Usually, we look to Black Friday for a brand’s biggest sale of the year but Lush does things differently. On Black Friday, the retailer rolls out new products as part of the Green Friday campaign. The UK-based company’s big sale is on Boxing Day instead, which starts the day after Christmas. Lush’s Boxing Day sale for 2020 is its only big sale of the year and trust us—it’s worth the wait. 

Get 50 percent off on selected items (look for the items with the ’50 percent off’ tag online or in-store). As products fly off the shelves—and virtual shelves—Lush will continue to restock so you’ll want to check back. Holiday products and gift sets are included in the half-off sale, of course, as well as non-seasonal items like soap, shower goodies, fragrance, skincare and haircare.

Need some last-minute gifts? Here’s your chance to grab them at a discount. But don’t forget to pick up some self-care items for yourself, too. The holidays might look a little different this year but that doesn’t mean you can’t have your own celebration.

The Lush Boxing Day sale starts on December 26. Check out a few must-haves, below.

Lush.

Show Showers Gift Set

Be set with shower gel for the year, with yummy Sleepy, Yog Nog and Roasting Chestnuts on an Open Fire scents.

Lush.

Veganese Conditioner

This lightweight vegan conditioner is perfect for anyone with fine hair, including curls.

Lush.

Clean & Calm Hand Care Kit

Get your dry hands in check with hydrating 13 Soap Unlucky For Dirt and Sleepy soap, Dream Cream lotion, Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter and Tiny Hands Hands Serum.

Lush.

Jingle Bells Bath Bomb

This festive bath bomb has a gentle orange-patchouli scent.

Lush.

Once Upon a Time Body Lotion

Hydrate your body with murumuru butter and jojoba oil.

Noticing varicose veins in the mirror can be upsetting for some. While they aren’t exactly the most welcome companion, there’s often a way to deal with them so you can feel more confident. But what are varicose veins and how can you manage them?

Varicose veins are veins that are swollen and enlarged. They’re most commonly seen in the legs and feet and are usually dark blue or purple in colour, with a bumpy or bulging appearance. Often, they don’t do any harm other than being an unwelcome physical appearance.

However, if you start to notice that your legs feel heavy and uncomfortable, then varicose veins could be the culprit. Other common symptoms include swollen feet and ankles, muscle cramps, dry skin around the veins, and throbbing in the legs.

Depending on the symptoms and discomfort levels, varicose veins don’t always require treatment. What’s more, there’s a range of easy ways to manage them at home. Below, I’ve outlined seven great techniques and tips for managing varicose veins that you can try today.

Compression Stockings

One of the main causes of varicose veins is the inability of the valves to keep the blood flowing in one direction. My first varicose veins management tip – compression stockings. They are designed to tackle this problem.

A popular option amongst athletes, compression stockings are designed to stimulate blood circulation. They’re essentially tight-fitting socks and will apply slight pressure to your legs that will help to improve blood flow.

These have been shown to be great counters to varicose veins. In fact, a 2018 study found that the usage of knee-high compression stockings for one week resulted in a significant reduction in pain and aching in the legs. They are also great if your legs tend to swell over the course of the day.

Compression stockings are relatively inexpensive and can be bought from most pharmacies or online stores. They can be really discreet too, with skin colour options available, as well as a range of different shades and designs.

Regular Exercise

One of the best ways to manage varicose veins is through regular exercise. This may feel painful at first, but stick with it, because regular activities can really help in the long run. Similarly to compression stockings, exercise helps to stimulate blood flow and stop build-up in the veins.

Start with some gentle warm-ups and stretches to strengthen the muscles in your legs, as these can start to simulate circulation. Moving onto gentle physical activities like walking or yoga is a good next step.

Once you feel more comfortable, more aerobic-driven activities such as cycling, swimming, and running are great options.

In fact, since swimming puts you in a horizontal position, this means that your legs are at the same level as your heart. As a result, blood flow tends to increase, in turn helping to tackle the varicose veins.

I’d recommend trying to have a regular schedule for this so that these exercises are something that become part of your daily routine. It’s worth discussing this in more detail with your doctor though, as they’ll be able to provide you with more specific suggestions to fit your individual situation.

It’s also important to note that strenuous physical activity may not be recommended if you’ve already undergone a treatment such as laser treatment for varicose veins. If this is the case, consult with your doctor who’ll be able to give you some advice on what could work for you.

Keep Moving

One of the most important things you can do to manage varicose veins is to ensure that you’re moving regularly. Sitting still for prolonged periods will limit the blood flow in your legs and may cause blood pooling.

This is especially important if you have a family history of varicose veins, as this may make you more susceptible to developing the condition.

This movement doesn’t have to be strenuous aerobic exercise every hour though! Simply standing up and walking around the house or the office can be enough to get the circulation flowing sufficiently again.

Try setting timers yourself – at least every hour – on your phone or computer that remind you to stand up and stretch your legs. This will help to get you into the habit of regular movement, thus avoiding those long periods of prolonged sitting.

Put Your Feet Up

An easy way to manage varicose veins and ease blood flow is to keep your legs elevated and put your feet up. Feet elevation – ideally at the same level as your heart – can help to generate circulation through both your feet and your legs.

Keeping your legs raised can help to ease any pain, achiness, or swelling caused by varicose veins. This is especially important if you’re someone who spends a lot of the day sitting down at work.

Getting into the habit of putting your feet up when you get home for the day can really help to tackle varicose veins.

Maintaining a Healthy Weight and Diet

When managing varicose veins, it’s really important to try and keep your weight and diet healthy. Being overweight can put added pressure on the veins in your legs which can restrict the blood flow.

Although losing a bit of weight won’t completely get rid of varicose veins, it can help to ease the pressure on them and reduce any pain, swelling, or achiness.

When it comes to dietary changes, try to avoid salty and sodium-rich foods as much as you can. A high intake of salt can lead to increased water retention which in turn puts extra pressure and weight on the veins.

To bring down water retention levels, you can increase your intake of foods that contain high levels of potassium. Some great options include almonds, lentils, potatoes, salmon, tuna, and white beans.

Ditch the High Heels

Another lifestyle adjustment that can really help in the battle against varicose veins is making sure that you always wear good quality, flat shoes.

High heels have been shown to contribute towards the development of varicose veins and so ditching these can help to stop the problem before it starts. If you’re already suffering from varicose veins, then wearing high heels can worsen the situation.

I would suggest trying out flat shoes that offer good cushioning for the arch of your foot, as well as good support for your ankles. Wearing these proper shoes everyday will help to ease the pressure on your veins and increase the circulation.

Go for a Massage

Going for a relaxing massage can actually help to manage varicose veins. Having someone gently massage your legs can help to re-distribute the blood and increase circulation. However, there are some really important points to bear in mind here.

When massaging legs with varicose veins, it’s vital not to press too hard or directly on the veins themselves as this can damage fragile tissues.

If this is an option that you’d like to try, I’d recommend first speaking to your doctor who may be able to recommend a trained specialist for you. This will help to ensure that your massage is carried out safely and reduce the risk of damaging any fragile tissues.

Are you suffering from varicose veins? When did the problem start? How are you managing it? What are you doing to alleviate the pain and discomfort? Please share with all of our community!

Twice a year, Bath & Body Works pulls out all the stops and discounts holiday and everyday favorites up to 75 percent off, which new discounts throughout the week. The Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual sale for holiday 2020 is no different—actually, it might be even better. We’ve got the details on all the goods so you can game-plan your shopping trip.

Of course, deals will be online as well as in-store so if you feel safer shopping from your couch, you can still stock up on Bath & Body Works favorites. Now’s the chance to score the beloved holiday fragrances before they’re gone (until next year), as well as throwbacks including Secret Wonderland, Honeysuckle and Sensual Amber brought back just for this sale. Christmas body care will be just $4.95 and select Christmas 3-Wick Candles will be $11.95.

Source: Instagram

For the best of the best deals, you’ll want to dig for those 75 percent off products. These include body care, candles, hand soaps and tons of non-holiday items you’ll want to use all-year round. You’ll even be able to find some best-selling fall body scare scents and ones you haven’t smelled for months. It’s basically like a rummage sale where you never know exactly what you’ll find.

The sale begins Saturday, December 26. If you’re shopping in store, don’t forget your face mask and hand sanitizer and maybe even consider going on off hours to avoid the crowds. Or, there’s always delivery! As much as we want to shop and treat ourselves this year (we deserve it), we also have to stay safe too. Set your iCal and get ready to get your haul on. Then, have big New Year zoom with friends to share exactly what you got.

For millions of Americans, taking statins – medications like Lipitor and Crestor – to lower cholesterol has become the norm. However, these drugs, while they work, can come with significant side effects.

Although most people tolerate the medications just fine, statins can cause body achiness, brain fog, liver function abnormalities and even increase the risk of diabetes. Plus, they don’t address why your cholesterol is high in the first place.

Luckily, there is another way to lower your cholesterol – without the side effects. Decreasing your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels can be accomplished with a nutritious and balanced diet.

Since all or part of cholesterol abnormalities can be traced back to the foods we eat, making better food choices must be part of the management plan – regardless of whether you already take statins or not.

The effects of a healthy diet can be profound. For example, switching to an entirely vegan diet high in fiber, healthy fats, antioxidants and plant sterols has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol by 30% – in just 2 weeks! That’s a statin-level cholesterol response.

Now, switching over to a highly regimented vegan diet might not be realistic, but you can still benefit from a few simple modifications.

Here are five foods that are easy to add in and can help lower your cholesterol naturally:

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is full of soluble fiber. This type of fiber binds cholesterol in the digestive system, preventing its absorption. The net effect is lower LDL levels and lower heart disease risk.

Nuts

Nuts not only contain fiber, but also contain the good fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, which help lower triglyceride levels, increase HDL (good) cholesterol, and help lower LDL.

In addition, nuts have positive effects on blood vessel function, and regular nut consumption is associated with a markedly lower risk of dying from heart disease.

Foods That Contain Plant Sterols

Plant sterols are substances that are naturally found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Plant sterols block cholesterol absorption in the intestines, helping to keep your LDL levels low. In fact, getting just two grams of plant sterols, a day can lower your LDL levels by about 10%.

Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate contains flavonoids and antioxidants, which help reduce the toxicity of any LDL that is around. For LDL to be incorporated into blood vessel walls, it has to be oxidized first. Having lots of antioxidants around reduces that likelihood.

Oleic acid, a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat that is found in olive oil, is also found in dark chocolate and helps lower cholesterol, too. A few important points: milk chocolate does not have the same effects. You should be looking for at least 70% cacao content chocolate.

And if you’re including dark chocolate in your diet to lower your cholesterol, make sure you don’t overdo it. Just 1 ounce a day is all you need to make an impact on your cholesterol.

Red Wine

No, it’s not food, but red wine can help improve your cholesterol profile. Red wine contains resveratrol, a substance found in red grape skin, which helps lower LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of blood clots.

Regular alcohol consumption has also been shown to raise HDL. However, much like with dark chocolate, you don’t need much to see a benefit and overdoing it can be counterproductive. Just one serving of wine – that’s 5 ounces – is all you need.

In Conclusion

You don’t have to rely solely on medications to lower your cholesterol – nor should you. A nutritious and balanced diet that is rich in whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables, which all contain fiber, antioxidants, healthy fats and plant sterols, can help decrease your LDL levels.

To see even greater results in lowering your cholesterol, incorporate regular exercise into your routine. Exercise is not only great for lowering your cholesterol – it also plays a central role in keeping your heart healthy.

If you are using food to lower your cholesterol, you should approach your efforts just as if you were using a medication.

‘Take’ your cholesterol lowering foods every day. And follow-up with blood tests to measure how your efforts are working. Even small dietary changes can yield objective cholesterol improvements in as little as 30 days.

Are you on medications to lower your cholesterol? Would you be willing to try to lower your cholesterol naturally? If you’re hesitant to try things the natural way, why? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Twice a year, Bath & Body Works pulls out all the stops and discounts holiday and everyday favorites up to 75 percent off, which new discounts throughout the week. The Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual sale for holiday 2020 is no different—actually, it might be even better. We’ve got the details on all the goods so you can game-plan your shopping trip.

Of course, deals will be online as well as in-store so if you feel safer shopping from your couch, you can still stock up on Bath & Body Works favorites. Now’s the chance to score the beloved holiday fragrances before they’re gone (until next year), as well as throwbacks including Secret Wonderland, Honeysuckle and Sensual Amber brought back just for this sale. Christmas body care will be just $4.95 and select Christmas 3-Wick Candles will be $11.95.

Source: Instagram

For the best of the best deals, you’ll want to dig for those 75 percent off products. These include body care, candles, hand soaps and tons of non-holiday items you’ll want to use all-year round. You’ll even be able to find some best-selling fall body scare scents and ones you haven’t smelled for months. It’s basically like a rummage sale where you never know exactly what you’ll find.

The sale begins Saturday, December 26. If you’re shopping in store, don’t forget your face mask and hand sanitizer and maybe even consider going on off hours to avoid the crowds. Or, there’s always delivery! As much as we want to shop and treat ourselves this year (we deserve it), we also have to stay safe too. Set your iCal and get ready to get your haul on. Then, have big New Year zoom with friends to share exactly what you got.