The one where I had lunch with Alesha Dixon and introducing Swisse vitamins

A couple of weeks ago I was invited along with 5 other bloggers to meet Alesha Dixon for lunch (as you do!) to discuss Motherhood, careers our health and juggling…

Not actual juggling of course, rather the juggling act we as mothers perform every single day.

Alesha Dixon is the UK ambassador for Swisse, she’s also a singer, dancer, tv personality, manager of her own record label, as well as devoted mum to a toddler. She is certainly one busy lady and I wanted to find out how on earth she has the energy to fit everything in whilst managing to look fabulous and exuding all that positivity.

Before the lunch, we were all sent a month’s supply of Swisse Women’s Ultivites to trial which was great because it meant we could discuss our findings with Alesha firsthand and compare results. Swisse Australia’s #1 vitamin brand have recently launched in the UK.

L-R Sam Mumazine, Anna In the Playroom, Emily A Mummy Too, Me, Alesha Dixon, Jo Slummy single mummy, Jacqui Mummy’s Little Monkey, Vicki Honest Mum

It was really exciting to meet Alesha in person, she is exactly how I expected her to be: warm and friendly, really funny and super easy to chat to with one of the most infectious laughs I’ve ever heard! I think we could have kept her talking all day if we’d been allowed. We talked about life, pregnancy and toddler tantrums as we ate from a menu inspired by the natural ingredients in the Swisse range.

It was great to get an insight into Alesha’s life, she is a strong and confident woman who likes to be in control, telling us she manages her own diary and makes sure she takes work free days each week in order to spend quality time with her daughter, Azura, whom she is clearly besotted by. We discussed how important it was to have a strong female figure to look up to and pondered on if it was ok to spend ‘me time’ away from the kids and if it was selfish or not-we all agreed it is most definitely not selfish!

It was great to sit with a celeb and see that she, as a mother has all the same worries that I do, it was also really fun to be at lunch with a load of other bloggers where no one batted an eyelid if you got your phone out to Instagram the food or the beautiful plants we were given as place settings.

The subject of time came up a lot.

How do we strike a happy balance between home life and work life?

Having the energy to be a mum and have a career was probably the subject that dominated the conversation. As a busy mum, I have a huge list of things to do before work even gets a look in, being able to do the school run, the shopping, the meal planning, the washing, the cooking, cleaning, the gym, it’s endless…

Having energy to get through the day is a really big deal though isn’t it?

The Swisse Women’s Ultivites have all the B vitamins we need plus vitamin C, biotin, magnesium and iron all of which play an integral role in energy production. We discussed that since taking the vitamin we have all found we have much more energy than when we weren’t taking it. Personally, I’ve noticed a huge surge in energy and just a really good feeling of general well-being. Not to mention the crazy strong nails, another thing that we all reported incredible results for!

What are Swisse Women’s Ultivites?

Women’s Ultivites are a multivitamin containing 39 vitamins, minerals and botanical extracts.

• Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, biotin, vitamin C, magnesium and iron contribute to normal energy production and release.
• Zinc plus vitamin C and vitamin D to contribute to the normal function of the immune system.
• Calcium and vitamin D and vitamin K, contribute to the maintenance of normal bones.
• Iron contributes to normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin.
• Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal hair, skin, nails. Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin.
• Vitamin B1 supports normal heart function.

Phew, that is some list!

The botanical ingredients on the list really set these multivitamins apart from any others on the shelves for me, with ingredients such as blueberries which are a good source of vitamin K as well as vitamin C, and other nutrients including fibre. They also contain anthocyanins, which are antioxidant flavonoids. Some nutritionists believe that if you make only one change, it should be to add blueberries to your diet.

I was really pleased to see extract of chamomile on the ingredients list too as I know it is brilliant at promoting healthy skin thanks to its anti-inflammatory and anti-septic properties.

We are all guilty of not always getting out five a day but Swisse vitamins contain natural ingredients and botanical extracts that can contribute to this lack, of course the best thing you can do is try and stick to a healthy diet (Lord knows I try!) but it’s so nice to have the vitamins as a supplement to my diet and know that I am doing absolutely everything I can to stay healthy and be kind to myself.

I’m really into researching vitamins and have in one form or another been taking vitamins for the last couple of years. The biggest appeal for me is that Swisse Women’s Ultivites are just one per day. I have up until now had a cupboard full of different bottles full of all the vitamins I know are good for me, but staying on top of it all is a hassle. I also don’t want to have to be taking several tablets a day which can turn into a right pain if I stay away, something I do regularly as part of my job.

At the lunch, we agreed that a one a day tablet packed with all the essentials we need is the best and most efficient way of helping ourselves to stay healthy. Another thing I noted during this trial is that I don’t feel sick after taking the Women’s Ultivites, quite often vitamins can make me feel a bit nauseous, it is recommended that Women’s Ultivites are taken with a main meal to help with absorption, I haven’t noticed any adverse effects at all.

I chat loads more in my video diary (see below) about the other benefits I’ve noticed since starting Swisse Women’s Ultivites, here’s a list of a few of the changes I’ve noticed:

Benefits of taking Swisse Women’s Ultivites

• More energy
• Better clearer skin
• Much stronger nails (my nails were so weak before)
• General feeling of well-being
• More restful sleep

So now I have all this extra energy what am I doing with it all?

Well, I have most definitely felt more productive since taking Swisse Women’s Ultivites, and that has meant I’ve used my work time more efficiently. I do sometimes still burn the midnight oil, as many writers do, but in the main I would say I have achieved more during the day which has meant I don’t have a load of work ‘leftover’ to do in the evenings. I also feel that my sleeping has settled down into a more regular pattern.

The more I get done during the day, the earlier I can go to bed which means I can get up earlier WITH the energy to get tasks completed during daytime hours which is a massive change for me.

I wouldn’t be without Swisse Women’s Ultivites now because I’ve seen so many benefits from taking them. I have just started on the Skin, Hair and Nails because I’m so impressed with the Women’s Ultivites.

Other products from Swisse include the Swisse Immunity Range and Bone Care and Muscles range. There are also vitamins tailored specifically for the over 50s and also for teenagers.

It was absolutely amazing to meet Alesha, she showed a genuine interest in all our blogs and even took my business card saying she wanted to ‘read up on the teenage years!’ Alesha was gracious and is a fabulous woman who does so much and still manages to carry it all off effortlessly. A lovely lady and brilliant role-model, perfect for Swisse UK.

More information available at Swisse.co.uk  and to join the conversation and find out how the other bloggers got on with the Swisse trial follow the #SwisseVitaminsLunch hashtag on social media! Let me know how you feel after trying these for yourself, I really think you’ll love them as much as I do!

Swisse are exclusive to Boots and have a two-week trial pack promotion on at the moment for just £2.49.

*This is a sponsored post