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Eco-conscious Sea Change produce a range of wines all linked to a different ocean charity reflected on the bottle label. Depending upon which wine you choose, there's everything from dolphins to turtles to starfish. Doesn't it make great sense if you're an environmentally conscious wine lover to be able to choose bottles that help protect the environment, in particular our oceans and sea life?  As a wine and ocean lover I was delighted when the company kindly sent me a bottle to try - and yes, it was very good! Let me tell you more about all this. Sea Change's sustainable, mostly vegan, award winning wines which come in light weight bottles designed to reduce the raw materials needed, are selected from European vineyards that share the company's values. There's no plastic wrap around the bottle neck and top, corks are bio-degradable, while paper for labels, partially made from grape waste, comes from certified sustainable forests. Minimal packaging reduces waste and environmental impact. So far, so great. With every bottle sold, the company donates a percentage to Ocean Conservation projects. This cash goes towards funding marine life protection, cleaning beaches, ocean pollution education and setting up marine animal sanctuaries. I think that's fantastic. Many other companies could learn a lesson here.
There is no excuse for you not to choose Sea Change wine because they probably, almost definitely really, stock your favourite. Malbec? Tick. Pinot Griogio? Tick. Merlot? Tick. Prosecco? Tick. Organic red? Tick. Organic white? Tick. Negroamaro? Tick. Chardonnay? Tick. Rose? Tick.... you get the picture. So, stands to reason, if you are someone who cares about our oceans and the living creatures who call them home, you can feel good about drinking this wine. I was pleased to be able to work with Sea Change wine to help get their message out there. Cheers! More at www.seachangewine.com. image (c) seachange wine PURESSENTIEL – PRODUCTS FOR PURE AIR Puressentiel Purifying Air Spray : A fabulous combination of 41 essential oils including two species of lavender, eucalyptus, lemon and geranium. This reduces the risk of respiratory issues by tackling common triggers for symptoms: airborne bacteria and viruses, fungal spores and house-dust mites. RRP £19.99 (200ml) Available at Holland & Barrett, Wholefoods, Boots, Amazon Puressentiel Purifying Air Diffusion Blend: Diffusers deliver a steady, sustained release of aromatic essential oils and are ideal for bedrooms, poorly ventilated wet rooms and toilets. This blend contains 18 oils including lemon, pine and niaoulu, a close relation of eucalyptus and tea tree. Niaouli shares many of their properties and is the main ingredient in the branded medicine Gomenol, which is used to treat upper respiratory tract and bronchial congestion. RRP £9.99 (30ml) – Available at uk.puressentiel.com, Wholefoods, Amazon  PURESSENTIEL – RESPIRATORY RESCUES
Puressentiel Respiratory Decongestant Nasal Spray combines 100% natural sterile saline solution to soften blocked nasal mucosa with organic rosemary floral water and soothing, decongestant essential oils of eucalyptus radiata, rosat geranium, niaouli, ravintsara and propolis and echinacea extracts. RRP £9.99 (15ml) – Available at https://uk.puressentiel.com, Holland & Barrett, Wholefoods, Amazon Puressentiel Resp OK Chest Rub combines 19 essential oils including tea tree, two species of lavender, peppermint and eucalyptus to produce a clinically proven decongestant rub. RRP £12.50 (100ml) – Available at uk.puressentiel.com, Holland & Barrett, Amazon Puressentiel Resp OK Massage Balm combines 19 essential oils including two species of lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus and clove to produce a clinically proven decongestant balm. RRP £9.99 (50ml) – Available at uk.puressentiel.com, Holland & Barrett, Wholefoods, Amazon New Puressentiel Respiratory Cough Syrup soothes sore throats and supports the body’s natural defences with three aromatic honeys, propolis, marshmallow and elderberry. RRP £10.99 (125ml) – Available at uk.puressentiel.com, Holland & Barrett, Amazon The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends the use of honey to treat coughs over antibiotics and other conventional medicines. Elderberry has antiviral activity and marshmallow can ease dry cough. New Puressentiel Respiratory Soothing Syrup combines plant extracts including propolis, marshmallow root and echinacea with seven essential oils and soothing ingredients such as honey and lemon, to deliver immediate proven relief. RRP £11.99 (125ml) – Available at uk.puressentiel.com, Holland & Barrett, Amazon New Puressentiel Respiratory Lozenges with three aromatic honeys provide relief when you’re on the move, the honey forms a barrier to soothe and protect the throat. RRP £9.99 (18 lozenges) – Available at uk.puressentiel.com, Holland & Barrett, Amazon New Puressentiel Respiratory Throat Drops use the natural sweetener stevia to provide a sugar-free solution for sore throats and dry coughs. Available in two flavours, Citrus or Mint/Eucalyptus. RRP £10.99 (45g) – Available at uk.puressentiel.com, Holland & Barrett, Amazon New Puressentiel Resp OK inhaler is the pocket solution for winter coughs and congestion containing 18 essential oils including eucalyptus, peppermint and oregano, enriched with menthol and camphor to ease breathing. RRP £5.99 (1ml) – Available at uk.puressentiel.com, Holland & Barrett, Amazon Puressentiel Respiratory Air Spray is a unique blend of essential oils to be used at the first signs of winter discomfort or seasonal sensitivities. It contains 19 essential oils to help soothe the airways and ease congestion: anise, St Thomas bay, cajeput, Atlas cedarwood, lemon, clove, cypress, eucalyptus, Lavandula angustifolia, lavandin grosso, peppermint, niaouli, oregano, Scot’s pine, ravintsara, rosemary, sage officinale, tea tree and thyme. RRP £9.99 (20ml) – Available at uk.puressentiel.com, Holland & Barrett, Wholefoods, Amazon  Read on if you want to spice up your spooky season ... Halloween parties are back this year! To get you in the ‘spirit’, why not try the Aloha Vampire cocktail which is super simple ... . All you have to do:
Hang on a minute though, what exactly is Aloha 65? Well, it's not rum and it's not gin, it is a spirit though, versatile too, made with 100% natural ingredients and better still it's vegan friendly and gluten free. So what's in it then? Ah, well there's pineapple, lemon, ginger and ssssh! a load of secret herbs plus fiery scotch bonnet chillies. Good, huh? Back to the Vampire Cocktail recipe. Maybe you're determined to turn up the party vibes a bit more? Easy! Just swap the soda water with bubbly and rim the glass with red sugar. Then how about finishing off your creation with raspberry or pomegranate seeds or drop in some vampire teeth for a real surprise..... For a party with a punch try this : Autumn Punch Ingredients (Serves 10) 500ml Aloha 65, 500ml brandy, 1.5L apple juice, 100ml orange juice, two or three cinnamon sticks, an apple, sliced orange Combine the Aloha and brandy with the apple juice in a jug filled with ice, cinnamon sticks and a sliced apple and orange.  About Spirit of Aloha 65
Conceived and created by a British barman at his beach bar in Florida, the Spirit of Aloha was designed as a versatile, refreshing and reviving tipple to lure in surfers looking to wind down after the waves. The once homemade gift to the après-sea crowd became a ritual; a unique sundowner that put a smile on everyone’s face. Aloha 65’s Sun on a Beach hot sauce is made from the same ingredients minus the alcohol, of course and their spicy pineapple ‘detonators’ use just two of Spirit of Aloha 65’s main ingredients, pineapple and chilli, and well… boom! The brand Spirit of Aloha 65 offers the consumer something different to look at and taste. With its coastal roots, Spirit of Aloha 65 is a relaxed sundowner for those who live life to the full. The ski winter bottles are a must for an après ski session or winter drinks gathering, virtual or otherwise. Aloha 65 has also created a sweet, tangy hot sauce and a spicy pineapple ‘detonator’ snack. disclaimer: I received two mini 50ml bottles of Aloha 65 for review purposes Aloha 65 - 70cl RRP: £22.50 Aloha 65 - 50ml 12 pack RRP £36 Hot Sauce RRP £3.99 Detonators RRP: £4.50 Available to buy at aloha65.com and Amazon images (c) Aloha65.com 100% Olive Oil Mayonnaise from Hunter & Gather, perfect for dipping, dunking and dolloping!
 Hunter & Gather is the brand behind ‘clean’ condiments (100% Avocado Oil Mayo and Unsweetened Sauces) and winner of ‘Best of British’ at Ocado’s Rising Stars Awards 2021. Now they have launched a trio of 100% Olive Oil all natural mayonnaise , a UK first, packed with goodness and free from nasties. That's such good news for me as I LOVE mayonnaise. Let me tell you, I have an array of cookery books, many telling me 'how easy' it is to make my own mayonnaise. Okay, it's not that difficult, but it can be a bit of a palaver. I therefore opt for the shop bought versions, though they generally come laden with additives in the shape of salt, sugar and multiple preservatives. Hunter & Gather's mayonnaise on the other hand is made with only four ingredients : olive oil, free range egg yolk, apple cider vinegar and a pinch of pink Himalayan salt. The flavour? Creamy and fresh with a slightly sharp tang and what is REALLY wonderful is, you can taste every one of those four ingredients! Amy Moring, Co-founder of Hunter & Gather, says: “It’s about time mayo had a makeover. All too often, shop bought mayonnaise contains inflammatory seed oils or sunflower oil blends - poor fats with negative health impacts - plus powdered egg, chemical preservatives and added sugar. Our mayonnaise is made with 100% light tasting Olive Oil from ancient groves in the Cordoba region of Spain, pressed in the traditional way, meaning no chemical hexanes or solvents are used. The result is a product that’s pure, light and delicious, packed with healthful monosaturated fats and polyphenols and with absolutely no added nasties.” She continues, “At Hunter & Gather, our mission is to provide people with the tools to thrive through healthier food choices, education and recipes that are always free from refined sugars, chemical preservatives, grains and seed oils. Our new 100% Olive Oil mayonnaise is a huge step forward for real food products and marks an important milestone on our journey to improving the health of the nation.” Go on, give it a try, you won't be disappointed! It tastes so good you won't want to go back to ordinary-old mayo again. Hunter & Gather 100% Olive Oil Mayonnaise available in Classic, Olive & Lemon and Horseradish available to from hunterandgatherfoods.com. More stockists to follow. RRP £4.49 for 240g jar. About Hunter & Gather Launched in 2017 by dynamic entrepreneurs Jeff Webster and Amy Moring, to fulfil a lifelong mission to create a brand that proactively champions honest, tasty, real food, free from lazy sugars, grains and poor quality fats; shining a light on the nutritional shortcomings of taken-for-granted food categories: ketchups, mayonnaise, cooking oils and dressings. In a UK food landscape where 63% are overweight, the brand is re-writing the rule book for real food, changing the way people think about what it means to eat well and creating ‘tools to thrive’ to pave the way for optimal health & wellness. hunterandgatherfoods.com images (c) Sophie Harrington ad/ gifted product - honest review   Nutribuddy - vegan, gluten-free, cruelty-free, preservative-free and sugar-free. ------------------------------------- Nutribuddy’s low fat, low calorie vegan meal shakes are packed with wholefoods, proteins and slow release carbohydrates to help keep you fuller for longer. I tried them for the first time the other week and they are fab! Eco-PlantMilk *New product* This eco-friendly milk has a long shelf-life compared to standard vegan milks so there's less food waste. The compact powder means it is space saving for transport - another eco tick in the box. Oats are also more eco-friendly than almonds, soy and coconut, as they require less water and produce less carbon emissions. You can drink Eco-PlantMilk as a regular glass of milk or add it to Nutribuddy shakes and cereals. I loved it. Breakfast Shake Nutribuddy’s best selling product, this is a blend of really-good-for-you gluten-free oats and superfoods. Ready in under 30 seconds, it is ideal for breakfast on the go. Stacked with vitamins and minerals including zinc, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and thiamin, there are three flavours to choose from; vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. What's more, it is available in crunchy and smooth varieties. No excuse now to miss breakfast! High-Protein Sculpting Shake Rich in three major vegan proteins and major amino acids, this makes a great lunch or dinner replacement. This shake is kinder to the stomach than other protein shakes some of which contain allergens including whey and soy, so it's good for IBS sufferers and allergy sufferers. Ingredients include gluten-free oats, pea protein, rice protein, hemp protein and flaxseeds. Nutribuddy founder, Ella McKendrick says: “Nutribuddy products are designed so they can fit into your lifestyle. The clean, natural formulas and nutritional profiles mean they can be used to help meet a number of goals; from weight loss and health and wellbeing to fitness or gaining weight. Or they can simply be used as a healthy, quick meal on the go to power you through the day, the perfect solution to our fast-paced society.” What’s more, Nutribuddy is passionate about keeping its carbon-footprint as low as possible and about supporting ethical farming practises. The products contain organic ingredients where possible - and if they’re not organic they will have been grown naturally with minimal pesticide use. Gluten-free oats come from farms in the UK and Europe, meaning they don't have to travel vast distances to get to the brands small factory. Breakfast Shake £11.99, Eco PlantMilk £8.99, High Protein Sculpting Shake £14.99. These make several shakes/smoothies, so they're not really expensive because you pay for lots of smoothies in one go.  Nutribuddy sent me samples of their products for review. I tend to make lots of smoothies and shakes, normally with the addition of a protein powder, so Nutribuddy is the kind of thing I like to keep in my store cupboard. These healthy, delicious products have minimal environmental impact. No single-use plastics, no palm-oil and no animal products are involved. Sounds top notch to me!
images from Nutribuddy I have to admit it. In my quest for really good skincare products that don't cost the earth, I hadn't happened upon Hada Labo products. The Japanese brand isn't so widely known across here, but that may well change soon.
All Hada Labo products are fragrance free so are suitable for most skin types. Fragrance is the main cause of adverse skin reactions. I was sent two of their products to test, a pot of the Repair Night Cream, which contains four different kinds of Hyaluronic Acid and the Eye and Mouth Area Cream. They are both super light and a pleasure to use. All of their products are formulated specifically to replenish dry skin by promoting moisture retention and are suitable for every age group. Hada Labo isn't Japan's number one skincare brand for nothing. Oh and in case you're interested, the brand’s name is inspired by its roots in creating original formulas: in Japanese, Hada means skin and Labo stands for laboratory. I understand that the company were not allowed to sell the original formula here in the UK because of EU regulations, however now that we are no longer part of the EU, that may change. Some users felt that these 'amended' versions are not up to the original Japanese equivalents. You can order the Japanese products here but it's worth mentioning that the packaging is in Japanese. Available at Superdrug and Amazon.  Research shows that a large percentage of us suffer from dry eyes, often due to staring at computer screens for hours on end, a situation made worse by lockdown.
Over half (55%) of adults questioned in a Rohto survey look at a screen for between 5 and 7 hours a day, with 36% saying they do this for 8 to 12 hours every day. Only 6 in 100 took the recommended amount of screen breaks. Dry eye can lead to long term damage Optometrist Francesca Marchetti says ,"Dry eye is caused by lack of lubrication, either due to staring at a screen for hours without a break and a lack of blinking or because the tear glands are not working effectively. It's vital to tackle this problem early with regular use of dry eye relief drops which address as many aspects of the condition as possible. Rohto has launched the latest science backed innovation to treat dry eye - new Rohto Dry Aid. " New Rohto Dry Aid Treats 8 Symptoms of Dry Eye Providing relief for up to 12 hours, Rohto is non blurry and helps tackle: dryness - soreness - itching - irritation - grittiness - stinging - burning - tired eyes In a trial of males and females aged between 20 and 68 including contact lens wearers, 94% of those who tested Rohto Dry Aid reported it soothed and hydrated their eyes, while 93% said they would be likely to recommend the product to others. Francesca Marchetti concluded, "Dry eye is now a major issue thanks to our growing screen use but most of us have no idea we suffer from it. As well as people checking with an optician, taking regular screen breaks and drinking plenty of fluids, a key step to more comfortable eyes is the regular use of clinically-proven dry eye relief drops. New Rohto Dry Aid offers the latest in eye health innovation and technology, providing up to 12 hours relief." More information at https://rohtoeyedrops.com Promoted post Norseland, the UK’s leading speciality cheese company and creators of award-winning Applewood® Vegan, have added Mexicana® Vegan to their range of vegan cheeses. When Applewood ® Vegan launched, the company challenged cheese-lovers to try its new product saying, "it tastes so much like the real thing we bet you’ll never know the difference”. Do you know, they are absolutely right? Now, Mexicana®Vegan, free-from lactose, milk, eggs, soy, nuts, gluten and fortified with vitamin B12 and calcium and made with gorgeous spices and jalapeño peppers, is evey bit as delicious. Whether as part of a (vegan) cheeseboard, on jacket potatoes or melted in a toastie, these two are tops - smooth texture, balanced tang, authentic aroma, it's all there. Norseland also created the world's first, best-selling Cheese Advent Calendar and this Christmas are launching the Ilchester® Vegan Festive Selection, featuring three new brands; the Ilchester® Melting Mature Cheddar Vegan, the Ilchester® Blue Vegan Cheeze (with blue spirulina vein) and Mexicana® Vegan Spicy Cheeze. Reflecting on the first anniversary of Applewood® Vegan, Lisa Harrison, senior brand manager for Applewood® Vegan, said: "It's been a great year for Applewood® Vegan. We had high hopes for the launch as In blind taste tests with vegans, conducted by Wirral Sensory Services, Applewood® Vegan ticked all the boxes and scored significantly higher than other smoky cheese alternatives already on the market. So we knew that we had got the texture - it melts very well - and taste right, but the demand at the launch was incredible; 40% of Asda stores that stocked the cheeze sold out on the first day so the factory where the cheeze was being made had to put on extra staff to meet the demand. Other supermarket giants signed up to stock it including Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsbury's, which stocks the new Applewood® Vegan Slices. We are so proud of what has been achieved and to be a dairy company not shying away from the increasing demand for plant-based alternatives and making the bold decision to offer a vegan alternative for a well-known established cheese brand such as Applewood®." About Applewood® Vegan • Applewood® is the UK's first major cheese brand to launch a vegan cheese alternative. • Applewood® Vegan is made in an allergen free factory negating the risk of cross contamination from dairy products. • Key features of Applewood® Vegan is that it is coconut based, it has Applewood®'s unique smoked flavouring and is free from dairy, lactose, soya and gluten. • Ingredients include water, coconut oil, potato starch, modified maize starch, yeast extract, salt, natural flavouring, thickener (carrageenan), calcium phosphate, smoke flavouring, calcium chloride, colour (carotenes), paprika and vitamin B12. • Approved by the Vegan society. • Applewood® Vegan has won awards including Gold award at the FreeFrom Food Awards 2020; Best Vegan Cheeze in the 2019 PETA Awards, Best Vegan Cheeze in the 2019 Vegan Food UK Awards and Best Vegan Cheeze For Melting in the Vegan Cheeze Co. 2019 Awards. Disclosure - I was sent a couple of packs of cheese to review and can honestly say that there is no need for cheese lovers to hanker after 'proper' cheese any more, this is EVERY BIT as good as the real thing - try it and see!
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