Bacterial Vaginosis: What is it and how do I prevent it?

Yup, that's correct. Today we are going to talk about vaginas. I have um-ed and ah-ed about writing this post for a long time now but alas, I've realised that the majority of my audience is actually female, sexual health shouldn't be a taboo and I hope that I help - or at least inform - one other person.

You see, we've all heard of thrush, haven't we? Well, I'm going to talk about the opposite of thrush. The lesser-known Bacterial Vaginosis. The name itself gives me the creeps. It sounds like a deadly disease but in fact, it's quite common - we're just not that educated when it comes down to it. And I'm assuming that by reading this blog you're a beauty addict? Well, you're more prone to the condition...

What is BV?

• First of all, it isn't a sexually transmitted infection
• It occurs when the balance of bacteria inside the vagina becomes disrupted
• It often causes unusual vaginal discharge, itching and bleeding during sex
• It isn't serious (unless it develops in pregnancy)
• It doesn't affect male sexual partners
• More than half women who have been successfully treated previously find their symptoms return

What causes BV?

• Beauty products! Using scented soaps, bubble baths etc. 
• Having the coil contraceptive fitted
• Using vaginal deodorant 

How is BV treated?

• Taking a short course of antibiotic tablets
• Applying an antibiotic gel inside of the vagina

How can I prevent BV?

Sadly, I've experienced this condition twice now. It isn't pleasant and now I try to avoid it as much as possible. 

• I don't use a Lush bath bomb every single night like I used to (oops). Instead I use a bath bomb every now and then as a treat. Probably once monthly, probably less 
• I don't use perfumed products around my lady area. I wash "that area" with Simple's Pure Soap Bar. Our vaginas are amazing, self-cleaning eco-systems that don't need synthetic perfumes
• I steer clear of vaginal hygiene products (Vagisil, Femfresh etc) as they're absolutely awful. I've found that some products even contain alcohol - not good at all. They're an example of clever marketing as they create a problem that doesn't exist
• After every period I use a tube of Balance Activ BV Vaginal Gel to ensure the condition is kept at bay

Let's talk about vaginas! Have you suffered with Bacterial Vaginosis before?

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Currys Ultimate Blogger Workout Playlist

The other day I got an email from Currys asking if I wanted to contribute to their Ultimate Blogger Workout Playlist. Of course, I couldn't resist. I'm not a gym buddy by any means - although I did go to Zumba last night - but I do love music. I asked my sister for a little bit of help considering she's a personal trainer and came up with three songs for the list. One of them (Britney's Work Bitch) sadly couldn't be included due to the lyrics, but you can view my choices and the entire playlist here or using Spotify below.

What are your favourite songs to work out to?

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FREE personal training session

I know that this offer won't apply to all of you as I know that people from all over the world read my blog. But if you do happen to be in the Nottinghamshire area then please feel free to take up this fantastic offer that I have for you.

Whether you're lacking motivation, or in need of someone to come up with a work out plan for you, a personal trainer is without a doubt a good thing to have - especially now it's February and our New Years Resolutions are well and truly out of the window.

Last year, my sister became a fully qualified personal trainer. So far, her own little business has been going fabulously and I'm incredibly proud of her. Between us, we came to an agreement and decided to offer you guys a free personal training session with Amy. No contract, no fees. Absolutely free.

All you have to do is email amp.precisionpersonaltraining@gmail.com and let her know that I sent you. From this, she will give you all of the details you'll need to know and arrange a date and time to suit you for your free session. You can also find Amy on Facebook, Twitter and check out her brand new website here.

Will you be taking this offer up? Happy personal training!
*I wasn't compensated for this at all. I'm just a sibling helping out my lovely sibling.

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HEALTH | Weightwatchers

Can you believe it's now 2014?! In just a few days, I'll be 21. It's crazy to think about! But with a New Year, comes New Years Resolutions and last year, mine was to lose weight. I decided to start Weightwatchers as it was working wonders (and still is!) for my grandmother. In no time whatsoever, I'd lost quite a bit of weight and I was feeling much better in myself. Granted now, I've put a bit of it back on (damn you Christmas) but again, I will taking to Weightwatchers to get the body I want for my holiday in July.

If, like me, you're wanting to get fitter and thinner, then the Simple Start Weightwatchers programme is probably for you. The reason I love the programme is because it's easy to follow. I'm not that clued up on food but luckily, the points system makes losing weight easier than breathing. Also, you can eat pretty much anything that you want - as long as you don't go over your daily and weekly points - simple! Last year, in just a month, I'd lost 16 pounds and felt more energetic, less tired and my skin improved massively. I'm excited to start my journey again. Offering either a Monthly Pass or an Online Subscription, there is bound to be a service that suits you.

Monthly Pass - unlimited meetings and digital tools

• Lowest weekly rate
• No registration fee
• Unlimited meetings and guidance from a Leader
• Access to mobile apps and digital tools (online community, 25,000 food options, 1,000 recipes)

Online Subscription

• Learn the Plan step by step with easy to follow guides
• Extensive set of interactive tools and apps
• Online community, mobile apps, 25,000 food options, 1,000 recipes

You can sign up to the Weightwatchers programme and view their prices here.

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HEALTH | Deep Heat & Giveaway

As a beauty addict, I'm someone who likes to look after my body (maybe not so much from the inside - I'm looking at you chocolate digestive biscuits! - but hey, I've recently started my diet again) and sometimes life means dealing with lots of mental and physical stress triggers. Bad posture, physical activity, crouching over a computer (guilty!) all take their toll on our bodies leaving us with tense and stressed muscles at the end of the day. I don't tend to get a lot of muscular tension so I passed these products over to my dad who is someone who works hard and then goes to the gym afterwards, meaning that his muscles (particularly his shoulders) are left aching at the end of the day.

Deep Heat Muscle Rescue Neck & Shoulder Cream* - £5.99

This cream heats up when applied to the body and uses a unique combination and vanilla and rosemary to help ease tension in stressed muscles. The applicator is a soft sponge which is supposed to facilitate massage and leave the hands cream-free. My dad absolutely loved this product and it's one that I always saw him applying to his shoulders. He said that the smell was pleasant, the cream was fast acting and the effect was long lasting. He said that it's something that he will repurchase time and time again. 

Deep Heat Muscle Rescue Bath Soak* - £5.49

This bath soak has been specially formulated to soothe and easy muscular tension. It contains key ingredients such as electrolyte minerals and essential oils of rosemary, patchouli and orange to give you a spa experience in your own home. This is the one product out of the two that I did try out myself - I absolutely love pamper time and soaking in the bath is one of my favourite past times. The fragrance of this bath soak was incredibly soothing. After bathing in this, my body felt completely relaxed and I had an extremely wonderful sleep the following night.

WIN A SET OF DEEP HEAT MUSCLE RESCUE NECK AND SHOULDER CREAM AND BATH SPA RELAXATION PRODUCTS

With its unique, herbal aroma that allows you to enjoy a spa-like experience, in the privacy of your own home, Deep Heat Muscle Rescue Neck and Shoulder Cream has been formulated with a combination of vanilla and rosemary to offer an everyday solution to tired, tense muscles. The convenient 50g portable pack has a soft sponge applicator providing a gentle massage when applied. Or immerse yourself into the Deep Heat Muscle Rescue Bath Soak. It contains electrolyte minerals and a unique combination of essential oils.

To celebrate Deep Heat Muscle Rescue, Mentholatum, the Deep Heat muscle experts, are offering three product sets to you guys. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you tried any Deep Heat products before? What products do you use to relax?

*PR Sample
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Weightwatchers Diet

One of my new years resolutions was to lose weight. Over Christmas I had been looking through old pictures and I realised that since school I've put on a lot of weight and I just wanted to lose it and feel comfortable with my body again. I'm not someone who's 100% clued up on nutrition. In fact, apart from my friend Laura (who has a blog on nutrition which you can find here), I know nothing about what's good for me and what's bad for me. Apart from the obvious like 5 a day etc. So I decided I would do the Weightwatchers diet because quite frankly, it's easy. I literally just buy their products and everything is on there for me with the points system. I now figure out if things are good or bad for me by looking into their points system which couldn't be easier. Also, my grandma has been on Weightwatchers for a few months now and she looks incredible, she's lost a lot of weight and it's been a complete success for her. Also, she helps me out with it a lot and if I have any questions I can count on her to answer them for me.

I've been on the diet for one month now. The first week was a success; I managed to lose 7 pounds and to be honest, I don't know how I did it as it was my birthday week and the first week back at university which meant a lot of alcohol and drinking. But I did. I think the diet is easy to follow and it fills me up a lot. In fact, on some days I've had to eat when I haven't been hungry just to make my points up which is great! My original problem wasn't eating too much... it was simply eating the wrong things so Weightwatchers has helped with that a lot and now, my cupboards, freezer and fridge are all stocked up with Weightwatchers products. The products themselves are delicious. I think their meals are lovely and while the portion sizes are smaller than I'm used to, the flavour makes up for that and they're really delicious products. Another great thing about Weightwatchers is that you don't have to cut out your treats. I still eat cakes and crisps and yoghurt's.  I just eat the Weightwatchers ones and make sure that I don't go over my points allowance. One of their star products for me is their sausages. They taste even better than usual sausages and they're only one point each! I find myself having two sausage sandwiches for a midday snack and it only counts as 4 of my daily points.

I didn't know if this was something that I wanted to write about on my blog but since starting the diet, I've really enjoyed it and it's something that I'd like to keep track of. It's also, I believe, a great way to motivate others who are trying to lose weight and be healthier. So far I've managed to lose 16 pounds. Which is a huge achievement for me and although I can't notice a difference in my body, I feel better, more energetic, less tired and my skin is improving. 

Are you currently on a diet? If so, what diet plan are you following?

xxx
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NEW PRODUCT: Blistex Cold Sore Cream

It's no secret that I love Blistex. Their product range is absolutely incredible and my favourite lip health products come from them. I've wrote a lot about the brand before and you can see all my reviews/times I've mentioned Blistex here. Blistex have recently launched a revolutionary Cold Sore Cream. Fortunately, I don't suffer with cold sores but I wanted to feature the cream on my blog anyway because I know what a pain they can be.

Docosanol is the unique active ingredient in the Blistex Cold Sore Cream and it's already the number 1 selling cold sore treatment in the US and for the first time, Blistex have brought it to the UK! It works differently to every other cold sore treatment on the market as it helps to block the spread of the virus when applied so you can carry on with life as normal.
"Published scientific journal reports (4) have shown that docosanol starts working earlier in the cold sore cycle than other active ingredients by forming a barrier around the cell whihc stops the virus from entering in the first place. Current treatments on the market contain anti-virals such as aciclovir and penciclovir, which only start to work once the cold sore has entered the healthy cells."
4 - Haremburg et al. Acta Derm Venereol 2010; 90: 122-130; Sacks et al. J Am Acad Dermatol 2001;45 (2): 222-230; Habbema et al. Acta Derm Venereol 1996; 479-481.

So busy lifestyles make it hard to sufferers to avoid the triggers of a cold sore such as stress, tiredness, ill health and poor diet. But the new cream offers a powerful new way to fight back against the virus while also moisturising and protecting the lips all year round.
The new Cold Sore Cream is available now and it retails for £6.99. You can find out more here and buy it from Tesco, Superdrug, Sainsbury's, Asda, Boots and Morrisons over the counter.
xxx