Live Well London

February is here, and we are proud to say that we are keeping to our New Year’s Resolutions at The Amazing Blog (well, for the most part anyway). Many resolutions revolve around health and fitness, aiming to make 2019 our year of maintaining a healthy body and mind. We were therefore excited to discover the new event, Live Well London, taking place from the 1st-3rd March in Old Billingsgate.

This event will encompass a full line-up of classes, workshops, inspirational talks, live kitchen demos and much more. From fitness to nutrition, beauty and well-being, Live Well London offers a number of contributors and influencers who will be giving well-founded advice, from both personal and professional experiences. This ensures that you will leave having gained wisdom from a range of experienced professionals. Understanding the need for a varied range of advice, organisers have secured speakers from all walks of the fitness and health industries. Matt Roberts, one of the UK’s leading personal trainers, and best-selling fitness authors, will be on hand to provide science-based advice, to help you live a more energised life. The founder of Mind and Meditation, Niraj Shah will imparting her knowledge for those looking for well being and inspiration. If that’s not enough, then skincare expert Liz Earle will be offering advice on how to really take care of your skin. These names are just the tip of the iceberg, with a vast amount of other speakers with equal amounts of wisdom to share. Click here to see what's on over the course of the three days.

The event will also include sessions from More YOGA and Barre Studio, unique and popular classes that prove exercise isn’t limited to running on a treadmill (although this is of course allowed if it’s your thing). The event focuses on four key areas: Well Moved, Well Balanced, Well Nourished and Well Restored. Well Balanced will help you to find new ways of moving, from addressing fitness crazes, to explaining the benefits of HIIT or Pilates. Well Balanced is centred around mental health, an ever prevalent and important topic. You can expect advice on mindfulness and meditation, as well as life-coaching and therapy. Well Nourished will focus on getting the glow from within, with tips and tricks on upping your intake of vitamins, and nutritional food and drinks. Finally, Well Restored will allow you to discover retreats, spas, wellness holidays, courses and more - because we’re all in need of a little escape sometimes.

We predict tickets will sell fast for this event, and as they are limited, we urge you to order sooner, rather than later. If you’ve fallen off the New Year bandwagon, or are simply looking for ways to ramp up your healthy routines, then we’re sure there will be something for you. Click here to purchase a ticket from £35.

Elements For Life - Hot Chocolate

Are we all still desperately trying to cling to our New Year’s resolutions to go dry/ give up meat/ drag out the spandex and work each of our muscle groups, and supposedly therefore be a better person? Well, here at The Amazing Blog we may be able to offer you a glimmer of indulgence to ease up some of those more draconian ways to detox, all in the form of a chocolate … We know, chocolate is the root of many a slip up in the new regime schedule. However, there is a tin of gloriously burnished powder which should have a polished halo perched above its silver lid to signify its credentials. We are talking about one of our #amazingfinds Elements For Life – see our recent posts on their other products here.

Yes, we may be talking hot chocolate, but Elements For Life have created one is richly smooth, and sweet. This hot chocolate doesn’t contain any artificial sweeteners, GMOs or soya, the sweetness is derived from the sugar from coconut blossom, the evaporated nectar of the coconut tree, adding sustainability and diabetically friendly to the worthiness (because of its very low average glycemic index) As if that wasn’t enough, the Elements For Life team have made it suitable for those who may be lactose intolerant, and vegan by keeping this wonder-drink completely dairy-free and containing no milk solids.

We tried the Original and Spiced versions. The Spiced is warmed up by the addition of the winter spices cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. All we need now is the toasty log cabin with open fire and we have nirvana. However, we aren’t tied to the usual hot chocolate with this blend, as there is also the option of adding some ice and blitzing away to produce a very refreshing tipple. The benefits of raw chocolate, in both health and taste have been known for a while - it stands to reason that a natural product which hasn’t been put through the usual manufacturing processes will inevitably retain more of it’s core nutrients, and therefore with many of us now having to take a serious look at the minutiae of what we eat, a raw chocolate such as this makes clear sense.

And to keep that halo gleaming brightly, the whole team behind the Raw Hot Chocolate brand are keen to show they believe the sustainability of a product in this day and age has to address the issues beyond the contents of our mug. All ingredients used in their range are sourced for their high ecological standards and are agro-chemical/pesticide free from small-scale growers and farming co-operatives to ensure fair trading. The packaging is also made from recycled material or re-used from other sources, including their boxes and printed material. Small wonder then that with such highly prized credentials, Elements For Life have walked away with award upon award for what they offer us in this market place - and most specifically these two tins of delicious warmth! Priced at £6.99 for 175g all available from their online shop here they also offer refills priced at £4.99. And now, back to that log cabin and open fire to keep warm!

Rawbiotics

Day-to-day life can be stressful, besides managing core tasks and balancing a social life, we have to make a conscious effort to boost our nutrition. This is something that we’re not always brilliant at here at The Amazing Blog, so to help along, we were recommended to try Rawbiotics’ Liquid Probiotics.

Daily shots of these friendly bacteria-based probiotics work for your health, providing you with a balanced start in the day, and delivering you your daily dose of life in the easiest way possible. This 100% vegan, raw, all natural and gluten free liquid is contained in entirely recyclable PET plastic bottles. This proves the company doesn’t only care about your body being in balance, but also about sustainability and their impact on the environment. We like that they are 100% raw and natural, dairy, lactose, gluten, GMO, egg, milk and soya free. Rawbiotics also have 14 live cultures – more than any other brand!

The bacteria used are in a live liquid form, meaning they do not need to be freeze-dried in order to survive. This makes them a natural, raw and effective form of probiotic. With 14 strains contained in each bottle, Rawbiotics’ Live Prebiotics are one of the most effective liquid probiotics on the market today. Using the modern method of non-freeze drying has the benefit of ensuring that the products can be kept for up to two years, and can be stored at room temperature, as opposed to in a fridge. Additionally, once opened, they can last for up to 60 days. Delivered in two separate bottles, Rawbiotics Gut and Rawbiotics Daily both contain the same 14 strains of bacteria. What makes them different? The herbs are mixed with these bacteria strains. Both defeat the symptoms of numerous illnesses, such as diarrhoea, hay fever and bloating, as well as supporting your immune system and general wellbeing.

The main function of Rawbiotics Gut is to balance the function of your gastro-intestinal tract. It addresses diverse causes of digestive issues and restores a long-term healthy balance. Each herbal extract has its own effects on your body. Using lemon balm, peppermint, rose hip and slippery elm, this particular probiotic doesn’t only improve your digestive health, but also has positive effects on anxiety and insomnia, as it increases the levels of GABA in your brain (which controls the fear or anxiety experienced when neurons are overexcited). In addition to that, it tempers symptoms of cold and flu and supports healthy weight loss. We also tried Rawbiotics Daily Balance which aims to create, as it says, an improved balance within your whole body. Simply said, it restores natural beneficial bacteria that are needed for an optimal digestive and immune function. Herbs such as astragalus, olive leaf and rose improve your general energy and overall health, while boosting your immune system and strengthening your bones and heart. This probiotic also helps to kill infections, and can relieve both anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

With numerous excited and thrilled customers reporting their own positive experiences, we found that we had more energy, were able to maintain a healthy weight more easily and had an improved mental state. This is a revolution that we are glad we haven’t missed out on! To join yourself, then you can purchase Rawbiotic’s Probiotics here for £29.95 (per 1 litre).

Fitty London's Paleo Box

Stereotypical it may be, but we're making a conscious health effort this January. After an extended period of overindulging at The Amazing Blog, we're actively trying to get ourselves back on track to a healthier lifestyle. Through these trepidations, we discovered Fitty London, a brand bringing performance-enhancing products to our doorsteps, with boxes full of nutritional and affordable goodies. This is something we can certainly get behind!

Fitty London's premise is simple, to bring proper nutrition, with specific foods, drinks and workout products. We're not always hot on this, and when we do endeavour to make a better effort, we admit that it is often difficult to find products that are truly good for us. So many promise the world, but instead do the opposite, with a variety of hidden sugars and ingredients that are best avoided. We were therefore pleased to discover that Fitty London's products are all sourced by specialised nutritionists, allowing us to be secure in the knowledge that we're not being sold another hyped and overpromised subscription box.

We tried the newly launched Paleo Box, as we were keen to learn more about the paleo diet and lifestyle. Despite being trusted by millions of people, we were admittedly unaware of the vast amount of health benefits this lifestyle can promote. Although we may not be full paleo converts, we were pleased to try Fitty London's selection of products, our first steps in a healthier direction. This box contains eight specially selected brands and is worth around £60, making it an economical way of trying a multitude of paleo products. We enjoyed the Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee as a morning pick me up, providing a fruity drink that packs a superfood punch! For a mid-morning snack, we have been reaching for the Blue Dinosaur Paleo Bar. The Banana Bread flavour has a cinnamon kick, reminiscent of the past festivities, without the calorific indulgences! For those with a more savoury tooth, the Raw World Company Biltong has proven to be popular. We were intrigued by the crackling black pepper flavour, adding a bit of kick to the 100% grass-fed and dried beef.

Aside from snacking, this Paleo Box also contains the Bare Biology Lionheart Omega 3s supplement and the Symprove probiotic. The Lionheart capsules have helped to boost the appearance of our congested complexions, and the Symprove probiotic has helped to up our gut health, after let's face it, a month of rich foods. Finally, the box also contains a few products to help with your day to day cooking, the Happy Butter Ghee has become a firm cooking oil favourite, and the Cocofina Coconut Aminos has replaced the usual salty soy sauce in our stir-frys. For our New Year salads, we've also been loving the Willy's Apple Cider Vinegar - it's great as a dressing.

So there you have it, we're feeling much healthier and happier, and although we can't completely put it down to Fitty London's Paleo Box, it certainly makes a change to swap our sweet snacks with nutritional ones! To purchase a Paleo Box for £32, visit the Fitty London website here.

W=Hb²’s Power Duo Face Serum

Keeping our skin looking hydrated and healthy is a daily gripe of ours at The Amazing Blog. We’ve found that our skin has been suffering from the colder temperatures and given that the next few weeks will include a little indulgence (in the name of the festivities), we’ve been on the search for new skincare to help us look party ready. This is when we discovered W=Hb²’s Power Duo Face Serum - our new force to be reckoned with!

The brand name itself is worth exploring: W=Wellness, H=health and b²=beauty squared, a formula that speaks volumes for the intended benefits of the products. We tried LA FORMULE SECRÈTE, a Power Due Face Serum, which thanks to founder Yilin Wang, is not a secret to us anymore. Produced in one of the best skincare laboratories in Switzerland, leading Biochemist Yilin Wang researched and developed this double skin serum to provide a product that genuinely cares for you, and your skin. Harmonizing the Chinese Yin Yang philosophy, using two complementary forces, she created a dynamic system in the form of a two-phase and vegan skincare treatment. This delivers skin protection and health benefits, while combining anti-ageing (Phase 1) and anti-pollution actions (Phase 2).

Presented in a white box with rose gold and dark grey lettering, this serum is delivered simply, yet chicly. The matte 2-in-1 bottle is easy to use, and creates a great skin-loving experience. When trying it, we were more than positively surprised. Even though the modern and elegant appearance set our expectations pretty high, the pleasant feeling on the skin created pure relaxation beyond our expectations. Best applied both mornings and evenings onto cleansed skin, this treatment delivers long-lasting and visible results.

To apply the product, you start with Phase 1, the stage focused on Beauty. It revives, refines and rebalances your skin. The Tri-Active Age Corrector Complex combines versatile ingredients such as phytocelltec alpine rose stem cel and probiotic bacterium, helping to boost collagen production, encourage skin stem cell vitality, strengthen skin barriers, and hydrate. Aiming to encourage better skin elasticity, step 1 makes wrinkles less visible and creates a more radiant skin complexion within just 16 days (YES, just 16 days!). Equally important, Phase 2 focuses on Health. The Tri-Active Brightening & Anti-Pollution Complex brightens your skin while repairing UV and blue light damage. It also purifies pollutants and helps your skin to handle environmental stress and pollution, while sodium hyaluronate adds hydration.

To try the Power Duo Face Serum for yourself, click here, available exclusively for £110.00. This product delivers a 360° wellness experience, so what are you waiting for?