Stealth Health Snack Bars

Stealth Health Snack Bars (bit like Nigella's but better)

I often do my gym work out at lunch time, which means I need a healthy snack around mid morning, these chunky bars of yumster goodness are everything I need to see me through.

They would also be a great choice if you're prone to an afternoon nibble. Because they're packed with slow release natural energy foods, you'll not need a nap after scoffing them.

If you want to use different nuts, go ahead, if you don't fancy the fruit then leave it out and simply add more nuts or seeds. Mostly, I use up whatever happens to be in my kitchen at the time of baking! 

I make a batch on Sunday, cut them into squares, and keep them in a container in the fridge ready to grab in the mornings.

You can also add your maca and/or lacuma powder to the mixture but be aware that baking will slightly reduce some of their health benefits.


Ingredients:

1½ cup oats

1¼ cup chopped dates 

1½ cup hot water 

½ cup sesame seed

½ cup mixed pumpkin, sunflower or chopped nuts etc

½ cup cocoa nibs

handful corn/bran flakes (or similar)

handful dried fruit (cranberries, chopped apricot etc)

1tbs melted coconut oil

1tbs chia seed                   

In a sauce pan, warm and mush the dates in the hot water.

Add and mix together all of the ingredients.

Press the mixture down into a lined baking dish/tin.

Bake at 175 for 30 mins, once cooled cut into pieces, keep in the fridge for one week or freeze in a container.

With Love, Dawn x

Neal's Yard Remedies Organic Canterbury shop

Neal's Yard Remedies Beauty Book

Neal's Yard Remedies have just launched the brand new Beauty Book

BUY HERE

It's a wonderful edition to any coffee table but presently mine is mostly living on my kitchen table, It's packed with up to date information on how to identify your skin type and nourish it accordingly.  I'll be sharing the lotion and potion recipes with you as I try them out.


Your essential guide to natural beauty from the in-house experts at Neal’s Yard Remedies.

• Over 60 natural foods & ingredients – fully illustrated and detailing their beneficial properties • Step-by-step guides to simple pampering techniques – including feet and hand massage, and body brushing
• 6 make-up looks – with easy to follow step-by-step directions
• Daily beauty regimes – how to achieve glowing skin, a younger-looking complexion, stronger hair and much more

The fully illustrated must-have guide includes:

• 100+ organic beauty recipes – such as anti-ageing eye creams and exfoliating masks

Written by:
Susan Curtis 
Practising homoeopath and naturopath, and our Director of Natural Health

Pat Thomas
Journalist, campaigner, broadcaster and editor of our natural health website, NYR Natural News

Fran Johnson
Cosmetic Scientist, practising aromatherapist and our Formulations Manager (the brains behind some of our award-winning beauty)

Justine Jenkins
Renowned celebrity make-up artist, broadcaster and cruelty-free cosmetics ambassador

“An A-Z of aesthetic alchemy – from a detailed directory of vital ingredients to natural recipes for organic skincare” Vogue.co.uk

BUY HERE:

Enjoy, Dawn x

Immortelle Essential oil

I have an exciting new product to share with you... Immortelle also known as Helichrysum, is the latest organic essential oil from Neal's Yard Remedies Organic.

The Immortelle plant is an aromatic herb, native to the Mediterranean, with yellow, daisy-like flowers.
The flowers do not wither and are popular with florists, hence their name Everlasting Flowers or the French Immortelle. 

The Immortelle essential oil is highly valued for perfumery as well as aromatherapy.

Latin name: Helichrysum Italicum  Origin: Bosnia (although it grows quite happily here in my Kentish garden in the UK)

Method of extraction: Steam distillation of the fresh flowering tops.

Description: Immortelle oil is a yellow liquid, sometimes with a tinge of red.

The Flower oil scent: is heady and honeylike, with a warm and spicy undertone.

Key actions: Balancing, Cooling, Moving, Regenerative.

Key reasons of use: Stress, nervous exhaustion, depression, allergies, eczema.

Methods of use: Massage, bath, skin cream, room fragrance, inhalation.

Blends well with: Chamomile, geranium, lavender, rose and citrus oils.

About the product:

Regenerative

Skin-soothing

Cooling

De-stressing & uplifting

Heady, honey-like aroma with warm & spicy undertone

Directions for blending with a base oil, lotion, bath oil or shower gel:

Adults with no skin sensitivities (1-2%): blend up to 5 drops in 10ml (2tsp), up to 10 drops in 20ml (4tsp), up to 15 drops in 30ml (2tbsp), up to 30 drops in 60ml (4tbsp)

Children over 2 years, adults with delicate skin, or for applying to face (less than 1%): blend up to 2 drops in 10ml (2tsp), up to 4 drops in 20ml (4tsp), up to 6 drops in 30ml (2tbsp), up to 12 drops in 60ml (4tbsp)

Vaporisation: add 2-4 drops of essential oils to a burner or diffuser

A 5ml bottle is £30 and you can purchase it HERE

With love, Dawn x

Zen Soto Aroma Diffuser

So, simply put, my Zen Soto Aroma Diffuser has been my latest love and obsession since the very first moment I pressed the "on" button!

I have to admit that when I first saw this gadget in the catalogue I was wondering what all the fuss was about? I thought it looked quite ordinary...pa! how wrong can I be.
Then fortunately I got to experience one in action, I promise I'm not joking when I say I actually gasped with delight :-)

Instant spa-dom:
You see from the very first second you press the button, a silent gorgeous and almost mysterious vapour winds its way from the little spout at the top. 
The Zen Soto is ultrasonic which means no heat is involved, the nature of the essential oil you put in remains pure and you will benefit from their properties immediately.

Because the Zen Soto uses high frequency ultrasonic vibration to create a fine aromatherapy mist, it's a mini humidifier and hydrates the air without creating condensation so air quality is greatly improved.

It's also an ioniser.. it produces mood boosting negative ions providing many health benefits.

Easy to use:
Lift up the lid, it comes with a little cup that you can use to fill the miniature tank with water, add 4 drops of your favourite essential or fragrance oil, replace the lid, switch on, do a happy dance.                                 

Where do you keeps yours?

It's especially great to have near-by for easing snuffles or nasal congestion.

Use the Soto as a soothing colour changing night light, switch to stay on your favourite colour, or, use only the diffuser without a light.
Which ever your choice, it will continue to fragrance your room for approx 3-4 hours, it then automatically switches itself off making it perfectly safe around pets and children. More wonderfully, we don't have candle flame anxiety anymore!
I have mine silently wafting my fave relaxing essential oil blend in the therapy room, in the office, I use a nightime blend essential oil in the bedroom and of course presently I'm using a winter aromatherapy blend at my Neal's Yard Organic parties.

For the price of a couple of quality candles this diffuser wins hands down for me, it doesn't create smoke, can safely be left unattended, I'm able to easily change the scent as often as I choose, its wipe clean, has low energy consumption (is only 12W) uses LED colour lights and it's great for my families health, you can see why I'm singing about it.

You can check out the Zen Soto Aroma diffuser HERE  
Enjoy, Dawn

If you're local to Canterbury, Faversham or Herne Bay Kent then maybe consider getting a few friends together for a little pamper party? I'd be delighted to plan it with you, tell you all about your hostess free gifts and free shopping possibilities and come along to demonstrate the products. Message me here or join the conversation on Face Book 

                                                      

Store cupboard Organic coconut body scrub recipe

Out of your favourite winter scrub? no problem, whizz up this home made recipe in minutes.

A good exfoliating and moisturising scrub can exfoliate dry skin, prevent breakouts, prevent in-growing hairs and will leave your skin feeling refreshed and gleaming.

whizz up   2 tablespoons of porridge to a fine oatmeal.

mix with    2 tablespoons of brown sugar.

mix in       1 tablespoon of warmed Organic virgin coconut oil

mix in       2 tablespoons of warmed coconut milk.

optional:   a pinch of cinnamon powder.

In the bath or shower, massage the scrub in a circular motion over the skin, and rinse off.

easy peasy lemon squeezy plus suitable for vegans (although there isn't actually any lemon in this recipe!)

The Organic virgin coconut oil I use in this recipe is the same oil I use in smoothies and on toast or crackers instead of butter :-) you can purchase it right here 

Enjoy, Dawn

If you're local to Canterbury, Faversham or Herne Bay Kent then maybe consider getting a few friends together for a little pamper party? I'd be delighted to plan it with you, tell you all about your hostess free gifts and free shopping possibilities and come along to demonstrate the products.

Wild Rose Beauty Balm

My clients & I love the multi-use Neal's Yard Organic Wild Rose Beauty Balm so much, that we could possibly write a whole book singing it's nurturing, calming praises...It's one of Neal's Yard Organics most popular products and I'm delighted to share why...

Firstly it's made with 99% organic ingredients so I already have the comfort of knowing this recipe of loveliness has been grown safely & naturally without the use of any chemical fertilisers or poisonous sprays.

When I open the lid,  the second thing to wow me is the subtle unique aromatherapy scent, the blend of organic essential oils is so clever it seems to resonate with everyone who comes into contact with it. As you apply the balm to your skin you can't help but feel it affect and enhance your mood. Once purchased you'll probably keep unscrewing the lid just for a quick sniff.

As you breathe in the Palmarosa, Frankincense, Patchouli, Rosemary & teeniest whiff of balancing Geranium - time seems to slow down just a little for you to connect with all that’s great with the world, it really is a sheer pleasurable indulgence and it's easy to see why the product has won awards from Beauty Bible and Natural Health Magazine.

The official web page says “Help restore smoothness and radiance to your skin with this deeply cleansing and nourishing balm. An organic muslin cloth is included.”

Personally I feel this is an understatement, I consider using wild rose beauty balm a synergistic mind/body holistic experience and it feeds my skin all of the nourishing goodness it deserves...but hey-ho maybe they'll ask me for my opinion in the next brochure ;-)

Then there are the skin improving benefits...

Wild Rose Beauty Balm (WRBB) is crafted with luxurious oils of rosehip (repairing), borage (nourishing), hemp (strengthening) and jojoba, all bound together beautifully with shea nut & beeswax, all of which are absorbed fully and extremely easily by the skin.  So it's key benefits are rebalancing, moisturising & strengthening.

As with all quality products, a little goes a long long way so apply sparingly

1.Deep Nourishment Use on dry or sun-damaged areas to restore and nourish. Apply sparingly to clean, dry skin.

2.Simple Cleansing Cleanse excess make up from the skin and moisten face with warm water. Gently massage balm into skin. Run muslin cloth under hot tap, squeeze out water and use it to wipe off balm in gentle circular movements.

3.Full Facial Cleanse excess make up from skin before you start. Run the muslin cloth under hot water, squeeze out and place it over your face to warm the skin and open pores. Repeat. Apply balm in a gentle circular motion, avoiding eyes. Run cloth under hot water again and place over the face. The warmth allows the oils to infuse and the balm to penetrate the skin. Rinse the cloth and use it to wipe the balm away, exfoliating and cleansing as you go. Finally run the cloth under cold water and place over the skin to close the pores.

Other uses....

4.  I have used it effectively as after-sun

5.  as a brow tamer

6.  to condition lashes

7.  to soften heels & elbows

8.  as a cuticle aid

9.  on pulse points for aromatherapy pick-me-ups

10. as a wind chap protector for winter walks

11. on insect bites

12. on split ends

Packaged in the Neal's Yard Box with an organic muslin cloth, WRBB comes to you in a weighty blue glass jar that looks fabulous wherever you decide to keep it. 

50g glass jar of WRBB is £38 (purchase here)

                    

                                                                       Enjoy! Dawn x

If you're local to Canterbury, Faversham or Herne Bay Kent then maybe consider getting a few friends together for a little pamper party? I'd be delighted to plan it with you, tell you all about your hostess free gifts and free shopping possibilities and come along to demonstrate the products.

FRANKINCENSE INTENSE CONCENTRATE

I'm going to start right here with the best.... 

There's a brand new Frankincense Intense hero to hug, cherish and do a happy dance with... It's an anti-ageing facial concentrate like no other!!! from the moment mine arrived it was love on first application...

I was having the week of all weeks, my 46 year old hormones were erratic to say the least and a decent nights sleep had become a luxury of weeks gone by, so I really couldn't rip that box open fast enough to apply this little 73% organic ingredient skin saver.

Fortunately it didn't disappoint, within a few days there was an obvious improvement of my sleep depraved crows feet...within ten days I knew we were now partners for life and I'll never be without my Frankincense intense Concentrate again. Wonderfully, as my week improved so did my skin tone and radiance hurrah! 

After my morning shower I use a teeny dot of Concentrate around my eye sockets and forehead, then smooth the remainder over my face and neck, I follow up with either Frankincense Intense cream or maybe my Hydrating Rose daily moisture (depending on mood... sometimes I just wanna smell roses first thing in the morn) In the evening after cleansing I'll re-apply.  

I'm a bit of a Frankincense filly anyway so this was an obvious essential upgrade for me, if you already know & enjoy using the old Neal's Yard frankincense facial serum, then I encourage you to carry on, but if you're ready for an Intense upgrade - this new Concentrate is what you've been waiting for.
Mostly I prefer those earthy deep scents, and Neal's Yard organic wild-harvested frankincense essential oil hits the mark every time, I'll be sharing some videos soon explaining the gorgeous process of how its collected and it's skin benefits. The Intense range includes some fabulous anti-ageing ingredients including gardenia plant stem cells, a triple-peptide complex, natural antioxidants, skin-nourishing organic baobab and strengthening myrrh.

                             Defy age naturally with the power of plant stem cell technology


Others are saying....‘We love the Rejuvenating Frankincense line from Neal’s Yard Remedies. It smells amazing and after a month of wearing it every day skin feels incredible’.~ Natural Health Beauty Magazine, April 2014

Latest age-defying innovation – yet more proof organic works! 

Buy products here:
https://uk.nyrorganic.com/shop/freshconnective/area/shop-online/ 

This magical vegan, fairwild, award winning Intense twosome is my new natural botox!
back soon, Dawn x

If you're local to Canterbury, Faversham or Herne Bay Kent then maybe consider getting a few friends together for a little pamper party? I'd be delighted to plan it with you and tell all about your hostess free gifts and free shopping possibilities.