April Round Up

Our April Round Up is a collection of goodies that we have recently been trying and testing at Healthy Living London. The clocks jumped forward and the days feel brighter and longer. England saw one of the hottest days on record for March, in over 50 years; things are finally looking sunnier. Here are a few finds that we have recently discovered and want to share with you. From delicious Nutty Bruce m*lks to lightweight Salomon backpacks, there’s plenty of delightful finds and inspiration for summer.

Salomon OUT NIGHT 30+5 – Unisex Backpack

I recently ordered the Out Night 30+5, a lightweight and versatile backpack, and I love it. Although I have only used it in London so far… lockdown… I’m looking forward to adventures this summer. What I love most are the several easy access zip compartments. These are easily accessible pockets for smaller items such as keys, sanitiser (a current necessity) tissues, inhaler, etc… The bag is so light and easy to carry with “…Flex SensiFit technology which stretches around your body, holding the load while letting you move … The straps and back-pads are thermo molded and sculpted to fit your spine and shoulders, ensuring all day comfort and support on the trail…” Salomon.

A host of features which make it useable for a variety of outdoor activities:

Removable lid with internal and external pockets
Strech flask pocket (compatible with all Salomon SOFT FLASKS 500ml and 200ml / 3D BOTTLE 600ml / SOFT RESERVOIR 1,5L and 2L)
Sternum strap and belt
Pole holder / Axe holder
Reflective loop for lamp
Side zipped access for main compartment
Expandable pocket
Zipped pocket (Several small zipped pockets for easy access to essentials)

Medium Bag: Volume – 24L , Dimensions (L x W x D in cm) 67 x 26 x 26 , Weight 756g

Find Out More: Salomon Website – Salomon.com

My OUT NIGHT 30+5 in colour Apple Butter (red) is currently out of stock, but they have CITRONELLE (yellow) and MEDITERRANEA (green) available.

~ Hannah Cox

Nush Almond Cheese

When I was asked to do a vegan cheese tasting this week, I jumped at the chance. Having the opportunity to dig into four types of spread vegan cheese alternatives, heaped onto delicious oatcakes seemed too good to refuse. I enjoyed the natural and chive flavours from Nush, the garlic and chive VioLife spread and the Koko creamy cheese spread.

My favourite was the natural flavour Nush almond cheese. It was a lovely thick and creamy consistency – not ‘plasticy’ like some vegan cheese spreads can be and had a lovely light, but definitely ‘cheesy’ flavour. It is made by churning almond milk with live vegan cheese cultures and British sea salt. Each pot is free from dairy, soya, gluten and contains 60 almonds per 150g.

The cheese is delicious heaped onto crackers, served with chilli or even blended up with cashews to make a vegan cheesecake mix.

It was such a treat to spend my lunch break indulging in this delicious ‘cheese’ and I will certainly be buying it again!

Find out more on the Nush website or follow them on Instagram @nushfoods .

Stockists in the UK include Planet Organic, Marks & Spencer, Selfridges and Sourced Food Market.

~ Lizzy Silverton

Nutty Bruce

This month I’ve been venturing away from my beloved Oatly to sample some other oat and nut milks on the market. Nutty Bruce sent over samples of their unsweetened oat, almond and oat and almond milk flavours for me to try, and they were delicious! My favourite was the oat and almond mix, which achieved my gold standard test of being able to turn a cup of tea the correct colour without requiring half a carton to do so. It was a really nice consistency and flavour and I would definitely buy it again.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the almond milk, as almond milk isn’t usually one of my favourite plant-based milks. It had a really nice, mild flavour and a nice consistency and again I would buy it again. It also did a good job as my plant-based milk in some delicious vegan chocolate brownies I made this week!

The straight up oat was nice, although a little thinner and quite sweet (even though it was unsweetened). It also lacked the creaminess you get with other oat milks. Still, it was great in smoothies and porridge, although I have to confess it wouldn’t be my ‘go to’ oat milk.

Nutty Bruce markets itself on helping the ‘real you’ get your hands on some super plant-powered milks, without worrying too much about also getting into the gym/onto the yoga mat/starting a volcanic clay cleanse. The brand tagline is about being real, not perfect.

The brand also has some delicious looking nut butters and nut butter-filled energy balls, which aren’t yet available in the UK but my fingers are crossed they will make it over here!

Find out more on their website or follow them on Instagram @goodbetterbruce .

UK Stockists include Marks & Spencer, Planet Organic, Wholefoods, Amazon, The Vegan Kind, Selfridges, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Ocado.

~ Lizzy Silverton

Soda Folk Natural Drinks

This review may contain affiliate links. Purchasing a product using these links means Healthy Living London receives a small share of the sale which goes towards keeping this website going.

There is nothing I love more on a hot sunny day than to crack open an icy cold can of something fizzy. The Soda Folk range hearken back to the ‘good old days’ with flavours such as Cream Soda (please tell me you had an ice cream soda float when you were a kid – it’s best with plain vanilla), Cherry, Grape and Root Beer.

Although unlike many fizzy canned drinks on the market, these use natural ingredients, natural colourings and no sweeteners. So if you want to avoid that weird mouth-feeling you get when you’ve had too much sweet stuff, these could be your answer. I bought the multi-pack and it’s a current tie for my favourites, cherry and grape. They’re a glorious treat on sunshine days.

Get yours from sodafolk.com, Amazon and other grocery outlets.

~ Eliza Flynn

Naturopathica CBD+ Capsules

CBD capsule brand Naturopathica, invited me to join their ‘Thrive 30 Challenge’. The challenge offers customers the chance to discover the benefits of CBD during a period of thirty days, as it takes time to truly feel the benefits of CBD – whilst recording physical and mental wellbeing in a journal. This diary format allows the customer to look back and see if there have been any noticeable changes. The idea is to encourage people to explore the benefits of CBD and the positive effects it can have.

CBD stands for Cannabidol and has been studied for its potential role in easing symptoms of many common health issues including; anxiety, depression, acne and heart disease.

CBD (cannabidiol) is one of many cannabinoids found in the hemp or Cannabis Sativa L. plant which has been used for thousands of years. Cannabinoids are active compounds which act on cannabinoid receptors in cells that alter neurotransmitter release in the brain. Unlike cannabis, hemp is naturally higher in CBD. CBD is completely non-psychoactive and therefore won’t cause a euphoric effect, making it safe for use.
Naturopathica

Find Out More:

Naturopathica have launched an array of different products which are capsules in the following: CBD+ Turmeric, CBD+ Mind, CBD+ Night, CBD+ Digestion, CBD+ Unwind and CBD+ Wellbeing. Alongside this they have launched lozenges too.

Naturopathica CBD Oil is made in the UK.

Available Holland & Barrett and currently on offer… buy one get one free

For more details and to purchase a product, visit: https://naturopathica.co.uk

~ Natalie Voyle

Check out our Monthly Round Ups for further inspiration.

Got something you think we’d love? Send Healthy Living London an email to find out more.