Lara's Christmas Wish List

Christmas is just around the corner, and if you’re still sorting out your Christmas shopping, fear not, as I have a few suggestions sure to please over the festive season. From perfume to chocolate, we here at The Amazing Blog have a few ideas for everyone.

Perfume is such a thoughtful gift for friends or family, and I really love those fresh, universal scents that suit any personality. One that I’d be thrilled to see in my stocking is St Kitts Herbery’s new Bergamot Perfume. The musky scent contains base notes of patchouli and amber, as well as orange and, of course, bergamot. The beautiful fragrance actually makes a great unisex aroma, one that I’d happily gift to someone special, whether male or female. The perfume is available to buy here for £24.95.

It’s also the time of year to immerse yourself in gift sets, and Korres offer some great selections. In particular, their Wild Rose Brightening Collection is a great introduction to the brand, and a wonderful present for any budding skincare enthusiasts. Consisting of the brand’s signature Wild Rose 24H Moisturising & Brightening Cream, and the new Wild Rose Advanced Repair Sleeping Facial, this limited edition set smells divine, and is great for keeping your face moisturised during the colder months. The set is available to buy here for only £10, making it a fantastic stocking filler.

Of course, everyone loves tasty treats, and InSpiral have just the thing to keep your friends and family happy this Christmas. Their Goji & Purple Corn Raw Superfood Truffles are absolutely delicious, with their melt in the mouth texture being just like a decadent chocolate brownie, only with a lot more health benefits. The raw vegan treats contain cashews and are coated in wonderful coconut flakes, ideal for sharing with your loved ones, although I found it difficult not to eat the lot myself! You can buy them in packs of 4 here for £3.95. We only wish they came in a bigger size!

There's nothing better than curling up and keeping warm after a long day. And Christmas is the perfect time to sit around family and friends, sipping on a hot drink or two. The East India Company offer a wonderful selection of winter beverages, perfect for buying to share this Christmas, or for gifting to someone who loves a good cuppa. The brand offers a wide selection of Christmas drinks, including Spiced Chai Drinking Chocolate and Christmas Tea. My personal favourite was Christmas Coffee; a delicious blend of hazelnut, chocolate and cinnamon, I'd be happy to sip on this seasonal delight all year round. The Christmas Coffee is available to buy here for £12.95, as well as the rest of the brand's festive infusions.

Hopefully, you'll find something to suit all in this festive gift guide. Happy shopping, and Merry Christmas.

LighterLife - Fast 5:2

Eat low-fat foods. Exercise more. Skip meals. Don’t skip meals. Fast. We have all been given different suggestions for weight loss, but which ones actually work?

Here at The Amazing Blog we do not generally approve of dieting; however, LighterLife Fast 5:2 products provide a healthy way to lose or maintain weight through intermittent fasting.

Normally when we hear the word “fast,” we run for the hills because who wants to limit the amount of food they eat?

Intermittent fasting generally involves cutting calorie intake to around a quarter of what you would usually eat for just two days a week. The rest of the week you can eat how you always eat.

Why should you try this you might ask? Intermittent fasting is perfect for shedding a few pounds or keeping your weight in check. Plus, it’s easy and nutritious without the hassle of cooking, food shopping and calorie counting.

On each fasting day, you will be consuming 600 calories while still getting 100% of your recommended daily allowances of key minerals, vitamins, protein and fibre. With LighterLifeFastpacks, you have a choice between savoury meals such as Spaghetti Bolognese and Pasta Carbonara, Porridge, four shakes (vanilla, strawberry, banana and chocolate) and four meal bars (nut fudge, crispy peanut, cranberry & raspberry and toffee).

Our executive editor tried it for a week and was quite impressed that she didn’t feel hungry, even after consuming only 600 calories. She had a combination of all of the Fastpacks and her favourite was the bars. She felt they really stopped her snacking. She wasn’t so keen on the soups and shakes, but she did enjoy the porridge and pasta carbonara.

If you think this is a great way to maintain a sustainable lifestyle, you can purchase a box of four Fastpacks exclusively at Superdrug stores across the UK and Ireland for £7.99. A box of four is enough for one day of fasting. If you aren’t sure whether this product is for you, you can receive complementary media trials to sample the products first hand and then make your decision!

Nature's Path - 'Hot and Steamy' Porridge Oats

It’s time to get hot and steamy up in here!

Now, guys, let’s not get carried away. We at The Amazing Blog are simply referring to delicious       newporridge called Nature's Path ‘Hot and Steamy.’

The Canadian firm prides itself on creating amazing flavour when it comes to gluten-free  breakfast options, because let’s face it, there are many companies out there that think they can pull off the gluten-free name and they just can’t.

Why porridge you ask? Well, porridge has a reputation as a ‘super food’ with a low glycaemic index, which helps suppress one’s appetite and maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Plus, nearly one in two Britons eat porridge, which makes the UK a perfect target.

The new ‘Hot and Steamy’ porridge offers three flavours in every pack – Original, Spiced Apple and Canadian Maple – each in a handy single-serving packet. They are gluten-free, wholegrain, high fibre, organic and low in saturated fat.

We give Nature's Path an A for creating a great-tasting, gluten-free breakfast that targets the mouths of half of the UK. I was a little taken aback by how small the packet seemed, but I just added some apple to it and I could go the whole morning without wanting more food. Plus, it was delicious, and of course, it also receives an A+ for its eye-catching name.

‘Hot and Steamy’ is available at local grocery stores and good independent health food stores at £2.99 for eight sachets (two original flavours and three each of spiced apple and Canadian maple).

Amisa Organic

We here at The Amazing Blog love to bake. We were a little skeptical about switching out our usual mixes for gluten-free ones, but thanks to Amisa Organic, our worries have disappeared!

Amisa Organic produces only gluten-free food. The company avoids using additives, preservatives and chemical pesticides. It believes everyone’s body is unique and needs the right kind of food to meet a person’s special dietary needs.

Have you ever thought about making your own bread? Amisa Gluten Free Seeded Bread mix makes baking super easy. It’s wheat free and full of crunchy, yummy seeds. 

Fancy pancakes for breakfast? Amisa Gluten Free Pancake mix with buckwheat and wholemeal rice flour tastes just as delicious as regular pancake mix and will be a perfect and healthy addition to your mornings.

If you’re looking for a healthier way to indulge in chocolatey desserts, the Chocolate Cake and Brownie mix both have rich, deep chocolate flavours. As a chocoholic myself, I was quite happy with the results.

With all of these mixes, you can't even tell you're eating something gluten-free. They are that good!

Each mix is easy to prepare with step-by-step recipes on the back of every box, so it’s time to step up your gluten-free game and start baking with these new mixes. You can view Amisa Organic's stockist list here.

PUNKU Quinoa Cookies

In an endless quest to find alternatives for breads and pasta, Quinoa has started to become a staple in Western World diets. Even at The Amazing Blog we love to include Quinoa in our daily meals, which is why we jumped at the chance to try some of PUNKU’s range of organic Quinoa Cookies from Bolivia.

The company recently launched a new flavour of Orange & Cranberry to add to their Chocolate Chip and Orange & Mango flavours. These cookies contain superfood organic Royal Quinoa which is only grown in a specific region of Bolivia. Quinoa is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds and it contains all the essential amino acids. Quinoa is also a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus.

Each box contains 12 individually wrapped cookies. These cookies are wheat, gluten, dairy and egg free, which makes them suitable for all types of eaters. We loved the fruity flavours that satisfied our sweet tooth and the crunchiness of the quinoa.  

Patricia Estivariz, the founder of PUNKU, grew up in Bolivia and wanted to introduce Bolivian foods to the UK. She imports the cookies from Bolivian suppliers who have developed education and health programs to assist their employees. That means that buying PUNKU’s products benefits hundreds of Bolivian families, giving them a better standard of living.

Not only do you get to indulge in these amazing and healthy cookies, but you get to support people in one of the poorest countries of Latin America. Who can say no to that?

The products are available to purchase in select food stores around the UK or directly online. Over the next couple of months, PUNKU will be introducing additional products so keep an eye out for those as well!