January is always a “blah” month, wellbeing experts say. The holiday letdown, the extra weight accumulated during Christmas, the dark evenings and cold days, the New Year resolutions that we weren’t able to keep, they all lead to low moods.

This year, we were lucky enough to be sent a number of health products to review, all aiming to give us more energy, keep us in good form and combat those January blues.

We have been avid consumers of vitamin C since we travelled to New York a few years back and we were told by a friend and expert in alternative medicine to “abuse” the use of vitamin C before and  after our long flights. “One every hour, on the hour” proved to be precious advice and kept us energised and virus-free. So when I was asked to review the new Californian vitamin mix drink Emergen-C , I jumped at the opportunity.

We were generously sent a mixture of the Super Orange and the Juicy Strawberry effervescent drinks which I put to use almost straight away since I was suffering from a nasty cold.

The press release that accompanied the products sounded extremely promising, with distinct American-style slogans, like “hit sensation”, “making you feel like walking on sunshine” and “loveable personality.”

What did I think of it (and, most importantly, have I seen the benefits of using Emergen-C?):

1. I certainly enjoyed the taste, like the press release had promised. We usually don’t prioritise on taste when buying vitamins but if you have an older child who can’t take tablets (like my Emma) or refuses to drink anything unsweetened, this is the answer for you.

2. I felt better after taking them for a couple of days and my cold eased significantly. Do I put this down to the “impressive mix of 15 key nutrients”? I can’t be 100% but I would say they did no harm, for sure.

3. Price-wise, they compete honorably with similar brand products: a pack of 16 sachets sells between £3.79-£3.99 online, in all health stores and main supermarkets, like Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

All in all, pleasant taste, fair price and most importantly, a lift in the mood and easing of cold symptoms.

The second product we were asked to review this January was the very popular at the moment  Kiss Me Organics Matcha Green Tea Powder.

Promising “all day energy with increase focus”, “a metabolism boost”, “137x the antioxidants of brewed green tea” and “improved skin health” the Matcha sounded very appealing to me after a month of overindulging and subsequent skin issues and energy slumps.

I decided to go for the culinary grade one, as I wanted to be able to add it into our baking and our smoothies in the morning.

Both Alex and I loved the subtle taste and flavour it adds to our smoothies. We use it regularly now but we are yet to try it in coffee, as an additional energy boost or in our baking, as flavour.

Would I recommend the Matcha, which retails on Amazon at £18.00 per 113 gram bag as a “cure it all” panacea?

Unlikely.

Would I recommend it as a pleasant powder that can be added to your drinks and baking with the scope of improving the taste?

Most certainly.

A third review product, the last but definitely not the least in my list of favourites is the Dragonfly Tea.

This is not the first time I have tried the beautiful Dragonfly Tea. Back in August, shortly after Georgie’s death, I found anything dragonfly very meaningful. The Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice had a dragonfly wall in front of their chapel, a precious set of images aimed to help siblings understand death at an early age. So when I went one day on Instagram and saw someone’s picture of their Dragonfly tea, I knew I had to have some. To remind me of my own beautiful and precious little Dragonfly.

Why do I love the product?

1. “Dragonflies are symbols of purity, vitality and harmony the world over. They love sunlight and clear fresh water. We believe that these qualities are essential for a truly great cup…” Good philosophy, excellently observed in the quality and the variety of teas provided by the company.

2. Excellent prices, most 20 tea bag boxes sell for £2.00 on the website.

3. An amazing variety, bound to satisfy any taste and preference. I love them all equally, the discovery teas, the rooibos varieties, the herbal and the black.

4. The individual touches. I love, love, love the little individual tags that each tea bag comes with. It is an extra pleasure, added to an already excellent brew:

Would I recommend the tea and the company?

Most definitely! The delivery is prompt, the prices are more than fair and the tea is beautiful!

What have you been trying this month, to keep those blues at bay?