Now that winter is on its way, it's time to think about your survival pack. Vitamins, supplements, cold remedies - sales of all these shoot up at this time of year. Really, though, we ought to be taking care of our health all year long, and this is where Nature's Best comes in. They've been selling vitamins, herbs, mineral supplements and essential oils direct to the public since 1981. They make all the products themselves in their factory in Tunbridge Wells, and sell them by mail order, and more recently through the website http://www.naturesbestonline.com. The advantage of that, of course, is that you are buying direct from the manufacturers who have full knowledge of what is in each supplement or oil they sell. There is also no middleman adding on his profits to the price you pay.

Prices are very competetive, and they have frequent special offers. For really large orders there are significant discounts. Orders over £200 will attract £30 off, there's £10 off for orders between £100 and £199, and orders between £50 and £99 will have £2.50 off. One thing which is not mentioned on the site, but which I happen to know is that, if you have a diagnosis of ME or CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), you can ask for a discount. You will have to supply them with a letter from your doctor confirming the diagnosis though. Email them for information if this applies to you. As far as I know, this only applies to UK residents.

The website is in attractive shades of olive, gold, and blue on a white background, with a sunflower motif. The main masthead announces the company name and the motto "Health for life", and offers links to order a catalogue, see the special offers, email a friend about the site, or contact the company for advice. Further to the right of the masthead are drop-down menus to "Other Products" (sun products and essential oils), and quick links to the bestsellers.

The lefthan
d side carries a navigation menu for the product range, split into obvious categories like vitamins, multis, minerals, etc. If you already know precisely what you're looking for, there is also a quick search facility, located near the bottom of the navigation menu. A successful search will take you directly to the product page. However, let's go through the long version for now. Clicking on "vitamins", for example, will load a hyperlinked list of the various vitamins available into the main frame of the page. Now click on the name of the one you're interested in, and a new page will load which carries a description of the properties of that vitamin, followed by the specific products they sell. A picture accompanies each product and also a short description, with a price, a quantity, one button to get more detailed information, and one button to buy the product.

Clicking on "buy" takes you to the shopping basket page where the item you selected will already be added to the list. You can change the quantity and click "update" to order multiple quantities of the same item. It's easy to click back and forward between the shopping basket and the product pages, and your shopping basket total is always displayed in the upper right corner of the screen once you have added the first item.

I wouldn't say the site is particularly good for browsing without much idea of what you're looking for. It's not going to help much if you have a condition in mind (or even of the mind!) and are looking for something to help with that, as you have to know the names of the supplements before you get that information. It's excellent if you know what you need, but I suggest you send for a catalogue or email/phone for advice otherwise. They will also send you a magazine periodically if you sign up with the site, which is very helpful in this regard.

The advice they give is free, and supplied by their

own experts. Do be sure to tell them of any other supplements you are taking, or any prescribed medicines, so they can be sure not to suggest anything which will interfere. It would also be wise to consult your GP before taking any supplements for a condition he/she is already treating you for.

Orders come by post and p+p is free for orders over £15 to a UK address. My only bugbear with this site is that you don't find out what the post and packing is for orders under £15 until you place your order. In the "Help" section it states that the price is that advertised on the site on the day in question, but b*ggered if I can find any mention of that, other than by placing an order. OK, you can always withdraw before the order is confirmed, but I don't think that's good enough. For what it's worth, I've always been ready enough to go ahead when I've seen the price at the order stage - £1 for my last delivery of £6 value. Orders are despatched within 24 hours of receipt, by second class post. If you want you can pay an extra £1 to have your order sent first class. If it's an overseas order, you should phone or email first for the appropriate postage charge.

You can place your order directly online, by secure server, using Visa, Mastercard, Switch or Visa Delta. If you don't want to give your credit card details, or don't have a suitable card, you can also print off the order form and post it along with your sterling cheque or postal order. Online orders will be acknowledged by email, with an order number and total for your goods.

This company has never let me down. Orders have always arrived well within the time scale of 5-10 days for second class post, and all goods have been as described. Of course, I can't prove that every pill and potion contains exactly what is written on the bottle, but I do know that they are regularly inspected by the UK Department of Health, to ensure everything is manu

factured to the highest pharmaceutical standards. I highly recommend them.

Here's how to get in touch with Nature's Best:

http://www.naturesbestonline.com

Nature's Best Health Products Ltd., Century Place, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 3BE, England.

Tel Enquiries: 01892 552118
Nutritional Advice: 01892 552175 or Contact@naturesbestonline.com