VEGANUARY CHALLENGE WEEK THREE
Struck down with the lurgy, deputy editor, Sophie turns her attention to natural health remedies and ethical beauty...
Week three and I’ve been hit with the office lurgy.
*coughs*
Trying to remember what little I ate has proven rather difficult (I blame the constant state of drowsiness!), but I do remember there being a lot of soup – root vegetable, red pepper and lentil, minted pea and a chipotle three bean stew that helped clear the sinuses!
*coughs again*
A usual bout of sickness would have had me turning to a packet of tablets to ease the dull ache (many flu capsules, Lemsip for example, aren’t veggie friendly, so read those labels!) but since starting the challenge I’ve taken a far more natural approach to my health. Out with the ingredient names I can’t pronounce and in with natural remedies; ginger, lemon and turmeric shots every morning (if you can’t juice your own try Moju cold-pressed boosters) and steam breathing with essential oils (I’ve been using doTerra eucalyptus).
While my appetite has taken a nose dive I’ve not been cooking as much as usual, but I have been focusing on pampering my body, trying to get it to recuperate quicker. When I took on the challenge, I imagined it would only be my diet that had to change, but I’ve sadly noticed how many of my beauty products were, uncomfortably, not-so ethical. It’s a slow change, but I think if I introduce a new product every month to my routine, I’ll be on my way to fulfilling my quest for ethical beauty. From make-up to bubble baths, shampoo to moisturiser, it seems the industry - and us consumers - are slowly waking up to need for 100% cruelty-free ingredients. I’ll be writing a blog in the coming weeks to champion all the ethical beauty brands that I’ve come across, so stay tuned.
VEGANUARY HIGHLIGHTS – WEEK THREE
Lush bombs – making my long soaks in the tub a little more colourful and cruelty free.
Biona for their tins of organic beans and lentils – the aduki and black beans helped create that tasty bean stew.
Merchant Gourmet – the newly designed range of ready-to-heat pouches are a lifesaver for fast, lazy dinners. When my taste buds returned I used the super seeds with quinoa and chia pouch for the base of a warm salad, tossed with roasted butternut squash, rocket leaves, black olives and sun-dried tomatoes. A simple dressing of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic and salt and pepper sealed the deal. My appetite is back!
Linwoods – I’ve been a sprinkler of the organic milled flaxseed for a while (makes a great egg replacement in vegan baking, too) but the new packs of super seed Snackettes were a welcome addition to my 3pm snacking habit – great dipped in hummus or guacamole.
Onto the final stretch! If you’re joining in the challenge or want to follow my journey, you can find me on social media at @rae_soph on Twitter and Instagram.
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