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.

Daokrajai Lanna Fine Teas

As we’ve said many times before on The Amazing Blog, we’re lovers of a good cup of tea. The chances of reviewing tea on our beloved blog have been very few, so when we had the chance of tasting (and testing) Daokrajai Lanna Fine Teas, we were beyond excited.

Daokrajai Lanna Fine Teas are all natural, organic, full leaf teas picked, processed and packaged by hand at a single tea farm in Northern Thailand. Their range of teas is wide – any tea lover will easily find a delicious tea of their taste: Red, Green Oolong and Herbal teas.

Daokrajai Lanna’s Red tea is fully oxidised, its unique color is the result of the unique cross of different cultivars. Their (amazing) Green tea is processed in the tradicional manner, providing a gentle taste and aroma, with added Peppermint, Jasmine and Moringa. Oolong, the richest of teas is luxurious and sophisticated. Finally, their Herbal teas which are true infusions of natural herbs.

My favourite tea has to be the Moringa Green Tea. Green tea is a natural anioxidant that helps keeping your skin healthy... perfect for those days when my skin is feeling temperamental. Moringa contains more than 90 nutrients and provides more Vitamin A and C, calcium, potassium and iron  than the most popular fruits, vegetables and milk. Edwina is a known lover of Oolong teas, so let's just say that there's no Oolong tea left for the rest of the office...

The Amazing Blog has absolutely loved Daokrajai Lanna Fine Teas. Their quality is spectacular and their wide range of luxurious teas is remarkable. For a list of stockists, visit their website.

Watersafe

We all know that we should drink more water. Whether it's for fitness, lifestyle or weight loss, I'm sure most of you readers could do with a bit of extra H2O in your life. But if you're about to fill up your cup with water from your tap, then The Amazing Blog suggests you test it first with  Watersafe's Well-Water Test Kit before quenching your thirst. This quick and easy to use kit is perfect for making sure the water you're drinking is safe, and not harmful to you.  Even if your water has been through a treatment facility, it is still possible that it contains unhealthy amounts of contaminants. If you're going to be upping your intake of tap water (or bottled water) you'll want to be sure that you're not going to be doing more harm than good. The kit covers just about anything you can think of to test in your water: bacteria, pesticides, nitrates, lead, iron, nitrites, hardness, chlorine, copper, and pH. We used our Well-Water test kit to test the water here at Amazing PR and luckily we didn't find anything untoward with our sample! While our water was a bit on the hard side, we didn't find any excess copper, iron, or nitrates, and our pH was in a good range - phew! If you're worried that your water might be contaminated, things like spots on glasses, unusual smells, blue/green stains in the sink and discoloured laundry are all sign that you should test your water.

So whether you're concerned your water might not be up to par, or you just want piece of mind that it's as safe as it looks, pick up a Watersafe Well-Water Test Kit to be sure! Available from £24.99.

Cavalier Chocolates

As bikini season fast approaches, here at The Amazing Blog we’ve been drinking litres of water, eating copious amounts of fruit, and taking any opportunity to get to the gym (some more than others… shhh!). But as anyone dieting will know, healthy eating is sometimes the last thing on your mind, and sometimes you just want a bit of chocolate! But hold on, don’t run to the shop! We’ve found a brilliant alternative to the regular chocolate you find at the supermarket and it’s sugar-free Cavalier chocolates.

Now don’t be turned off by the sugar free aspect, because these delicious treats are made with Stevia, that all-natural sugar substitute that everyone’s raving about these days! For those of you that haven’t heard of it, Stevia is a 100% natural sweetener that has been used for centuries, and is naturally about 300 times sweeter than ordinary sugar – yes, you read that right, 300 times! Unlike the artificial sweeteners you can buy in the shops, Stevia is healthier for you as it’s natural and has no calories. Cavalier chocolates have over 20 flavours and there’s absolutely no added artificial sugar in them. Whilst most sugar-free snacks lack flavour, Cavalier chocolates taste just as, if not more, luxurious than most chocolates you can buy today. Cavalier is a family run business that has been creating their scrumptious chocolates since 1996, and has been dedicated to using the healthiest natural ingredients – so you don’t have to worry about putting any nasty artificial ingredients in your body. Their products contain natural antioxidants, fibres, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc and iron – and you certainly can't say the same for that Twix you were about to eat?! With flavours ranging from mango raspberry, orange, flax seed, caramel, praline and more, there’s an indulgent treat for everyone, and starting at just £0.99 they’re not going to hurt your purse either!

Whether you’re looking for a guilt-free treat to squeeze into your bikini or just a healthier option to snack on during the day, check out Cavalier chocolates.

Go Green!

So it’s another grey Monday in January and having spent much of yesterday in bed suffering after a very heavy night out, I’m still in recovery mode. Like most days, I have an afternoon lull around 4 o’clock where I crave sugar, caffeine, and anything else that will get me through the next two hours until home time. And while it’s tempting to reach for a hot cup of sweet tea and a chocolate biscuit, the sugar high is soon followed by a surging low.

When we’re feeling tired or in need of an energy boost, what our body is in need of is a whole load of nutrients – and pronto! And while it isn’t always easy to fit the recommended five-a-day into our daily diets, taking a natural supplement can do our bodies the world of good.

Thankfully, I recently came across Nature Complete’s Chlorella & Spirulina 2-in-1 which is a fab way of upping your energy levels. Chlorella (a green-celled alga) and Spirulina (a blue-green alga) contain a wide range of nutrients including Magnesium – which is needed by the body to turn food into energy -  Iron and Protein, both of which are needed to produce energy. The Organic food supplement also contains Chlorophyll, a substance thought to flush out fatigue-causing toxins from the body. The supplement is so nutrient dense that just 1g contains a similar amount of vitamins and minerals as 1000g of most fruit and vegetables.

Added to fruit juice or a healthy smoothie, Nature Complete’s Organic supplement may not be as sweet as a stack of Custard Creams – but it’s infinitely better for you. Go green this year with Nature Complete.