Friday, 7 July 2017

Booja-Booja Summer Ice Cream Party


Ice cream is by far one of my favourite desserts, and I'm assuming it's the same for most other people. Pretty much everyone I know loves delving into a tub of Ben & Jerry's and it's a necessity for when you're going through any sort of bad situation (break ups in films always seem to involve ice cream, right?). However, what happens when you want a more nutritious and dairy-free option? Luckily, Booja-Booja are around to save the day! Their luxurious frozen desserts are made with cashew nuts and are sweetened with either agave syrup or coconut nectar so they're perfect for those who are avoiding dairy and who want a dessert free from refined sugars. They're organic, full of healthy fats (great for your skin, yay!) and are pretty much indistinguishable from their dairy counterparts when it comes to taste and texture. I've been a fan of their vegan ice cream for years so when they invited me to take part in their Summer Ice Cream Party I jumped at the chance!

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Saturday, 27 May 2017

5 Super Simple Vegan Breakfasts


I don't know about you, but I totally agree with the notion that breakfast is the most important meal; having a delicious breakfast accompanied by a big mug of coffee is by far my favourite part of the day, and I definitely notice a drop in energy later on if I don't eat a large enough meal or if I skip it entirely. It does get kind of boring eating the same thing every day though, especially if you're vegan and can't eat a number of the more popular breakfast choices anyway, so I thought I'd put together a list of super tasty (and really easy to make!) ideas for you all so you don't get stuck. Of course there are plenty of other options but this is a good starting point for beginners or people who don't have a lot of time on their hands in the morning!

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Sunday, 14 May 2017

24 Hours with Arbonne Skincare & Nutrition

Hey everyone, hope you're all having a lovely and relaxing weekend!

As a vegan who is very much into health and beauty products, I'm always on the lookout for new cruelty-free skincare and make up to try. I know from personal experience that when you first go vegan it can be quite difficult (and can get kind of expensive!) to find products that are not only kind to animals but also kind to your skin, which is why I love sharing my finds with you guys - if I can help you cut down on the time and expense of trying products that don't work then that's brilliant!

One of my favourite companies which I've recently discovered is definitely Arbonne; Arbonne is a 100% vegan skincare. make up and nutrition company (certified by the Vegan Society in the UK, yay!) which uses natural and nourishing ingredients and has a huge focus on wellness. 

As I'm an avid make up and skincare fan, when I was contacted and asked to participate in a campaign for Arbonne I was obviously super excited and said yes straight away! Some of the products weren't very suitable for my skin (I look about 12 so I don't think I need to use anti-aging products!) so I recruited my lovely mum to help me try them out; we had a fabulous pampering session in my living room which was only marred by my boyfriend laughing at us whilst I vigorously dabbed my mother's face with a beauty blender covered in CC cream. The cheek of him!

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Sunday, 15 January 2017

Cath Kidston Health & Happiness Collection | Chocolate Overnight Oats Recipe


Hello, lovely people - it's been a while (again)! One of my goals for 2017 is to become more consistent with blogging so hopefully you'll be seeing a lot more of me from now on.

Today's post features something I'm very, very excited about; Cath Kidston's new Health & Happiness collection. I'm an avid Cath Kidston fan and have been for a few years now, so when they told me about their new healthy living range I could barely contain myself. Cath Kidston's signature floral prints combined with cute workout gear? A dream come true for this girl! They've made everything from leggings and tops, to gym bags and accessories, all featuring their beautiful Wildflower Bunch print.

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Saturday, 20 August 2016

Pink Soda Sports Summer Collection Review

Hello lovelies! Sorry for the lack of recipes recently - things have been a bit tough lately and it's been hard getting the motivation to even get out of bed most days, let alone create recipes and write blog posts. Today I'd like to share with you a review of some fab workout gear from Pink Soda that I've been trying out over the past few weeks; even though I'm struggling a little bit right now, I find that doing at least 15 minutes of yoga most mornings definitely helps lift my mood a small amount. And what better way to convince myself to get moving than with pretty clothes?


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Saturday, 11 June 2016

My Vegan, Cruelty-Free & Natural Skincare Routine (Pai Skincare & Vanity Planet Ultimate Skin Spa System Review)

Today I want to share my skincare routine with you all - I don't talk about my skin that often on my blog or any of my social media accounts but I used to struggle pretty badly with eczema when I was a toddler and then again from the age of 13 - 20. It's only in the last year or so that my skin is actually behaving again and now, at age 21, I'm finally happy with it! Suffering from eczema was incredibly debilitating and I couldn't stand people seeing me when I was experiencing a flare up. Luckily it's all gone now and, even though that may be due to me getting older and my skin sorting itself out on its own, I do contribute a lot of my success to my diet (lots of plants and no dairy!), the amount of water I drink (at least 2 litres a day) and my skincare routine. I use products free from harsh ingredients, and facial oils which are amazing for hydrating your skin and giving it a natural glow.

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Wednesday, 18 May 2016

What's In My Make Up Bag? (Natural, Vegan & Cruelty-Free)

When I first went vegan, my only priority when it came to beauty products was that they had to be cruelty-free (i.e. not tested on animals) and made without any animal products. While these are still two of the main criteria I look for when it comes to what I put on my skin I'm now a lot more interested in 'natural' and organic skincare and make up. Now, I know the word 'natural' is extremely subjective and no two people will have the same definition of it so it's hard to know what it means when a product is marketed as being that - especially since companies can slap the all-natural label on any product they want because there aren't really any rules or regulations surrounding it. Also, nettles are natural but I'm not going to rub them all over my skin! So when I use the word 'natural' I mean free from 'nasties' with the majority of the ingredients being derived from plants to create a product that is, without a doubt, safe for your skin. There are a lot of companies out there who are 'greenwashing' so all I can say is do your research before you buy.

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Friday, 12 December 2014

The Ultimate Healthy, Vegan & Cruelty-free Christmas Gift Guide


Buying Christmas presents can be tough, especially when you're trying to find something to give to someone with dietary restrictions or who follows a cruelty-free lifestyle. You can't just pick up the first box of chocolates or toiletries you see because unfortunately the recipient either wouldn't be able to eat or use them, or simply wouldn't want to. Even though I've lived a vegan lifestyle for just over a year now I still find it difficult to buy toiletries that are cruelty-free and don't contain any animal products, so for someone who has no idea about this way of living it could be quite daunting to come up with something to give to a vegan friend or relative. Luckily I love buying presents for people so I've put together this guide to help you pick some amazing gifts to give this year; this guide could also be helpful if you're already vegan or living a cruelty-free lifestyle and want to introduce people to it gently, or you could even just treat yourself to a few things! I know everyone has different budgets so I've tried to include a range of prices - have fun!
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Monday, 3 November 2014

Review: Philips Real Juice Campaign with Madeleine Shaw


I'm a huge advocate of freshly made juice so when I was contacted by Philips and asked to take part in their Real Juice campaign, which encourages people to swap pre-packaged juice for fresh juicing, I jumped at the chance; I was very kindly sent a Philips Viva Collection Compact Juicer, a set of recipe cards and all the ingredients I'd need to follow the 'One-a-Day' juicing plan devised by the lovely Madeleine Shaw, a nutritional health coach who states that juicing is a way of life for her. Fresh juice is incredibly nutritious, especially when it contains plenty of vegetables, and is a much healthier alternative to the shop-bought kind; this is mainly due to the fact that juice loses a lot of its nutrients over time and is best drunk straight after it's been made, so the long shelf-life of shop-bought juice poses a problem in this regard. Shop-bought juice also tends to only contain fruit which means the sugar content is higher and many of the vital nutrients that are derived from vegetables simply aren't present.

 'Glowing Greens' Juice

Firstly, I'd like to talk about the juicer; I already owned a juicer before I was sent the Philips one but I was eager to test the new one out and see how it compared. The Philips juicer is more compact and slightly more aesthetically pleasing than my other one. I don't have a tiny kitchen but I do have to share it with the rest of my family (oh, what I wouldn't give to have my own kitchen!) and I have a fair few other appliances which all demand their own space on the countertop. My other juicer is slightly too big to fit comfortably amongst the chaos of appliances, spice racks and utensil holders but the Viva Juicer is the perfect size to nestle happily in between my food processor and toaster. I'm hoping to move out of my parents' house soon and I'm fully aware that I may find myself in a home with limited kitchen space so for that reason I'm delighted I have a new juicer that won't take up too much room! As well as being a decent size it also performs extremely well; there have been no bits of pulp in any of the juices I've made and it manages to whizz through the ingredients in next to no time. Juicers are notorious for being difficult or time-consuming to clean but this one is super simple and speedy to take apart, wash and then put back together again. 


The 'Watermelon Cooler' juice

However, the juicer does have a couple of downsides which aren't devastating but do make juicing a bit more of a hassle. For example, due to its compact size the feeding tube isn't very large which means that when you're juicing food like apples or beetroots you do have to chop them up first as opposed to juicing them whole. If this were my very first juicer it wouldn't have bothered me at all but since my other juicer has a larger chute and is able to fit two or three whole apples in at a time it is a bit of a downgrade. Honestly though, the size of the Philips juicer is so convenient that this isn't really an issue at all, simply a minor annoyance! Another slight inconvenience is the fact that you have to peel fruit and vegetables such as lemons before juicing them, something which I don't have to do when using my other juicer. Again, this isn't a serious issue and it doesn't take much time at all to quickly remove the peel yourself! Overall I was pleased with the appliance and will continue to use it on a regular basis - for £70 it really is a steal and is ideal for people who have a limited amount of space in their kitchen.

In terms of the 'One-a-Day' juicing plan, I absolutely loved it! I've tried doing a juice cleanse before and managed to last a day before feeling sick of the sight and taste of juice and having insatiable food cravings. This plan was perfectly manageable though because it simply required me to just drink one juice each day alongside my regular diet. The seven recipes included a delicious 'Glowing Greens' juice (this was my favourite!), a 'Watermelon Cooler' juice (which was super refreshing) and a 'Stir and Purr Sleep Tonic' Juice. The juices contained a wide variety of fruit and vegetables and were a delicious addition to my diet. There were also several other recipes included which weren't part of the plan and I'm really looking forward to trying them out in the near future!

I'm incredibly pleased that large companies such as Philips are starting to become more aware of the health food world - the Real Juice Campaign is a huge step in the right direction in terms of this country's knowledge of nutrition. People should be encouraged to make healthier choices for their bodies, which includes eating an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables; this is something which juicing can help a great deal with, although it shouldn't completely replace eating the whole foods which contain much-needed fibre!

I feel as though my experience with the juicing plan was a huge success and I thoroughly enjoyed testing out the juicer and Madeleine's recipes!




Note: I was sent this product and plan to review and all opinions expressed are my own.


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Thursday, 18 September 2014

Eating Out as a Vegan: Tanya's Cafe, London


I don't live anywhere near London so unfortunately I'm rarely able to take advantage of all the wonderful raw and vegan cafes which are scattered all over the city; if I'm honest, this is probably a good thing because if I had regular access to Tanya's Cafe then I'd probably have very little money left by now!

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Monday, 15 September 2014

Review: Neal's Yard Remedies Superfood Hamper


About a month ago I received one of the most incredible parcels I've ever had the pleasure of opening from the wonderful Neal's Yard Remedies, a natural health and beauty company based in the UK; they very kindly sent me a selection of some of their popular health food products including a variety of adorable jars containing various superfoods, a copy of their 'Healing Foods' information and recipe book, a jar of organic virgin coconut oil, their organic beauty oil and a pack of their new Organic Greens Complex powder. They all arrived in an amazing wicker hamper and, needless to say, I was extremely excited when I opened it!

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Saturday, 30 August 2014

Eating Out as a Vegan: NAMA Artisan Raw Foods, London


Finding places to eat out as a vegan is tough - the most you'll be able to find in the majority of cafes is a poor excuse for a salad or a jacket potato with baked beans. As someone who dislikes jacket potatoes, would rather not eat sugar-laden baked beans and has very high expectations when it comes to salads, eating out is usually not a very exciting prospect for me. However, I have found a few little gems dotted around the UK (well, in the few places that I've actually been recently!) which not only serve delicious vegan food but are also extremely pleasant places to dine in. Every week I'll be sharing one of these fabulous eateries with you all so if you're planning on visiting the area they're in then you'll know there's always somewhere for you to go! The first one I'd like to tell you about is NAMA Artisan Raw Foods in London - this is a raw vegan restaurant which is situated in Notting Hill and it is truly one of the loveliest places I've ever been! 

Our dessert at NAMA Foods - the selection of raw sweet treats

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Sunday, 27 July 2014

Eating Disorder Recovery and 'Healthy Eating'



There is no 'right' way to recover from an eating disorder. There's no one-size-fits-all approach and no magic method that cures everyone instantaneously. If there was it would make the whole experience so much easier but unfortunately recovery is a messy process filled with tears, tantrums and doubts. There's the constant worry about whether it's the right thing to do, if the amount you're eating is more or less than you need or if the fact that you're abstaining from exercise is 'lazy' (it isn't!). Of course there are parts of recovery which are necessary for everyone to go through, such as weight gain (if you're underweight) and attempting to improve a disordered mindset by engaging in some sort of therapy with a professional (or even just through supportive conversations with a trusted family member or friend). But the food side of things is where everything gets a bit more complicated; believe me, when I first started trying to recover from my ED I went through months of intensive research trying to find information about the exact amount of calories I should be eating and the types of food I should be including in my diet. However, this is a tricky area because the amount of food needed in recovery varies drastically between each person, depending on their situation. Some people may need to eat upwards of 4000 calories a day to gain weight, whereas some may need 2500. Some people may not need to gain weight at all so would be better off consuming a maintenance amount according to their BMR and activity levels. This is the sort of thing that is best discussed with a professional so if you're unsure then please ask someone who is qualified to treat people with eating disorders or someone who has experience with supervising healthy weight gain.

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Sunday, 13 July 2014

Low FODMAP Diet Shopping List


Those of you who follow me on  will be aware of the struggles with my digestion that have been plaguing me for about half a year; for the past month or so I have been following the low FODMAP diet which has helped improve my symptoms considerably. A few weeks ago someone on Instagram said it would be interesting if I told everyone exactly what I'm eating at the moment so I thought I'd write a blog post about it! Honestly I'm not completely certain that all the superfoods I'm still eating are FODMAP-friendly but there's just no information about them in terms of whether they're suitable for the diet or not. If anyone notices that I'm eating something I shouldn't be then please tell me, either on Instagram or via  or my !


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