Veganuary tips for beginners

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It would seem that plant-based diets are the way to go when it comes to not only our health, but keeping the environment safe as well. Many people will be taking part in ‘Veganuary’, and while this might feel like a gimmick, for many of us it could become a way of life.

We have had a look at some of the ways you can try out veganism so that you don’t fall at the first hurdle and head for the nearest burger bar.

Be prepared
As with all things new, do a little research and prepare yourself. It’s a good idea to look at the kind of foods that will nourish you and do a little bit of a restock of your cupboards if you need to. Read books, visit websites, call on bloggers, go to your local health food shop and supermarkets to get a feel for the land. Also decide if you are going all out – are you doing without leather shoes, wool clothes and everyday products that have animal products in them, there’s a lot to think about, so work out what is best for you.

Keep it simple
When people try a vegan diet, many overcomplicate things. Yes, there are fancy, expensive vegan meat, cheese, and milk alternatives are all out there for the taking, but you don’t have to go out and spend a fortune on all of them. Don’t fall into the trap of cooking tricky, time-consuming vegan foods, instead, keep your meals simple and focus on plenty of vegetables, grains, protein, fruits, nuts, and seeds. A spicy chickpea curry, delicious stir fry, mushroom risotto and wholesome stew full of woody veg are all easy to cook and will give you a blast of natural goodness.

Think about snacks
Let’s face it, plant foods are often lower in calories than animal products, so you need to make sure you’re fuelling your body – the idea isn’t to starve yourself, but to look after yourself! Healthy snacks like fresh and dried fruits as well as nuts and seeds are great so keep them handy. You can also have cereal with nut milk, smoothies packed with fruit and veg, rice cakes with almond butter and chopped banana and get in the kitchen and make pecan and raison cookies or homemade flapjacks.

Read the labels
You might think that a product is vegan friendly, but always read labels just to check animal facts or derivatives aren’t hiding in there. Many companies adding “suitable for vegans” and the Vegan trademark is the international standard for vegan product labelling, so keep an eye out for that.

Watch the vitamins
When you start to eat different foods and give up others, you need to make sure that your body has a full range of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, or you could come unstuck. It should be that you are increasing the natural goodness in your body, but if you are worried that you aren’t getting the levels of nutrition you need, add a good quality supplement and again, this is where your local health food shop will come into play.

Good luck and remember to enjoy it, it’s a new way of eating and something to embrace and benefit from.

Team Pure Beauty

Are the foods you think are healthy really doing the job?

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It seems that every week the experts are telling us what to eat and drink to ensure we are in good health and living our best lives. The problem is, we can get information overload which means we don’t know what to do for the best, and often end up simply eating whatever we fancy.

We’ve had a look at some of the myths out there and hope it will help you work out what is good for you and what isn’t quite up there in the healthy stakes.

Granola makes a nutritious breakfast
Many of us think that granola and cereal bars are a healthy breakfast choice but this isn’t always the case. Yes, you can add granola to fruit and yoghurt, but these cereals often have extra added sugars, so it’s a good idea to check the label before you buy a new box. Grabbing a cereal bar on the go is easy, but do you really know what you are eating and how good for you it really is? One of the best things you can have for breakfast are eggs – be that boiled, poached or scrambled and having rye toast and avocado, will make things even better.

To juice or not to juice?
Fruit juice is considered to be a healthy way to increase your vitamin levels and clock up that all important five a day quota the world over. The reality is that the antioxidant, fibre, mineral and vitamin content of whole fruits are drastically cut when they are juiced. It’s so much better for you to eat fruits rather than to drink them, instead hydrate with water and have juice and smoothies now and again as a treat.

What’s the deal with honey?
Honey might be natural but sugar is sugar and nutrition-wise, agave, honey and maple syrup are no better than the bog-standard white stuff. You can eat it and enjoy it, but don’t over do it because your teeth and waistline won’t thank you.

Is coconut oil a healthy fat?
Unless you have been hibernating, you will probably be aware that coconut oil has been hailed as a ‘healthy choice’ in the kitchen. Yes, it has good points, but coconut oil is still high in saturated fat and it’s the unsaturated varieties that will do more for you in terms of health. Olive, rapeseed and sunflower oils all help to support heart health and they provide us with energy, while strengthening our immune systems too.

Red wine boosts health
Many of us do think that red wine is good for us because of the antioxidants that help fight disease. Yes, there is an element of truth here, but it still contains sugar and can make you feel lethargic and hungover, so don’t knock it back to excess because that will undo any good you have done!

Dark chocolate vs milk chocolate
How many times have you read that eating dark chocolate is good for you??? Well, it might help lower blood pressure but it won’t help with any weight loss as it is still pretty calorific. A little bit of what you fancy is true, but munching a family bar thinking your heart will benefit, might not be quite right so stick to a couple of squares.

Only fresh foods are good for you
We aren’t sure where this comes from, but you can eat frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables and still get the same nutritious benefits you will find in the fresh alternatives, sometimes even more. This is the case because the process of canning and freezing preserves most nutrients and antioxidants, so when you eat them they are still packed with essential vitamins and minerals. One thing to watch out for is tinned fruit that comes in sugary syrup, go for natural juice every time and if you rinse before you eat, even better.

Team Pure Beauty

Feed your skin with superfoods from Elemis

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Turn the page of any magazine, read any lifestyle blog or scroll through pretty much any IG feed, and you are bound to come across someone, somewhere talking about the latest superfood that will make you look, and feel, amazing.

We are advised to add Avocado, Goji Berries, Nuts, Coconut Water and Spinach to smoothies, shakes and salads to give us the nutrients we need to glow and feel fuller, for longer.

We are all for healthy diets, but it is good to remember that what you put on your skin can also influence how good it looks and this is why we love the Superfood Skincare System from Elemis.

Made from a blend of plant-based, nutrient-dense ingredients, as well as a natural sugar derived prebiotic, these products can help to replenish your skin and feed it with the vital hydrating nourishment that creates a healthy, outdoor glow.

There are facial washes and then there is the Elemis Superfood Facial Wash. This gorgeous nourishing facial wash revives and refreshes the skin while deeply cleansing it, so it is left feeling fresh and soft. Just like a healthy salad, this product is made from Avocado, Broccoli and Pumpkin Seed Oils which all help to balance the skin’s precious microbiome. Wheatgrass, Kale, and Nettle have also been added to the mix and mean that your complexion will look luminous, bright and radiant.

The Elemis Superfood Day Cream combines Ginger and Matcha Tea which work together to leave your complexion looking healthy from the very first application. Goji Berries, which are super rich in vitamins, essential fatty acids and antioxidants, help protect the skin’s natural barrier from the elements, which is what you need in both summer and winter. The easily absorbed cream should be used after cleansing and your skin will feel soft and supple all day long.

You might not think an oil would work as part of your beauty regime, but believe us when we say you need the Elemis Superfood Facial Oil in your life. This blend of concentrated plant-based superfoods nourishes and hydrates the skin, but doesn’t leave it greasy or shiny. The goodness comes from anti-oxidant and omega-rich Broccoli, Flax Seed and Daikon Radish as well as Cucumber Oil, which all help to retain moisture and soothe the skin. Massaging just a couple drops of drops into your face and neck each morning, will soften and smooth the skin and leave it looking healthy and bright.

Superfoods don’t stop working when you sleep, so we would suggest using the Elemis Superfood Night Cream if you want to wake up with skin that has a fresh, youthful glow. A pre-biotic has been blended with Barley, Quinoa and Sweet Almond Milk so that your skin is nourished as you snooze. The cream is rich in the omegas and anti-oxidants that feed the skin and thanks to a blend of Lavender, Ylang Ylang and Vetivert Essential Oils being added to the mix, this cream also helps you to relax and fall asleep.

For more information, get in touch and we would love to find a superfood solution that is perfect for you.

Team Pure Beauty

Eat less sugar and feel better for it

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From breakfast cereals and frothy coffees, to Christmas treats and party bag chews, sugar is all around us and it is very tempting, as well as very tasty.

We know sugar is found in sweets, biscuits, and cakes, but it is also hidden in bread, dips, and sauces, and that’s where many of us really fall down and our intake adds up.

Eating too much sugar is linked to tooth decay, mood swings and weight gain, so while we aren’t going to tell you to stop enjoying it altogether, we do have some simple swaps which can help you cut down, without missing out.

Clear out at the cupboards
Let’s face it, if the kitchen is packed with sugary snacks and treats, people will eat them, remove temptation and they can’t. Go through your fridge and cupboard and have a look at what you are currently buying and see where changes can be made and once something sweet has gone, don’t replace it. When you are more aware of what you are buying, you may well find that as your shopping habits change, your bill goes down and your sweet tooth eases.

Easy swaps
Scrambled eggs rather than waffles for breakfast, carrot and cucumber sticks with hummus after school and natural yogurt with a handful of nuts and raisins for supper are all healthy offerings that taste good and take the sugar down. Change isn’t always easy, but over time healthier eating does become a way of life and you never know, you might suddenly realise what you have been missing out on.

Cook from scratch
You might think that an organic tomato sauce in a jar is a healthy bolognaise option, but you will be surprised just how much sugar, and other additives and preservatives, are added to get that perfect taste. If you really want to know what you are eating, make it yourself. Yes, it might take a little longer, but we are pretty sure it will be better for you and if you get the family involved, it can bring you together and make you closer as well as healthier.

Size matters
One biscuit is fine; the entire packet isn’t! It is so easy to eat as you watch TV or swipe right on your phone, but as you munch through that popcorn and chocolate, the sugar levels will be increasing and in time, your waistline will too. Look at having three balanced meals a day, packed with fresh fruit and veg, as well as two healthy snacks and plenty of water, and look at keeping portion sizes reasonable, and added extras down.

You are what you drink
As we have just mentioned water, we are going to say right now that sugary drinks should ideally be avoided. Fizzy drinks and syrup laden hot chocolates won’t do you any favours and while we think fruit juices and smoothies are good for us, in the main it is best to drink water and milk. Boring, maybe, good for you, yes! If you do want to make your water a little more uplifting, try adding ice along with some cucumber, mint, basil or rosemary and you will be better off for it.

So, we aren’t saying to give up everything you love, but we do recommend taking time to look at what you are eating and drinking, and seeing how just a few small changes could make a difference not only to your hair, skin and teeth, but your mood and pocket too!

Team Pure Beauty

Eat well on a budget

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We all know how important it is to eat well and have a highly nutritious diet, but doing that a budget doesn’t always seem possible.

We have had a look at how you can eat well and save pounds on your waistline and shopping bill.

Have a plan
Boring, maybe. Effective, definitely. Having a weekly meal plan means no last-minute microwave meals or takeaways because there is nothing in the cupboard. You can cover breakfast, lunch and dinner for each day of the week and will find that in no time at all you will no longer reach for the crisps when you come home from a hard day at work because you don’t know what to eat.

Buy what you need
Doing a ‘big shop’ might not be helping your quest to be healthy or to save money. Buy what you need for the next few days, then that is what you have to eat meaning you will have less waste. You might also find shopping online, using the cheaper and free delivery slots, helps you stop going buying the BOGOF offers you don ‘t need instead stock up on cans and other non perishable items that can be cheaper when bought in bulk.

Shop late in the day
You will be amazed at the fresh produce that is reduced at the end of the day to ensure it sells. Bananas, fish, meat, yogurt and bread are all up for grabs at a knock down price so be savvy and save money.

Freezer happy
Freeze any unused food, batch make curries and pasta sauces and if you aren’t going to eat something before (see above) the ‘best before’ – freeze it.

Buy frozen
Speaking of frozen food, you will find you waste less if you go for these options in the supermarket. Frozen fruit and vegetables are just as good for you than the fresh varieties as they are picked at the peak of freshness and frozen to seal in their nutrients. You will find many frozen fruit and vegetables come pre-chopped, ready to use and in handy portion sizes which not only help you eat sensibly but also save waste.

Don’t be a brand snob
Yes, the big brands have a good reputation but things like tinned tomatoes and sweetcorn, cereals and nuts will taste just as good whether they are the supermarket’s own option or the shiny famous choice. Go on, give it a go.

Be pulse happy
Beans, lentils and chickpeas are some super cheap but also packed with fibre, vitamins and are low-fat too. Using them to replace mince or chicken in meals like chilli con carne or chicken curry and you instantly have a cheaper, healthier and even tastier option.

Buy meat for less
If you spend longer cooking your meat, you can go for cheaper cuts like braising steak, shin or shoulder. Putting these in a slow cooker with hearty vegetables and stock is a great tasting meal at a good cost and if there are leftovers, have them for lunch the next day.

Cook from scratch
Forget creamy sauces and salt rich dressings and instead prepare your food from scratch. Social media has a wealth of great recipes that are easy to follow and as you tuck in you know exactly what you are eating.

Think about what you drink
With the new sugar tax now launched, there is one more reason to cut out the nutritious poor fizzy drinks from your diet. Water with lemon and cucumber is a great hydrator, smoothies offer a fruity punch and green tea is a sensible coffee swap.

Eating the healthy way doesn’t have to cost the earth but it certainly can help save some money.

Team Pure-Beauty