If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will know a few months ago I decided to adopt a dairy free diet and then transitioned to eating a vegan diet. The easiest way to go vegan for me was to eat “meat alternatives” whilst I made the change. I am slowing eating more fruit and veg and trying lots of foods I had never heard of before. It is important when making a drastic diet change that you ensure you are doing it the correct way for your body and that your body is getting the nutrients it needed.

I had spent months researching online about the vegan diet and something that took my interest was the vegan tests that HealthLabs.com offers. They are a company based in the USA that can offer two different types of tests, one for vegans and one for non-vegans. The test for vegans will check for any nutrient deficiencies that those with a plant-based diet are more susceptible to. The test for non-vegans will look for any allergies to animal-derived products, which may encourage a diet change. I really wish they offered these in the UK and it is such a shame they don’t. I think it is still a good idea for me to maybe go to the doctors to discuss my diet and see if they can do any tests similar to this?!

I do believe that dairy was affecting my body in a negative way but at the same time, my family are concerned that I am not getting the correct vitamins and nutrients. I do plan to not be so much a junk food vegan as some may say and try to eat a lot more fruit a veg.

I did contact the company to try to find out more information and they very kindly offered a discount code, so if you are based in the USA and want go ahead you can quote “SARAHTRADEMARK” for 25% off. If you want to find out more about there is a really interesting article here.

Are any of you vegan? Have you had any allergy or deficiency tests?

Sarah x

If you have been reading my blog for a while you will know that recently I have been trying to eat a lot healthy and really trying to have healthier snacks throughout the day. I came across Boka so decided to give them a try.

They have four varieties of bars: Apple & Cinnamon, Caramel, Choco Mallow and Strawberry.

They are all 100% green traffic lights which is really important if you are sticking to a strict diet or trying to cut out bad food.

They all taste yummy but my favourite is the caramel flavour. Often health bars are only fruit flavoured so it is really nice they have this and the choco mallow ones if you fancy something a bit different.

Sarah x

I am trying to share a few more foodie posts with you recently. I wanted to tell you a bit about a brand I hadn’t tried before called Dr Zaks. They make tasty snacks that are high in protein so really good for you if you are a gym buff or trying to eat healthier.

The past few weeks I have really tried to cut out fatty snacks and work out more to try and improve my fitness and become a bit more toned. it is so hard to give up snacks though. This is where Dr Zaks snacks come in handy!

The cookies taste amazing and are high in protein but low in sugar and fat. They are really filling and are great as a snack after exercising(instead of a protein shake) or to just snack on during the day. My favourite is the triple chocolate, it tastes naughty like it is meant to be bad for you haha. The protein helps keep you fuller for longer 🙂

They also have a great range of protein clusters. The fruit and yogurt ones are my favourite The bag is only 128 calories and is such a handy snack to keep in your bag or desk draw. I have really noticed that by having high protein snacks I am not snacking as often as I am fuller for longer and bu limiting my snacks as well as exercising regularly I have really noticed a difference.

You can buy their products at a ton of online stores. 

Sarah x

With my recent health kick, not only am I trying to work out and live a better lifestyle, I am also trying to eat a lot better and find the best way to ave fruit is by making a smoothie. I am loving the smoothie mixes from www.superbsmoothies.com.

smoothie

My favourite mix is Fine Fettle, which is banana and strawberry, you simply mix water or juice with it in the blender and you have a delicious smoothie. One pack contains 1 banana and 10 strawberries. They are gluten free, dairy free, and vegan which is great for anyone that has a food intolerance or chooses a vegan lifestyle.

Freeze dry food is just as good as fresh fruit and it lasts a lot longer! It is something you can keep in the cupboard for months and will always taste great 🙂

fruit snacks

Superb also have a range of fruit snacks which are great to have throughout the day as a healthy treat. From mango to banana or apple, there is something for everyone. A pack of dried mango is only 26cal and is great to have between meals as a quick healthy snack.

Sarah x


       

I have recently been taking these biotin tablets from Tranforme to try and improve my hair skin and nails. Due to over bleaching and dying my hair, my hair was in quite a bad condition, I am constantly cutting off the split ends, meaning my hair really struggles to grow. I have also been taken off my acne medication by the doctor as I was taking it for so long, my body became unresponsive to it. I thought now was a good time to start trying a supplement to see if it would make a difference.

biotin

I was going to take a before and after picture of my hair, but can you really see in pictures if the condition has improved? Considering I have changed my hair colour twice in the past month and also had an undercut done I wasn’t too sure if the picture would really show progress.

I have been taking these for 4 weeks now and my skin has started to clear up, it also feels a lot softer and my break outs aren’t nearly as bad. My nails seem to be growing longer and stronger, which is great as I used to bite them so I have only just started trying to grow them and take care of my nails. My hair is starting to feel softer, I can tell by my roots how much it is growing and it just feels a lot more manageable and looks a lot healthier.

I am really impressed that by taking these daily, it can make such a difference to my hair, skin and nails.

Sarah x