Graze snack box

Ok, well I am admittedly late to game with this one!

I think most people heard of the legendary Graze box, a magical figure appears once a week and deliveries a box of amazing snack foods and treats for your gluttonous pleasure.

First things first, I'm the realest and you get your first Graze box for free or at least discounted.

 This first hit from the Graze box lets you know that there are two kinds of people in the world, those who get a Graze box and those who don't and I know how I wish to continue my life.

I almost compare a Graze box to people with Sky TV when I was growing up, if someone had Sky they had pretty much made it in life in my eyes and the same goes to those regular Grazers.

If you decide to subscribe and a more opulent existence then you can decide on which box you would like, variety, light or protein how often your box of joy arrives, weekly or fortnightly.

I went for the variety box and a fortnightly delivery, yes I know I should of gone for protein box with this being a health and fitness blog but I have needs and feeling that protein alone just won't satiate.

If you have any dietary requirements or are just a plain, annoying picky eater you can opt out of certain ingredients like nuts or even spicy foods and highlight your favourites so you are more likely to receive them.

I received an alert to let me know they the box had been dispatched and the next day it was here, the box is designed to fit through your letter box which you don't need any form of direct human interact to get your mitts on your goodies.

Each snack comes with a little card with all the nutritious information and ingredients on it in case you wanted to see exactly what makes up each snack.

With the cost a Graze box being only £3.99 they are well worth the money and i you are going on holiday you can pause them until you get back and cancelling your box is just a quick click as well.

If you do move house make sure you do change your address, as my friends  benefited from the previous tenant not changing their details and feasted on Grazes for months as well as Sky Tv,

If you are some how reading this Natalie Reed, my friends thank you for your forgetful nature!

I completely, 100%, absolutely recommend  Graze boxes to anyone and everyone, it's like having someone send a gift each week, even though you are paying for it.

If you want to see how I got on with another box superscription service then check out the review I did for Muscle Crate, a gym supplement box, by clicking here

I actually got some codes sent with my box for a free box!

Promo code: PLK2CDWFB

Click the link here to hit up their website.

I am not sure how many people it will work for but it's worth a go for a taste of how the other half live.

Aspire, healthy energy

Aspire were incredibly generousness and sent me two full crates of their entire range of healthy energy drinks to review and review them I did!

Aspire have three flavours in their range, Apple and Acai, Mango Lemonade and Cranberry, all accompanied by the subtle taste of green tea.

I personally enjoyed the Mango Lemonade the most but couldn't really get past the green tea after taste, however my neighbour went absolutely wild for the Apple and Acai flavour, to the point I thought she was going to shed a tear when she thought my supply had run out!

Needless to say Aspire have at the very least gained a new customer in her.

But what sets Aspire apart from the more main stream energy drinks like red bull or monster?

Energy wise I feel that Aspire is a much cleaner sort of buzz with no sugar crash and zero calories.

With a 250 ml of red bull containing over 100 kcals just changing to Aspire could see you start dropping some of your excess blubber in no time at all with no real effort on your part.

Aspire boasts natural ingredients such a premium green tea, guarana seed extract, L- Carnitine ,Ginger root, vitamins C and B all working together to speed up your weight loss along side other benefits to your overall health. 

I personally did not really enjoy the taste of Aspire but that doesn't mean that you won't, my neighbour is looking into booking a church to marry a multi pack of the stuff.

 I certainly can't deny  how pleasant the energy it gave me was or how low in calories each can is.

Give it a try and you might fall in love too, click the link here to check out where you can get your mitts on some of your every own.

If you are a fan of tea based drinks then check out my post on Little Miracles

Souper High Protein Soups

They will try adding protein to anything right now, with the advent of Mars's dabble into the protein market I thought I would go back to basics and try some good old fashioned soup!.

I came across Souper on the shelves of my Asda for only £1 a grabbed a couple along with some of my favourite multi-seeded bread, nothing but the best for my lunch.

Believe it or not but soup is really trendy right now, with it potential being a low calorie yet filling and satisfying option a lot of people are opting to swap greasy burgers and chips for a hearty soup.

There is certainly no soup that I have come across that has been heartier than Souper's soups, packed full of chicken, vegetables, lentils and beans makes this an incredibly filling soup that will keep you satisfied until dinner time.

But what about the protein, I hear the meat heads cry, lets face it that's probably why you clicked on the blog and I am grateful that you did.

Souper's chicken soup has 4.4 grams of protein per 100g to put this into perspective I have used Heinz cream of chicken soup for a comparison with Heinz only managing to get in 1.7g of protein in it's 100g.

Souper also has a heck of lot of fibre with 2.6g compared to Heinz's 0.1g per 100g

Heinz does have lower calories but with only 18 calories between them and how much more satisfying Souper is you will be more likely to avoid snacking later, plus you are getting all that juicy protein and fibre to boot.

If you opt for Souper you are going to get more than double the protein, be more likely to stave off hunger later in the day and, in my opinion, get a much more enjoyable soup.

If you don't fancy chicken souper then don't worry Souper also make peppered beef, pulled pork and for you vegans and vegetarians out there a super greens soup for you to enjoy.

I started this review saying soups were basic but there is certainly nothing basic about Souper soups, in fact I would go as far as to say that they are Super!

Humpit, Hummus and Pita Bar

    I had been meaning to give Humpit a go for quite awhile now, every time I pop into the Corn Exchange in Leeds I do dare myself to do in but for whatever reason the stars haven't quite aligned.

Then along came Facebook and a competition Humpit were running, giving away a meal for two, get liking there page as they regularly have give a ways, just blast the link here

Throwing caution to the wind I entered and I won!

 Now my only problem was rustling up a friend. 

Luckily my neighbour is always up for a feed, especially if it's free so off we went.

If you haven't guessed yet Humpit, the hummus and pita bar sell hummus and pita but along with that they also do amazing smoothies and the best  falafel in the UK.

Being the greedy beasts that me and my friend are we both opted for the works, hummus with chick peas, salsa, mushrooms and onion,

falafel, a nice bit of pita and a delicious smoothie.

Everything on my plate was really tasty, filling, vegan and in a super generous portion size to the point where I couldn't finish everything on my plate.

My stomach being defeated by some hummus haunts me to this very day.

The salsa does have some heat to it, not enough to take your tits off but enough to know it's there so you might need to take this into consideration.

The service was fast and really friendly.

In fact the staff all must have the patience of saints.

With a system where your name is called out when your food is ready you need your customers to have a certain amount of awareness and the sense not to wander off.

The only thing I could possibly be critical of is that Humpit seems to be a victim of their own success.

Sadly their premises isn't huge so when a queue does build up it can feel quite claustrophobic and what seems like a struggle for the staff to dash in and out with peoples orders, there is additional seating outside of the shop but this is limited.

This issues is being looked into and talks with the new owners of the Corn Exchange are taking place to see if a solution can be found.

There is the option to takeaway and also have everything delivered straight to your door by using Deliveroo.

I would certainly recommend Humpit to everyone, not just vegans, I for one will definitely be popping back in!

If you are popping into the Corn Exchange then why not also pay a visit to Benz and Blanc for all your vegan oral care needs and even clip on veneers!

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!

Organic and Botanic, Cruelty Free Skincare

I was kindly sent a tub of Madagascan Coconut Preserving Day Moisturiser and  a jar of Madagascan Coconut Brightening Eye Serum to review.

Organic and Botanic are a luxury, organic, cruelty free skin care company so no paraffins, parabens or SLS  thrown into any of their range and no animals have suffered for your beautiful skin.

With paraffins, parabens and SLS being linked to skin irritation, hormone disruption and even cancer their absence more than welcome and the reason I am promoting these products on a health and fitness blog.

Their product range stems from three main plant based ingredients, Mandarin Orange, Amazonian Berry and Madagascan Coconut.

Mandarin has excellent antiseptic, anti fungal properties while also nourishing with vitamin C and E whilst also toning your skin, helping with acne and oily skin.

Amazonian Berry is a little hard to work out, I assume it is Acai berry but it's not really clear.

Now if it is in fact Acai then it is again packed full of vitamins C and E making it great for anti ageing and along with it's omega fatty acids it will help tighten and lift your skin.

Madagascan Coconut has  anti bacterial, anti inflammatory and anti fungal qualities as well promoting collagen in the skin and packed full of vitamin E to help keep your face eternally young!

Onward to the actually review!

Both products smell absolutely amazing.
I didn't know if I was supposed to eat them or smear my face in them.

The cream has such a strong a aroma that you can smell it from the other side the room if someone is putting it on, I see this a big positive, I absolutely adore the smell of it.

You don't need you use a lot either product, with the eye serum tightening the skin around my eyes almost immediately and the cream absorbing into my skin just as fast.

My skin felt both tighter and softer from day one however even though I love both products and it broke my heart doing it,
I felt I needed to give them a more rigorous review.

In steps my neighbour!

Now I hope she won't mind me saying that on occasion  she does get the odd out break of acne where as I barely even get a spot month to month.

 Within days of using the day moisturiser her skin cleared up and as the cream did with me made her skin softer.

She has been using both daily for months, loves both products and still has plenty left

The only potentially negative thing I could say is that I didn't really know what I was doing with the pipette.

When I tried to put it directly onto my face I ended up with it in my eye, luckily with all the ingredients being organic I didn't go blind.

Going forward I used a cotton pad to avoid any further accidents.

Now the awkward part the price.

Organic and Botanic are a luxury brand and you pay a luxury price to get a very definite luxury product.

The moisturiser retails for £67 and the eye serum for £69 and I feel both are very much worth the price tag.

With the quality of ingredients, quantity you need to use and the quality of the products in general you really are getting value for money.

If I had someone special in my life then I would definitely be picking some up and I think I am a bit past buying my mum a Valentines!

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.

Vegan Brownies

   Vegan Brownies.

Just like normal brownies but without the breast milk of a cow, the unfertilised eggs of a hen or any of the cruelty that goes into the dairy or egg industries, what could be better?

If you are interested click here for the original recipe I used but I adapted it slightly.

Ingredients:

170g of self raising flour.

170g of caster sugar.

2tbsp of cocoa powder.

5 tbsp of olive oil plus some for greasing your trusty tin of choice.

230ml of chocolate soy milk.

2 tsps of vanilla flavouring.

Method:

Pre heat your oven to 180c

Grease your tin.

Sift together your flour, sugar and cocoa powder.

Add your oil, sugar, soy milk and vanilla and mix until together, I used a manual whisk.

Pour into your tin and cook for about 25 minutes, your brownies should spring back up when you touch them gently when they are cooked.

Leave to cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack.

Boom! Done!

That was pretty painless and you don't need to worry about getting salmonella from eating the uncooked brownie mix.

I am not going to say there were the best brownies I have ever made but they did the job and filled a hole!

On a side note the best brownies I have ever tasted are sold in a shop called Out of this World in Leeds, near the Corn Exchange and they are completely vegan.

Give this simple little recipe a go, it's cheap and easy just like me!

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.

Soy Mince

Since it's Veganuary I have been dabbling with more vegan foods, alternatives and substitutes and thankfully all the major super markets seemed to of jumped onto the band waggon as well.

In the hallowed halls of my local Asda I came across a packet of Soy Mince for £1 so I snapped it up!

Unbelievably all you do is empty the sachet into a bowl, shlomp in some boiling water then wait a minute. 

That's it. Done!

I would say the taste and texture would be like meaty cous cous with a hint of oats.

If you are worried about getting your protein quota fulfilled then worry not, soy mince has 14.9 grams of protein pre 100g of mince. 

I used some to make bolognese and will be looking to make a vegan lasagne and vegan cottage pie at some point, I am sure you will all be on the edge of your seats waiting for the pictures of those.

My bolognese turned out alright, I would say the soy mince is most similar to the meat in keema.

I would be hard pressed to guess that there was no meat and found it very filling and wasn't greasy like when I cook with meat mince.

I am a convert to be honest, not only is it not massively dissimilar to meat but because it's dehydrated soy and will last for months and months in my cupboard and costs a third of what meat mince would do.

Don't be shy, give soy mince a try!

Grove Cafe, Vegan Take Away

You don't always feel like cooking everything from scratch and if you are like me, you don't have a tidy little bae to come home to who'll pop on a pinny and rustle up some delicious  and healthy grub.

Luckily Grove Cafe in Hyde Park, Leeds, will make you vegan pizzas, vegan burgers, vegan chocolate cakes and if you are willing to pay an extra £1 bring it straight to your door!

In the spirit of research I of course order a pizza, burger, cake and destroyed them all in one sitting on my own because that's what real men do!

First up was the pizza.

I ordered a Noon which has vegan cheese, garlic, spinach, peppers and aubergine.

I really enjoyed the pizza.

 The vegan cheese tasted exactly like mozzarella and the pizza had possibly the best base I have ever tried.

Next came the vegan cheese burger and chips.

Not as good as the pizza but still enjoyable. I was disappointed that the vegan cheese was melted on the burger, as a result the burger was a touch cold. The chips were great.

Now the most important course, the vegan chocolate cake!

This was my first time trying a vegan cake and I was not disappointed in the least!

The cake was incredibly rich and moist and I would of had no idea that it was vegan.

Sadly this review does have some negative points, the main one being that Grove Cafe not only sells meat along side it's vegan and vegetarian option but the meat is Halal.

Now before I am accused of Islamaphobia  my issue with Halal meat is that, although there is no kind way to murder an animal, the way meat is made halal is one of the worst ways that animals are slaughtered, religious beliefs don't come in to it for me.

Although I do eat meat I do avoid Halal as much as I can.

Maybe it's hypocritical of me but for me personally Halal isn't something I want to indulge in the same can be said with Veal or Foie Gras.

Whether this will impact your decision to order from there is down to you but I feel if I am writing a review you should have all the information.
 I will continue ordering their delicious vegan options and avoid any Halal.

Now that awkward point is out of way let's talk about the price.

Your money is not going to go as far at Grove Cafe.
 Not only are the prices slighter higher but the portion sizes are smaller than what I am used to for the same price.

I don't think that is a bad thing though.

Take aways should be a treat, vegan or not and a smaller portion size isn't going to kill anyone and if it's a product or company I really like I am happy to pay a bit more.

I really like Grove Cafe and they have a regular customer in me.

Vegan Life Live

I was kindly told about the Vegan Life Live event in London by @FreshNaturals.

 Fresh Naturals are a Leeds based company who specialise in organic, cruelty free, vegan, SLS and paraffin free products.
You should of course remember them from my Fitmas Gift Guide and the review on their  vegan soaps that I am sure you loved reading.

Not only did Fresh Naturals tell me about it, she also wrangled me two free tickets to go and check it out in that London!

"Why am I writing about veganism?" I hear you cry.

Well admittedly I am not a vegan but it is one of the healthiest lifestyles you can have.

Plus nothing has to die to make your meal so I will include vegan content in this blog so anyone who reads this will know that their are plenty of alternatives out their to eating animals or their byproducts as well as writing about all the cruelty products we all love!

"But why cosmetics, soaps etc?" You demand.

Well what you put onto your skin doesn't just sit there.
If you are putting harsh chemicals onto your skin they are also being absorbed and could potentially doing you harm.

Now that that's over with let's crack on!
 But not crack on using an egg, the vegans wouldn't approve.

I ended up blasting a  round trip to London from Leeds in a day but I am so glad I did.

Not only did I get the chance to hang out with @perfectlypolished, the woman behind me starting this blog and a successful beauty and fashion blogger ( if you fancy a gander at her blog then click here) but the Vegan Life Live event was amazing!

There were so many interesting products from vegan soaps and cosmetics to custom vegan trainers, vegan pet food, vegan oral care, the list goes on.

The big focus of the event was definitely food with a big focus on chocolate with too many stands to count!

The big ones for me were Clive's Pies, who sold out after a couple of hours.

Loving Earth Chocolate was by far the best chocolate I have ever tasted.
With no milk used how do they get their chocolate so rich and creamy?
My money is on witch craft!

Optiat, a caffeine scrub that feels, smells and does amazing for your skin and even source their coffee grounds from coffee shops around London.

Kokoa  a company that sells African Black Soap and Shea Butter and Coconut based products. The girl on the stall was also an absolute delight!

True Nopal Cactus water is fantastic, I hope it gets as big as coconut water so I can pick it up in more places than just Waitrose!

Bamboo Pillows sound like a miracle pillow.
 I did give one a squeeze and laid my head on one and have to say they are  super comfortable and with  claims of curing snoring, insomnia, asthma, migraines, lock jaw and also self cooling I had to snap one up for myself.

At the event they were being sold for about £40 but I am a slave to my bank account so hit up amazon and snapped one up for £13.

Mr Organic make the most delicious mayonnaise I have ever come across, it some how tastes more eggy than a mayo made with eggs!

I wanted some so badly I ordered a jar from Holland and Barrets.
Upon getting my jar on the ingredients list it does actually contain a non organic ingredient but with it having 30% less fat than regular mayo and no eggs I will let the  misleading name slide.

T Plus are a range of fruit and vitamin infused tea and give 10p for every box sold to Vitamin Angels, a charity that help  children and  mothers who are at risk of malnutrition.

If you buy just two boxes of tea that will give a child a years supply of vitamin A and you get to keep two boxes of delicious tea!

Tyne Chease, a vegan cheese company, cheese made from cashew nuts, who would of thought it would be possible!?

If you are seriously thinking about going vegan you might drop the line
"cheese though"

With studies comparing cheese addiction to cocaine it's hardly surprising that might be a concern but with Tyne Chease you needn't worry your pretty, cheese filled head about it.

If you are feeling curious about how I found going dairy free for my two challenge then click here and for how dairy impacts your health click here.


I am sorry to the companies that I have not mentioned, there were so many great products featured I had to limit myself to the ones that really stood out to me.

If you get the chance to attend a Vegan Life Live event then grab it with both hands, it will hopefully surprise you with the alternatives that are out there.

Fitmas Gift Guide

If you, like me are not terribly organised then you are in the right place!

With all the "New Year, New Me" Facebook updates and tweets that swamp us shortly after Chrimbo it's not a bad idea giving your nearest and dearest a Fitmas gift alongside  the mountain of selection boxes and rivers of booze that we will be gifted over the festive period.

Some of the gift ideas I am going list I have written reviews on and others I haven't yet gotten my hands on but I will include links to any reviews I have written or the website for the gift.

Promixx

Promix is to put it simply a shaker bottle/ blender hybrid but there is a bit more to it than that. Promixx uses blunt blades that are designed to emulate a vortex to help mix your supplement without damaging it's micro nutrients whilst also creating a smooth drink with no lumps and here I am mixing my shakes by hand like a chump!

The Promixx is powered by two triple A batteries with a more expensive rechargeable option available.

I have not yet got  my mitts on a Promixx but I am looking to get one in the New Year to write a review on in the mean time feel free to check out their website by clicking here or follow them on twitter where they often run competitions, I am yet to win one and I promise you I am not bitter....click here for their twitter account.

U Fit or Twist Protein Coffee

Yes, I have given two options to chose from here with both being really great brands that make delicious protein coffees. Now I have giving both as a suggestion because I feel that U Fit is more of a coffee lovers drink with a much stronger flavour than Twist, however Twist is much sweeter. It's a bit like Coffee Nero and Starbucks, both great but marketed more towards a certain kind of coffee lover!

I have reviewed both so click here for U Fit and here for Twist.

Muscle Moose and Muscle Juice  

I am a massive fan of Muscle Moose and Muscle Juice, in fact Muscle Moose was one of the first companies to reach out to me to write a review, I couldn't believe my luck getting to work with a brand I love fairly fast after starting to work on my blog properly.

Muscle Moose  is a high protein dessert which can be made easily if you have access to water and a fridge, not only that it is a versatile baking ingredient, if you check out my recipe section you can have a gander at my experiments with it.

Muscle Juice is BCAA pre workout drink that tastes great, has zero sugar and available in two flavours, Berry and Blue Raspberry.

I have reviewed both so click here for the moose and here for the juice and of course have a peak at my recipe section or go to the Mousse Kitchen by clicking here

If you are in Leeds then pop down to Hi Def Supplements and pick some up for the best price in town. They were caught up in the floods on Kirkstall Road last Boxing Day and are back on their feet and I am sure they will appreciate all the support.

Meggings by Kapow

Why settle for some socks for Christmas when you can grab some super funky Meggings?

Yes, you probably guessed it, Meggings are leggings for men!

With bold, eye catching designs and excellent mobility in them you can boss your workout then hop on a train to the nearest festival and boss that too! 

You can check out my own review by clicking here or head straight to their website to see all of Kapow's designs in all their glory on much more attractive models than myself by clicking here

Anything from Fresh Naturals!

Muscles need to recover from the brutal workout I am sure you treat yourself to so stock up on the vegan and vegetarian bath products  and aromas from Fresh Naturals.

They are a start ups based in Leeds with Fresh Naturals being based online so you don't need to leave your house to buy a touch of luxury.

Fresh Naturals have everything that Lush would without the price tag and without compromising on quality.

I have experienced amazing customer service from them and highly recommend them to anyone click here for my review on Fresh Naturals Vegan Soaps or here to check out their website.

I have bought their products and used them myself and heard nothing but great things so treat yo self but don't forget your friends and family too!

Muscle Crate

There are loads of subscriptions available nowadays and are not just limited to just magazines.

If you so desire you can get make up, fragrances, cheese, meat or pretty much anything you can imagine delivered straight to your door.

 Muscle Crate is of interest because you can get a selection of supplements delivered to you so you can discover new products without throwing £60 plus on something you are not sure you will like or if it will deliver on it's lofty promises.

I used the discount code FIRSTBOX02 and got my first box order for just £5 with it only going up to £15 after that, both prices an absolute bargain in my book so click here to order your first box with the choice to cancel at any time with no contract.

I will hopefully being making a video of my reaction to the products that come in my first crates so keep your eyes out for that, I am sure it will be a delight for everyone involved.

I could go on and on, there are so many great products and brands out there but I will have to stick with this lot!

Have a very Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year!

Fresh Natural's Vegan Soap

I won a competition on Twitter and got some amazing vegan soaps.

Not only am excited to give them a try but also because the only thing I have ever one before now is a goldfish at the local fayre, the goldfish died.

I was sent two soaps and a "buffer bag" which is a bag that you place your soap in and use to exfoliate yourself as well be able to use the entire bar of soap when it comes towards the end of it's life.

The first was made with avocado oil with cocoa butter, cold pressed avocado, olive and coconut oil and fragranced with coriander and lime.

The second was made from hemp oil, hemp seeds, cold pressed hemp oil and fragranced with lavender and rosemary essential oils.

They both smell amazing, I left them in my living room for a day by mistake and I could smell them from across the room and my sink felt equally amazing after using them.

Price wise on the whole Fresh Naturals appears to be cheaper than Lush and offer many vegan products delivered to your door.

Fresh Naturals don't only sell soaps, they also sell bath bombs, shaving bars, solid shampoo, lip balms, body scrubs, moisturisers, face masks, bath salts and accessories.

I am really surprised that these luxury products are so cheap and to the fact that they are completely vegan makes me even more surprised!

Not only are vegan products better for the animals they are also better for our bodies and the environment so when I find any products that are a high quality and just happen to be vegan I just have to spread the word.

Please check out Fresh Naturals product lines by clicking here

If you a friend or family member then you won't have to think to hard about what I will be getting you for Christmas and maybe a treat or two for myself!

First Impressions of Nutribuddy

I was sent a weight loss kit by Nutribuddy to review so here are my first of impressions, if you hadn't already guessed from the post title what this was going to be all about.

The kit is comprised of a bag of body sculpting whey protein, multi vitamins, hunger fix tablets, a recipe book, the little book of weight loss and a shaker bottle.

I will be using the kit for twos so here is my " before" picture and when the two weeks are up I will post a it again with my "after" picture.

My very first impression is that this kit is marketed towards women but being the modern man that I am I paid it no heed and powered through.

Body Sculpting Whey

I was impressed with the Sculpting Whey, with it's all natural ingredients, no GMOs, added green tea, chromium and guarana to help promote weight loss and all at just 115ckal a serving.

The Whey Protein is vegetarian  which I was a bit disappointed at because there are vegan protein powders available.



Multi Vitamins

Again the multi vitamins impressed just from the sheer amount of different vitamins that are in one tiny pill, are you ready for a long list? Ok! Let's GO!

Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Manganese, Selenium, Copper, Boron, Folic Acid, Iodine, Chromium, Molybdenum, Biotin

Now for the vitamins.

Vitamin C, Vitamins B1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 12, Vitamin D3, Vitamin A and Vitamin E

I will hopefully be working my way through each of those and writing a post on what they do for your body because there are a few I have never heard of and I am sure most people reading this will not know either.

The multi vitamins are vegan.

Hunger Fix Tablets

The hunger fix tablets left me on the fence because although I am intrigued by them as I have not used a product like them before but also I don't like the idea of taking a pill instead of eating.

This was an incorrect assumption, the hunger fix tablets are used to fill you before a meal so in theory you don't consume as many calories.

The Hunger Fix tablets are vegan.


The Little Book of Weight Loss

The little book of weight loss gives you a brief run through of the other elements of the kit, a dos and don'ts list to help you stay the course, a 5 day meal plan and an FAQ.

My impression of the Little Weight Loss book was great until I saw the 5 day meal plan.

There is nothing wrong with per say, I just don't know how compatible it would be for most people's lifestyles.

I myself like the vast majority of the recipes in the book but since I am surrounded by people drowning drowning their food in ketchup not I not sure how they would take to aubergine salad.

The only other thing I had to say about the meal plan is that it looks quite expensive, I will be doing a break down of each day and see which super market can provide the ingredients at the cheapest price.

The meals themselves look easy enough to prepare.

The Recipe Book

The recipes all look amazing, with smoothies to main meals and desserts.

I can't wait to try them out!


The Shaker Bottle

What would you like me to say about it?
It's a shaker bottle not some exotic item from an unknown country.


It is not recommended to use these products when breast feeding or pregnant, don't worry I got myself a test just in case!

On the bright side none of the products effect the contraceptive pill and alcohol will not impact the products but it is adding needless calories to your diet.

I have made a short YouTube video about my first impressions of the Nutribuddy weight loss kit, if you would like to check it then click the link here.

If you like the video then please subscribe.
I am hopefully going to be posting videos regularly and even more hopefully the quality of the videos I make will improve as well.