New Year's Eve!

It's New Years Eve and I see this as a good time to reflect and set new goals.  Every day is a chance to start again and make change but NYE is definitely a special time.

It's important to be honest about the things you still need to work on but to focus on the positive only.  I'd like to say a big 'thank you!' to all the people that have given me advice and inspiration over the year.  If you're reading this then you are a part of that too and so thank you x.

A few months back I made a 'mood or inspiration board' and I find this helps to keep me focussed on my goals.  This is really easy to do and it's such a worthwhile exercise.  For a few days just hold on to any magazines / brochures as they will come in handy.  When you are ready and can find some time to sit alone in quiet (this might even be on your train journey into work or while standing in the shower or something) really think about how you want your life to be.  There are no limits.  Imagine if you could lead any lifestyle at all. It might take a few times to really get the picture clear in your mind but when you are ready start flicking through those magazines or browse the net to find imagines that represent those things/goals you have and glue them to a big piece of board.  While doing this try and keep your thoughts positive so don't do this exercise when you feel low or tired or upset.  This gives you a visual prompt every day to keep you on track.

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy 2013! xxx

Body Shop Skincare

The body shop have had some really good deals on lately and I was enticed by their Christmas limited range of sparkly make up sets.  I've been in a couple of times and had really splurged as the deals are so good at the moment (looking at their website today it's 50% off if you spend £40).   If you are a regular shopper it's also worth getting a love your body reward which gives you 10% of everything.

So far I have bought the smoky eye palette, lipstick, face glitter, wave bronzer, sleep spray, shampoo and conditioner and lots of lovely gift packs as Christmas gifts.

For today though I thought I'd write specifically about some of their skin care products as I was really surprised at how good they were.




Vitamin C energizing face spritz £9
This is so refreshing.  I spray it straight on to my face when I get in from a long day at work and instantly feel better.  I can imagine this being a must have product in the summer.  The only slight down side is that I use this sporadically and I'm not entirely sure how it would fit in with a daily skin routine.  I assume you would use it after cleanser but before moisturiser as a toner.  I guess you could use it as a toner if you don't have oily skin but unfortunately I do and this just wouldn't be quite strong enough for me.

Vitamin E Moisture Cream (50ml £10) 
This is a super light and yet deeply moisturising cream.  It has a really lovely smell consistency.  A bit pricey but definitely worth a try if you can get it on offer.  I haven't used any other items from the vitamin E range but it seems to be more suited to dry skin types.  The moisturiser is great for me after I used other products for oily skin but I wouldn't be tempted by the whole range.

Blue Corn 3in1 deep cleansing scrub mask (100ml £10)
I am a huge fan of face masks from Lush and was sceptical that this would live up to my expectations but this product is amazing.  I've used it twice now and it leaves my skin super soft, fresh and truly clean.  It's a very thick mask that dries on the skin quite quickly so I usually only leave it on for 3-5 minutes.  The ex foliating bits in it are quite chunky and really scrub away any dead skin.  Perhaps not so good if you have sensitive skin and not for daily use.  Even though it's a deep cleanser it leaves skin feeling moisturised rather than dry.   I love this! 

Vegan Hair Dye - Lush Caca Noir Henna

I've been putting colour in my hair since I was about 14.  Over the years I have been quite hard on my hair. I've had extremely blonde highlights, I've used all types of home hair dyes ranging from light brown to pretty much black and I've put paid up to £200 for a cut and colour in a fancy salon.  As I've gotten older I've become more concerned about the harsh chemicals I've been pouring all over my head.  Then I found henna or as Lush call it 'No s**t hair colour'.



Lush describe this product as "Our Noir brick has dark Indian indigo as the star with red Persian henna in a supporting role.  Use this if you want to achieve dark dark hair with red henna to give shine to the blue black tones of the indigo."  It costs £7.95 for a brick which I've found is enough for two applications for shoulder length hair.

Lush have four shades of colour - red, reddy brown, brown and black.  I initially went for the brown colour. The result on my hair was very subtle and it seemed like a lot of work for no real result.  This evening I have used the black and the result is far more dramatic.

The cons - it is very messy and it takes hours. The pros - it is a natural and vegan hair colour.

Vegan Summary

Things I discovered when I went vegan:

I saved money
Mainly because I ate out less though.  I used to eat out 3-4 times a week.  Nothing particularly fancy but would normally add a bottle of wine and/or a pudding.  Most restaurants offer a vegetarian dish but few of my old haunts cater for vegans - also minus the wine as few state what is vegan and what is not - minus the pudding as many add ice cream or custard or cream to dishes.  Also saved a bit in the supermarket as meat and tubs of Ben & Jerry ice cream soon add to the bill.

I ate more and still lost weight
I guess for the same reasons as above and generally vegan dishes are lower in calories.  Little changes everyday like saying 'no' to the boxes of Krispy Kreme or chocolates going round the office and not adding cheese to dishes definitely helped.  Although I haven't taken on extra sport I have had more energy and no doubt moved around a little bit more in general.

You see the same reactions/questions from other people time and time again
People either seem to fall into similar categories:
curious - they ask why? and what you eat?
dietitians - it's impossible to get all your nutrients as a vegan. Soya is bad for you.
defensive - but man has always eaten meat...  but we have canine teeth

But where do you get your protein?  Is the classic.

It can be tough
Mostly taking the time in the supermarket to read the labels on every package.  While there are quite a few really good vegetarian restaurants 'normal' restaurants make little effort to offer a vegan option.  Also visiting friends and family that 'just don't get it' and try to give you products with hidden dairy or egg is awkward.

I got to try loads of great new foods
Instead of cutting back on what I was eating I actually tried loads of new foods.  My taste buds also changed and as time went on I found myself enjoying more fresh foods.  I went along to a couple of health stores and found new and amazing foods and products.

Emotionally and physically I felt better

Vegan Day 13

I've decided the stop 'the vegan experiment'.  I feel so good eating this way I want it to be permanent.  I don't think there is much point in me writing updates every day just stating that I feel great and what I've eaten.  Am going to continue to write blog posts if I find an exciting new vegan product or a particularly unusual dish.  Will try to write up a summary post and advice post tonight if I get time.

Vegan Day 11

Having a very chilled out weekend.   I had a hearty brunch three slices of toast one with beans, one with mushrooms and one with tomatoes. Went into town today for a browse around the shops.  I much prefer shopping on a Sunday as the town is always that bit too hectic on a Saturday.  I picked up some cheap books in a shop called 'The Works' and headed into Holland and Barrett for some fennel tea bags.  Picked up some more unusual teas in the penny sale.

Vegan day 10

Not much to talk about today.  Just had a very chilled out day in the house.  Watched some films and ate lots of fruit today.