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vEGAN AND SUSTAINABILITY GIFT GUIDE 2021

22/11/2021

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Make someone’s Christmas merry and bright with a vegan friendly sustainable gift. Searching for the perfect gift isn't always easy. And if the person you are buying the gift for happens to be vegan, well, things can get a little tricky as you search for eco-friendly and cruelty-free options that your person will love. But I'm here to help make it easier for you with these vegan gift ideas! Here are 12 different types of gifts you can get that vegan person in your life  ​

Transformulas,wake up and glow, daily age defenders

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DAILY AGE DEFENDERS
Repair + Protect + Radiance
These multi-tasking skincare staples are the holy grail of complexion transformers for visibly more radiant skin. Packed with powerful anti-ageing peptides, intensive skin hydrators and environmental protectors, in state-of-the-art formulations that make a dramatic difference to the appearance of your skin and eyes, restoring radiance, enhancing skin tone and clarity, minimising lines and wrinkles, as well as reducing signs of puffiness tiredness around the eye area

​Click Here Now

Sweet Lounge, vegan sweets

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Truly a sweet shop for grown-ups.  See their plastic-free vegan gummy pouches! Providing only the highest quality unique chocolates and the best tasting candies and jellies. Our treats are deliciously moreish, plant-based, gluten-free, contain no artificial colours or flavours. They're not accidentally vegan, they ARE vegan.
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flower & white's vegan chocolate covered meringue

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Flower & White, the low-calorie melting meringue and Fairtrade chocolate-based bars and bites, is adding vegan offerings to its popular range of ‘better-for-you’ confectionery. Two new vegan variants – Chocolate Dipped Strawberry and Double M!lk Chocolate bars are being launched in response to the clear growth of veganism in the UK, and the current demand for healthier, lighter snacks.  All products are available to order from www.flowerandwhite.co.uk and from selected Asda stores across the UK.
​Click Here Now

spice kitchen's Gingerbread flavour hot chocolate

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Relax and indulge in the ultimate hot chocolate experience...... traditional hot chocolate, gingerbread hot chocolate and chai spiced hot chocolate.
We all know that there aren't many things in this world more sublime than good quality chocolate.
That's why Spice Kitchen has explored the planet to discover what we believe is the finest quality cacao powder. These tasty treats are available from artisan food and drink platform www.MeltedInside.com
 



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Moringa hamper box

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The Moringa Family Product Group have a range of products including Hamper Boxes
The Hamper boxes com[rise a range of theor moringa products for more details 
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primaberry red shopping bag
​(made from cork)

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​Natural cork colour tote bag with a horizontal red rectangle at the front. PrimaBerry’s logo is on a small metal plate at the bottom.
Made from Portuguese cork. the harmless harvesting for trees, its 100% biodegradability and its high quality make ck one of te most sustainable materials available today

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be earth friendly notebook & orchid bloom notebook - 

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Be Earth Friendly Notebook 
A minimalist, line printed, eco-friendly notebook made using high-quality Portuguese cork, one of the most sustainable materials available today, and recycled paper.
click here now

Orchid Bloom Notebook
Looking for a different type of notebook? This green cork notebook with orchids is perfect for nature lovers who feel inspired to write in the park or a gift suggestion for orchid lovers.
​Click Here Now

vice reversa - skin care solutions

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Vice Reversa creates targeted skincare solutions utilising revolutionary Microneedle Technology. Our Eye Rejuvenator anti wrinkle patches are the perfect under eye masks to help to plump the delicate eye area and reduce fine lines. Our Spot Stoppa microneedle pimple patches are hydrocolloid patches supercharged with the power of over 550 salicylic acid and totarol microdarts. The super spot dots can help to beat zits in at little as one application and are a hygienic, soothing, solution to deep pimples, even if you suffer from severe acne.
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vegan papmer box

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The Vegan gift box contains cold-pressed organic handmade soap, a fully certified vegan candle, rose skin good, lime body cream, almond lip balm, facial scrub, rose body scrub and vegan chocolates.
An absolute decadent treat for any vegans out there … or for anyone, for that matter!

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​Biocera Alkaline Water Filter Jug

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Excellent quality drinking water is always to hand with the Biocera Alkaline Water Jug. The simplest, most cost-effective way of getting alkaline antioxidant water, the Biocera jug goes above and beyond the typical water filter jug. With the included Alkaline Filters, you can quickly and easily transform ordinary tap or bottled water into alkaline water, rich in hydrogen.
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vegan cookbook for kids and parents

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​​“Cooking With Kids” is a plant based cook book for parents and kids. From bibimbap to beany balls, and from plantain porridge to banana bread, there are soups, salads, breakfasts, dinners, smoothies and desserts galore in this charmingly illustrated healthy cookbook. With stunning food photography and more than 75 individual recipes, “Cooking With Kids” reveals a glimpse into the inner workings of her TV shows and philosophies. There are updates of time-proven favourite recipes, inventive new ideas and contemporary twists on some multi-ethnic dishes from around the world.
 Who knew that vegan cooking could be so much fun . . . ? Get Your Copy Now
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​Roll Top Backpack

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Introducing the Wave Roll Top Backpack - where functionality meets performance. This stylish and sustainable backpack is made from recycled plastic material (RPET) - with up to 40 plastic bottled used to make each one.
It features a roll-top closing system with zip closure. The main compartment has an inside padded laptop pocket (up to 17’) with a secure velcro strap and organiser pockets - ideal for getting your gadgets and small items from A to B!
Made for everyday travel, the roll top bag is waterproof with padded adjustable straps so you can keep your items safe and dry.
Click Here Now

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5 Meals I Eat Every Week (Vegan) student friendly

14/9/2021

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5 Vegan Dishes
Here are 5 different savoury dishes that you can make, that are  quick, simple, and tasty, using ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen, or if not, they are easily available locally.

The first one is pulled jackfruit, all the videos for these recipes will be listed below, at the end of this blog post. Pulled jackfruit has only become popular probably in the past 5 to 10 years. Jackfruit is a fruit that usually is eaten when it's ripened and it's sweet, but the young jackfruit before it's ripe can be used in savoury dishes. In the UK where I live, pulled jackfruit is made using tinned jackfruit, or some of them come in like a shrink, wrapped package. But in terms of getting fresh Jack fruit, that's quite difficult to get here in the UK. However, if you live in a country where you can get fresh jackfruit, I always recommend that you get fresh ingredients where possible. If you're using your fresh jackfruit, use the young jackfruit, not the sweetened. It goes well with some wild rice, basmati rice or whole grain rice. I usually put some baked plantain on the side, baked plantain goes well with lots of dishes. So, I put a link to that recipe below for you as well.

Number 2 is Butterbean Curry again this is delicious, and easy to make. Sometimes, when people want to make something vegan, they get stuck and think, “I don't really know what to do”. Here in the UK. curry is one of the most popular dishes, even though it's not an English dish, but Indian food is super popular. There is an abundance of Indian restaurants in the UK. I use tinned butter beans in this, but you can use dried butter beans. It is important to soak them overnight or cook them in a pressure cooker first to make sure they're not tough. For the lentils, I usually use red lentils because red lentils cook quickly. They're high in protein as well so when people say, hey where do you get your protein? Lentils are high in protein as well. This is a good nutritious dish, easy to make and I like to serve this with naan bread. I'm going to make a video on how to make naan bread in the future. You'll be so surprised how quick and easy it is to make naan bread.

So, the third one is stew peas, which is one of my favourite dishes. So, for those of you who don't have a Caribbean background, the name of the dish can be a little misleading for you. Stew peas is made with kidney beans. In the Caribbean, all legumes, beans, and pulses are called peas. So, when it says stew peas, it's actually kidney beans that are cooked in different seasonings in coconut milk and it tastes wonderful. The traditional recipe for stew peas does have meat in it. It has, either pork or oxtail. But if you follow the normal traditional recipe and just ignore the fact that there's meat in there, you won't miss it. I promise you, and you can put little dumplings in there as well. Some people put little vegetables as well and its taste wonderful. It's cheap to make as well. Particularly if you have people come over for dinner or afternoon lunch, this is cheap. And, if you are a student, you can also have it with white rice and a side dish. You could also thicken it and have it in a burrito with vegetables it's quite versatile. Or you can thin it out a little bit and have it as a soup. In Jamaica, we call it red pea soup. It's the same thing.

The next dish is Cauliflower steaks. Now I always used to think that cauliflower steaks are really complicated to make. I always try to make life easy for you guys, I always try to make the dish so that you look at it and think, oh yeah, I can do that. So yes, cauliflower steaks, they're quick, they're easy to make and If you're on a low carb diet or low-fat diet this is good for you. It's cheap as well. Also, if you're a student, this comes in handy or if you're just budgeting in general, we're in these lockdown coronavirus pandemic times. So, you know, everybody's trying to save a few pennies here and there.

And then the final one is chickpea curry. I always have chickpeas in my cupboard because they're so versatile. You can do so much with them and most people like chickpeas. You can have it with rice or potatoes. You can have it with whatever you like. Naan bread would go with it as well. It's nice. It's easy to make, it's a no brainer. So, it's going to make you feel more confident in the kitchen when it cooks to comes to cooking, vegan dishes. I had to suggest this dish once for an event, because I was at an event in a 4-star hotel, my friend, who was one of the organizers and she said, oh, could you just go in the kitchen and check on what it is that they're doing for vegans? And when I went in there, they were doing nothing. In fairness to them, even though the head chef was qualified chef, he just didn't know much about vegan cooking.
So, I said, “all right, let me help you out, So, do you have any chickpeas?”
He says, “yes, I have chickpeas”.
I said “have you got various seasonings and have you've got coconut milk. So just make a chickpea curry”
The chef’s response was “oh, I didn't think of that”
That's like an easy go-to dish that you can make if you have people coming over. Or if you just want to make something quick for yourself or if you're having any event and you think right, there's going to be vegans so what am I going to make? Chickpea Curry is the easy answer, it goes with so many other things as well.
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So there have the five dishes pulled jackfruit, butterbean & lentil curry, stew peas, cauliflower, steaks, and chickpea curry that you can make for a mid-week meal. Or if you want to cook something at the weekend, they're all quick and easy. You can prep some of these in advance. Because most of these dishes, I don't know about the cauliflower steaks, but everything else you can cook and freeze and have it later in the week or a couple of weeks later if you like. So, these are some great vegan dishes that you can make and feel more confident about making a plant-based meal. And if you do make any, please post a pic on Instagram and tag me because I love it when you send me pictures of what you're making. Is there a particular dish you'd like me to veganize please comment in the comment section below. I do read all the comments. I try to keep up with answering as many of them as I can, I will get round to you. I promise. 

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a vegan youtube channel you need to subscribe to now

14/9/2021

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If you are new to my blog you may not know that I have a YouTube channel. The channel is packed with great vegan recipe videos. So if you are you trying to find some vegan recipes that are quick and easy to make, then you've come to the right place. I'm a vegan cook, I'm an award winning author, I'm also a food colonist and a TV presenter.  On my YouTube channel you're going to find lots of really great tasty recipes that are easy to make, and it uses ingredients that you can probably find anywhere in the world, in your local supermarket and you might have in your kitchen already.

I have side dishes, main course, desserts, smoothies, drinks, all kinds of lovely vegan recipes that you will definitely want to make over and over again. So, if you want to see regular vegan recipes and a little bit of information about the vegan lifestyle, just hit that red subscribe button and turn on the notification bell and you will be notified every Wednesday at 7:30 PM UK time, which is when I upload videos every single week and by the way, subscribing is completely free so subscribe now.

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Iron sources for vegans

13/9/2021

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Are you getting enough iron? Many people don’t get enough iron in their diet. It’s an important element because it carries oxygen throughout your body. It’s required for digestion and many functions on a cellular level. Without enough iron you will feel fatigued and can get sick. Women and children are particularly susceptible to iron deficiency and supplementation is often recommended to prevent anemia.
There are many vegan options. The following are the vegan choices that are richest in iron:
Seeds
Squash and pumpkin seeds are among the highest in iron. One ounce contains 4mg of iron or 23 percent of your recommended daily value. An ounce of sesame seeds also contains 23 percent of your daily value, sunflower seeds have 11 percent and flax seeds have 9 percent of your daily value. As you can see, a handful of seeds can help you get the daily iron you need. But they’re not the only food that is high in iron.

Nuts
Nuts including cashews, pine nuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, and almonds all have a good amount of iron. An ounce of cashews has 1.7 mg or 9 percent of your daily value. An ounce of pine nuts also contain 9 percent of your daily value, Hazelnuts, peanuts, almonds, and pistachios all have 7 percent, and Macadamia nuts have 6 percent of your recommended daily value.

Beans
White beans and lentils have a good amount of iron in them. A cup of cooked beans has 6.6mg and 37 percent of your daily value. Other beans that are high in iron include soybeans, kidney beans, chickpeas, lima and navy beans, black beans, pinto beans and black eyed peas. For many vegans, a diet of beans and rice is a staple because it also provides a complete protein.

Whole Grains
Whole grains also have iron, and quinoa is the highest with 15 percent of your daily value in a cup. Oats, barley and rice also contain a good amount of iron and fortified grains and cereals may contain more.
 Finally, let’s not forget dark leafy greens like spinach and chard which have 36 percent of your daily value in a cup. There are more items like chocolate and soy that have iron. The goal is to make sure that you get enough. If not, your doctor may recommend supplementation.
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August 13th, 2021

13/8/2021

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During these times of enduring a global pandemic, it is a welcome change to see a sanitising handwash the smell great too. We are washing our hands more than ever and this Plum & Mulberry sanitising handwash by Bio D is a sheer delight to use
 
Bio-D are passionate about creating products that not only help to contribute to a healthier, more sustainable planet but also doesn’t cost the earth for you. This fruity and refreshing plum and mulberry hand wash is vegan, cruelty free and hypoallergenic whilst killing 99.9% of harmful bacteria. It’s a brilliant bathroom and kitchen essential that keeps you protected but is still gentle on skin.
 
The delicious fragrances of Plum and Mulberry combine to create a comforting fruity hand wash that will leave your hands soft and germ free!
This fast-acting favourite is tested to BSEN1276 (food grade standard) – it neutralises 99.9% of harmful bacteria including E.coli, Salmonella and MRSA,
 
This lovely handwash is also Vegan, Cruelty Free, Suitable for Septic Tanks, Pet Friendly, Ethical Consumer Best Buy, Conforms to BSEN1276, and has a 100% recycled post consumer waste bottle
 
To get a bottle click HERE now

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Blanco Nino Totilla Chips -  Review

9/8/2021

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Blanco Nino made a tasty change to ordinary tortillas. They have a great crunch and the flavour of the lime really came through but was not overpowering. Delicious by themselves or with a dip. Many major manufacturer of snack products have their own line of tortilla chips that range in shape from triangles to circles to strips to custom shapes designed to enhance the scooping and dipping experience. It's amazing what new innovations they come up with each year.
The main ingredients used are:
  • Non-GMO white corn (78.7%)
  • sunflower oil, sea salt (1.1%)
  • Celestun salt (0.2%)
Blanco Niño use the authentic aztec recipe and freshly cooked, volcanic stone ground corn to create their tasty tortilla chips. Crunchy, morish, and so deliciously addictive, Blanco Niño tortilla chips will take your taste buds straight to the hills of Central Mexico.
A few years back, founder Phil set out on what would become quite a serendipitous journey across Mexico. Visiting the milpas, molinos and tortillerias of Mexico, Phil learnt how to make proper corn tortillas. Inspired by the tastes and traditions of Mexico, Phil returned to Ireland and in 2015, along with a great team, he opened the doors to the Tortilleria in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.

for stockist click HERE
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Erbology Products Review

4/8/2021

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Erbology is food to make you feel good. I have been looking at this company and have found that they scour the world to source rare plant-based ingredients that nourish your body and create simple, delicious health foods. 
They are a thought-leader in plant-based nutrition and are taking powerful plants and making them accessible everyday in delicious foods and drinks.
Their range of delicious food includes:
  • Sea buckthorn and aronia berry Granola
  • Jerusalem artichoke and dark chocolate Granola
  • Organic aronia shot
  • Organic bergamot shot
  • Aronia berry energy balls
  • Nopal cactus energy balls
  • Cashew cheese raw activated crackers
  • Spicy kimchi raw activated crackers
  • Tkemali Beetroot raw activated crackers
Plus many more tasty treats
want to feel inspired, and to inspire you to embrace healthy, happy living that
Erbology feel it’s also important to have a positive impact on the world around us. They work closely with independent farmers. Their products are organically grown and free from chemicals and additives.
They are constantly looking for new ways to integrate nature’s marvels into our busy lives. They believe healthy foods can taste great, and add a touch of excitement to everyday recipes.

 
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Pelagonia Chargrilled Red Peppers– Review

4/8/2021

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Pelagonia roasted red pepper spread is versatile and delicious! It’s sweet with nice little chunks of pepper throughout. Its unique and versatile and is sure to add flavour and enhance any meal of your choice This spread has a wonderful robust flavour that is fresh, irresistible and secretly vegan.
 
It is a very diverse ingredient and goes well on the side of many dishes and has endless uses. You can also use it in pizzas, in sauces in pasta of your choice, as a dip to accompany with rusks, breadsticks and crackers or to prepare canapés the list goes on.
 
 
Recommended by Yotam Ottolenghi and Jamie Oliver Magazine, and of course me – Kirly-Sue. You can find Pelagonia globally in fine food stores across the world in 20 markets including UK (Waitrose, Sainsburys, Booths, Farmdrop), Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Slovenia, Dubai, Qatar and more
 
Pelagonia is an award-winning Macedonian food range based on the very best traditional recipes

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National Avocado Day 31st july: How to celebrate the ultimate day for Millennials!

28/7/2021

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The world celebrates national avocado day on July 31st!
‘How to plant avocado seed’ saw a 1500% increase in the last 12 months
thortful reveal three recipes that celebrate the avocado and go way beyond the avo-toast.
Avocados, the staple of every brunch and possibly the reason why millennials will never be able to afford a home?(1) 
Love it or hate it, this delicious fruit boasts high nutritional value all thanks to its high content of vitamins and minerals. And hey, if you don’t want to eat it, you can always use it as a face mask, like many A-list celebs do (looking at you Mrs Beckham). 

​But all that glitters is not gold… avocados are some of the least sustainable fruits out there, bearing the weight of a heavy carbon footprint. So to make sure you keep enjoying your favourite healthy fat and not negatively impact the earth, you might want to consider growing your avocado plant at home. Luckily thortful.com will launch a growing kit soon, which will feature a handmade ceramic avocado starter (available in different finishes) and a handy, hand-drawn booklet to share all your hard-earned avocado growing knowledge. Just add a jar and an avocado pit and you're good to go. 
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Now you are all set to watch your avocado plant grow beautifully. But for those who just can’t wait to eat some avo-goodness, here are the top 3 recipes that go way beyond the classic avo-toast.
Avocado Ice Cream
It’s hot outside, so let’s make some delicious, vegan, wonderfully creamy avocado ice cream. Here are the steps to follow: 
Get 2 ripe avocados, mint leaves and two tablespoons of lemon juice. Mix with coconut milk, agave or maple syrup and a ripe banana. Blend it all together and once you have a thick, green smoothie it is time to transfer to the freezer and wait (impatiently) 4 hours.

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Ombar vegan chocolate - review

26/7/2021

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Ombar is a brand well known in the vegan community for their delicious vegan chocolate bars. When I got the opportunity to review their chocolate I couldn’t wait for them to arrive. I say their chocolate is delicious because not all vegan chocolate is created equal. I have come across some vegan chocolate not fit for human consumption but this is NOT the case with Ombar. It is an incredibly creamy, ‘mylk’ chocolate made using the finest-flavoured, unroasted and organic Ecuadorian cacao which gives it deep, rich chocolatey notes.
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​The ingredients list is a short one and consists mainly of unroasted cacoa, coconut sugar, creamed coconut, coco butter and vanilla extract. The chocolate bar itself is small in size and consists of 6 small chunks. I loved the texture of the chocolate it's quite soft and fudgey and melts in the mouth easily. The flavour is really tasty with plenty of rich cacao that is perfectly paired with creamed coconut, vanilla and a few other ingredients.
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I cannot recommend this product enough I tried their gut friendly range. You can choose from Strawberry Mylk, Coco Mylk or 72% Cacao – all of which include added vegan live cultures (Lactobacillus Acidophilus), so you can enjoy an ethical, vegan snack and keep your gut happy too.

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The link between gut health and anxiety is becoming increasingly understood, it’s even been given its own name: the ‘gut-brain axis’. Diseases of the gut have been linked to mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression – so it makes sense that the incredible effects of probiotics on the gut also have the potential to address symptoms of anxiety.
Aside from the probiotics, Ombar’s chocolate also contains magnesium, a deficiency of which is linked to muscle twitching, palpitations and even high blood pressure – all symptoms of being highly stressed.
If you ever needed more of an excuse to eat chocolate, there you have it!
So get yourself a couple of bars today and let me know what you this of this tasty vegan treat.

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