Boost Protein Balls and Butters

During a busy day here, some of us have so much on our to-do lists that we don’t always have time to take a lunch break. Realistically speaking, most of the time we at The Amazing Blog are surviving off of quick snacks that we keep at our desks. However, during these hectic days we try not to compromise on our healthy eating. Step forward our new delicious pick-me-up, Boost Protein Balls let us introduce you to our new nutritious discovery…

Essex-based Boost Ball launched its range of protein balls with the idea of ‘less ingredients, more protein.’ Available in four different flavours, their Boostballs are made with seven natural ingredients and are entirely gluten, soya and refined sugar-free. They are instead high in protein and contain natural sugars for a healthy snack perfect for boosting your energy for either a day at the office or a gym workout. A new twist to a protein bar, each Boostball is enriched with Vitamin A, B, E, B12, Calcium, Iron and Zinc. The raw ingredients are not baked or refined; they are cold-pressed making these protein balls an indulgent snack - without the guilt. The first flavour we tried, Lemon Drizzle Cake, contains Dates, Rice Protein, Cashews, Cashew Butter, Coconut, Maple Syrup, Vanilla Extract and Lemon Oil  making it a great zesty snack. The Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Boostball contains a whopping 23.3 g of protein and a mixture of gooey and moreish. Next, we tried the tropical and creamy Coconut Fudge Cake flavour which was by far one of our favourites out of the four.  The last of the Boost Ball flavours, Maple & Cinnamon Roll, was a great spice-filled yet sweet snack for those extra-long days at the office.  The Boostballs are available to purchase on here for £17.99 for  x 12 packs of 36 Boostballs.

We mustn’t forget to mention that Boostball has JUST released a new line of Palm-oil free protein butters, Boostbutter. These are to put on any snacks or foods you desire (or to eat straight from the pouch!) The Protein Nut Butters currently are available in Caramel, Chocolate Brownie and Sweet Maple and are each packed with 11 grams of protein and offer a healthier, smoother and more flavourful alternative to something like peanut butter. Conveniently in a squeezable pouch, we’ve been spreading the protein butters on toast, porridge or adding them to our smoothies. Yum! As of now they are not available but will be coming soon on www.boostball.com.

MOA's The Green Balm

Happy New Year! We’re back in the office at The Amazing Blog, and are ready to make 2019 the best year yet. We’re kicking off the week with an overhaul of our beauty products, in an attempt to rectify the previous year of hoarding. The general office consensus is that multi-purpose products are the way forward, so we were excited to try the relaunch of MOA's The Green Balm. We were very pleasantly surprised, and wanted to share our findings with you…

MOA (Magic Organic Apothecary), began in 2010, when founder Charlie Fowler found a distinct lack of natural eczema products. Given that her daughter suffered from this condition, Charlie made it her mission to fomulate a natural and organic product, that would soothe, cleanse, tone and moisturise the skin. And so The Green Balm was born. Encased in a lightweight glass jar, this product is the ultimate multi-purpose beauty balm. As well as working as a cleanser and moisturiser, it is particularly effective at soothing skin post-shaving, waxing and threading. Additionally, it acts as an eyelash moisturiser and works to help fade stretchmarks. For those of you who have dry hands, knees, elbows and cracked heels then this balm also nourishes and moisturises these significantly. Finally, if that's not enough, then it acts as an effective eye makeup remover, taking it off quickly without any need to rub forcefully. What more could you ask for?

With ingredients like organic yarrow, known for its nourishing and healing properties, and tea tree oil know as a naturally powerful antiseptic; these all natural ingredients help to nourish and soothe all dry and itchy skin. Other ingredients such as coconut, sweet almond, beeswax and soy bean oil work as the carrier and also help to make this balm smell delicious. If you’re looking for a multi-purpose product that works wonders on your skin, then take our word for it, MOA's The Green Balm is our new go-to product for 2019. It has a great price point making it affordable at £6 for 15ml or £15 for 50ml. Click here to purchase your very own pot of magic.

Friday Favourites: Healthier Sweet Snacks

Snacking, often the cause of many a failed healthy eating attempt, is something we can't live without at The Amazing Blog. Fortunately, the expansion of the health food market has unearthed a vast selection of new and healthier alternatives, so we can snack healthily, without cutting out our favourite snacking foods. Below are a few of our latest discoveries, which have encouraged us to snack more mindfully in recent months!

Firstly, we came across The Nu Company, a German brand, with the vision of providing cutting-edge health products, that don't cut out flavour. As a company, they aim to change our perceptions, not only about healthier foods but also about the way in which we consume. This includes the desire to enable large-scale reforestation, planting a tree for every product sold. While eating their raw cacao bars, we have already helped to plant eight trees - what better way to help the environment?

Made only from "ingredients you are able to pronounce", these raw cacao bars come in a variety of different flavours that do not contain artificial additives. Instead, each bar contains raw cacao, hemp seeds, coconut blossom nectar, almonds, lucuma and acerola - flavoured with natural flavourings for a delicious pop of Espresso, Barberry, Hazlenut and Coconut. This combination of natural and organic ingredients provides a vast array of health benefits, from adding plant-based protein, to providing a new method of incorporating your daily vitamins and minerals. They also contain omega-3-fatty-acids, and we can confirm that the Espresso bar proved popular on a Monday morning! The Nu Company endeavour to push environmental awareness further - their bars are wrapped in home-compostable foil and are encased in recyclable cardboard boxes, ensuring their packaging is plastic free. What more could you ask from a chocolatey snack? To try a Nu+cao bar for yourself, purchase from a wholesaler (The Health Store, Tree of Life or CLF) or click here to order a 40g bar for £2.79.

For a non-chocolate based sweet treat, we came across Abakus, founded by Helen Wang, who wanted to introduce the lesser know Jujube Fruit into the UK market. If you're unsure of what Jujube is, then you're not alone - perhaps it is fair to insinuate it as the forgotten member of the date family! That said, we didn't know what we were missing, and the naturally sweet and caramel like flavour has encouraged us to become more adventurous with our snacking.

Jujube has a host of health benefits, it is packed with nutrients and essential amino acids, and is a known adaptogen (proven to help the body adapt to stress). We tried three different variations of Jujube fruit, the first being the original Red Dates. Pitted and dried, they work well as a snack on their own, but we also found them equally delicious when added to our favourite brownie recipes - not so healthy but they say it’s all about balance! They have a chewy texture, and like all of the products in the Abakus range, are gluten and dairy free, and count as one of your five a day. Secondly, we tried the Crunchy Crisps, which, as the name suggests, are sliced into smaller pieces, giving them a crunchy yet chewy texture. These proved delicious when sprinkled over porridge, adding a bit of texture to our regular oats.

Finally, we also tried the Red Dates Stuffed with Almonds, perfect for a post-workout snack thanks to the additional energy and healthy fats of almonds. As with the other variations, these Jujube pieces are vegan, paleo, sugar and sulphate free, making them an excellent snack for anyone with a sweet tooth. To try Jujube Fruit for yourself, visit the Abakus website (here), where you can purchase a range of different multipacks from £13.00.

Thirdly we came across Elements for Life, a brand founded by husband and wife, Dan and Paula Knowlson. After embarking on a health, nutrition and diet journey, through which they discovered raw chocolate, Paula suggested making their own, and the rest is history! What has emerged is a company that is committed to creating products suitable for a wide range of people, with products suitable for vegans, diabetics and coeliacs, as well as those with lactose intolerances. This popularity is proven through the recent celebration of their 8th birthday, and so we couldn’t wait to try their offerings.

We tried their Yummy Scrummy Raw Chocolate Brownie, a delectable and rich product made with Criollo raw cacao, dates, walnuts, raisins, goji berries, brazil nuts and fruit extracts. These ingredients not only taste scrumptious, but they are free from refined sugar, dairy, gluten and soya, meaning we can indulge in a chocolately afternoon treat without feeling too guilty. We found that the use of goji berries provides a welcome pop of flavour to lift the rich nature of cacao, and it’s safe to say that these brownies didn’t last long in the office. To try a Yummy Scrummy Raw Chocolate Brownie for £2.79 per bar, click here. 

If you’re more of a pudding lover, then Pudology may well be the brand for you. Founder Lucy Wager took to the kitchen after realising there were few puddings suitable for her dairy and egg intolerance. This emerged a brand that is vegan, suitable for coeliacs and free from gluten and wheat. The real winner here is the creamy and decedant consistency of the puddings, often expected to be lacking in vegan desserts.

Pudology offer a range of seven puddings, we tried their Bannoffee Puds previously, and were excited to try the newly launched ‘Skinny’ versions: Skinny Chocolate and Raspberry Puds and Skinny Lemon and Yuzu Puds, which contain under 60 calories. The Skinny Chocolate and Raspberry Puds contain coconut cream, dark chocolate and raspberry compote, which together give a hit of intense chocolate while remaining light with the zing of fruit - a classic flavour combination that is most certainly a winner here. What’s better, is that despite the creamy texture, the calorific content is much lower than other chocolate puddings. The Lemon and Yuzu Puds were lighter and fruitier, ideal for people with less of a love for chocolate. That said, they proved equally popular with the biggest chocolate fiends at The Amazing Blog. We loved the use of yuzu, which adds a grapefruit like zing without an overly tangy aftertaste, and again were pleased to discover the low calorie content. To purchase two Chocolate Orange Puds for £2.25, click here, or for the Lemon and Yuzu Puds for £2.25 click here.

Last, but not least, we were fortunate to try Nibble Protein Bites once again. Founder Erin Moroney formulated a range of high protein snacks after discovering a distinct lack of low sugar snacks on the market. We tried Nibble Protein’s offerings last year (see here), and as avid runners at The Amazing Blog, we were keen to find more protein snacks that do not contain counterproductive added sugars. All ingredients in Nibble Protein Bites are dairy, gluten and soy free, instead favouring pea protein and dried plum purée for natural fibre and antioxidants.

Firstly we tried the classic flavour combo of Choc Orange Brownie, made with dark chocolate chips and packed with natural orange flavouring. These scrumptious nibbles contain coconut nectar and gluten-free oats, providing a low GI and fibre simultaneously. They were certainly a welcome treat to power us through our to-do lists. Equally delicious, the Choc Walnut Brownie was a hit with the nut lovers of the office. We particularly enjoyed the pop of vanilla and found this flavour a perfect mid-morning snack to accompany a coffee (or two!) Finally, we tried the Mint Choc Brownie flavour which was subsequently our favourite. Made with cacao nibs and enriched with peppermint oil, we found it hard to believe that these decadant packets could be regarded as ‘healthy’.

To add some scrumptious protein into your diet, visit the Nibble Protein Bites website where you can purchase a 12 pack of your favourite flavour for £16.00

As you can see, swapping to healthier snacks doesn’t always call for bland and boring choices. We hope to have opened your eyes to a new way of adding sweetness to your diet, we are certainly loving it!

Coco Hydro Sport - Coco Hydro

At The Amazing Blog, we believe it is important to live a healthy and well-balanced life. You can have and do anything you want as long as it is in moderation. So it can be a real disappointment after a long and arduous gym session to glance at the back of your sports drink and realise that what you’re putting into your body to help you, has just nullified most of what you’ve done! Luckily for us though one of our favourite brands Coco Hydro has released a new Sports version of their popular powders.

Available in three flavours, Original, Pineapple and Lemon and Lime, Coco Hydro Sport offers a fantastic alternative to other sports drinks currently available. Acting as a high-performance coconut water-based hydrator this superb product has a higher electrolyte content than regular Coco Hydro, as well as added mineralized sea salts to help support extreme workouts and sports. Equally, the natural chelated organic ionic trace minerals have a 98% faster absorption rate.

Containing only seven ingredients there is nothing to worry about when drinking this product. You no longer have to settle for  over-dyed, sugar filled and over packaged sports drinks. As Coco Hydro point out, by replacing just two bottled drinks with this, you will save on average 104 plastic bottles a year! So if you’re concerned with the waste that other sports drinks cause then, you can sleep a little easier knowing the Coco Hydro Sport helps you help the world. It couldn’t be simpler to use Coco Hydro Sport, simply blend in water to taste or mix it in with a recovery drink or smoothie for increased efficiency in helping to heal those hard working muscles.

You can purchase Coco Hydro Sport here from £18.30, or you can purchase the Original Coco Hydro Sachet's on Planet Organic's website, buy one get one free, for £1.59.

Hair Care - Friday Favourites

At The Amazing Blog, we love switching up our hair care products. We know that after using the same shampoo and conditioner for a while, our hair just doesn’t reap the same benefits anymore. So to keep our hair soft and shiny, we’ve been testing out a few new products with some exotic new ingredients.

We all know that harsh winters dry out our skin, but it’s also important to remember that it’s also drying on our hair! The new OGX Argan Oil of Morrocco Extra Strength collection is the perfect way to revive and renew your weather-worn locks. We’re all very familiar with this beloved brand, so we were especially excited to receive the Argan Oil of Morocco Extra Strength Shampoo, Conditioner, and Miracle In-Shower Oil.

This ultra-hydrating shampoo and conditioner duo contain a potent blend of extra-strength argan oil and silk proteins to nourish your damaged hair. The sulfate-free products also form a rich lather that stimulates and rejuvenates your scalp while cleansing. You should get ready for compliments because they also have an amazingly soft and sweet scent that really lingers after we get out of the shower. The Miracle In-Shower Oil is an amazing, multi-purpose in-shower oil for head-to-toe hydration. You can add a few drops to boost your shampoo or conditioner, moisturise your skin, or smooth onto damp clean hair to prevent damage. It also has the same luxurious, soft smell as the rest of the collection.

We love OGX products because they’re effective and also easy on your purse! Each product is available for £7.99 from your local Boots.

If your hair has been feeling a bit dull or limp recently, it might be time to try out Vatika’s Black Seed Complete Hair Care Shampoo and Black Seed Enriched Hair Oil. Black Seed has been used in Asia and the Middle East for centuries for its potent ability to improve texture, shine, and volume. For hair repair, try the Vatika Wild Cactus Deep Conditioning Hair Mask.

The shampoo provides all of the nutrition that your scalp needs to keep your hair in great condition. Its formulation of black seed and olive fatty acids makes the Enriched Hair Oil is the perfect pre-shampoo treatment to boost growth and prevent thinning with its formulation of black seed and olive fatty acids. The Wild Cactus Mask is enriched with ingredients like cactus, garlic, and coconut that prevent breakage and promote silkier hair growth.

Check out your local Tesco or Superdrug for the ultra-affordable Vatika products, or purchase online from Amazon.

We saved the most interesting product for last on this list—Repcillin offers an Extra Mild Shampoo with Crocodile Oil and Wild Harvested Baobab Oil and a Hair Conditioner with Crocodile Oil and Organic Marula Oil. Repcillin products are based on crocodile oil which is obtained from the fat of the Nile crocodile native to Africa. The oil has shown to possess antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, and it has been used to treat a variety of skin conditions including eczema, acne, and allergy symptoms. Repcillin only processes crocodile oil that is a by-product of commercial crocodile farms so that no wild animals are harmed.

The Extra Mild Shampoo is perfect for sensitive scalps and thirsty hair. The blend of naturally derived ingredients gently cleanses the hair and scalp without stripping away natural oils. The crocodile oil helps prevent breakage and nourished dry scalps whilst the wild harvested baobab oil locks in moisture. A blend of Lavender, Rosemary, Geranium, and Sandalwood essential oils also helps balance, condition, and moisturise hair while leaving behind a clean earthy scent. The Hair Conditioner hydrates, detangles and thickens, and helps to restore and maintain the health of the cuticle layer of the hair. Best of all, the products contain no parabens, no sulfates, no mineral oils, no phthalates, no artificial colours, and no synthetic fragrances.

Test out the magical properties of crocodile oil by purchase your own bottle of the Extra Mild Shampoo and Hair Conditioner here.