WELLBEING FOR MIND & BODY

Feelgood tips and advice from our health and beauty editor Kate Langrish

Natural tips and advice for better living

Stock up on in-season purple sprouting broccoli – it contains more healthy phytonutrients than the traditional round-head varieties.

Scents of occasion

I’ll be pinning this exquisite brooch to my dress on New Year’s Eve. Concealed within the eye-catching design is a perfumed ceramic disc, which slowly releases one of three wonderful Diptyque fragrances (Do Son, Eau Rose and Fleur de Peau). It’s refillable, too. Perfumed brooch, £84 (diptyqueparis.com).

HELPER’S HIGH

This new year, alongside my usual resolutions (more veg; more exercise; less wine; less whining), I’m adding another: volunteering. And, unlike the others, this is one

I reckon I’ve got a good chance of sticking with. A recent report from Royal Voluntary Service found that volunteering has a significant impact on mental health. A third of volunteers said they felt less stressed, while 65 per cent felt happier. You can reap similar benefits whether your involvement is regular (a couple of hours a week at a lunch club) or occasional (joining a beach clean). For more information, visit royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk. Indulge in a chocolate treat minus the calories: add a few nourishing drops of Rabot 1745 Cacao & Almond Bath & Body Oil to warm running water, or onto your skin, and breathe in the sweet perfume (£16, hotelchocolat.com).

Shelf help

MANY OF US ARE THINKING MORE CAREFULLY ABOUT WHAT WE EAT AND HOW IT AFFECTS OUR HEALTH AND THAT OF THE PLANET. SO IT MAKES SENSE TO CONSIDER WHAT YOU PUT ON YOUR SKIN IN THE SAME WAY. Plant-based Beauty – The Essential Guide to Detoxing Your Beauty Routine BY JESS ARNAUDIN (ASTER, £12.99) OFFERS RECIPES FOR HOMEMADE NATURAL SKIN- AND HAIRCARE, AS WELL AS USEFUL ADVICE ON HOW TO DECODE PRODUCT INGREDIENT LABELS TO CHOOSE THE MOST SKIN- AND ECO-FRIENDLY OPTIONS.