Should Kids Really Stop Drinking Slushies? Here’s What A GP Says

Posted on 14/03/2025 by Boris Clair

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) say that children under the age of five should steer clear of “slush”-style ice drinks and under-11s should have no more than one slushie.

This is because its sweetener, glycerol, has the “potential to cause side-effects such as headaches and sickness, particularly when consumed in excess,” the FSA says.

But recently, researchers have said that kids under eight should avoid the cooling treat too.

A study published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood looked at 21 cases of children who ended up in A&E within an hour or so of drinking slushies.

It found that, especially when children drink slushies quickly, it can lead “glycerol intoxication syndrome” (which can cause unconsciousness and even seizures).

As a result, the paper recommended: “younger children, especially those under 8 years of age, should avoid slush ice drinks containing glycerol.”

But if the ingredient can be so dangerous, should any of us drink it? We spoke to Dr Olalekan Otulana, a GP at Ocean Recovery and Cassiobury Court, about how the information should inform slushie lovers and parents alike.

The GP agrees that children under eight should steer clear of the drink

“The advice to keep children under eight away from slushies containing glycerol is reasonable,” the doctor told us.

After all, the ingredient isn’t just a problem at A&E-visit-causing levels; milder cases of glycerol “intoxication” can still lead to nausea, headaches, and vomiting.

“However if you are extending [the advice] further to all age groups this may not be necessary,” Dr Otulana continued.

“Older children and adults are less likely to experience harmful effects unless they are consuming excessive amounts quickly. It is commonly used in food and is generally safe in small quantities.”

Indeed the FSA write that “glycerol is generally of low toxicity”, though they acknowledge “concerns about the effect on young children when large quantities are consumed over a short period of time.”

Still, the researchers of the recent paper say that because most customers have no idea how much glycerol is in a given slushie ― and because children’s weight and health differs so much ― “estimating a safe dose is… not easy.”

So, while Dr Otulana says most older children and adults are likely alright to enjoy “occasional consumption” of slushies, he warns against “drinking it in high amounts”.

Is the FSA thinking of changing its guidelines about slushies?

The FSA’s director of policy, Rebecca Sudworth, says the agency is “carefully” reviewing the new information.

“We continue to strongly encourage parents to follow [the current] advice which is that slushie drinks should not be given to children under four years old. Retailers are also advised to make parents fully aware of this guidance,” she said.

“While the symptoms of glycerol intoxication are usually mild, it is important that parents are aware of the risks ― particularly at high levels of consumption.”

I’m A Doctor — Focusing Too Much On Your Protein Intake Is Putting Your Health At Risk

Posted on 08/03/2025 by Boris Clair

In his latest newsletter, NHS Surgeon and TikTok creator Dr Karan Rajan reveals that back in 2018, he was doing pretty significant damage to his gut health without even realising it.

He says: “My Indian ancestors were spiritually shaking their heads at me, because despite coming from a lineage of fibre-laden dal, lentils, and spice-rich cuisine, my diet at the time contained about as much fibre as a wet paper towel.

“You could almost hear the garam masala, coriander, and cumin seeds collectively sighing in disappointment every time I ate yet another low-fibre, protein-heavy meal.”

However, his gut health seemed fine. He was regularly passing stools, still very active and, in his words, “Nothing about my daily life screamed -you are a fibre-deficient failure.”

However, his blood tests said otherwise

While the routine blood tests he undertook didn’t suggest that a heart attack was imminent, Dr Rajan did experience a bit of a shock to the system when they revealed that his health wasn’t quite where it should be.

He explains: “let’s just say certain fractions of my cholesterol were slightly higher than they should have been. My triglycerides were creeping up, whispering ominous things about my future and the overall pattern wasn’t what you’d expect from a “healthy” young person.”

Initially, it didn’t make sense to the doctor. He didn’t eat fast food, he regularly exercised and his diet appeared to be overall pretty good.

Then, he explained, “it hit me…I had completely neglected one of the most powerful metabolic regulators: fibre.”

Fibre: essential for more than just bowel movements

Dr Rajan says: “Most people think of fibre as nature’s plumbing assistant; helpful for keeping you regular, preventing constipation, and producing structurally sound poops.

“But fibre is a metabolic heavyweight.”

He explains that some of the benefits of fibre include:

Cholesterol regulation: “It reduces cholesterol reabsorption, meaning less circulates in the blood, keeping arteries unclogged”
Blood glucose control: ”High-fibre diets have been linked to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes… and if you already have diabetes, fibre can blunt those glucose swings”
Cognitive & neurological benefits: Emerging research suggests fibre indirectly supports brain health by feeding gut bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs reduce neuroinflammation, improve the gut-brain axis, and may even protect against cognitive decline
Microbiome & liver function: ”A fibre-rich diet lowers systemic inflammation, reducing fatty liver disease risk and keeping gut-derived endotoxins from overwhelming the liver”

The UK Government also urges that we should eat more fibre

On their website, The British Nutrition Foundation warns: “Adults in the UK are not consuming enough fibre. On average, we consume about 20g per day rather than the recommended 30g.”

The UK Government also urges that eating more fibre can reduce your risk of bowel cancer, adding: “Fibre is an important part of a healthy diet as it aids digestion, prevents constipation and helps to reduce your risk of bowel cancer. Foods like wholegrain cereals, wholewheat pasta, oats, beans, chickpeas, and lentils are all sources of fibre.”

How to add more fibre to your diet

The NHS recommends the following steps:

Choose a higher-fibre breakfast cereal such as plain wholewheat biscuits (like Weetabix) or plain shredded whole grain (like Shredded wheat), or porridge as oats are also a good source of fibre.
Go for wholemeal or granary breads, or higher fibre white bread, and choose wholegrains like wholewheat pasta, bulgur wheat or brown rice
Go for potatoes with their skins on, such as a baked potato or boiled new potatoes. Find out more about starchy foods and carbohydrates.
Add pulses like beans, lentils or chickpeas to stews, curries and salads.
Include plenty of vegetables with meals, either as a side dish or added to sauces, stews or curries
Have some fresh or dried fruit, or fruit canned in natural juice for dessert. Because dried fruit is sticky, it can increase the risk of tooth decay, so it’s better if it is only eaten as part of a meal, rather than as a between-meal snack
For snacks, try fresh fruit, vegetable sticks, rye crackers, oatcakes and unsalted nuts or seeds

Mary Berry’s No-Bake Banoffee Pie Recipe Is So Simple That I’ll Never Make It Another Way

Posted on 27/02/2025 by Boris Clair

Sometimes, you get hit with a very specific craving. For a while there, I had a hankering for sour cream and chive pretzels. No idea why — it’s not like they’re something that I have often.

Now, though, now I am craving the delectable, moreish joys of a banoffee pie. Sweet, soft, and with a lovely silky finish to it… I actually can’t think of anything I want more in this moment.

Thankfully, I don’t need to wait too long to tuck into this coveted dessert as the cake queen herself Mary Berry has a banoffee pie recipe that is so simple that it doesn’t even require baking.

Marry Berry’s banoffee pie recipe

As featured on her BBC One series Classic Mary Berry, this recipe requires:

around 10 digestive biscuits
butter
muscovado sugar
condensed milk
vanilla extract
double cream
bananas
dark chocolate or cocoa powder

Additionally, she advises, if you’d like to make a salted caramel version, you only need a teaspoon of sea salt. Yum.

The base can be made up to a day in advance and to make it, Mary advises doing the following: “Crush the biscuits to fine crumbs and melt the butter over a low heat.

“Pour both into a bowl and mix to combine. Spoon into the base of the tin and press down with the back of a spoon until level. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes

The banana and cream should be made on the day and left for around an hour to set in the fridge.

The toffee is the only really tricky part of the recipe, requiring precision and focus. For that, you heat butter and sugar together and stir over a low heat until combined. Then you add the condensed milk and bring to the boil, stirring for a few minutes.

However, if you over-boil it, it will become grainy and more like fudge, which is not the vibe.

If you’re also ready to treat yourself to this delicious pie, you can view the full recipe here.

I Visited Dublin’s Guinness Storehouse And Learned The Iconic Stout Isn’t Actually Black

Posted on 24/02/2025 by Boris Clair

Guinness is having a renaissance right now in the UK. We’ve drunk our supply dry in recent months, you can’t have a pint in peace without being challenged to ‘split the G’ (getting half-way down the logo in one gulp) and there is now such a thing as ‘Guinn-fluencers’. Kim Kardashian, Paul Mescal and even the Royals have been spotted drinking a pint of the good stuff in 2024.

Talking of the drink’s surge in popularity in 2024, Diageo (who own Guinness) said: “This year, Guinness has continued to build on its legacy as a brand that celebrates quality, creativity, and connection. Its popularity has grown as part of a broader strategy that leverages its rich heritage while embracing fresh opportunities.”

Well, it’s certainly working.

Naturally, when Diageo asked if I wanted to come and visit Dublin to see where the pint of the moment is made at The Guinness Storehouse, it was the easiest yes I’ve had in a while – because where better to go than when Scotland has run out of Guinness than the home of it.

The Guinness Storehouse is a seriously jam-packed affair – it contains seven floors of sights, sounds and sensations in a building that has been brewing beer for over 250 years. Fortunately, it’s not going to stop anytime soon as Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease on the building all the way back in 1759, which you can see for yourself at the very start of the 90 minute self-guided tour.

The experience has welcomed a whopping 25 million visitors through its doors since 2000 (with 1.65 million visitors in 2024) and takes you on an immersive experience from grain to glass (with pints of the good stuff along the way).

We first learnt everything there is to know about how Guinness is brewed and were knocked for six at the fact that it… isn’t black.

Yup, its colour primarily comes from the roasted barley. When barley grains are roasted, they develop a deep, dark hue, which then gets transferred to the beer during brewing. And though we often perceive Guinness as being black, under light, you can see that it has a ruby-red tint.

The next stage is a gallery of iconic Guinness advertisements that have become pillars of Irish culture throughout the globe, followed by a guided tasting (can confirm, I like Guinness).

If you’re feeling peckish (or suddenly feel the need to reline your stomach), there are also several eateries dotted across the seven floors – unsurprisingly, Guinness is a key factor in the ingredients list. Since its opening, the Storehouse has seen 39,000 Oysters shucked, 58,000 slices of Guinness brown bread served and 32,000 Guinness & beef stews sold in 2024.

I skipped learning how to pour a pint of Guinness (in a bid to avoid painful flashbacks to my student bartending days) – but know a perfect pour is not easily achieved. The pouring process SHOULD take approximately 119.5 seconds, something the bartenders of the rooftop bar of the Storehouse have down to a fine art (no shock given that they served over 1.5 million pints of Guinness and Guinness 0.0 in 2024).

The best bit? Your pint with the best views of Dublin comes with your entrance ticket.

For those who want to learn even more on their visit, book onto the new ’Home Of Guinness Tour’ – a fully guided journey through the seven floors of the Guinness Storehouse, learning to pour your own pint in our Guinness Academy along the way, and finishing your tour with a pint of Guinness or Guinness 0.0 at the Gravity bar.

It’s no wonder that The Guinness Storehouse is Dublin’s most popular tourist attraction.

This year, the Guinness Storehouse is set to write a bold new chapter in its extraordinary journey, through Alive in 25, an exciting year-long campaign that sets to celebrate even more cultural events and community initiatives in honour of the Storehouse’s 25th anniversary. Be the first to know about upcoming events and experiences at the Guinness Storehouse in 2025. Follow @homeofguinness #Alivein25 and visit www.guinness-storehouse.com.

Want To Bake But You’re Out Of Eggs? Only 1 Tablespoon Of This Simple Egg Substitute Packs Extra Fibre

Posted on 20/02/2025 by Boris Clair

There is something just so lovely about spending a Sunday baking up a storm in the kitchen. Radio on, pyjamas on, cup of coffee to keep you going and suddenly you realise – you don’t have any eggs in!

Momentum is falling. There’s no way you’re putting on proper clothes today. No way you’re heading to the shops. Yuck.

We’ve all been there, right?

Well, it turns out that there is an egg substitute that you can use and actually, you don’t need to go to a specialist shop for it. You probably don’t even need to go further than your kitchen cupboards.

A simple egg substitute that takes no time to prepare

This magic ingredient is in fact chia seeds!

Yes, the seeds you swear by for smoothies and protein muffins are actually perfect in place of eggs in case of emergencies or intolerances and preparing them is very simple, too.

The baking experts at Minimalist Baker recommend creating ‘chia eggs’ by mixing 1 Tbsp chia seeds + 2.5 Tbsp water and urge that these can be used in all kinds of baking!

Minimalist Baker also adds that this is actually possible with flaxseeds, too, and is a perfect hack for anybody looking to get into vegan baking.

Health benefits of chia seeds

According to Harvard Health, chia seeds come with a wealth of health benefits, including:

The health experts add: “Chia seeds contain a variety of nutrients including fibre, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and various vitamins and minerals like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus that are beneficial to your health.”

Happy baking!

This Is The Absolute Best Way To Cook Sweet Potato (And It’s Very Simple)

Posted on 20/02/2025 by Boris Clair

Every home cook thinks they’re the best home cook there is – and you know what? They’re right. Including me. I am the best home cook.

My most-perfected dishes are my weekly lemon and ginger chicken thighs and, without a doubt, my baked sweet potatoes.

Before I could even cook – well, before I binge-watched cooking channels for inspiration – I could always cook a mean baked sweet potato.

They’re really high in potassium and are versatile enough that they can be loaded up with chicken, tuna, cheese or honestly just a blob of butter, and still taste delicious.

The best, easiest way to cook sweet potatoes

First of all, heat your oven to around 190°C.

Next, give your sweet potatoes a good scrub and dry them with paper towels. This ensures that the oil soaks in a little easier later.

Now, you just need to prick a few holes in them using a fork and put them in the microwave for around five minutes.

Once they’re out, rest them on tin foil, pour a little vegetable oil on them as well as some mixed herbs (or whatever herbs and spices you’d like), rub the oil and seasonings into the skin and wrap them in the foil.

You should then put your sweet potatoes in the oven for around 30 minutes before checking to see if they’re soft enough using a fork. Sometimes, if they’re a little bigger, this can take up to an hour.

If yours still isn’t soft enough, check it every 10 minutes to see if they’re ready.

Finally, add your toppings and tuck in!

What about leftovers?

If you’ve made too many sweet potatoes, you could blend them with vegetable stock and make a little soup for later.

Health benefits of sweet potatoes

According to BBC Good Food, the health benefits of sweet potatoes include:

May reduce the risk of cancer
May support digestive health
May help manage type-2 diabetes
Good for eye health
May support immune function
May support the brain and nervous system
May support heart health
May be liver protective.

Long live the sweet spud!

So THAT’s Why Takeaway Coffee Cup Lids Have A Second, Tiny Hole

Posted on 20/12/2024 by Boris Clair

More goes into the design of a takeaway coffee cup than most of us realise.

For instance, you might not have known that placing the cover’s drinking spout opposite the paper cup’s “seam” can help prevent leaks.

And if you’re anything like me, you’ll have no idea why there’s often a tiny hole (separate from the main drinking point) in the lid either.

Turns out it’s actually a pretty smart safety feature ― and makes sipping from the container easier too.

How?

According to the Aussie version of the food and drink site Delicious, it’s partly down to steam.

The minute vent helps steam to escape, they say ― though this doesn’t cool it down much.

Instead, it prevents steam from building up in the container, causing pressure to build and potentially leading to burst cups.

Additionally, the presence of another hole than the drinking spout allows coffee to run smoothly when you’re sipping from it ― otherwise, there’d be no airflow in the cup.

According to Atlas Obscura, who interviewed the authors of Coffee Lids: Peel, Pinch, Pucker, Puncture, the vent can be used to boost the coffee-drinking experience too.

They write that the Viora lid’s “deep well and centred hole are designed to concentrate the coffee’s aroma.”

It also helps to prevent spills

Per Delicious, the oft-unnoticed detail design also helps to keep your coffee where it should be (ideally, either in your mouth or in the cup).

It works for the same reason the hold creates a better sip; if there’s a lack of steady airflow, the liquid will move in jumpy, unpredictable ways.

Designer Louise Harpman and architect Scott Specht, who worked together on Coffee Lids: Peel, Pinch, Pucker, Puncture, say that trends, tech, and even legal cases have shaped the design of the mundane invention over the years.

For example, coffee lids became more dome-shaped as foamy, bubbly drinks rose in popularity; after the famous McDonald’s coffee court case, they told Atlas Obscura, brands started including more visible warnings on their lids.

“Coffee lids are modest modern marvels, but we rarely slow down and take the time to consider, admire, or even wonder about these humble masterpieces,” Louise told the publication.

Well, that’s changed for me, at least…

I’m A Wine Expert ― Always Check These 2 Signs On Champagne Bottles

Posted on 18/12/2024 by Boris Clair

We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about the three letters you should always look out for on Italian wine bottles to make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck.

Well bang is one thing, but what about fizz? After all, ’tis the season for a festive glass of bubbly ― and if you’re anything like me, you have no idea what to look for on a champagne label.

Luckily wine expert Partner In Wine shared a TikTok video revealing how to “read” the drink’s bottle.

Let’s start with “Brut”

I’ll be honest here ― I thought “Brut” was a brand of champagne, but the wine pro says it’s actually to do with its taste.

“Brut is a common name for the sweetness of the wine,” she explained.

“So this bottle says ‘Brut’ on it, which means it’s a dry wine. If you want something bone-dry, look for the words ‘Extra Brut’ or ‘Brut Nature’.”

The “drier” the champagne (or the more Brut force it has ― teehee), the less sweet it is, Champagne de Lozey say on their site.

If you’re after something a little more sugary, Martha Stewart’s site adds, you might want to go for a demi-sec or, for the sweetest sip, doux, variety.

Then, there’s the vintage to consider

“Most champagnes state ‘NV’ on the label,” the wine expert said, meaning they’re not vintage.

“This means it’s been made of a blend of grapes from different years.”

Though I always heard “vintage” matters, Partner In Wine explains that the blending method helps winemakers to produce consistent wine brands that taste the same every time you drink a different bottle.

It’s a smart move because bad grape years spell disaster for your glass of bubbly ― mixing blends together can provide a better product.

With that said, Partner In Wine points out that if a winemaker shows you the year their product is from, that’s usually because its something to brag about.

“If there’s a year on the label, that means it comes form one exceptional year,” she shared. “This means it’s a vintage champagne, and they tend to be more expensive but also, more delicious.”

Don’t let the word “vintage” lead you to think she means “ancient,” though.

Cult Wine Investment writes that 2008 is this century’s standout year, with 2013 and 2014 also yielding pretty great results. 2002 and 2000 went down well too, they add.

So THAT’s Why Non-Alcoholic Ginger Beer Is Called ‘Beer’

Posted on 22/10/2024 by Boris Clair

Even though my favourite alcoholic beer is actually ginger-flavoured ― and though ginger wine has turned a bit trendy in recent years ― I’ve always wondered why completely child-safe fizzy ginger gets called “beer.”

After all, we don’t call lemonade “citrus ale” or cola “caramel shandy.”

So what’s going on with the name choice?

It’s all to do with history

Town & Country Magazine shared that the traditional version was invented in mid-1800s England.

It was fermented, and was often 11% alcohol ― that qualifies it for the “beer” title, if you ask us.

Brittanica’s online encyclopedia explains this original recipe was “made by fermenting a mixture of ginger, water, sugar, cream of tartar, and yeast. Lemon peel and juice or citric acid may also be added.”

The name simply stuck, it seems.

Traditionally-made ginger beer will use fermentation, making it less fizzy than ginger ale; but nowadays, food site The Kitchn says, “Some ginger beers are brewed with champagne yeast, and some are finished with forced carbonation.”

Therefore non-alcoholic ginger beer can still have about 0.05% booze, a bit like kombucha.

But those are pretty rare craft products: some modern ginger beers are simply carbonated, like ginger ale (which was almost never alcoholic).

Ginger beer’s cloudiness or clarity is determined by its filtering process.

Anything else?

According to Tayport Distillery, ginger beer and ginger ale were both popular during America’s Prohibition because they were good at masking the smell of alcohol.

“This clandestine use further cemented ginger ale’s place in mixology history,” they add.

The distillery says ginger ale, which was not usually fermented, was possibly invented in Ireland and made its way to Canada in the 1900s to huge success.

I Tried Adaptogenic Coffee To See If It Helped My Energy Levels – Here’s My Honest Review

Posted on 27/09/2024 by Boris Clair

We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, HuffPost UK may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

If you’ve never heard of adaptogenic coffee before, I understand ― I was in the same boat until about two weeks ago.

But according to London Nootropics, who produce several varieties of the stuff, it’s pretty simple. The term refers to regular java mixed with other ingredients, like mushrooms.

Those extras are the “adaptogens,” the company says.

They’re designed to counterbalance the jitter-inducing effects of caffeine while adding complementary and additional powers to the hot drink: lion’s mane mushroom, found in the brand’s Flow coffee, is meant to “support memory, focus and concentration”.

I’ll be honest: I’m not usually one for supplements or “superfoods,” and I was a little sceptical of the promises adaptogenic coffee made.

London Nootropic’s Mojo coffee, which is “designed for physical endurance, strength and vitality” promised to perk me up without the coffee shakes, while their Zen blend said it would make me feel “calm and alert.”

It all sounded too good to be true.

But looking at the site’s rave reviews (it’s got a 4.8-star average rating from over 8,000 reviews) and considering how terrible my energy levels have been recently, I thought I’d give them a try.

After all, I figured that a sceptic unwilling to test their beliefs is just as bad as a mindless trend follower. Plus, I really liked the branding.

And?

I got a (pretty) box full of all three coffees (Zen, Flow, and Mojo) late on Monday evening.

As if to test my decision, I proceeded to have the worst sleep of my life ahead of a very early, very intense 6am workout. So yes, Mojo was my first choice.

If I’m honest, I was craving my beloved French press coffee to get me through the morning ― but in the interest of getting an unadulterated result, I tried the Mojo and nothing else (it’s “designed for physical strength [and] endurance” after all).

I opened the instant sachet and emptied it into my cup. It smelled slightly sweeter and nuttier than regular coffee and was way quicker to make than my usual cafetière kind.

The taste was a little more floral and funky (in a good way – a bit like matcha), thanks to the additions of energy-boosting ginseng and Cordyceps mushroom.

London Nootropics advises adding milk to the coffee, which I didn’t read ― I wish I’d tried it that way because I can imagine it tasting like a hazelnut latte, but it’s still impressively smooth without.

The taste was good, but its effects on my workout were even better. I went from as bedraggled as you can see me below to happily sweaty, despite having had the worst sleep I’d faced this week, my gym session was the best I’ve had in ages.

It seems I’m with the reviewers on this one. I’d give it a solid 9/10 for its energy boost and 8/10 for taste ― extra points for my lack of caffeine headache.

Later the same day, I was trawling through my inbox when I realised I should probably try their Flow option.

My midday work slump was happening later than usual, but there was no denying it, I needed something to get me through the rest of the day.

Their Flow offering said it’d “help you discover motivation, mental clarity and focus” while also “reducing procrastination” thanks to its lion’s mane and Rhodiola add-ins.

Best believe I tore that sachet open.

Again, the smell was slightly sweeter than I’m used to ― it tasted a bit like rosewater combined with some nutty add-ins, which is nicer than I’m making it sound.

Reviewers were impressed by its brain fog-clearing abilities; again, I’m with them.

I don’t think it led me to become a hyperactive writing machine, but it was enough to get me to manage my tasks well for the rest of the day while feeling pretty good about myself.

Given that I’m usually null and void past three in the afternoon, that’s a huge win. I’d give it a 9/10 for perking me up at work and an 8/10 for the taste.

It took until Wednesday for me to try the brand’s Zen coffee, which promised to relax, destress and “balance” me.

I thought I’d try it in the evening because I couldn’t un-frazzle myself from a busy day and frankly wanted to try anything I could.

If (like me) facing the smell of coffee last thing is not exactly your ideal routine, good news ― this one had a lovely cocoa aroma, and it tasted a bit like it too.

I reckon if I had to mix milk into one of these, it’d be this one, but as it was I enjoyed the non-bitter, chocolatey taste.

It contains soothing ashwagandha and L-theanine, which reviewers found really calming.

I don’t know if it was the routine, the hot drink, or just taking the time for myself, but I agree again!

My mind usually races for hours after I finish my day, but this helped me to switch off (though you shouldn’t drink anything with caffeine too close to your bedtime).

It’s a 9/10 for taste and an 8.5/10 for calming me, I think.

So what’s the verdict?

Some of my scepticism has been banished.

A load of the ingredients have been well-researched – there are a lot of literature about lion’s mane’s benefits, the soothing effects of Rhodiola, and the helpful properties of ginseng, though they can be hard to definitively prove.

The brand uses what it calls “barista-grade” coffee in all of its products, which might be why they don’t taste “off,” and they don’t use any artificial flavourings.

The best thing about them is the lack of those coffee jitters and headaches, which I hadn’t realised were so bad until I’d gone without them.

I’d recommend them with one caveat; the sachets can run a little pricey at around £1 a cup or 80p for a sachet in their huge box, which is undeniably bougie.

But if you want to give your health-conscious friend a gift or try the coffee yourself, we have a 15%-off code ― type HUFFPOST at checkout to get the discount until the 15th of October.

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