There’s only a fine line between youthful and ageing skin…

If you’re looking for an Australian-made product that’s full of superfoods to support healthy ageing, liver and gut health, or to strengthen your hair, skin and nails, you’ve come to the right place.

Vita-Sol, created by leading Australian nutritional experts, is here and it’s extraordinary. Using only the highest quality ingredients from around the globe, these blends are here to help you look and feel amazing from the inside out. Each powder contains a high source of vitamins, minerals and herbs to support healthy living and wellbeing. All the products are vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free, so perfect for any dietary requirements. Every product has been tested for toxic heavy metal safety and contains no synthetic ingredients.

Vita-Sol have three different types of Wholefood products.

Infinity Wholefood is full of organic superfoods to support cells for healthy ageing. It protects the skin from damage and is definitely my favourite one because we all know there’s only a fine line between youthful skin and ageing skin.

Purity Wholefood is perfect for supporting liver and gut, including organic alkaline greens and sprout blends to strengthen liver function. The blend is so well-balanced that it nutritionally supports and assists in the getting rid of skin conditions such as acne, eczema and hormonal pigmentation.

Flexibility Wholefood is a multi-action formula and deliciously warming mineral spice blend to support the health of your joints as well as skin, hair and nails. It’s nutritionally-dense and packed with antioxidants to provide the ultimate support for your insides and get your outsides glowing too.

To find out more about these beautiful products, click this link here.

My hemp...my hemp, my hemp, my hemp...my lovely little hemp,

On my salad or in my smoothie, check it out!

While hemp seeds may not be the black eyed peas, they sure do have a lot to sing about. Ok, ok enough of that. I don’t mean to drive you (or the brothers) crazy, but I’m still a little shell-shocked at how such a little seed can carry so many benefits!

Hemp is no doubt a supercharged plant. It has an abundance of uses including food for humans and animals, clothing, skin care, construction material, plastic alternatives and more.

As a food alone, hemp seeds can be used in a variety of ways and offer us a lot of nutritional value. With endless possibilities, they can be eaten with salads, cereal, smoothies, porridge, eggs and more. These versatile super seeds are rich in fatty acids and protein. They include all 10 essential amino acids that our bodies can’t produce naturally and are necessary for robust health.

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods appreciate the power of this amazing plant and aim to sustainably bring the highest quality hemp seeds from the field to your table. From shelled hemp seeds to hemp protein and hemp oil to hemp milk, they offer a huge range of delicious and nutritious edible hemp products.

Their shelled hemp seeds or Hemp Hearts are ready to eat straight out of the packet and have a yummy nutty flavour. Although they are little, they have 10 grams of plant-based protein and 10 grams of omega-3 and omega-6 per 30g serving (which is more than an equivalent serving of flax or chia).

It doesn’t matter if you’re a savoury person or have a sweet tooth, Manitoba Harvest offer their Hemp Heart Toppers in a range of flavours. Their coconut and cocoa mix is delicious sprinkled on top of yoghurt for a healthy dessert. While the onion, garlic and rosemary mix works really well on top of eggs for brekky or homemade soup for lunch!

Since these super seeds tasted so great on food, I wanted to see if they worked well in drinks too. I tried the natural Hemp Hearts in a golden gut latte...both me and my tummy were delighted at the outcome! (I’ll post the recipe below so you can try it too.)

Whether it’s after a workout or #meatlessmondays, for those needing that extra protein boost Manitoba Harvest have specifically formulated protein powders that are completely plant-based. There’s no more need for the tummy turning whey and soy protein powders. By simply adding a serving of their Hemp Protein or Hemp Protein Smoothie into water or a drink of your choice, you can get up to 20 grams of protein without causing any trouble to your tummy.

With such a diverse and delicious range of edible hemp products, Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods are great at empowering such a little seed to shine so bright and become more accessible in the mainstream food world.

Golden Gut Hemp Latte (Serves 2-3)

• ¾ cup natural Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts
• 2 tablespoons Golden Gut Blend
• 3 cups of coconut milk or milk of your choice
• 2 tablespoons raw honey

Method:

• Gently heat milk of your choice in a small saucepan on the stove
• Blend the Hemp Hearts into a fine powder
• Once the liquid is warm, add the powder and Golden Gut blend and honey and bring to a gentle boil
• Simmer for 3-5 minutes and serve in your favourite mug while hot!

Are you looking for recipes to supercharge your gut?

Or, are you thinking to yourself: “why on earth do I need to look after this irrelevant part of my body?”

Whether you’re one extreme or the other, help is on the way!

Looking after the gut is your gateway to the health of your overall body. Inside you there are trillions of living microorganisms and the majority of them live very happily in the gut.  It's not just the area where you digest food, it also has important connections to your brain and immune system, as well as influencing the interplay of hormones in your body.  Can you believe that your gut health can even affect the length and quality of your sleep?

When your tum's a little disgruntled and out of whack, it makes your body more susceptible to a multitude of  conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, inflammation, obesity, and anxiety and depression, as well as insulin resistance.

If you’re keen to improve your health and maintain energy levels one way to do it is through nutrition and by eating high-quality, wholesome food, just like this lovely Greened up Shakshuka recipe from my book, Supercharge Your Gut. 

That sounds great and all, but surely, it’s easier said than done. Who has time to slave over a stove every day?!

That’s where you’re wrong!

Much of your gut health is in your own hands. When looking to supercharge your gut, it’s so ok to be simple with it. By taking one easy step at a time, and not stressing about being perfect, you can be on your way to looking after your body’s most influential part for good. If you want to find out more about just how to supercharge your gut, be sure to check out my latest book or my two-day Supercharge Your Gut Program.

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Do you ever get to 3pm and realise you've forgotten to eat the whole day? You’ve been so busy working and keeping on top of things you’ve forgotten to eat!

Perhaps you’re tired of always being tired?

Or maybe you’re fed up with another fad diet that just never seems to work and leaves you tired and starving?

Welcome to The Good Sort.

The Good Sort Go-to-Meals offer a delicious and natural range of food options and snacks for busy people on the go. They’re clean, natural and full of the good stuff. Just think of them as your go-to fulfilling fast food that provides the ultimate nourishing meal for when you’re on the move and don't want to be taking hundreds of supplements that just burn a hole in your pocket.

While this wonderful go to meal provides so much and more, one thing it’s not is another boring weight-loss drink with questionable ingredients. The Good Sort is for those of you who want to feel your best, improve your energy and be fuelled with natural, good-for-your gut ingredients. If that sounds like you, The Good Sort is the perfect choice. It’s nothing but the good stuff to nourish you from the inside out.

The Good Sort meal and snack replacements are convenient and easy to use. What’s so fantastic about them is that they come in single-serve packs for lasting freshness and ease of use. The Good Sort includes scientifically proven, organic vitamins and minerals alongside quality ingredients that target specific short-term and long-term health benefits for women.

The Good Sort uses Ganeden BC³⁰, a probiotic that has a stable, exceptional shelf life and better digestive transit than others. It helps support your digestive system and improve your immunity. The nutrients are quickly absorbed so you can feel instantly energised and satisfied.

The Good Sort products aren't just tasty and nutritious, they’re also individualised to your own personal needs. You’ll see a big improvement in different areas of your life such as digestion, energy and even an improvement in your hair, skin and nails.

This wonderful 100% natural go-to-meal comes in eight different delicious flavours to fit your mood with both dairy and plant-based options for those who are dairy free.

The dairy protein is great for any time of the day, especially when you need a boost. All of the sachets are perforated, meaning you can easily choose between having a shake as a full meal or a quick snack while still enjoying the same benefits. Dairy Protein Shake Flavours include Banana, Chocolate, Vanilla, Coffee and Strawberry. You might like to also mix and match flavours; banana and chocolate make a really tasty combination.

The plant-based protein contains a complete protein blend to help sustain your energy and keep you nourished and happy. It's great for supercharging your morning routine - just simply blend with 250 ml of your choice of milk, cold water or coconut water and you're sorted! Plant Protein Shake Flavours include Naked, Cocoa and Wildberry. I always use the Naked version when travelling as I find it so convenient to use when I can't find healthy options.

These wonderful nutritional meal replacements are truly one-of-a-kind. It's time to say goodbye to the 'hangry's' for good with The Good Sort and hello to natural nutrition made simple.

Read more about The Good Sort.

Follow The Good Sort on Instagram here: @thegoodsortofficial

Check them out on Facebook on this link here.

Let’s talk raw chocolate bars.

What once was dubbed a crazy, revolutionary healthy phenomenon has become the new café norm. These days you can buy raw, vegan caramel slices, bliss balls, mint slices and chocolate bars at your local caff! Whilst these products are usually refined-sugar free, too often they contain a whole load of dried fruit, loads of nuts and are heavy on the sweeteners.

Let's talk dried fruit. While fruit is great, being a source of vitamins, minerals, fibre and even water, when it's dried, it becomes smaller in size than it's fresher counterparts making it very easy to overdo it. This can lead to gastrointestinal problems, weight gain and quick sugar highs followed by bigger sugar drops. Consuming raw chocolate treats may mean you end up eating a lot more dried fruit with added preservatives and nuts than you usually would in one sitting, resulting in an overconsumption of calories and maybe even leaving your tummy in trouble.

So, I've come up with a delicious raw treat recipe that's so delicious and so tasty that it’s hard to believe that it’s actually good for you!

You know when you get a craving so strong that you literally don’t feel satisfied until you fill it?  

That’s me and snickers bars.

If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you’ll know I have a little bit (okay, understatement – more like a lot) of a sweet tooth. I loooove anything chocolatey and nut butter-y. And because the blog is all about anti-deprivation, I love creating treat recipes that are healthy and enjoyable, without causing your tummy grief in the process.

My dried fruit-free, refined sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, keto-friendly and vegan-friendly Snickers Bars are almost too good to be true. Wow that was a mouthful.

Speaking of a mouthful, these treats are absolutely delicious and will send your tastebuds back to the days of enjoying a taste-bud tingling snickers bar.

We’ve got melt-in-your-mouth nougat, chewy peanut-butter caramel all wrapped up in chocolate. I know, I know. Amazing. 

So where to start with this healthy treat?

Let's start from the base and work upwards. The nougat base is filled with one of the most delicious, creamy nuts ever – macadamia nuts. Although macadamia nuts are high in healthy fats (and in price), they’re packed full of nutrients and a little goes a long way! Macadamias have shown to improve blood sugar levels, improve bone health because they’re packed full of calcium and magnesium and help support gut health, plus they're blended fine to alleviate any tummy troubles.

I’ve combined these nuts with a blend of delicious ingredients including coconut cream, coconut oil, rice malt syrup, vanilla powder, almond meal, peanuts, a pinch of salt and some Love Your Gut Powder. Did we just make gut-friendly nougat? Oh yes, I believe we did!

Once our nougat’s in order, it’s time to make the caramel....because caramel is delicious and makes everything better. EVERYTHING. I’ve created a peanut-butter, cashew caramel for our centre. I want to speak more about it, but I can’t in case I start dribbling all over my keyboard… oops too late. You’ll just have to trust me on this one… it doesn’t taste as good as it sounds; it actually tastes even better. Speaking of peanuts – did you know they’re actually a legume, not a nut? They’re rich in Vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps protect our cells against oxidative damage. 

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Vetivert & Co is a natural skincare brand based in the U.K. that uses the potent healing power of plants to provide visible skin transformation. The beautiful fragrances stimulate the senses by combining food-grade oils, rare plant extracts and the finest essential oils to create products that deeply nourish the skin.

Vetivert & Co hand-make their products out of cold-pressed, natural and organic plants to provide skin with maximum nutrition. They’re a brand committed to creating lovingly crafted botanically-powered skincare products that beautify the skin and relax the mind. 

They have a mix of organic face oils, rosehip oil, and hand and body washes for your ultimate DIY spa day!

Their face oils use a base of Organic Rosehip Oil, which is a powerful, regenerative oil packed full of naturally-occurring antioxidants and vitamins for all skin types. In fact, I use Rosehip Oil every single day. Their Organic Rosehip Oil is extremely rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C known to regenerate and resurface skin and boost collagen production. They extract it from the fruit and seed of the Rosehip for maximum potency. It has a delicate scent but is absolutely bouncing with nutritional properties.  Rosehip oil has been shown to helps in cases of hyper-pigmentation, fine lines, skin dryness and oil production imbalances.

Their Balance Face Oil is a combination of mattifying oils for oily and acne-prone skin. It combines beautiful Rosehip and Grapseed oil with Tamanu oil, a South American fruit oil known to aid in the healing of acne scars and marks. Balance also contains Olive Squalane which is known to boost moisture levels in skin, as well as, lavender, tea tree and rosemary oils which all contain antibacterial properties to prevent further breakouts. The citrus smells hit you instantly and you seriously have to fight yourself from eating it… okay, maybe that’s just me.

Their luxurious hand and body washes are enriched with avocado and Jojoba oils and an exquisite blend of essential oils, safflower, Rosehip and dead sea salt minerals for the ultimate skin transformation. 

If you want to find out more about the amazing Vetivert & Co check out their website here.