Lumie Body Clock

We find that waking up to a hideously loud alarm can not only 'jolt' us awake but also set us off in bad mood for the rest of the day.  Happily we at The Amazing Blog have discovered that there are ways to prevent this by allowing the natural body clock to take over. Want to know more? Well, if you studied psychology, then the workings of your body clock might be a familiar concept for you, if not then don’t worry, all will be explained.

For instance, did you know that our natural body clock instructs us when to fall asleep and when to wake up?  Apparently this to let us know that we have had a sufficient amount of sleep and to keep our brains or body functioning correctly throughout the day. Of course, life in general tends to dictate the disruption of this natural routine with our social and environmental influences (i.e. for many of us going work at 6.30am in the morning - sigh). I have certainly noticed a change in my mood if I wake up naturally with the daylight streaming in through my curtains. The Lumie Bodyclock ACTIVE 250  has a wake-up light also known as a dawn stimulator. It works by gradually increasing a mimicked natural light that slowly wakes you up over a chosen period of 15 to 90 minutes. The light you are exposed to is a signal for your body to ease the production of sleep hormones like melatonin, and increase those that help you get up and go like cortisol. Waking up to a light like this can help keep your sleep cycle on track and boost your mood and energy levels for the whole day. See here for how it works.

Our Exec Ed, Edwina, has been using the Lumie Bodyclock ACTIVE 250 as her new morning alarm. She is notoriously bad at getting up in the mornings (by her own admission) and counts herself as an owl not a lark. Her theory on the matter is that one's body clock is adjusted to the time when we're born to define one as either a night or morning person.  She tells us that she has begun to feel a difference using the Lumie Bodyclock and when waking feels more energised.  There are also settings for adding 'sounds' when you wake, these are a great addition to the clock and ensure you don't just snooze-on. There are some calmer ones for those who are lighter sleepers, where they can be woken up by Bird Song (Edwina's preference!)  Or the Big Ben bell for anyone who needs a more dramatic sound to be nudged out of their sleep. The sounds are all chosen specifically so they complement the light produced. We think that this is great for putting you in a good mood for the day and setting your body clock to run in a harmonious pattern. There is also a snooze feature which is good for anyone who always needs that extra 10 minutes...We also really like the look of the Lumie Bodyclock Zest which is their latest addition, it's fantastic compact version of the other Lumie Bodyclocks so brilliant for traveling and can also be used as a light therapy unit. We think this is the business, particularly for those of us that suffer from SAD Syndrome. we'd really love to test this out...

There are different clocks to chose from depending on what it is you're looking for and how you sleep. The Lumie Bodyclock ACTIVE 250 is £99.95 and with its technologies in our view is money well-spent. So take a look at their website here to see which looks like it is right for you. There is also a great range of other products all of which are designed to help start your day right and put a 'zing' in your step ☺

Carrot Banana Peach

This Friday, The Amazing Blog has something a little more unusual to share with you, our lovely readers. Ever heard of food in clothing before? No, not food on your clothing, but actually in it. We think that this might be the start of a new textile trend for 2014. Carrot Banana Peach adds an interesting combination of milk and soybean fibres into the contents of their clothing collection. For this Vegetable Cashmere to be produced, the drained oils are converted to a fibre through a detailed and careful process, which keeps the inherent proteins and nutrients intact. Keeping all the essential nutrients in the fabric means that it is gentle and soft on the skin and there isn’t the chance of irritation like some people may find in other materials. This process creates a wonderfully smooth and breathable piece of clothing, which is lighter and even better than cotton and cashmere and a has the added bonus of being completely machine washable. The actual clothing is stylish and comfortable and makes a perfect yoga or Pilates wear. Carrot Banana Peach offers a unique MILKDAL fabric which incorporates Cleopatra’s bathing ritual's main ingredient, milk. Its restorative properties and the inclusion of modal to the mixture, makes MILKDAL a perfect match for those sensitive to synthetic fabrics.

The fashionable collection ranges across yoga, fitness, rhythmic and dance gear. These garments are made from banana, aloe vera, bamboo, milk and soybean. These plant fibres are all specifically chosen for their properties that create comfortable, natural and soft clothing which has flexibility,  thus ideal for stretching movements. We really like the style of the clothes and would happily use them for casual wear as well as for their sporty purpose. We like the idea of slipping these on and head straight to the sofa for some ultimate relaxation time.  Plus these natural foodie clothes offer the possibility of encouraging us to do exercise because they are so comfy and flexible! You can visit the website here to have a look at their range and everything they have to offer. Search for colours and sizes that suit you and then get your yoga cap on. Prices from £28.50.

Friday Favourites - Raw Foods

We love our food and so far we haven't succumb to any silly New Years' diet fads. However, we have had a lot of 'snack cravings' sweeping The Amazing Blog office but  these have been intentionally directed at Raw Food (thanks to the generosity of the companies below). Raw food in simple terms means raw healthy food with no added bad stuff. Thus enabling one to have guilt-free snacking with delicious food that is actually good for you and we really like that! Which is why we thought we'd introduce you to some of our favourite discoveries with their brands and products, namely: Love Raw, The Living Food Kitchen, Rawr Chocolate and inSpiral.

We have been enjoying some tasty and organic bars by Love Raw in the office this week. If you’re looking for a snack to give you a little boost then look no further... Their unprocessed and organic bars are full of ingredients designed to give maximum nutritional value. It’s the best way to get all the vitamins and minerals that you need into your daily routine . They are great for energy and focus too, making these new snacks a big plus if you get a bit peckish during your working day. We really enjoyed the Cocoa and Maca Superfood bar. Apparently our bodies require 80% alkaline and 20% acidic food balance to keep the energy levels up and reverse disease (oh and to also keep us looking younger). Just add one of these yummy bars into your daily food intake and you will definitely start feeling the health benefits. We have for sure. You can buy them on their website here for £29.88 per box of 12. 

We have also been lucky enough to sample the WHOLE of the Living Food Kitchen range, including the Beetroot Hummus, Hemp Seed Pesto, Hummus, Mousse, Cheesecakes, Banoffee Pie, Pumpkin Pie, AND lots of their yummy Shakes and Smoothies. There are quite a few of us in the office, so it didn’t take long for everything to disappear! The Pesto tasted like real homemade pesto, not that processed rubbish you find in a jar. Our Exec Editor, Edwina, used it recently in a Risotto which went down very well at her dinner party. We have all munched on the Beetroot Hummus  using oatcakes to scoop it out of the pot, highly recommended! The Beetroot flavour is very unique and quite addictive, we became very fond of both the hummus pots. It’s always good to know you are eating something that is entirely good for you as well as healthy. Aside from that, there were the slightly naughtier snacks. All still made with raw ingredients and we might add much better for you than most regular puds. It was observed, that there was a wistful silence throughout in the whole office during the consumption of these… Raw food means that it isn’t heated above 46 degrees and all the good nutrients aren’t destroyed, thus making The Living Food collection of different treats most beneficial for your total well-being. The range is available in all Planet Organic and Wholefood stores across London and we couldn’t recommend everything highly enough!

If there is one weakness most of us have, especially we girls in the office, it’s chocolate. However, there is always that guilt which lingers for hours after just that one bite of chocolate.  Guilt free…chocolate is there such a thing? Oh yes, welcome Rawr Chocolate. Several years ago, an idea was born in a Cambridgeshire kitchen to make the most delicious 'raw' dairy-free chocolate in the world. Research and testing went ahead and they searched out the best raw ingredients to help create some amazing flavours. However, all without added refined cane or beet sugar, artificial this or the other, hydrogenated or chemical preservative nonsense, emulsifiers or colourings. Wow, we think you'll agree that's quite a list! We tried out the Passion (Goja Berries and Vanilla) , After Dinner (Mint), and the Zest  (Orange). One of our particular favourites was the Zest - deliciously fresh and citrusy. We would describe their texture as slightly more powdery than regular chocolate, but don't let that put you off. This Rawr Chocolate range just melts in the mouth and we think goes it perfectly with a lovely cup of coffee for elevenses. Because of their organic and natural ingredients what we like is the fact that these chocolates are actually good for you. They are very tasty and a great way to be able to sit back and have a guild-free indulgence! The bars are £2.45 and found on their website here.

Now to something a little less sweet than chocolate.  We have also been trying the inSpiral Super Food Bites. These really are super, full of flavour and just the right consistency between 'chew and crunch'. These soon became another office elevenses (or is that two-ses, three-ses, four-ses...!) The Granola Bite flavours we tried were Loveberry, Chocolatey, and Banana. Each once suits a different time of the day, we liked the banana ones in the morning, and then chocolate for something a bit sweeter in the afternoon. They are an  organic fitness food, complete with seven vegan protein sources. The perfect, guilt-free ‘on-the-go snack’, straight out of the compostable bag… These truly do fill you up so you won’t need to pick at those naughty office biscuits in the afternoon.  inSpiral as a brand, dates back to the beginning of the English festival and music culture, with a trademark for its chill out environment for the mind and body. They have a broad selection of offerings at inSpiral with their cult 'raw food' cafe in Camden with lots of other goodies including their Kale chips (which we wrote about here). Their success has allowed them to grow and grow and now they have an extensive range of products to offer. The super food bites are delectable, easy to have in the office or transport in your bag like a bag of crisps when you get a bit peckish during the day. They are also high in omega EFA seeds with flax and chia, along with alkalising slow-release carbohydrates like millet and quinoa for that satisfying crunch and essential fuel. Each flavour has its unique superfood content and the whole mix is dehydrated at low temperatures (110 degrees F) to maintain enzymes and nutrients. The bags are £1.39 and found here.

Healthy snacking is a habit everybody should take up and at The Amazing Blog we are all going to try and make this our mantra for 2014. What about you?

Kats Kalma Massage Bar and Facial Mist

If you have been outside in the last month or so, then you will know it’s pretty chilly out there, not forgetting to mention the constant drizzle and gale winds! This makes us just want to cocoon up inside with a hot relaxing bath and a good book. The Kats Kalma natural collection of soaps and bath goodies are just perfect for this time of the year.  After all we deserve to be able to sit back and enjoy some ‘me time’ particularly as it's now Christmas Eve. We at The Amazing Blog have selected two products from this range to help you de-stress and then freshen up so you’re ready for tomorrow’s antics. These are the De-Stressing Massage Bar, and the Manuka Honey Facial Mist. Kats Kalma work on a continuous basis. Forever testing and mixing new scents and ingredients as it is their passion to deliver products that we will love. They are all suitable for even the most sensitive skin, which is a unique quality in itself. The De Stressing Massage Bar comprises of pure Geranium and Lavender essential oils, all for calm, relax and balance you. It honestly smells like the countryside, almost as if you’ve fallen into a field of lavender. It’s lovely! As with any massage bar, I did worry that it would be sticky and leave a residue on my skin; however, it blended instantly in a moisturising fashion with absolutely no sticky residue.  The bar is 70gms £6. There are also other bars in this range which target problems other than stress such as Mayfruit Massage bar for toning, the Sunshine Massage bar for a bit of a lift!

Facial mists are the perfect addition to your day. Whether you’re prone to hot flushes, blemishes or dirty pores, the effects of this mist will do you good. If there’s one thing that we all know that is good for us its Manuka Honey. Manuka Honey has many therapeutic benefits which is why it works so well as the main ingredient of this facial mist. This water is high in amino acids and works with a calming and toning effect as well as antibacterial. I like to use it in the evening before going to bed as it keeps me feeling refreshed whilst I sleep. It’s a very clean natural product so you don’t feel like there are any chemicals working their way into your pores. The big thick glass bottle is very comfortable to hold and looks much more elegant than plastic bottles do. This is £10 and is only one of a collection of mists they have.

You can find all the products in their range on the website here. So do please have a look at the other wonderful and natural offerings that they also have.

Friday Favourites- Holiday Reads

All we want to do in this cold weather is snuggle up on the sofa in our pyjamas with a mug of tea and a great book. The Amazing Blog understands that there comes a time when a novel seems a bit too heavy for unwinding, so we have selected three very different easy reads to browse when you’re taking some time off. These are How to Draw Like a Fashion Designer, Peruvian Kitchen, and The Book.

There’s no denying that at some stage in our lives, we have all had career ambitions which were a little far fetched. When I was growing up it was either a princess or fashion designer… By about 8 I realised the former dream was a little unrealistic so I began to focus on fashion. I would draw stick women and drown them in horrible floods of colour, clothes that nobody would ever wear, but it was fun. The How to Draw like a Fashion Designer book written by Celia Joicey and Dennis Nothdruft would have been perfect for that phase of my life and would have helped make my stick people look less like…sticks. It’s a beautiful book filled with vibrant colours and step by step guides. Valentino and Zadra Rhodes are just two of the many designers who have contributed to the book, adding their own individual personality. There are interviews, drawing guides, intricate images and much more to set you on your path to become the next big name in fashion. I think this book is wonderful for a light read when you have five minutes to yourself. Its only £12.95, and definitely a book which will look lovely on a shelf or table in the lounge for everyone to enjoy. You can purchase the book here.

 

From one of our favourite ‘F’s, fashion, to another, which is food! The Ceviche Peruvian Kitchen by Martin Morales is filled with over 100 recipes and photos of the most celebrated Peruvian food. Restaurateur and cook, Martin Morales opened his restaurant Ceviche in 2012 and has since had huge success. This book shows you how to makes hundreds of dishes including the famous Ceviche. He traveled the country in search of the best flavours and recipes to share with his readers, and we agree he’s done just that. They are simple yet delicious and unusual, and we are interested by every one. The dishes are fusions of cultural essences from Africa, Spain, Italy, China and Japan. If you haven’t tried Peruvian food before then you need to, it’s definitely not one to disappoint as there are so many different spices and textures to choose from. We trust everything about these recipes as Martin Morales has been cooking since the mere age of 11!  His passion for food is displayed throughout the book and seen in the beautiful photographs which compliment each recipe. The book is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson and you can purchase it on Amazon here.

There is a particular genre of book that appears to be trending and increasing in popularity. These are self help books, ways to better your life and achieve greater happiness. If you visit book stores or use the internet you will probably be exposed to a large amount of these book titles, but The Amazing Blog can make it a little easier for you to choose. We have just read Linde’s life manual which goes by the name, The Book. It opens your eyes to different ways to maintain perfect health, wealth, happiness and longevity. It’s a guide to changing the way you perceive things to ultimately give you a happier and more positive outlook on life. As you journey through the chapters you learn how to understand how your body and mind function, and how to deal with them depending on your surroundings and environment. This book is full of optimism and is definitely one that I will keep referring back to as the years go on. It’s a bit like a support mechanism to guide you in the direction which will make you happiest. The hardback version is £30 and presented beautifully, it’ll be something to stay with you for years so definitely worth every penny. You can buy a kindle edition, or if you want, a hardback copy from here.