Georganics, Organic Oral Care

I was very kindly given some Georganics re- mineralising peppermint tooth paste and a bottle of their coconut oil mouthwash by Benz and Blanc, a beauty store that you can find in the Corn Exchange in Leeds.

I am sure you have read my post on oil pulling but just in case you haven't or need a cheeky refresh on it's health benefits then slip your finger here

Georganics make all natural oral care products, free from all the unnecessary chemicals that are put into your every day tooth pastes and mouth washes, yes that does include fluoride! 

There is a debate about how much fluoride we are getting, with excessive amounts actually causing teeth to decay so if this is a concern for you Georganics can offer you a high quality alternative.

Now on to what I actually thought about the toothpaste and mouthwash.

The toothpaste reminds me a lot of Arm and Hammer in both taste and consistency but without the fluoride.

Instead of the paste coming in a tube, you get a tin and a spatula to get your paste onto your toothbrush, now this might put people off by adding slightly more effort in your twice daily brushing routine but I actually prefer using the spatula.

There are two reasons for this, with both leading to the same result, getting more for my money.

Being the hench beast that I am I sometimes squeeze my toothpaste tube to hard and end up using more than I need and I am always determined to get as much out of my tooth paste tube as possible when it is running low, with can be a struggle to get every last crumb out.

With a spatula I can't go wrong!

All in all I really like the toothpaste, it is a bit more expensive than what I normally pay but it lasts longer, has no added rubbish and leaves my teeth feeling stronger than my regular brand.

On to the mouth wash.

My biggest issues with oil pulling are the taste of the oil and that my oil of choice, coconut, isn't easy to swish about my mouth due to how visceral it is.

With the Georangics Oil Pulling Mouth Wash neither are an issue.

The mouth wash is easy to swill and has a subtle peppermint taste leaving my mouth feeling fresh and clean, to the point where I have to remind myself that I haven't brushed my teeth yet!

The best thing about the mouthwash is that it doesn't burn or sting my mouth like Listerine or Corsidol without compromising on that clean feeling.

With coconut oil and peppermint offering anti bacterial and anti viral properties you don't have to endure any nonsense from those main stream brands to keep your mouth in tip top condition.

I am really impressed with the mouthwash and absolutely recommend anyone to try it either if you are not an oil pulling convert yet.

Benz and Blanc don't just stop at mouth wash and toothpaste they also stock Charcoal Whitening Powder, which is currently on sale at a discounted price, beauty treatments and amazing clip on veneers.

Be sure to follow Benz and Blanc on their twitter and instagram as they regularly run discounts and competitions or better yet pop in and give them a visit on the top floor of the Corn Exchange.

Fresh Naturals: Bombs, Fizz and Salts

                 This post has been on the back burner for far too long.

I do feel really bad about this because I love Fresh Naturals, not only the brand but the products and customer service I have received have been outstanding.

Basically I was all set to do my write it up, made  videos, went the whole nine yards  and then disaster struck and my phone was stolen.

Thankfully Fresh Naturals kindly sent me over some images to use for my post!

Fresh Naturals are a Leeds based start up and specialise in "free from" products.

                         Free from cruelty, paraffins, parabens and SLS while also stocking  vegan friendly products.

They are essentially Lush but without the massive price tag!

But  why you don't you want SLS, Paraffins and Parabens in your products?

Well I am going to tell you!

SLS or Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, if you want to be dead fancy, can cause skin irritation and  potentially cause a hormone imbalance.
This means your PMT may be down to your favourite volumizing  shampoo.

Menfolk need to worry too because if you are dipping into your ladies beauty products then SLS may be your fertility!

Paraffins  can also cause skin irritation, Parabens can cause hormone disruption and both have links to cancer.


Now cruelty free is not the same as vegan.

Cruelty free means animals are not harmed in the development or manufacture of products.

Confusingly not every animal seems to be included under that umbrella and currently there is no legal definition of what  Cruelty free actually is.

A good example of this is any product that uses honey if you want find out why honey is not vegan then click the link here.

"Cruelty Free"  also doesn't cover farming practises such as palm oil.

PETA does have products on their website listed as vegan when they contain palm oil, naughty PETA!

If you want to know why palm oil is not vegan then please click the link here

If this is a concern for you Fresh Naturals do have a designated vegan section on their site so your shopping is much more stream lined and completely animal cruelty free.

Now the heavy stuff is out of the way let's swiftly move onto something lighter!

I came across Fresh Naturals on  twitter and won one of their competitions.

The only thing I had ever won before was a goldfish and that died after a week and since soap can't die I didn't have to worry about any heart break!

If you want to see what I thought of my prizes then please click here

Fresh Naturals also got me started onto the road to looking  into not only what I put into my body but also what I am lathering myself in.

I fell ill at the back end of last year and was generally having a bit of a stressful time so I decided it was the perfect time to revisit them.

I was originally only going to be getting a Dr De-Sniffle bath bomb to help banish my woes but Fresh Naturals were having none of that and piled on the freebies sending me Bath Fizz and Bath Salts!

 The first thing I did was throw the Bath Bomb in the bath, just in case you were unsure of the best place to use a bath bomb.

To my slight panic it didn't float like all those snap chat videos and  hit the bottom of my tub with a thud!

The water  gained a sea green hue instead of the toxic looking water you get with more famous brands bath bombs.

The scents were not over powering but still managed to completely relaxed me.
 I couldn't tell you the last time I have had such a deep, refreshing sleep.

If you are wanting the good Dr De-Sniffle to visit your bathroom please bare in mind that he isn't vegan as it has an ingredient derived from coal.

Now the Bath Fizzs are vegan so you can go absolutely wild with them.

I was sent two fizzs, Coconut and Almond and Silcillain Lemon and Calendula, it seems that the Lemon and Calendula fizz isn't available anymore but you can get your hands on the bath salt version.

Calendula is just fancy for English Marigold in case you were wondering, I know I was!

Both smelt amazing but still with a subtle fragrance and as you can imagine when you pop them into your bath they fizz then disperse.

The Almond and Coconut one being white didn't effect the colour of the water.

The Lemon and Calendula gave the water a lime sort of hue, it might be yellow you can see for yourself in the picture as my colour blindness isn't much of a help when deciding which colour things are.

Again I made a video but it went with my stolen phone but I did manage to get hold of some pictures I had transferred to my computer.

I was also sent two different bath salts, Tea Tree and Spearmint, both great when you are under the weather!

My top tip for using bath salts is to put some in one of Fresh Natural's Buffer Bags and hang it round your tap and run the water through as your bath is filling to evenly distribute the salts.

Both very relaxing and the fragrances are not over powering which can ruin bath time if you are swamped with a really strong fragrance.

After using all of the products my skin kept  the fragrance of the product.

 Almost like a gentle reminder to place another order, which I took heed of and ensured those nearest and dearest to me were gifted with a selection of Fresh Naturals products for Christmas.

Fresh Naturals don't stop with just bath products and I will be writing more about their wares in the future.

 While you are waiting with bated breath check them out on twitter, instagram, facebook and of course their online shop!

Be sure to get your loved ones some of their  Valentine's Day Soaps, not only will they undoubtedly love them but you will also be supporting a cruelty free, local business.

Win win in anybodies book!

TrueNopal Cactus Water

2016 seemed to be all about Coconut Water and the trend seems to be still be going strong but even though I am partial to the odd carton I am hoping that True Nopal Cactus Water is going to take off in a big way!

I first came across it at the Vegan Life Live Expo and have been obsessed ever since, sadly the only place I have been able to get my hands on some is at my local Waitrose, which is almost 3 miles away!

 The best thing for me about  cactus water is the taste.

 It isn't a flavour that you need to get your head around like the first few times you have coconut water, with the cactus water having a fruitier taste,.

If you like the taste of fruit flavoured water then you will more than likely enjoy cactus water.

Cactus water is also less than half the calories of coconut water so if you are you an avid fan of coconut water and wanting an effortless way to cut some calories cactus water may be the way to go.

Cactus water seems to have a little bit of everything in it with 250ml containing 15% of your RDA of vitamins C and A.

16% of your calcium.

20% of your RDA if manganese and 13% of your magnesium.

A splash of your of all your B vitamins apart from B12.

7% of your iron and 5% of your zinc and 1.9g of fibre.

Cactus water does also have potassium but no where near as much as coconut water.

Cactus water also helps lower blood sugar, blood pressure and is anti inflammatory.

If you are near a Waitrose then pop in and treat yourself to some delicious True Napal Cactus Water!

Chop'd Salad Bar

A couple of weeks ago Chop'd Salad Bar launched at Central Square, Leeds and to celebrate they were giving away, well you probably guessed it, salads!

Before all of you salad dodgers stop reading here let me just say that there is much more to Chop'd than just boring old rabbit food!
 Their salads are fully customisable and are a sight to be hold, you won't be left feeling hungry after chomping down on one.

I hope Chop'd will forgive the comparison but the ordering system is similar to Fatsos, where you line up and select what you would like in your salad or wrap.

Choose up to three bases of pasta, rice, cous cous, house leaf or deli leaf.
Three veg options from a choice of 19.
 One deli from a choice of 16 including vegan options such as tofu, falafal and humus, I just need Chop'd to get some Tyne Chease on the menu!
You also get what appears to be unlimited amount of the 16 dressings or 12 garnishes that are on offer.

Too much pressure or too lazy to construct your own lunch?
Then you can pick one of the Chop'd's pre prepared salads, all of which sound amazing!

Salad not your thing? Well fear not!

Chop'd also do an exciting range of stews and soups  catering for those colder days when you need something hot in your belly.

Now the soups were not exactly what is was expecting, what I got was even better!

Soup and Mango + Coconut dessert

I was foolishly expecting something a kin to Heinz soup but no, Chop'd do a much better job than that with you using a pot of the soup base you would like and have the staff at the counter add the broth you would like from a choice of chicken, beef or vegetable for a fresher tasting soup.

If you are short on time you can also use their click and collect service, giving you the opportunity to take your time deciding without an angry mob forming behind you.

For Chop'd's full menu and their click and collect service then please click here

I was a greedy beast on the launch day and not only had myself a delicious Baked Chicken Katsu Curry but also a soup and a mango and coconut dessert which also just happens to be vegan!

Delicious Stew

The quality of the ingredients were all high and possibly the best chicken I have eaten in the whole of Leeds!

Chop's also do a breakfast menu serving steamed eggs with a choice of topping from gammon, cheese, salmon or avacodo.

They also sell avocado toast, porridge and sour dough or rye with a choice of spreads to go on it.

Seriously get down to Central Square in Leeds and check Chop'd out, I can't rate them highly enough, if you are not in Leeds then hopefully you are in London or Manchester where you can also find Chop'd.

Benefits of Oil Pulling

You might not of heard of oil pulling but since you are clearly the curious sort I will fill you in on this great alternative to harsh mouth washes.

I had heard about it in passing but I got really interested oil pulling when I went to the Vegan Life Live event and heard the people from Vita Coco talk about it's benefits.

I am a fiend for a free sample

Oil pulling gets it name because you pull all the bacteria from between your teeth and gyms with the oil so if you were feeling delicate from that monster gym session last night you can breathe a sight of relief.

All you need to do is swill a tea spoon of oil around your mouth for about 5 minutes then spit it out into a bin.

You need to do this as soon as you wake up for the best results, before having anything to drink or even brushing your nashers.

The reason for this is because apparently your body detoxifies while you sleep and some of these toxins end up in your mouth, hence why you wake up feeling like you had been snacking on kitty litter during the night.

Now the second you have a drink you swallow all those toxins and undo a full nights worth of your bodies hard work.

Oil pulling takes away the fat soluble toxins!

Originally sunflower or sesame oil was used but I like to use coconut oil, which is a little harder to swill but has anti bacterial and anti viral properties while also apparently whitening your teeth and anti ageing because of it's vitamin E content.

Although I have not tried it yet, you can make a  tooth paste from coconut oil and baking powder.
I imagine you could add some spearmint or peppermint oil to it if you are after a minty taste.

These are  home made alternatives to fluoride enriched products which depending on what you read and believe can have negative effects on your body.

 From what I have read most sources are in favour of fluoride but there are some that say that after it accumulates in your body it can actually cause dental decay and even cause your bones to become brittle.

With fluoride being more toxic than lead, so much so it's used to help control pests like rats and cockroaches, there may be some weight to these claims.

I myself have never had any problems with my teeth but maybe I am just storing up problems for the future?

Who knows!
I am will be looking into fluoride free products in the future so I can see how effective I feel they are.

Back onto the oil pulling!

To recap, you can oil pull at any time of the day but it's most effective as soon as you wake up.

Use a teaspoon or two of oil.

Most sources say to oil pull for 20 minutes but I tend to go for 5 minutes, usually in the shower.

Spit it out into a bin afterwards to avoid blocking your drains and rinse your mouth with water.

Then marvel at how much better your mouth feels afterwards.

There only appears to be one major negative of oil pulling and that is their is a risk of the oil being swallowed and ending up in your lungs, which you can probably imagine is not great so be careful!

Let me know if you are a convert if you give it a whirl.

For Goodness Shakes Protein Coconut Water

          For Goodness Shakes have launched their own protein waters in four flavours and sent me some to review.

Two being made from spring water, Blackcurrant and Mango and Orange, the other two being made using coconut water which again come  in the Mango and Orange  and a Tropical flavour.

If you haven't heard of For Goodness Shakes it's a brand that helps recovery from exercise and doesn't taste like arse!

How could I not love a product line an equally brilliant brand name as Bone Idol Fitness?

If you are in Leeds then your best bet to find For Goodness Shakes is to head to Sainsburys but they can also be found lining the shelves of Morrisons, One stops and even Boots.

Don't let the fact you can buy them from your supermarket fool you into thinking these shakes don't do their job.

For Goodness Shakes are all about convenience, from buying to drinking them.

No need to go to a specialist protein shop and no need to do any mixing when you come to drink it, you can pick up a bottle along with your toilet roll, deodorant and your dinner which will be incredibly health I am sure!

You can check out their full product range, store locator, full nutritional break down of products  and make purchases online by clicking here

On to the review.

I was asked if I would like to review the spring water versions or the coconut water ones and since coconut waters popularity doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon I opted to review those.

You get 10g of protein in each bottle of coconut protein water, a large egg only has 6grams.

 The spring water versions have 20g of protein but of course because of this it increases the calorie count but still there is only 30kcals between the two.

The coconut water has 26 fewer calories than a large egg so it's win win so far, plus you are not consuming any fat or cholesterol by choosing to skip Gaston's favourite post workout drink.

There are other protein waters out there on the market, however I have not tasted, mainly because the ones I have come across I would have specifically order in and I am not about that life.

Nutritionally the products I have come across are about the same.
I did come across a protein coconut water that had double the protein but it also had almost triple the calories.

 I am all about convenience which, thankfully, For Goodness Shakes is also all about.

On to the taste test.

I was really hoping I was going to love the taste of the coconut water but I have say it was a bit lack lustre for me, like Muscle Mousse I found I could taste the sweetener giving the drink an artificial taste.

Normally when I drink coconut water my mouth feels instantly refreshed but I didn't get that from either of the flavours, although I would say I liked the Mango and Orange more than the Tropical.

Chocolate Shake.

I didn't hate either drink but I am am far from loving them.
 I did finish them both though, for me the flavours weren't great or terrible just alright.

I personally will stick to drinking For Goodness Shakes milk shake line and will probably give the coconut water a pass unless I was going to experiment with it in smoothie.


 I do still intend on trying the spring water flavours when I next come across them though.

Don't like my opinions put you off trying For Goodness Shakes coconut water, you may love the taste!

If you are a fan of flavoured waters in general then you will probably enjoy the protein coconut water.

The product is a great idea and the nutritional content is there to support your recovery.

 Whey isolate will give you fast acting protein and leucine which is a slow release protein that will keep fuelling your recovery for longer.

Milk Alternatives

Since I am not drinking cow's milk for my 2 weeks of going dairy free I gave some other milks a try.

Alpro make loads of different milks from plant sources so there is bound to be one that you'll enjoy.

I have tried Almond, Hazlenut, Rice, Coconut and Soy milks and I'll give my brief thoughts on each one.

Almond Milk: 

Very similar to skimmed milk with a very subtle  almond taste, if you are expecting this milk to taste like marzipan you will be disappointed.

Almond milk has next to no protein in it, if this is a concern for you then I would look else where.

Hazelnut Milk: 

Thicker than the other milks I have tried but not as thick as full fat cows milk. It has a very distinct taste.

If you like nut flavoured protein shakes you will probably enjoy this milk.

Hazelnut milk ties with Almond milk for 3rd lowest protein on my list.

Rice Milk:

I really enjoyed rice milk which really surprised me!

 I would say rice milk tastes the closest to cows milk than any of the milks I have tried and would be my top pick followed by hazelnut.

The lowest amount of protein of the milks that I have tried along with Oat milk.

Coconut Milk:

I was expecting coconut milk to be thicker but it was a lot like skimmed milk and a lot like coconut water it is an acquired taste but I did feel really refreshed after drinking it.

Higher in fat than most milk alternatives but still lower than full fat milk and has even less protein than almond milk!

Soy Milk:

I do not like soy milk at all. I have a few friends that rave about the stuff and I had high hopes but did not find it enjoyable at all. It seemed to have a slight bitter after taste not unlike natural yogurt.

Soy milk has about the same amount of protein as cow's milk with lower fat and will help reduce your cholesterol.

If you are wondering whether or not soy is good for you or not then please click here to read my post on it.






If you imagine sieving the liquid out of porridge then you have the taste of oat milk.

It may have the joint lowest protein than the other milks in this post but it also has a good amount of fibre, calcium, vitamin D, B2, B12 and a dash of vitamin A





I have only come across Cashew milk in one shop in Leeds and it was by far the most expensive milk that I have found.

I found it to be quite waterey but with a better nutty taste than almond milk and quite a lot more protein but less than half the amount of coconut milk.

The best thing about Cashew milk is that has a fair of amount of vitamin E, again more than Almond milk.




I did feel a bit naughty picking up some Hemp milk but I did check and hemp milk does not contain the ingredient that gets you stoned like marijuana.

 If you thought you were going to be having a chilled out evening after downing a carton of hemp milk you are in for a disappointment.

I really enjoyed the taste of hemp milk, it was surprisingly nutty and sweet.

Hemp milk seems to be a miracle milk with it having Omega 3 and 6, all of the essential amino acids, 2g of protein per 100ml, good source of iron, calicium, vitamins A, D, E, B12, B9, B2, Magnisium and Zinc.

Although hemp milk does contain a lot of Omega 3 it is not the kind the kind you find in fish but still has benefits for your heart and artery health.

Sadly all of these milks are more expensive than cow's milk but you are buying into something that is better for your health and not contributing to the harm of animals in the dairy industry, plus the more people buy these alternatives the lower the prices will become.

For the benefits of going dairy free then check out my post by clicking here.

Coconut Meat

Everyone seems to always be raving about how wonderful coconut water and coconut oil are but what about the meat? 

Coconut meat has good levels of fibre, 80g gives you 29% of you RDA

Helps boost testosterone levels.

More than half of your RDA of Manganese which helps your body break down fats and proteins, helps your immune and nervous systems and also helps your body use other nutrients like vitamin E and iron.

13% of your RDA of potassium per 80g which is great for helping your body balance your fluid levels.

Now the really interesting thing that I came across is to do with the fat that's in coconut meat.

Coconut meat it's self has a high amount of saturated fat, however the type of fat in coconut gets broken down into energy very quickly so it does not get chance to get laid down as fat in your body.

I found that to be quite interesting but the bit that tipped me over the edge was it's potential to help people suffering from dementia.

Your brain likes to get it's energy from glucose but diseases like Alzheimer's make it harder for your brain to do this.

This is where coconut meat steps into the ring because your brain can happily get fuel from fat that has been broken down from the coconut!

For more in depth reading just google coconut and Alzheimer's.

Vita Coco Coconut Water

 l, like most people bought into the and the coconut water hype, but is it really all that?
 Most the prominent brand is Vita Coco so I decided to splash out  £2.50 for a litre of the stuff since it was on offer at my local super market!

There are claims it can lower blood pressure, have anti ageing properties, cure kidney stones and cancer!

I have not seen much any evidence of this anywhere so I am going to stick to what I do know.

The main claim is that it's an excellent hydrator, far superior to water and sports drinks due it's high levels of potassium.

Vita Coco coconut water has got 10% of you rda per 100ml, not exactly what I would call high!

Potassium is great for your energy levels, it works hand and hand with sodium but the problem with sodium is that it's everywhere, just look at most processed foods.

Now this is the bit where I get to coconut water, most energy drinks use sodium to help rehydrate you and I am guessing you probably don't need any extra in you in diet.

This makes coconut water a good alternative, if you have a diet rich in potassium rich foods then you can probably give it a miss.

I like the taste of coconut water, I feel it's easier on my body, has fewer calories, it's comparable in price and I love it when I am hung over!

Give it a go or don't, it won't change your life!