So even if your little guests have been a bit picky about the crunchy organic carrot sticks and the gluten free tuna whirl sandwiches, you can still make them all smile with healthy alternative party goody bags that don’t have to be full of sugar but don’t break the bank!
Glow bracelets, stickers, balloons and other novelty toys are all available from good Children’s party supplies shops and websites. You can buy batches of pre-filled fun bags to make life even easier or opt for empty bags and pick your own contents from a vast selection that won’t ruin anyone’s teeth or cause childhood obesity.

The carton may say that there is no added sugar, and it may claim to constitute 1 of your 5 a day (for 250ml) but is it actually the super food that we want it to be.

When fruit is juiced it loses the fibre that gives it so much of it’s nutritional value. Some of the other vital nutrients found in whole fruit are lost during the juicing process. While they are low in fat certainly, and are a healthier alternative to full sugar cola or other fizzy drinks, smoothies actually contain vast amounts of natural sugar.

A single 250ml serving of smoothie can contian 32.5% of your recommended daily allowance of sugar.This high level of sugar together with the naturally acidic nature of fruit juice is also likely to cause damage to dental enamel when consumed over a long period of time.

The number of calories in a smoothie is very high. Many have added yoghurt and some even have peanut butter or CHOCOLATE!

The bottom line is that if you really want all the benefits of fruit in a convenient package that is easy to carry around and tastes great - eat a banana!

So your partner has a diagnosis. Do you feel relieved? Frightened? Guilty? There are lots of emotions associated with finding out that a loved one has Bipolar. Remember that you couldn’t have seen it coming. You are NOT a qualified psychiatrist. Often you can be too close to a problem to see that the cause could be anything other than unreasonable behaviour and awkwardness. Now you know that there is an underlying medical condition that is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain.

You can’t FIX someone who has Bipolar because they are not broken. There is no elastoplast, or special ointment that will clear it all up. It’s not like fixing a car with a spare part. This is a condition that requires management.

Love and understanding are your most valuable tools.

People with Bipolar tend to be very talkative or very introverted. There aren’t often any in betweens. You’ll have to be a good listener. Either listen to your partners’ chatter (attentively) or listen to their silence. Filling the silent void with talk will not penetrate their mood in most cases.

You should also ‘listen’ to body language. If your partner’s body language isdefensive and says ‘leave me be’ or ’stay away’ then pay attention. Pushing things at this point is, at best, not going to have a positive or productive outcome. At worst you will get your head bitten off.

The mania associated with Bipolar disorder is not just about a euphoric high that leaves the sufferer in a dizzy spin, free falling towards a crash. It also manifests as rage. If your partner is in a manic rage it is important that you do not take it personally. The rage will leave them out of control and this means things will be said that aren’t meant necessarily.

Often Bipolar people will have specific triggers that set off episodes of mania or depression. It will be trying and emotionally exhausting but you should try to identify those triggers together. A mood diary kept together can be a great way to spot whether these triggers are actions, words, music, even food or smells.

Bipolar people experience inappropriate emotional responses to situations that you would not think twice about. This may lead to obsessive behaviour which you are likely to find emotionally, and often physically, exhausting. Just think about how draining this must be for your partner, who has the disorder, and who has no control over this.

On the subject of exhaustion….

A person with Bipolar will often be completely exhausted only a couple of hours after waking up. But they have to keep on going.

Just raising the energy to get out of bed, eat, or wash can be too much sometimes.

Don’t push them too hard by nagging, but you should feel able to make gentle suggestions or remind your partner that they need to look after themselves.

It is heartbreaking, but if your partner is sad, let them cry. Let them ride out the storm of weeping and sobbing for as long as it takes. It is actually quite cathartic. They may seem very small when they are in this state and your overwhelming urge may be to go to them and hold them and comfort them. This may or may not be welcome. Ask before you do so. Sometimes if you smother their tears you prevent them from releasing the emotion that they need to vent.

Cathartic crying like this is actually a positive alternative to more destructive methods of emotional release that bipolars may devise such as self harming, cutting or even suicide.

I am not saying that following this advice is foolproof. I have 2 (pre-diagnosis) divorces to prove that not everyone can live with someone with a mental illness. So you have to be honest. Brutally honest with yourself. If you can’t stay in the marriage or partnership then leave. Do it quickly and don’t drag things out. The longer you draw things out to save their feelings then the more you will hurt them in the long run.

According to the latest research, 2 cans of fizzy drink per day can actually cause long term liver damage. In fact the damage can be so severe that it could lead to you needing a transplant in later life!

Scarier still is that researchers are also extending the warning to cover many fruit juices too. It seems that water is the only way to go.

The damage to the liver is caused by the high levels of sugar in both fizzy drinks and fruit juices. It has been blamed for a condition known as fatty liver disease.

1 litre per day made up of carbonated non-diet drinks and fruit juices are now 5 times more likely to develop this condition.

Fatty Liver Disease is even caused by just drinking as little as 2 cans of fizzy drink a day.

Other associated health risks are diabetes and heart damage.

The science behind these claims is that there is a chemical called fructose in both fizzy drinks and in fruit juice that is very easily absorbed by the liver. Fructose has no effect on the production of insulin and as it goes straight into the liver, it is turned quickly into fat.

The research, carried out in Israel, was inconclusive when it came to diet or ’sugar free’ drinks that are full of artificial sweeteners. However, the researchers are convinced that the effects will be very similar.

Gemstones reflect light and they interact with light and a lightbox is a vessel which helps to direct the light.

Choose a flat crystal, possible red for energy, yellow for relaxing, green is calming and violet is a colour which creates mystery.

The flat crystal of your choice should be long enough cover the box. A clear crystal with a coloured bulb placed under it will send filters of light across the room.

Note: a clear quartz crystal which as a base that looks milky cloudy are the best crystals to work with.

If you have a crystal with a fracture or a rainbow in the middle shows up well on the top of a lightbox.

Moss agate is another crystal which is popular and lights up magnificently.

Note: if you are just starting to collect crystals there are so many to choose from. Always choose the crystal which attract you, in effect crystals like to choose their owners.

Do your research and choose from a stockist of good quality crystals.

If you have any doubts consult a crystal therapist.