My Matcha Challenge

Hey all!

Have any of you tried matcha before?

Matcha is a type of green tea that is ground down to a fine powder. Originating from Japan, it is well known for it's amazing health benefits and its energising effects. There are too many benefits to list down, so make sure you check out this link and read all about it.

Now I am a big fan of matcha. I still remember the first time I tried it. My friend was raving about it and, as a coffee drinker and one who is suspicious of bright green milky drinks, I was rather sceptical at first. I decided to be adventurous and gave it a try. It was one of the best decisions I made in my life (no kiddin'!). It tasted so great and it made me feel incredibly awake and refreshed. I didn't crash afterwards either.

Unfortunately, I can't get a nice matcha drink close to my home. So a refreshing cup of matcha in the morning wasn't an option for me. But thankfully, you can buy matcha online to make drinks at home at a fraction of the cost. teapigs matcha is 100% organic and comes in an cute little tin to keep it fresh.

Cute :')

You can drink it however you like, whether you prefer to whisk it into hot water, whip up an ice-cold matcha frappe or knock back a matcha shot. Personally, I prefer a hot matcha latte, which is very suited to this weather and it really warms me up in the morning.

You can also add it to food such as stirring it into yogurt with some honey and nuts to make a very nutritious breakfast.

I recently took part in teapigs's matcha challenge where I drink matcha for two weeks and report back on how it made me feel. I have been drinking it mostly as a matcha latte in the mornings. I normally drink regular black tea and have to buy a coffee afterwards to keep me going. But with a matcha latte I find that it keeps me feeling awake for hours and it also makes me more focussed in class. Plus, it tastes yummy!

I haven't experienced any long-term effects. Although, I have been awfully inactive the past few weeks, just sitting down and typing away at my dissertation for hours each day. So I didn't expect any weight loss miracles. But the short-term benefits of feeling refreshed, awake and relaxed during these stressful days have been amazing.

So if you're looking for an alternative to coffee, I seriously recommend you give this a try. I seriously recommend you get yourself a frother as it can be difficult to blend into your drink.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

xx

P.S. Excuse the funky photography. I got a little carried away playing with my phone ;)

A Natural Low-Calorie Sugar Alternative

Hello! I hope you've all been well. As promised, here's my review on Total Sweet Xylitol.

As I have a big sweet tooth, I find it difficult to cut down on sugar even when I'm trying to lose weight. And I've heard too many nasty things about synthetic sweeteners so I decided to try a natural alternative.

Xylitol is a supposedly a great substitute as not only is it low in calories, it doesn't contain any sugars.  So it's much better for your health.

The first thing I noticed about this product when I picked it off the shelf is that it does contain calories. But only a little so I didn't mind taking it home with me. Also, comparing it to regular granulated sugar, it contains the same amount of carbs (it doesn't contain any sugars though). As I just wanted to cut down on calories and sugar, I didn't mind all of this at all.

Trying the xylitol in a cup of tea, I didn't like it at first as it didn't sweeten at all. All it did was reduce the bitterness of my cup of tea tea. But over time, I did get used to it. And I did prefer it at times as my taste was too adjusted to very sweet things.

I did find, however, that I was scooping in more sweetener than I usually do with sugar as it wasn't sweetening at all. This meant that I was consuming more carbs in my tea than I usually do.

So I'm in two minds about this product. I'm not too fussed about the calories as I'm not on a strict regime but I do love a sweet cup of tea on a cold, grey morning. Also, the price isn't helping as it was just under £3 for 225g, which does add up with the amount of tea I drink.

I really wish I could say I love it as I'd love a healthier alternative to sugar. But my hunt for a natural sweetener must go on.

Got any suggestions for healthy sweeteners for me to try?

xx

New Year's Resolution 3: Lose Weight

Hello everyone!

I know it's almost the end of January (where has the month gone!) but I still have one more resolution to talk about. To lose weight. You've probably come across so many articles this month talking about losing weight. Personally, I find that many of them give the most obvious advice and that not everything works for everyone. You just have to find something that works for you. I'm going to tell you what works for me.

Swap your sweetener! I have an incredibly sweet tooth. Not only that but I drink a lot of tea and always have to have my two sugars in each mug. Three mugs later and it all adds up. Not only is sugar high in calories but it raises your blood sugar and feeds candida, to name a few. Since I've heard a lot of crazy things about synthetic sweeteners, I decided to try Xylitol by Total Sweet as a natural substitute. I'll be reviewing this very soon! An alternative is Stevia but I'm very suspicious of the ones I've come across in the supermarkets as I've heard that they're not pure and they're heavily processed. I'm not surprised considering these certain brands are owned by unhealthy carbonated drinks manufacturers.

Another thing I've been doing is taking a healthy snack like fruit or a Nakd bar and a bottle of water with me when I go out. That way, if I get hungry I don't resort to buying an unhealthy snack. It's a great way to avoid shopping when hungry too.

Fill up to eat less. It doesn't take long for me to fancy a snack after eating a meal so I'm trying to add more vegetables and salad to my meals to fill me up. Just as long as you avoid the starchy veggies and salad dressing, you'll be bringing more nutrition to your meals. I especially love to top a meal with lots of fresh spinach.

Images courtesy of gt_pann

Drink more. I love water so this is an easy one for me. It's a great way to fill up and keep hydrated.

Treat yourself! We all feel like a little treat now and then. As I don't like dark chocolate (It's more of a punishment than a treat for me), I go for rich milk chocolate that satisfies me in just a biteful. Hotel Chocolat have a great selection. More pricey than conventional brands but considering how satisfying they are compared to cheaper chocolates, plus they taste amazing and they're ethical, they are totally worth the money.

In terms of exercise, I'll be going to the gym but not for a few more weeks as I always have much more energy in the Spring. Until then, walking will do. I absolutely love to walk and it makes me feel great! I'm also hoping to take up yoga again as being stuck at home when it's cold and dark makes me feel sluggish. My Yoga Online have a huge selection and their subscription is very affordable.

So these are the rules I'm sticking to for now.

Got any easy tips for me?

xx

Is your toothpaste making you sick?

For many years, I have been getting an upset stomach after brushing my teeth in the morning and at bed at night. I assumed that it had something to do with swallowing a small amount of warm water when rinsing my mouth. However, I then started to read that being sensitive to fluoride, which is in most toothpastes, can cause this too. After reading a lot of things about fluoride and how it affects our health, I've recently got myself an all natural fluoride-free toothpaste and I no longer suffer from an upset stomach. So it was the toothpaste all along!

I am currently using Tom's of Maine anti-plaque propolis and myrrh toothpaste, which is all natural and fluoride-free. The ingredients are:

Calcium carbonate, Water, Glycerin, Xylitol, Spearmint and peppermint oils, Carrageenan, Sodium lauryl sulfate, Myrrh, Propolis.

The texture is nothing like most toothpastes. It's more of a soft paste than a gel, which is no surprise as it does contain chalk. I find that it gently cleans my teeth by using a very small amount even without foaming much. It also doesn't require much rinsing out either.

It is supposed to have a minty flavour but I only really taste the mint as I'm rinsing my mouth so it doesn't give me nice minty smelling breath afterwards but I don't mind.

Overall, it works really well, it's good value for money and makes my belly happy. However, in future I do want to try out different toothpastes and will be looking for one with a longer lasting flavour.

So, yeah.. a review on toothpaste. Not very inspiring but I hope I've assured you that natural toothpastes can work just as well as all the regular toothpastes out there and that they are much better for your health. Love Lula have a selection of natural toothpastes, including some for kids. I'm actually very tempted to get the Lavera strawberry and raspberry kids tooth gel... yumm! Whatever toothpaste you decide to get, always check the ingredients as even natural toothpastes may have added fluoride.

xx

GoGo Guarana Breeze drink review

A few days ago, I reviewed the GoGo Guarana vegicaps, which I quite liked. So I was happy to find the GoGo Guarana Breeze drink at Holland and Barrett as I find that energy drinks have some scary ingredients in them and I stay way clear of them.

The first thing I noticed was the smell. Do you know that 'dentist smell'? That strange smell of dental surgeries? That! That mixed with something very foul. Not tempting at all.

If you think that's bad, you haven't heard the rest of it. The taste is worse than the smell. I can't describe it because as much as I've tasted some pretty horrid things in my life, this is a new one. Yuck! I had to force it down me as I was so tired but I couldn't force myself to drink enough of it to feel the effects. The only effect I felt was that of disgust and fatigue. That's not a good combo.

I wonder if the makers of this drink trialled it as I can't imagine anyone enjoying it at all. But if you do like it, I would love to know!

xx

An alternative to coffee?

Being a university student, I need a constant supply of caffeine to get me through the day. So I decided to try an alternative to coffee just to try it out and see if it would be any better.

At my local Revital store, the lovely store assistant told me about GoGo Guarana vegicaps, which are all natural and vegan capsules containing guarana seed powder sourced from the Amazon, which gives the population a source of income, which is good to know. She also told me that the pills offer mental stimulation for hours instead of a quick peak then a crash that coffee usually gives. I've heard that guarana contains caffeine (although more recently I've also read that it contains something else entirely different that is often mistaken for caffeine) and that's all I needed to hear so at just over £4 for a pack of 20, which is cheaper than buying coffee all the time, I thought I'd give them a GoGo (see what I did there?). 

So what did I think of them? Was it a GoGo or a NoNo?

I tried them for a few days and I quite like them. I have since ran out and I would like to buy some more soon. What I liked about them is that keep me focussed in class even with little sleep instead of my mind wandering. They keep me slightly awake but not as much as coffee and when I take them in the late afternoon, I feel less sleepy.

I wouldn't say that there was a placebo effect as I would normally have trouble staying awake and focussed and from refraining from yawning when I have had little sleep. So I am very sure that these effects were due to the pills.

What I don't like about GoGo Guarana is that it is too weak when I'm extremely tired and I miss the coffee buzz. I was told that I won't feel the crash at the end of the day but this is completely untrue as some days I come home and I'd feel so tired that not even more pills would keep me awake.

But overall I would still recommend them. If, for whatever reason, you would like to try an alternative to coffee, this may help keep you awake and focussed. But if you are looking for something stronger than coffee, this won't be it.

You can find GoGo guarana vegicaps at Revital stores on the Rio Health website.

xx

Thank you Glamour!

I was very surprised to find out that Glamour (US) have written an article titled The Hidden Things Messing Up Your Health talking about the dangers of chemicals contained in many products including cosmetics (read here). As a magazine dependent on cosmetics brands as well as others to advertise in their magazine this was a risky post. This is what writing should be all about. About promoting the truth. So well done, Glamour, and thank you for your responsible article. I hope that this is only the first step and that other magazines follow suit.

xx

Why I'm dieting without diet food

After months in hibernation with plenty of pies and mash to keep me warm and not so s.a.d., I have no more excuses for not exercising and eating properly. I have honestly not been to the gym since September and other than walking to the shops, I don't get much exercise. Not good, I know! But now the sun is out (well, for now it is) I feel more energetic.

I have been yo-yo dieting most of my life. It's always the same. I diet during the summer then when the stooopid winter comes along, I get s.a.d. so I stay indoors and eat a lot basically. Thankfully (?), I got the flu last winter so I spent a few days not eating much and I lost some weight. My diets weren't very healthy and involved low fat processed food and drinks. It was only last year that I became more aware of what I put into my body and the dangers of the so-called diet foods.

So what is wrong with processed 'diet food'? Well once you remove sugar and fat from a product, it doesn't taste very nice and won't sell well. So what is a food manufacturing company to do? Put in whatever low calorie/ low fat ingredient they can to give the product a better taste and texture. Whether it's an artificial sweetener, flavouring or a thickener, if it gives the product taste and texture, they will put it in. I mean check out the ingredients in this low fat yogurt...

"Cultured Pasteurized Grade A Nonfat Milk, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Peaches, Modified Cornstarch, Nonfat Milk, Kosher Gelatin, Natural Flavor, Citric Acid, Tricalcium Phosphate, Aspartame, Potassium Sorbate Added to Maintain Freshness, Colored with Annatto Extract, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3."

Doesn't sound very appetising. Look, it even contains High Fructose Corn Syrup! Definitely not what you need to lose weight.

"...high fructose corn syrup, which can be found in every kind of food, from sodas to yogurt to pretzels, is an obesogen. The ubiquitous, viscous sweet stuff makes your liver insulin resistant and tampers with leptin to increase your hunger, setting up a vicious cycle where you crave more food that is then more easily turned into fat."

DoctorOz.com

A much healthier and tastier option is simply natural yogurt with fresh fruit of your choice. Add a little drizzle of honey and throw in some chopped nuts too if you like.

Another problem with convenience diet food, especially ready made meals, is the containers. Many plastics contain BPA which can leach into food especially when it's heated. BPA is an obestrogen, which work by...

"increasing the fat cells you have,

decreasing the calories you burn,

altering the way your body manages hunger"

DoctorOz.com

So those low fat/ low calorie ready meals are not so healthy at all. BPA is also used to line many cans such as for tuna and canned soup.

There is an interesting study that may suggest that not all calories are equal and that calories from processed food take longer to burn than from real natural food (read about it here). So those low calories snacks? You're probably better off with a small helping of tasty organic frozen yogurt worth a few more calories.

So what other reasons are there to eat real natural food instead of processed diet food? They are nutritious and much more filling. It might require planning and preparing meals but I personally think that is one of the great things about it. Not only will you save money but you would know exactly what is in your food.

So this is why I choose to lose weight the natural way. I'll keep you updated with more tips, recipes and also restaurant reviews to help you lose weight naturally too. But of course I won't be just improving my diet. I'll be exercising too so expect some fitness reads too.

xx

PFCs and menopause

Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), which are found in many household items such as non-stick pans, have been found to increase chances of an early menopause in women. Read more here.

xx

Is recycled food packaging safe?

I have found an interesting article about how mineral oil from recycled cardboard packaging can contaminate our food. Eek!

Read about it here. There is also a similar article by the BBC here.

Will you continue purchasing food packaged in recycled cardboard?

xx

The Truth Matters conference/ exhibition 2011

Just a quick post to let you know about an upcoming conference and exhibition focusing on natural health. Many speakers will be there, including Polly Noble who has refused conventional treatment for her cancer and is instead opting for the natural route to health.

If you'd like to know more about this event, please visit The Truth Matters website.

Interesting videos

Dr Vyvyan Howard is a medically qualified toxico-pathologist. In the following videos, he speaks about the importance of chemical hygiene and the link between the rise in synthetic chemicals and the rise in cancer rates.

I tried embedding the videos but they all started playing automatically at the same time, so please visit the following links to see the videos:

Why are rates of cancer rising so fast? Part 1

Why are rates of cancer rising so fast? Part 2

How dangerous are manmade chemicals?

xx

Keep fit without leaving the house

Winter is the perfect excuse to stay indoors in our warm, cosy homes, instead of working up a sweat. But there's no need to let winter get in the way of our health and fitness when there are so many exercises to do at home for the fraction of a cost of a gym membership.

I love Pilates and Yoga and not only because they involve a lot of lying down. Winter normally makes me lethargic and Yoga and Pilates have really helped by stretching my tired muscles whilst toning them. They are also great for burning calories, depending on the workout you choose to do.

I've found a great website called My Yoga Online that is full of videos as well as articles on Yoga, Pilates, dance and overall health. The videos vary in length so you can fit them 5 minutes in the morning or go for a long 75 minute weekend session.

You would need to join to access the full videos as well as to take advantage of other benefits such as keeping a wellness diary. But it is really great value, especially compared to how much you would pay at a studio. It costs $9.85 a month which is just £6.25 (at time of writing).

I've watched some of the taster videos and I can't wait to start! I'll let you know how it goes. Until then, why not try out some of the video samples and see if you like it?

xx

My Lovelula.com purchases have arrived!

Tea, biscuits and a box of goodies in the mail that I ordered from Love Lula the organic apothecary. A great start to the day!

The cute box

Inside

A cute card that came in the box. A nice reminder to take everywhere with me in my wallet.

Inside

So this is what I bought:

• Urtekram Rose shampoo
• Dr Bronner's mild baby soap
• Natracare natural sanitary towels
• Elysambre eyeliner in White
• Free Oskia London samples

I will be reviewing all of these very soon so keep your eyes peeled!

xx

A cure for the sniffles

I'm really poorly today (cough cough sniff sniff!) :'(

Since I'm trying my very best to avoid unnatural products, including medicines, I'm doing things the old fashioned way by resting and letting my immune system do it's thang!

If your immune system needs a boost, like my poorly self does right now, then give it a good dose of vitamin C, which, as you know, is found in citrus fruits especially lemons.

So like they say, if life gives you lemons, make some juicy lemonade...

For more natural recipes, check out Sophie Uliano's books.

Should people be forced to smell your perfume?

As you may know from my previous post, I am trying my very best to stay away from synthetic products. So this includes perfume. It has been over a month since I last put on any perfume. Since then, I have begun noticing scents a lot better. My nose has, for some reason, become extra sensitive to perfume worn by others and it's suffocating!

It is mostly the floral scents that smell too sickly sweet to me these days, which is surprising since I used to love sweet smelling perfumes in my perfume wearing days. I actually put on a little perfume today and I felt physically sick. That serves me right for spraying toxic chemicals onto myself! Never again!

Though while I stay away from spraying any perfume, I can't help what other people are polluting my fresh air with. These days, I am either breathing in people's toxic perfumes, people's toxic car fumes or people's toxic cigarette smoke. It is a shame that everyone else gets the smell of freedom while they pollute the very air that I'm breathing! What happened to the freedom to smell some fresh air for once!

I'm not saying people shouldn't have their freedom to do as they wish, but they should really be considerate of others by spraying less perfume. I mean if you wanna spray a little, go ahead! But there's no need to spray so much and make everyone else smell it. If I get nauseous smelling certain fragrances, then I hate to imagine the experiences of those who actually suffer from perfume allergy or asthma! Or even pregnant women who are not only passing on these toxins to their babies but also get morning sickness from just by smelling these fragrances.

In related news, check this out: Perfume protest: Teens Storm 'Toxic' Abercrombie and Fitch

My opinion? You guessed it! Quit spraying!

xx

Coconut water - Fab or Fad?

Vita Coco is drink made entirely from Coconut water. This is the water taken from inside baby coconuts, which are famous for being high in electrolytes so they're perfect for an after gym snack.

Vita Coco is loved by many celebrities including Jessica Simpson...

... Sienna Miller....

... and Anna Paquin and Steven Moyer...

Madonna loves it so much much that she has invested $1.5 million into the company that makes it!

But is this drink worth all the craze? Let's see...

Taste:

I don't like the taste of the coconut water at all. It has a similar taste to the coconut water you get inside ripe coconuts (which I love) but it also has a tangy-ish taste too.

Smell:

One of the things that ruined the taste was the smell. I can't describe it but it is not very nice at all.

Price:

£1.69 for 300ml. If you normally spend this much on a sports drink then this might be a reasonable price for you. But for the taste and smell, it is not worth it at all. Especially when there are many different products that offer the same benefits...

Nutrition:

According to the Nutrition Diva, coconut water doesn't really offer anything different to what fruit and vegetables already do. Click here to learn more about coconut water from the Nutrition Diva herself.

Vita Coco - fab or fad? Nutrition-wise, I think it is a fad. But if you enjoy the taste (which I clearly didn't) then it is a healthy alternative to most drinks out there.

Have you tried coconut water? What do you think of it?

xoxo