flu. In light of the analysis, carried out at Queen Mary University London, which found that vitamin D helps to reduce the risk of respiratory infections, including colds and 'flu, especially among people who don't get enough vitamin D from exposure to sunlight or from their diets, medical doctor and Nutritionist, Dr Michelle Braude, has reiterated why we need to add a daily dose of...