I’m always looking for good, natural brands for both food products and skin care products. I usually have to try out a fair few before finding one that I like, so I’ve summarised some of the products that I’ve found in 2016 that I really enjoy using and give some pros & cons so that others can make informed decisions.
1- Bloom tea matcha (Mindpower flavour)
If you’re not aware of what matcha is, I’ve written a post about it before, see here.
I chose this flavour as I like ginger and was curious about the taste and I have to say this one is damn good! If you are a matcha drinker then you’ll know it’s not the best tasting drink out there so getting one with a little zingy flavour in it is a bonus. Plus they are organic and sourced from Japan.
You can purchase this tea on amazon, online or via Holland & Barrett.
2-Raw Ecstacy Almond butter
This almond butter is slightly different from most that you’d find as it is activated, this means the nuts have been soaked then slowly dried out at low temperatures (some people find this type of nut butter easier to digest). The resulting product is one that is deemed “raw” and has a little bit of water in this mix which makes it much runnier than regular butters, but I quite like this feature as it’s much easier to pour over food.
 |
| My protein brownie porridge with a drizzle of raw ecstacy almond butter |
The taste of this butter is also different from standard almond butter with a more intense, almost marzipan flavour.
The only downside to this product is that it is very expensive for a small 140g jar. I managed to get mine at good prices via offers online and bought in bulk thus saving a bit more money.
3- Dead sea spa magik salt scrub/brushing
This is a body scrub that I’ve fallen in love with, it’s fantastic for exfoliating in the shower but also contains coconut oil (and no nasties) which melts in the shower making it really easy to apply when you’re in there and then shower as normal meaning it doesn’t leave you greasy but does leave your skin so soft!
4- Naturya hemp protein powder
This year I wanted to put on some muscle & was training for a 5K so wanted to supplement with a bit more protein but I’m not overly fond of the idea of extra animal products as I’m not a big meat or egg eater, so began looking at protein powders. However, most were full of all sorts of things that I wouldn’t eat or heated/processed to a significant level. Then I found Naturya’s cold pressed (not destroyed by high heat), organic hemp protein powder which was the right level of protein content for me (I’m a petite female) but also offered the benefit of the correct ratio of omega 3, 6 and 9 fats while also offering some iron. It’s neutral flavour means it blends well into recipes such as energy balls, although as it contains heat sensitive omega 3 fats I prefer to not heat/bake with it to get the maximum benefit.
5- Avocado oil
Now I know that coconut oil has dominated 2016 but do also consider avocado oil, especially if you don’t like the flavour of coconut oil in cooking. Avocado oil is a good source of vitamin E which provides anti-oxidant protection and is reportedly great for the brain but also has a high monounsaturated fat (MUFA) content compared to polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) which is beneficial when cooking as saturated fats have the best stability, followed by MUFA’s and lastly PUFA’s. It also has a high smoke point which is the second factor that you need to consider when choosing what oils are best to cook with.
It is liquid at room temperature so pours easily from the bottle and has a neutral flavour so blends easily with other ingredients. I do however find this product hard to come by so you may have to search around a few shops before you find some.
6- Black bean pasta/spaghetti
So if you’ve seen a few of my dinner recipes then you’ll know I’m a huge fan of this stuff. I use it weekly as it’s a great source of fibre, protein, nutrients AND does actually make a really good replacement for typical refined wheat based noodles/spaghetti.
Black beans are fabulous for you so the fact that I can work these into my fav noodle dishes while also getting a good dose of nutrition without compromising on flavour is a big bonus in my book! The only downside is that they are a bit more expensive that your average packet of noodles.
I’ve found this product online with Holland & Barrett, or in multiples on amazon but also at big Asda supermarkets, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled!
 |
| My black bean spaghetti with avocado pesto |
Let me know if you’ve found any great products this year, I’m always keen to experiment!
If you’ve any questions on these products then drop me a comment below.
xXx
