The sun’s out and everyone is looking to kick start their beach bod and get that all round healthy glow. Myself included! So here is a round up of my favourite health food (and drink) products that will certainly set you on the way..

 

SAVSE SMOOTHIES

A new brand that I’ve discovered, Savse smoothies, offer fantastic raw smoothies at a great price (compared with my usual high street smoothie haunts!). Out of the range, it was a close call between the Super Purple smoothie (beetroot, apple, avocado, lime, mango and a dash of lemon) and the Super Blue smoothie (blueberry, kale, spinach, blackberry and apple) – they were both delicious but for the smoothie newbie, the blueberry flavour is a great way to start out. Plus, my first thought was that the Super Purple smoothie (£1.99) really was great value in comparison to Pret’s new beetroot smoothie, priced at £3.50 per bottle!

For those green juice fans, they have a Super Green smoothie (broccoli, pear, spinach, kale, kiwi, lemon and banana) – although the taste was very pleasant, I found it hard to ignore the broccoli strands and thicker texture. Made using a process called HPP (high pressure processing), the ingredients aren’t heated nor are the valuable nutrients and healthy bacteria lost in creation.

Priced at just £1.99 per bottle (250ml), you can afford to try all five flavours! Pick up yours today from Boots. Also stocked in Selfridges, Wholefoods, Pod Cafes and Harvey Nics for £2.50 per bottle.

 

ALOE VERA JUICE

I’ve been following the booming aloe vera juice trend and decided to see what all the fuss was about. Last month I bought Holland and Barratt’s own label, which to be honest is good enough for me! Especially as it was half price (£5.77 down from £11.55 for 1ltr bottle). It has a peculiar taste, very sharp, not to mention sour and a shot glass is more than enough for me – twice a day. I do feel brighter and my stomach doesn’t feel as bloated. The taste of it alone will help you avoid nasty sweet treats as you’ll want to stay on the bandwagon and not undo the good work you’ve done!

 

Aloe vera is a super gelatinous plant that has internal and external applications. The inner gel when juiced has heaps of benefits, mainly useful as a digestive aid but what I found most interesting, is that disease cannot live in an alkaline environment – the aloe vera juice is an alkaline forming food so blasts any nasties right away! 

My only advice is that 1 ltr is an awful lot of juice if you are only taking it once a day, like I was to start out with. The label states it should be used in one month – pretty impossible. I’ve now upped my intake to twice a day to get through it all!

That Girl’s top tip: Keep the Aloe Vera Juice in the fridge for a far better taste and enjoyable experience…

 

WOMEN’S FITNESS MAGAZINE

When Zest magazine closed down at the beginning of this year, I’ve been trying to find something to fill the media void it left. And this weekend, I’ve found it; Women’s Fitness! It’s got the perfect balance of inspirational and motivational fitness advice without being too intimidating, and offers plenty of handy tips when it comes to healthy eating too. Pick up a copy for £3.99 each, or subscribe – 6 issues for £14.99. 

SPIRULINA POWDER

My new found friend! A blue green plant algae that has been cultivated from salt water lakes in Central and South America then dried into a fine powder. Simply add to smoothies or sprinkle on top of soups. It does have a rather off putting strong green colour and tastes rather like seaweed – highly minerally. I personally love the taste and it does help to know just how rich in vital vitamins and minerals it is!

 

REBEL KITCHEN COCONUT MILK

I was in two minds when hearing about Rebel Kitchen’s new dairy free coconut milk drinks that are blended using Somerset spring water, but a foodie is always open to new experiences. Personally, I’ve never really been a fan of coconut milk, although it is very good for you and highly nutritious. However, I am happy to announce that I am a complete convert thanks to Rebel Kitchen! The cocoa base in these delicious drinks makes them rather like a healthy alternative to chocolate milk and a good way to fight that cocoa craving that I am currently fighting around 3/4pm… EVERY DAY!

My favourite has to be the unusual Matcha Mylk – one of the new varieties added in the larger ‘adult’ 330ml bottles. Matcha tea is a potent superfood with intense cleansing properties – when added to milk, it has a smooth texture and the tannins are softened – so this new combo of coconut milk and matcha is detox heaven!

Although delicious, it is important to note that a 330ml bottle weighs in at 150 kcal, not the lightest of drinks but similar to a healthy smoothie and packed full of protein and amino acids. Certainly far better for you than a full fat coke! If you fancy a lighter version, why not pick up a kiddies sized bottle:

Rebel Kitchen Mylk’s are priced at £1.89 for 330ml and available from Rebel Kitchen’s website here: www.rebel-kitchen.com

 

DORSET CEREALS

Oats are certainly up there with the world’s healthiest food; thumbs up for the high fiber, wholegrain goodness that has been proven to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and maintain a healthy weight as they ward off hunger for good. Welcome Dorset Cereals with their new range of lighter museli. The new toasted series has three flavours; Fruit and Nut (with pineapple?! not a fan!), Raspberry and Apple and Hazelnut and Brazil museli. I was lucky enough to try the Raspberry and Apple version – steering clear of the dried pineapple in the Fruit and Nut!

 

The verdict? It really is lighter with plenty of texture and crunch whilst still filling you up until lunch – that’ll be thanks to those healthy oats and grains. After tasting this new range, I doubt I’ll go back as the toasted raspberry and apple flakes are sweet enough without the high sugar content of dried sultanas and raisins in my normal museli.. It’s no wonder Dorset Cereals is an award winning brand, their breakfast cereals are just great!

Priced at £3.79 and available from all major supermarkets. Good to note, on my last shop, I did notice these new Dorset Cereals porridges too, which I will certainly be trying too – especially the Gingerbread flavour!

SOCIALITES 225

Tut tut, smoking – certainly not good for you and has no place in a health post..  However, “vaping” and electronic cigarettes are the new health craze hitting the UK so when Socialites contacted me to see if I would like to try some samples, of course, I gave it a go.

Socialites, an electronic cigarette brand, have got it spot on – great packaging and a non-offensive cigarette copycat that resembles and smokes like the real deal. Smokers should certainly wise up and give electonic cigarettes a chance, merely scanning the info provided, the stats pop out: “users get the nictoine hit without inhaling 4,000 harmful chemicals or 60 carcinogens found in traditional cigarettes”

Every pack contains one electronic cigarette that can come in various flavours; Gold (like B&H), USA Blend, Menthol and even some fruity flavours such as Cherry. One electronic cigarette can be used for 225 “puffs” – on average, a pack of 20 in one. Priced at £3.99, it certainly makes you think of not only the health benefits, but the financial saving too – on average priced at 80% less than traditional cigarette equivalent.

The verdict? A definite thumbs up. Smokers who are trying to quit, I would certainly recommend this product and even for social smokers – avoid the tar! Although electronic cigarettes are a relatively new concept, there have been minimal side effects discovered and new tests are being carried out all of the time. One thing is for sure that they’re far less damaging than traditional spark lit cigarettes thanks to the  zero tar content inside!

 

NB: I would like to thank the lovely PR’s at Rebel Kitchen, Socialites, Savse Smoothies and Dorset Cereals for their help, patience and sending across review samples. Whilst these products were sent to me for review, I have given my honest opinion and only included products that I would whole heartedly recommend to my loyal readers.. Nothing more, nothing less!