Interesting, positive magazine with articles that are a little different (Zest)

Member Name: GizmoPig

Product:	Zest
Date:	22/06/09 (31 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: health, cooking, fitness and beauty advice without the celebrity filler articles

Disadvantages: Is a little more expensive than most glossies at £3.40

Zest is great if you are looking for a magazine with a difference that is free from celebrity gossip and articles about unfortunate young women with nasty incurable diseases (as seems to be the case at the moment) As I don't want to be depressed as hell all the time, I thought that a magazine that promotes health and happiness would make a nice change. I still do like my monthly glossies but I find that too many of them leaves me with a major case of paranoia so Zest is a great antidote! ;)

The issue that I have in front of me for reference is the July 09 one.

The magazine starts off with a Kickstart section - subtitled 'The hottest ways to add zest to your life in July' This sounds much more like it. A regular section in each months issue, it contains ideas on low cal treats, fun little products that always make a girl smile, like lip balm and heads up on the latest fitness activities taking place around the country. There is also a monthly Woman of the Month - often someone famous for a good cause like a sportswoman (often I'd never heard of them before so they are more interesting).

Good going so far. I'm at page 12 and don't have the normal feeling of creeping anxiety that I have to find a way to be immune to all known forms of female related health problems, a size 6, increase my salary by a million per cent and have skin and hair like Jennifer Aniston all by next Tuesday!

This main section is followed by a fitness kickstart, a beauty kickstart and a fashion kickstart - quick one page articles that are fast and interesting to read. The fitness section currently covers two women - one who uses a personal trainer and one who is trying the latest trendy exercises and equipment to see who tones up and loses weight the best. I really enjoyed this as it was an amusing look at both sides but you are left with the results as to which is best.
The beauty and fashion sections of the kickstart are quite brief - the usual spread of products being advertised.

Moving into the main features, there are a mix of articles on sports, a bit of psychological information about mental wellbeing, and healthy and ethical eating.

This then extends into a section on health in general - focusing on the usual culprits like cancer and heart disease, along with other medical conditions both embarrasing and common. What I liked about this section is that is focuses on the positive - yes I have an x chance of developing x disease BUT this is what I can do to help prevent it, rather than focusing on the doom and gloom and highlighting grieving celebrities families and their loss therefore making you feel more fed up than if you were stuck inside on a rainy beach holiday to Tenerife.

The magazine then continues with an Ask the Experts section, where health questions and answers are published from readers, a really nice fashion and beauty section that makes you WANT to go for a run round the block in an effort to look as good as the models, and finally, fitness routines and articles on healthy eating and exercise.

I felt that this was £3.40 well spent, as there was good advice, positive thinking and really useful information throughout the magazine. It was something that I would keep for the whole month and refer back to, rather than ditching after one read. The articles were well written, the information was sound and backed up by professionals and I felt I read things that were entertaining and interesting.

Even better, if you subscribe to Zest there is a 63% decrease on the cover price which works out at £15 for the year rather than £3.40 per issue. Unfortunately no free gift for subscribers but as the content is so good, I wouldn't feel as if I was missing out.

Summary: Non-patronising, full of good advice and positive - worth the money