lifestyle

A common belief in our society today is that drugs or pills are the cure to most of our ailments. The global drug market is today worth over $1.3 Trillion but we often overlook a critical factor in our recovery from illness. A factor that every single scientific study aims to account for and ensure doesn’t bias the results. It... Read More

First things first. we need to lay some ground rules. We can’t mention the C word. Big pharma has the monopoly on it so we aren’t even technically allowed to talk about it. But hey, we believe in the power of science and don’t think there is anything wrong with sharing the science… so that’s what we will do. We... Read More

Think of it this way: is the amount of water you need consistent throughout each and every day? Definitely not. Go to the gym or for a run and you’ll soon find yourself reaching for a bottle of water or some electrolytes to quench your thirst. That’s because exercising puts strain on your body and by sweating you’re losing water... Read More

Yeah yeah, we all know exercise is healthy. So what’s the point of telling me again how healthy it is for me. Well… the point is you probably don’t know the level of exercise you need to avoid being classed as sedentary. So, first what is a sedentary lifestyle? A sedentary lifestyle is one involving little or no physical activity.... Read More

Summer. For most, it's the season we spend all winter looking forward to. The joys of spending time outside, enjoying the sun and cracking open a cold one. But for up to 1 in 5 Brits it can also mark the beginning of dreaded hay fever season: a time of runny noses, itchy eyes, sneezes, and general discomfort. Hay fever... Read More

Inflammation is a word that is always thrown around in the health and wellness world. We see countless headlines saying “5 ways to reduce inflammation” or “7 anti-inflammatory foods”. Ring a bell? But a narrative that you rarely hear is that inflammation can actually be a good thing! Without it, there are any things we wouldn’t be able to heal... Read More

THIS WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU LOOK AT GETTING ENOUGH VITAMIN D The sun is out again 😊, and the summer is well and truly here! All our cells are dancing with joy as they get extra doses of vitamin D this weekend and for the next 3 months (fingers crossed), that will help our cells communicate, grow and flourish…... Read More

As you might imagine, our team here at Tonic Health frequently hears various claims, counter-claims and counter-counter-claims, on the subject of what may or may not strengthen the immune system. Just one of those supposed ‘immune boosters’ to have come to particular prominence in recent years is cold therapy. So, it’s worth asking ourselves whether it does or doesn’t live... Read More

More than a year on from the onset of the coronavirus crisis for Western countries, you’re likely to be highly aware of the various impacts the pandemic has had on your mind, body and lifestyle. One obvious manifestation of the pandemic, for instance, has been greater numbers of us working from home, in accordance with on-off lockdown restrictions. If this... Read More

It’s one of the first things that we’re accustomed to doing, as soon as we begin to feel less than our best; we reach for that box of paracetamol or ibuprofen, seeking some relief for our symptoms. Indeed, so automatic is this habit, that we might not even consider exactly what these drugs do to our bodies, or even whether... Read More

On the third episode of The Power Is Within Us, Sunna speaks with Melissa Cohen, where they discuss functional medicine and the importance of diet with regards to all bodily processes. Functional medicine is a biology and chemistry–based approach to healthcare that focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of illness, which is often linked to the foods we consume.... Read More

You’ve probably heard of the term “digital detox”, or “technology detox”, and wondered not only exactly what it is, but also whether it could be the right move for you and your wellbeing. A “digital detox” essentially entails spending less time with technology – or more specifically, reducing one’s “screen time”, whether that involves looking at a TV, smartphone, laptop... Read More

Few of us can be in any doubt about the crucial role of vitamin D in our all-round health. This fat-soluble vitamin is naturally produced by the body in response to sunlight exposure – which helps explain why it is widely known as the “sunshine vitamin”. Furthermore, it is associated with various functions and positive outcomes for health, including regulating... Read More

Tonic’s new partnership with Thriva on the 8-week Immunity Challenge has got everyone pretty excited. So much so that some of the team at Tonic wanted to take part in it. To give you more detail into the challenge, you get an 8-week supply of Tonic High Dose Immunity Drink, 2 Thriva blood testing kits (one for before and after)... Read More

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant necessary for structural and functional maintenance of skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle. It also helps maintain healthy skin and eyes, and strengthen the immune system (why else do you think we'd include 12mg in every serve of Daily Immunity?!). Despite all its benefits, though, vitamin E doesn't quite get all the attention that vitamin C... Read More

On our second episode of The Power Is Within Us, Sunna speaks with TED Talk speaker Darryl Edwards, founder of Primal Play, a program aimed at getting children and adults to move more to avoid a sedentary lifestyle. They discuss the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle, which Darryl himself nearly experienced firsthand, and how to find the motivation to move more.... Read More

On the very first episode of The Power Is Within Us, Sunna speaks with Dr Gemma Newman, the plant power doctor. Dr Gemma has over 17 years of clinical experience as a family doctor and is passionate about the healing power of plant-based nutrition; earlier this year, Dr Gemma released her first book 'The Plant Power Doctor, A Simple Prescription for... Read More

After a winter that has posed huge challenges to many of us – as individuals, families and broader societies – we are finally seeing ever-more reason for hope in the COVID-19 crisis. Effective and safe vaccines are becoming available, and the transition to warmer and sunnier weather – together with other continuing restrictions – has helped send the virus into... Read More

A lot has been said down the years about how it’s a good thing to be a giving and generous person. Of course, giving to and helping others is good for its own sake, but there has also been a debate – including an increasingly scientific one – about the knock-on benefits it could have for the giver. Giving back... Read More

You might not have given much thought in the past to the notion of eating ‘seasonally’ – in other words, eating certain foods at the times of year when they are actually grown. After all, you’re probably used to walking down your local supermarket’s veggie aisle during any season, and seeing no shortage of varied produce from around the globe.... Read More

This ultimate breakfast smoothie is a triple threat as it's filling, nutritious and oh so tasty. It's great to take with you to have on the go or to enjoy at home whilst getting ready for your day. Not to mention, this smoothie is packed with fibre so it will have your gut thanking you! Ingredients:  1 medium frozen banana... Read More

This fibre-filled barley salad will have your gut feeling great. The soluble fibre found in barley has also shown to lower glucose and cholesterol levels in the blood. And not only does this barley salad have an amazing range of nutritional benefits but it tastes great and is super filling too.  Ingredients: ½ Butternut squash, diced into large cubes 150g... Read More

There is nothing more soothing than a hearty chicken soup. This chicken soup is especially special because it is packed with 6 different kinds of vegetables and has barley which is a high fibre food. Fibre and gut health go hand in hand so for a healthy gut, why not try this soup throughout your week? Read More

With the weather getting warmer, it’s definitely time for salads to shine. This epic side salad recipe goes so well with soups, pasta or to serve at your next picnic in the park! Packed with lots of vegetables and good fats this side salad is super tasty too.  Ingredients:  A handful of spinach leaves  A handful of rocket leaves 6... Read More

If you suffer from back pain, you are in good company – around one in three people do so every year, according to Dr Tom Charlton, a former Clinical Fellow at the healthcare group Bupa UK. However, that statistic may be of little comfort to you if your anguish over your back pain keeps you awake night after night. Fortunately,... Read More

Although 71% of our planet is covered in water, only 3% of that water is freshwater and only 0.5% of that is available for drinking; the remaining 2.5% is locked in ice caps, glaciers, the atmosphere, or under the earth’s surface, or is too polluted for consumption. The number of people on Earth is constantly increasing, but the water supply... Read More

The fight to save the planet starts, quite literally, at home. You don’t strictly have to make dramatic, sweeping changes, either. It’s often perfectly possible to complete many of your routine responsibilities, from sourcing food to cleaning around the house, in a more eco-friendly fashion. So, let’s look at some of the ways you can do exactly that. Grow your... Read More

Pretty much everyone experiences a stuffy nose – usually referred to in more formal contexts as ‘nasal congestion’ – from time to time. It’s easy to dismiss the cause as a simple case of the cold or flu – but did you know that this common everyday symptom can actually have many more causes? Indeed, the below are just seven... Read More

By now, you’d have practically needed to have been living on Mars since early 2020 to not know the various frequent mantras of how to lower your risk of COVID-19: wash your hands frequently, wear a face covering when near others, maintain social distancing... you get the idea. Another thing that many people around the UK and the wider world... Read More

A message from our Founder, Sunna van Kampen. Your immune system is your body’s strongest weapon. It is what works tirelessly, day after day, week after week, and month after month quietly in the background, keeping you healthy from viruses, bacteria and germs. It was my neglected immune system that meant I was getting 3-4 colds a winter, and which... Read More

Stress, of course, is an unavoidable part of all of our lives. We all face challenging and even chaotic situations from time to time – ranging from those tight work deadlines and worries about finances, to personal-life dramas and even acute medical emergencies. It is at such stressful moments that our body’s “fight or flight mode” is often activated to... Read More

Zinc is essential to sustain a functioning immune system by regulating the elimination of pathogens. Zinc is also responsible for the production and activation of certain immune system cells such as neutrophils and natural killer cells. Researchers showed (2019, Read, et al.) that zinc has vital role in anti-viral immunity. They showed that zinc inhibits something called RNA polymerase which is required by viruses to replicate, therefore... Read More

 Vitamin C may well be our favourite vitamin, especially when it comes to immune health. Here are some of the many ways in which vitamin C contributes to the optimal functioning of the immune system: By stimulating the production of white blood cells, which are crucial for fighting off infections By supporting the skin (epithelial cell) as a barrier, preventing pathogens from entering the... Read More

Vitamin D is essential for a functional immune system by activating anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory properties, so we're doing all we can to make sure we get enough of it. Some of the of the other benefits of vitamin D include regulating the body's levels of calcium and phosphate, which are essential if we want healthy bones, teeth, and muscles. A recent study (2020, Kara,... Read More

The feeling of a stuffy congested nose is simply the effects of your immune response. When you get a cold, your nose, sinuses and throat will be infected with virus cells that trigger a flood of white blood cells to the areas and the dilation of blood vessels means that more white blood cells can travel to the affected area. Pure effectiveness if you ask us! White... Read More

It’s been a long time since striving to live in a more environmentally-friendly way was simply the preserve of ‘eco warriors’! Today, more and more of us are becoming aware of the needless damage caused to our planet by manmade factors. And for 2021, you might have decided to do something about it. In fact, according to a recent poll,... Read More

It seems that every January, many millions of us make the same vow, that this will be the year when we finally fully embrace that exercise routine, shed the pounds and tone up, all the way to the physique (and mental wellbeing) we’ve always wanted. Yet, every year, many people setting a more active lifestyle and better fitness as their... Read More

It’s well-known that the skin is the body’s biggest organ – and of course, it’s also the most visible. Unsurprisingly, then, the skin is one of the first places where signs are often seen of what may be more serious underlying health problems – or even just the need to alter one’s lifestyle. Whether it’s the cosmetic effects of certain... Read More

‘Blue Monday’ is used to refer to what is apparently the ‘most depressing day of the year.’ This day usually falls on the third Monday in January, which means today will apparently be the most depressing day of 2021! While on the one hand this might seem like good news, in that at least we’ll soon have the worst of... Read More

When stepping outside on a cold winter morning or on a snowy day, the air often has a particular smell that is difficult to put into words. What most people don’t realise is that there are a few factors that play a part in the ‘smell of winter’ that range from physical factors and psychological factors.     It’s not that there are less smells in winter, the odour particles move less.  In... Read More

We’re arguably often guilty of failing to pay as much attention to our hormone health as we should. After all, your body secretes around 50 hormones, which – together – profoundly impact on some of the body’s most crucial functions, ranging from mood and appetite to sexual activity and heart muscle contraction. To maintain the very best physical, mental and... Read More

As you may already have guessed, here at Tonic, we’re of the opinion that making sure your immune system can perform at its best should always be a priority. And given that we’re in the middle of cold and flu season and since COVID-19 unfortunately doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, you may have decided that 2021 is... Read More

As a supplement, GABA has long been the subject of a lot of confusion. That’s probably partly due to it being not only a supplement capable of ingestion, but also a chemical produced within the body. And while those two things are also true of melatonin, GABA is nothing like as well-known. GABA is important to the body in terms... Read More

And now, for the show-stopper we've all been waiting for: the Tonic Jelly Trifle! Our final Christmas Immunity recipe contains the ever-nutritious elderberry as well as some trusty Elderberry & Blackcurrant flavour high-dose immunity sachets so you can have your (immune-friendly) trifle and eat it too!   Recipe for the Tonic Jelly Trifle  Serves: 10 Ingredients:  600g frozen summer berries (raspberries, blackberries,... Read More

Now onto dessert! Everyone loves a good gingerbread biscuit, but since sugar's not great for the immune system, we've given this quintessential Christmas treat an immune-friendly upgrade by swapping out the sugar for sweetener.    Recipe for Sugar-Free Gingerbread Men Makes 30 Ingredients: 110g butter, softened 4 tbsp sweetener of choice or more, to your taste 1 egg 200g almond flour 4... Read More

Delicious inside a turkey or by itself, this nut stuffing is a great way to get some healthy fats, protein, and fibre.    Recipe for Nut Stuffing Serves: 6 Ingredients 1 tbsp avocado or olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 350g unsweetened chestnut puree  50g pine nuts, toasted 50g cashews, chopped 50g sultanas, soaked in concentrated vegetable stock for 3+ hours 2... Read More

We love vegetables for their vitamin content and honey for its many health properties; so why not combine them! These honey-glazed carrots & parsnips are definitely one of Team Tonic's favourite dishes, and not just at Christmas!    Recipe for Honey-Glazed Carrots & Parsnips Serves: 8 Ingredients: 250g parsnips 250g carrots 2 tbsp flour 2 tbsp honey 3 tbsp avocado... Read More

Love 'em or hate 'em, Brussels sprouts are a Christmas dinner staple - and a very healthy one at that! If you haven't been a fan of sprouts before, we recommend you try this tasty (and immune-friendly!) upgrade and see if it changes your mind.    Recipe for Garlic & Chilli Brussels Sprouts  Serves: 6 Ingredients: 600g Brussels sprouts, trimmed at the... Read More

Next up on the menu of Tonic's 7 Days of Christmas Immunity Recipes is a Christmas dinner essential: cranberry sauce! This time we've added our all-time favourite berry to maximise the antioxidant content of this side-dish.    Recipe for Tonic's Cranberry-Elderberry Sauce Serves: 6 Ingredients:  100g light brown sugar 100ml fresh orange juice 1 sachet of Tonic Elderberry & Blackcurrant... Read More

Hot toddies are the perfect drink to have before bed-time in the winter when it's cold or wet outside and you want something warm and soothing to help you get to sleep. Hot toddies have also traditionally been used to relieve cold and flu symptoms, though we can't comment on how effective they actually are. Normally at the sign of a cold we'd... Read More