CHRIS JAMES BRILLIANT BIOTIC & GORGEOUS GREENS SUPPLEMENTS

Hi all and welcome to this post which is all about good gut health. Not the usual type of post from me I admit, but I am very interested in finding ways to improve my digestion and gut health as I have been an IBS sufferer all my life.

I met Chris James who is a well respected and sought after teacher of yoga and meditation as well as nutrition and health enthusiast at THE ANTI-AGEING HEALTH & BEAUTY SHOW back in May. Chris is a fantastically glowing person both in personality and appearance. He just oozes health from his very core so I knew this was someone I wanted to know better as he obviously knows his stuff. Chris informed be about lots of his quality ingredient products as well as the 12 Day Cleanse program. I was given the opportunity to try out 2 of Chris' vegan food supplements from his range which I took continuously for 30 days.

BRILLIANT BIOTIC

With premium ingredients for the bowel to optimise gut health and support digestive function. Enhancing nutrition absorption as well as immune function. Beauty that begins in the gut.

GORGEOUS GREENS

Gorgeous greens is a unique blend of chlorophyll rich green foods which can help strengthen the immune system, restore PH balance and and help with bowel regularity. Gorgeous Greens also helps defuse free radicals and support skin to fight ageing. Maintaining a balance of acidity versus alkalinity for the mind and body to function optimally.

Both supplements are free from wheat, yeast, starch, gluten, lactose, soy, added colourings, sweeteners and preservatives. Suitable for vegetarians.

I took one of each capsule a day after breakfast and one of each after dinner for 30 days. 

So I am going to be honest and say that I ate very healthily for the about the first two weeks and then not as healthy, but not all bad for the two weeks after. I was on holiday leave, had some celebrations to enjoy and got really busy. I know making time to be healthy or healthier is your own responsibility so no excuses here, but it was quite interesting to see how the supplements worked when eating and drinking healthy and nutritious foods versus the naughty and devilish.

On day 2 coincidence I think as I had no other days like this I was awoken at about 5am with a stirring in my tummy. A quick panicked leap from my bed led to lets just say an emptied bowel. Sorry if this is TMI, but this post is about bowel health, regularity and digestive function. I felt pretty unwell for about a day with a couple more rushed loo trips and an awful feeling in my tummy. I hadn't eaten anything unhealthy or different in the days prior so I can't blame my diet, but I don't feel I can blame these products either as in a day I was back to normal with no other days like this within the 30 days.

I would say that these supplements did help with normal regularity of my bowel function. I would go every day which can sometimes be unusual for me. I can go anything from not going for a week to 7 times a day while eating and drinking in the same way. There are certain foods that will bind me up such as bread, pasta and rice so I know when I have had too much. During my naughty eating phase I was perhaps just a little less frequent in bowel movement with extra bloating and trapped wind, but it was still better than I usually am without the supplements.

I think these supplements are a great addition to a healthy style of living. Most of us won't stick to purity (myself included) 24/7 when it comes to food and drink, but I think knowing your own body is a big part of knowing what you need and what your limits are. I know that I can't scoff pizza, bread and other such foods every day like my friends and family, but sometimes I let the little devil on my shoulder convince me. 

I have previously tried an elimination diet where I cut out all yeast, wheat, sugar and dairy. I gradually introduced certain foods back into my diet to see how my body liked them. I would say I felt healthier from this type of diet, but I still suffered with IBS symptoms daily. I am by no means as pure and saintly as this now, but I do my best to eat healthily at lunch and breakfast and cook meals from scratch most of the time.

I am glad that I got the opportunity to try out these products as better bowel function was definitely achieved!

Let me know your tips and tricks for better bowel health and digestive function in the comments below. Especially if you desire a better lifestyle free from IBS woes.

Love to you all

Vicky xx

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My 1st Graze Box

Hey Everyone and Happy Sunday! I wish weekends were a bit longer, but don't we all. Today I have my very 1st Graze Box to show you. I have been debating about getting started with Graze for a very long time, but just thought I could chuck some dried fruit and nuts together myself for healthy snacking at a cheaper price. However when looking at the Graze website a little more and realising there are a few boxes to choose from and a variety of 100 different snacks I knew I had to try it out. The three types of boxes are as follows:

The Eat Well Box ~ A selection of healthy recipes with the odd treat now and again. 

The Boost Box ~  The strictest, most healthy box with the most nutrient dense foods to give you a natural boost. 

The Light Box ~ All the lowest calorie nibbles. Everything’s between 50 and 150 calories and nothing tastes like diet food. Great if you’re watching your weight. 

I went for the Light Box as I am trying to be healthy most of the time and hope that these snacks will encourage me to be as there is a lot of variety. I do actually enjoy eating these type of foods so it's not torture for me.

So here is my Graze Light Box. I like how it feels personal with my name on the information card. Inside is all the nutritional information for each snack box. Underneath this information are the use by dates. I would prefer these on the actual boxes, but at least the information is there. There is also an information booklet all about Graze. I love the cute napkin which I found underneath my snacks.

My four boxes are Summer Berry Compote With Wholemeal Shortbread, Hot Cross Yum, Tropical Daiquiri & Bonnie Wee Oatbakes.

I like how Graze will send you random snacks so that it's a surprise, but you do get the opportunity to 'Bin' snacks if you don't want or like them. I binned one with olives before this came as I really don't like them. After trying each snack i will rate them so Graze will know if I 'Like', 'Love', want to 'Try' or have Binned. There is also a tick box option to 'send soon'. 

So far I have opted to have my Graze Box sent to me every two weeks to see if I like it. The box easily goes through normal sized letter boxes as they are just a little bigger than A5 size so you don't have to be home to receive it or sign for it. You can also choose a preferred delivery day. Graze deliver nationwide and delivery is free. Boxes are prepared 5 days before delivery. You can opt to push back deliveries if for example you are going on holiday and won't need it. The boxes can be delivered to more than one address which you can add to your account. The boxes are also recyclable.

I work 4 days per week so I plan on taking one to work each day next week to try them out. Each box is usually £3.89 which works out to be less than £1.00 per snack. I have been given a code for you to try out a free Graze Box :)

Enter this code when you place your order to receive your free box and share the code with friends if you like. You do have to enter card details to sign up for your free box, but if you are not happy to continue just cancel your future boxes.

For more information on Graze check out their website here.

I am trying to get a wee bit healthier and fitter for the summer so I am also taking part in the Squat Challenge and the Planking Challenge. I started on the 1st April so by the end of April I will have completed them both. For those who don't know the Squat Challenge are Squats each day for 30 days which increase in the amount each day with every fourth day off. I also use hand weights while squatting. The Planking Challenge is 1 minute of planking every day.

Have any of you tried Graze before? If yes, what are your favourite boxes and snacks from the range? Are you taking part in the Squat Challenge and/or the Planking Challenge? If yes, how are you doing? Let me know in the comments below.

Love to you all

 

99 Calories Or Less Crisps

Hi Everyone. How are we all today? I thought I would just pop on this quick post to share with you a very light snack that I enjoy from time to time. It is both cheap and low calorie.

99p Stores Tayto Advantage Oven Baked Whisps

3 x French Onion, 99 calories per 21g pack. Contain milk, soya, sugar and sweetener.

3 x Texan Grill, 98 calories per 21g pack. Contain milk, wheat, barley, gluten and soya.

These taste really good. They are shaped like pasta shells and are nice and crunchy. The packs have quite a lot of crisps in so they are filling too.

I think these are great for when you just have to have a packet of crisps.

What are your favourite low calorie snacks? Do you have any healthy home made suggestions? Feel free to add your comments below.

Love to you all

 

Cheap & Low Calorie Meal

Hey there you gorgeous bunch. Happy Friday to you all. Today I want to show you these noodles that I picked up from 99p Stores. I eat them at work for lunch as an alternative to sandwiches.

99P Stores Golden Sunrise Instant Noodles

Left: Beef & Tomato, 70g Serving: 3.43g fat, 78.4 calories, 0g sugars and 1.58g salt

Centre: Roast Chicken, 70g Serving: 3.43g fat, 78.4 calories, 0g sugars and 1.63g salt

Right: Spicy Curry, 70g Serving: 3.5g fat, 77 calories, 0g sugars and 1.58g salt

These all contain gluten for those who want to know.

I would love to able to have a delicious sandwich every day, but I get way too bloated with my IBS. Plus the fillings I would have would probably be more bad than good so I always try look for alternatives for lunches, especially something easy to take to work.

I think these noodles are absolutely brilliant as they are so low in calories and filling enough so that I am not left hungry and I am not bloated. They taste really good. Inside each pot are the noodles and the flavouring so there are no pieces of meat, vegetables etc. None of them are too strong in taste, but they are likewise not plain at all. They say to add hot water to the polystyrene pot they come in for 3 minutes and eat with the plastic fork provided. I prefer to break up the noodles in the sealed pack that's inside the pot and empty the noodles into my own bowl, pour over some boiled water to just cover the noodles and add the sachet flavouring. I then stir with the fork provided and place in the microwave for 2 minutes. I stir again and microwave for a further 2 minutes and ta da, fantastic tasting noodles. I will warn you though that the fork does bend with the heat so I use my own metal fork to eat the noodles. For approx 50p per meal as they come as 2 for 99p I think these are great value.

What ideas do you have for lunches? Do you have IBS and have any great meal or snack ideas? If so, please leave your suggestions below.

Love to you all

Tea For Health & IBS Relief

Hey Everyone. Happy Sunday to you all. Today I have a wee post for you that is about a tea I drink I thought some of you might like.

I have been drinking plain peppermint tea for absolutely ages because I have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). I don't digest food very well and so I always made sure I drank a peppermint tea every morning after my coffee to help with my IBS.

For those who don't know peppermint tea is said to help relieve the symptoms of IBS. There is less evidence, but it is said to also ease other problems including nausea, vomiting, dhiorrea and headaches which can be IBS symptoms. Its minty flavour can take the edge off bad breadth. It is also said to control mild asthma, manage stress and ward off the common cold.

I do enjoy the naughty food and drink in life too, but I like to try and be healthy as well. I have tried green tea many times, even the flavoured ones, but I am not too keen on it's taste.

Green tea may help with lowering the risk of developing heart disease and certain types of cancer. Green tea extract containing polyphenols and caffeine has been shown to induce thermogenesis and stimulate fat oxidation, boosting the metabolic rate 4% without increasing the heart rate.

Anyway now on to the tea I have found to combine the benefits of both products. While perusing the tea section in Morrisons I noticed this Green Tea & Mint. Each box contains 20 tea bags which are foil wrapped (not individually) for freshness. There are not other ingredients in each bag. They are 55% green tea and 45% peppermint. They must be stored in a cool, dry place. The tea is simple to make. You just boil some water, add a bag to a cup or mug and brew between 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Personally I usually leave the bag in while I drink it as I feel like I get a better brew and hopefully more of the benefits, but it's really just up to you.

This is an acquired taste and when I first tried herbal teas of any kind I would squirm a bit and think damn I need a good strong coffee or tea, but now I am used to it and find this tea quite refreshing. If I am having a bad day with my stomach and digestion I always reach for this. I have one every morning and sometimes more often.

IBS is such a pain literally sometimes and I pretty much feel bad with it in some way on a daily basis. For those that don't know it can cause the symptoms mentioned earlier in this post as well as constipation, bloating, abdominal pain, cramping, flatulence and sometimes passing mucus from the bottom. I have put up with all of these symptoms other than passing mucus at some time or another which is embarrassing to admit, but true and true for so many others.

So my point is that although I don't believe my IBS is ever going to disappear I can try to at the very least drink one cup of this a day to hopefully alleviate or prevent the symptoms. I do also drink it of course for the other health benefits mentioned it's just my IBS has been a struggle for me since I can ever remember.

If you would like me to discuss further about things I have found that have helped my with my IBS symptoms then please let me know in the comments below. Also any suggestions that you have for a good tea or coping with IBS then please leave those in the comments too.

Love to you all

 

Support & Cuteness

Hello you beautiful people. I have missed you all since my last post. I hope your week has been good so far. The rain is here for bank holiday weekend as usual, surprise surprise. I have bought a few items from SportsDirect.com that I thought you might be interested in.

I have already purchased two of these USA Pro Bra Tops in the Red shade, Link. I got both the same colour as I could never find the others in my size in store, but then I saw the Orange (top of photo, front side) and Black (bottom of photo, back side) in store and I just had to pick them up. 

When I exercise I always find that I can never quite find the right type of sports bra to hold me in. I have tried just exercising in my normal bras and sports bras that were like bras, but a lot more rigid and uncomfortable. I wasn't falling out of them as I moved around, but I would get a sweat rash from how solid and structured they were. Especially with the under wiring.

These USA Pro Bra Tops are fab. They have an elasticated band at the bottom which does not give me a sweat rash as it is covered by material. The front is not too low or too high. These have a racer back so no chance of straps falling down when you move around. They are made from Nylon, Elastane and Polyester. There are moulded cups in the bra to help keep you in place when you are exercising. These can be removed. After washing these Bra Tops in the machine I re-position the cups into place as they do tend to fold over in the wash. These were £17.99 each, but have now been reduced to £9.99. This design does also come in Purple.

Well Hello Kitty. As I made my way to the till yesterday with my Bra Tops in hand I was stopped in my tracks by these beauties. Are they not just the cutest? Being a Hello Kitty fan I could not pass these up. These were reduced from £5.00 to £3.00. I know summer is not likely to be around for much longer (she says while looking at the rain), but these will get used as much as possible :) You can find this Light Pink pair here. I also want the Red design here. You can also buy the children's sizes here. The Light Pink is £2.50, but the Fuschia is £4.00.

I hope you found this post helpful or at least enjoyed some Hello Kitty cuteness. What are you favourite exercise clothing/accessories?

Love to you all

All Juiced Up

Ello Lovelies. Are you having a good Sunday? I'm having a bit of a chill today. Looks like the weather is going to be good for the next few days which makes me smile. As it has been so warm I have been craving cold drinks and when I was in Morrisons on Friday I picked up these beauties.

When I saw these dilute juice drinks I just couldn't resist. They are usually 79p each, but these were on an offer of 2 for £1.20. That's just 60p per bottle. I like the apple & strawberry squash, but the raspberry ripple squash is a winner for me. It tastes great, but I think I love it more because it makes me feel like a child if I'm honest :) These bottles are 1 litre each and contain just 4 calories in a diluted 250ml serving. There are no artificial colours or flavours and no added sugar. I try to be good when I can so I don't feel guilty when drinking this as it's better than when I drink loads of fizzy drinks or pure juices. There are many other flavours in this range if these don't take your fancy. 

Have you tried any of the other flavours from this range? Any likes/dislikes?

Love to you all