GREK Teas

For those of us who deserve a bit of luxury every now and then, this incredibly delicious infusion has to be a clear front-runner. If like us at TheAmazingBlog, you are used to the delicate flakes of more usual tea leaves, then prepare for a wonderful surprise when opening GREK’s monochromatic, but very stylish boxes. GREK even won an award at the Best of British Awards 2018 for their bespoke packaging design.

Grek are a young British company, specialising in 100% organically certified Greek teas. They ensure that no chemicals, pesticides or harsh substances are used – only nature’s goodness. The whole leaves and flowers are then shipped from Greece to the UK where they are thoroughly inspected, before being stored in climate controlled units, so they maintain their flavour and freshness, ready for further processing.

Whether it’s their Greek Loose-leaf Mountain Tea Whole Flowers or Peppermint Tea Pyramid Bags; you can rest safe in the knowledge that the leaves and flowers are as ‘fresh as a daisy’. GREK enlightened us that the leaves and flowers are picked at the crack of dawn each day, as the temperature is cooler, and thus better for drying bunches of flora in airy barns. Drinking GREK's tea, you can relax and be transported to the serenity of Greece, whilst savouring the notes of leaves, fruits and earthy tones, with a light floral element.

If you like your tea as pure as it can be, then these two delicious teas will be a hit. Our tip would be to avoid hurrying the process, instead steep the loose tea or pyramid bags for a good six minutes, which ensures you’ll get the desired, rounded and smooth taste. Kick back and enjoy some much-deserved pampering in a cup. The brand is suitable for vegetarians, with no artificial flavours, or preservatives. Being naturally caffeine free, and from a company that follows strict ethical production values, GREK tea equates to a cup of all-around wholesome goodness. Proof that we really can just sit back and relax!

I completely loved the Peppermint Tea (boxes of 20 bags for £8.95) and have to say next to fresh mint leaves, this is the best peppermint tea that I've ever had! I even used the bags twice as the flavours were still as piquant, zesty and vibrant as the very first cup. Although £9.95 for 25g of the Greek Mountain Tea Whole Flowers might sound pricey, it needn't just be saved for special occasions. Even for a 'generously sized mug', it only takes 2 teaspoons of these flowers to produce the magic, we can confirm that they were utterly delicious.

It's no surprise that GREK have collected a number of awards in recent months. Their achievements include a silver award at the Best of British Awards 2018 and a gold award at the Food and Beverage Awards 2018, for bespoke packaging design. More globally, they were also awarded a Merit in the ADC 9th Annual Awards, New York! We are certainly won over by this wonderful brand and can’t wait to try even more teas from their fantastic range. We urge you to ‘buy and try’ GREK teas, see here for the full collection.

Drasanvi - Chia Seeds and Collmar-Cao

As we make our way further into 2018, it’s easy to forget those resolutions we made back in January. No matter what your goal for the year is, it’s never too late to add a health kick to your list, as it’s usually around this time of year when we need to give our body that little boost from Mother Nature. At The Amazing Blog, our secret to maintaining our health and keeping our energy levels up is the Drasanvi Chia Seeds and the chocolate drink Collmar-Cao. Drasanvi is a Spanish brand that has been producing high-quality food supplements for over 20 years and we already know we adore their Collmar Marine Collagen line, so we can say with certainty it's a brand we trust. Their teams are made up of biologists, chemists and nutritionists constantly researching to improve the formulas of their products or to find new ways of extracting natural active ingredients from plants, fruits and minerals.

Collmar-Cao is a food supplement made with pure cacao. This drink powder is enriched with vitamins C, B2, B6, B12 as well as magnesium, calcium, iron and marine collagen. Therefore it's not just super yummy but also benefits your whole body and well-being. The Collmar-Cao is also packed with proteins and minerals, which will boost your metabolism and combat fatigue. The chocolatey flavour makes it an ideal addition to your breakfast; just add to your milk of choice, hot or cold, stir, and enjoy. 

The Chia Seeds are a must have superfood for anyone looking for a quick and easy way to get in some much needed nutrients. Chia Seeds are naturally packed with vitamins, Omega 3, 6, 9 and minerals including iron and magnesium. In addition to being a great source of fibre and protein, these seeds have a delightfully subtle nutty flavour that goes well with a wide range of recipes. Simply add them to your daily oatmeal, smoothie, and even juices or soak them and watch as they expand into a gel that is perfect for baking. The seeds are free from sugar, preservatives and colouring and have earned their superfood title for a reason.

We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day and getting it in is key to leading a healthy lifestyle, which is why we adore how easy both of these supplements make it for us to achieve our goals. You can purchase the Chia Seeds here for £9.95 and the Collmar-Cao here for £14.95.

Friday Favourites - Breakfast Cereals

What is the best thing about waking up in the morning? Breakfast, of course! Some like it sweet and some like it savoury. Some people like to eat on the go, while others like to take their time to sit and enjoy it. The one thing that we can all agree on here at The Amazing Blog is that we like our breakfasts to be healthy and delicious.

When Alara Gluten Free Organic Muesli was delivered to the office, all we wanted was to have breakfast again. So we did! We loved the unique texture created by the combination of different ingredients that include soya flakes, dried sliced cranberries, puffed quinoa, goji berries and golden linseeds. This delicious organic muesli is a good source of protein, high in fibre, gluten and wheat free and has no added sugar.  Alara’s Muesli can be enjoyed with your favourite milk or yogurt product to boost energy while pleasing your taste buds. For those of us who have trouble finding the perfect muesli, Alara lets you design your own mix with a choice of up to 16 ingredients.  

Not only are Alara committed to creating the healthiest and tastiest muesli they are also very serious about the environment. The boxes are made from sustainably sourced wood and are the first cereal company in the world to be certified Organic, licensed by the Coeliac Society, working with the Fairtrade Foundation, and Zero Waste. Being healthy and kind to the planet has never been so tasty! You can buy Alara Gluten Free Organic Muesli here for £ 5.39.

If you are looking for a warm and healthy meal for your breakfasts look no further than Iswari’s Raw Superfood Breakfast Mix. Iswari Superfoods recently launched a new range of innovative raw breakfasts that will revolutionise your mornings. The 3 mixes available are tasty and delicious, gluten free and organic. Buddha’s Awakening is a nutrient dense mega mix of milled chia, flax, almond & buckwheat, making it a highly nutritious start to your day. Made by simply adding hot water or milk, it offers convenience for those on the go, and is easily digestible for those with food intolerances. The breakfast mixes are rich in omegas 3, 6, iron, magnesium, calcium, and protein. The delicious warm mixes are available in 3 tasty flavours: Chocolate Hit, Maca & Vanilla, and Hempiness. Our favourite at The Amazing Blog is the Chocolate Hit, mixed together with fresh berries for a warm and sweet start to the day!

Iswari offers an extensive range of over 30 super-foods products widely available across Europe. Plus their products are only purchased from sustainable sources that respect nature, humans and the ecosystems of the world. All of their products are low GI, raw where possible, vegan- with the exception of bee products, and organic.

When we are looking to be adventurous with our muesli in the mornings we turn to Primrose’s Kitchen Raw Beetroot and Ginger Muesli. Primrose’s Kitchen follows ‘a naturopathic diet’ which is the idea of a special energy called "vital energy" or "vital force" which guides bodily processes such as metabolism and reproduction to keep our bodies balanced. The Raw Beetroot and Ginger Muesli is a combination of delicious gluten free oats with fresh beetroot that is contrasted with zingy ginger, that together with a balanced combination of nuts and seeds, are sure to brighten any morning. The flavours and ingredients in this muesli are equally as adventurous as they are healthy, making for a great start to the day. Made right here in the UK, by a team of nutrition geniuses, we can’t fault the mouth-watering goodness of this cereal.

 The Raw Beetroot and Ginger Muesli won Gold winner at Taste of the West Awards 2012 and Gold Star winner at Great Taste 2013 so if you, like us, need no more convincing, Primrose’s Kitchen Raw Beetroot and Ginger Muesli is available here for £5.95.

The best thing about granola is that it is perfect for breakfast and as a healthy and filling snack during the day. You can get your breakfast while you are running out the door to catch the tube or you can snack on while you are in front of your pc doing important work.

Born back in 1985, Nature’s Path is an independently-owned family business which is committed to organic-only recipes made from the finest available grains, fruit and nuts. We were glad to have been able to try the gluten free Trail Mix and Choc Chip Granola Bars because they spiced up our breakfast research. If you are not one for cereals or porridge, these bars are perfect for breakfast on the go, with fruit or yoghurt if you want a sit down, or as a snack with lunch.  These crunchy, tasty bars go down a treat especially considering that they are so healthy. Despite both bars being super delicious our favourite was the Choc Chip because of the chocolate, of course!

Natures Path Granola Bars are available in Waitrose and Sainsbury’s or from the online shop here for £2.99 for 5 bars