THE
VEGAN NEWS
THE
VEGAN NEWS
PRODUCT
REVIEWS
CONFECTIONERY
BOWEL BENEFIT BAR
I have listed this nutritious high fibre bar here because it is more like a snack. However, it is better for you than most confectionery. Produced by the Healthy Bowels Company, this 38g bar is suitable for vegans and contains dried fruit, cereal and prebiotics. It has a nice chewy moist, texture and a tasty apricot flavour and is quite sweet despite having no added sugar. I would recommend this bar if you don't eat much fibre. It's also very easy to slip one into your bag. I ate mine for the prebiotics it contains after taking a course of antibiotics.
Available from Holland & Barretts for about £1.15.
Added: January 2012
ORGANICA GOLDEN COCONUT & DARK CHOCOLATE
This small, tasty, snack bar is produced by Organica and has a nice chewy texture. It's esentially a chocolate-coated coconut bar that resembles a Bounty Bar, except that it's vegan! I liked the taste too. The thin layer of dark chocolate meant that it wasn't too sweet. My coconut bar was purchased from the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynelleth, mid Wales for £0.90. Look out for this product in local health food shops and in large supermarkets.
Added: Aug 2010
NEW! MULU CHOCOLATE
Well it was a real pleasure to taste test these three raw chocolate samples! Mulu Chocolate is available in Silk, Dark or Dark with Raw Cacao Nibs. The Dark With Raw Cacao Nibs was definitely my favourite! This lovely, very dark chocolate was topped with a generous sprinkling of crunchy cocoa nibs that really enhanced the texture of the chocolate, the crunchy topping contrasting well with the smoothness of the chocolate underneath. The Raw Dark Chocolate tasted very similar to the above, but lacked the interestingly crunchy texture. Nevertheless, the smooth, chunky squares had a delicious melt-in-the-mouth feel to them. Finally, I tested the Mulu Silk Chocolate, which was also very nice, but was sweeter and not so dark. Mulu Silk is in fact Mulu's milk chocolate equivalent. All Mulu Chocolate is handmade in small batches, being gently processed at a low temperature so that it retains its key nutrients. It's sweetened with raw agave nectar taken from a living Mexican Agave cactus plant and is consequently sugar free. The Agave nectar has a very low GI index (11-19) and contains abundant vitamins, minerals and enzymes. The cacao, butter and nibs are organically produced and ethically sourced, being produced by small scale farmers in Equador. Raw cacao is high in magnesium and is a good source of feel good chemicals such as MAO inhibitors. Packed in earth-friendly packaging, each 74g box (68g for the Dark with Cacao Nibs) costs £2.99. Mulu Chocolate can be purchased online from the Mulu web site. Vegan and Vegetarian Society Approved.
GEO ORGANICS ORGANICA PLAIN DARK BELGIAN CHOCOLATE
This rich, dark chocolate bar contains 71% cocoa solids and is made from fairtrade ingredients. It's organic, vegan, non-GM and gluten free. Rather yummy! In fact just about right, being neither too sweet nor too bitter and with a melt in the mouth smoothness and a pleasant after taste. A 100g bar costs around £1.69. For more product information visit Seriously Organic. March 2009 Update: This chocolate is now produced in Belgium.
Added: Nov 2008
Updated: March 2009
NEW! GEO ORGANICS ORGANICA CHOCOLATE COUVERTURE BAR WITH RAISINS & ALMONDS
Containing 41% cocoa solids and 66% fairtrade ingredients, this bar is the vegan alternative to dairy milk chocolate. With added rice syrup, it's much sweeter and creamier than the other two bars and contains chopped almonds and raisins. Personally I found it a little too sweet and was a bit disappointed with the texture, which I felt could be improved by adding bigger pieces of nuts and more raisins. This bar meets the Soil Association Organic Standard and when purchased 5% of the cost of each bar is donated to the Monkey Sanctuary Trust, which promotes the welfare, conservation and survival of primates. A 100g bar costs from £1.79. For more product information visit Seriously Organic.
Added: Nov 2008
GEO ORGANICS ORGANICA FOOD OF THE GODS BELGIAN DARK CHOCOLATE BAR WITH COCOA NIBS
Another rich, dark chocolate bar from Geo Organics, similar to the first chocolate bar reviewed above, but with added cocoa nibs. These give this bar a very pleasing texture with lots of interesting little crunchy bits embedded in the smooth, dark chocolate. Containing 65% cocoa solids, this is a lovely chocolate bar, which is made from 100% fairtrade ingredients. A 100g bar costs from £1.99. For more product information visit Seriously Organic.March 2009 Update: This chocolate is now produced in Belgium. There will shortly be a smaller 75g bar as well as the standard 100g bar.
Added: Nov 2008
Updated: March 2009
FOOD
STREAMLINE FRUIT FILLINGS
Suitable for vegans and produced by Streamline Foods Ltd, Streamline fruit fillings are a tasty, new and versatile product that can be eaten either hot or cold. Very useful in emergencies because these Tetra Paks can be stored unopened in a cupboard for quite a while, the fillings can be eaten either alone or mixed with other kinds of fresh fruit. The three flavours I tried were all very tasty and I found them easy to use. The Apple & Blackberry filling was like a fruit puree base with interesting big chunks of fruit in it that gave it a nice texture. It reminded me of Danish Rødgrød and although it was sweetened it had a rather pleasant taste, I used it firstly as a fruit crumble base, then as a cold sauce on top of frozen banana slices and I also poured some on top of my porridge (lovely!) and on my cereal. The Morello Cherry flavour filling was really delicious. It had a fairly strong tart cherry flavour and the whole cherries gave it a really nice texture. I used it in the ways already described above and I also tried it on top of my toast like a fruit spread, which also worked very well. The Fruits of the Forest filling was also really nice with plenty of whole and succulent blackcurrants that gave it a nice tart taste and interesting texture. Other suggestions for using these fillings (as given on the cartons) include using them on top of waffles and pancakes, in gateaux and pies - although I haven't tried out these other ways of using the fillings yet. Streamline fruit fillings can be purchased from Tesco online for £1.79 or from Britstore for £2.54. So do look out for this product in a shop near you. There is a list of stockists of Streamline Products on their website.
Added: Oct 2011
ZENERGY POWERBALLS - The Superfood Power Snack!
These tasty Powerballs are high in anti-oxidants and are made entirely from wholefood, raw and organic ingredients. Based on dates, walnuts, almonds and coconut, these not-too-sweet, power balls are packed with enhancing South American super foods including ginseng, cordyceps and schizandra and also contain more exotic ingredients like the Chinese herb he shou wu, lucuma, maca, mesquite and cacao nibs. Available in three different flavours: Coconut, Almond and Goji Berry, or as a combination pack if you would like to try out all three. I took my test powerballs away with me on a walking holiday and can confirm that they do indeed travel well, although I am not sure whether they last for 6 months as I ate mine up in under a week. I think the Goji berry powerballs were my favourite flavour. Yummy! These not only tasted nice, but also had an interesting speckled look and a most pleasing and slightly crunchy texture. The coconut powerballs and almond were also very pleasing with a slightly smoother texture and a coating of desiccated coconut. Zenergy Powerballs are suitable for vegans and are additive, gluten and sugar free. To find out more visit Zenergy. To place an order call: (90403) 3108660820. Alternatively, you can order online at the Zenergy website. Price per 4oz pack: $8.99.
Added: 31/03/2011
ESSENTIAL ORGANIC PECAN NUTS
Produced in South Africa, these tasty, organic, pecan nuts have a fresh and crispy feel to them. Most of them are unbroken and nicely shaped making them ideal for decorating Christmas and other cakes and confectionery, as well as for eating raw. Try chopping them up and adding them to cereals, or sprinkle the chopped nuts onto salads or desserts. I used chopped pecan nuts to stuff baked apples along with some of the dried fruit and a sprinkling of the ginger reviewed below. Yummy! A 100g packet costs £2.33. They can be purchased online from Essential.
Added: Nov 2010
ESSENTIAL ORGANIC GROUND GINGER
Fairly traded and produced in Sri Lanka, this additive free, ground ginger is ideal for taking away the chill over the Christmas period. This warming and tasty spice can be used for cake baking, to make gingerbread men, or to enliven curries and mulled drinks. Add it to fruit dishes such as stewed/ baked apples and fruit crumbles for an extra zing, or use it to flavour homemade jams, marmalades and pickles. Available from Essential, a 25g packet costs £0.99.
Added: Nov 2010
ESSENTIAL ORGANIC SUPER-FRUIT MIX
This tasty combination of 100% organic dried fruits contains sultanas, raisins and currants mixed with cranberries, blueberries and apple pieces. Ideal for use throughout the festive period, it can be used as a chewy snack food, or added to biscuits, cakes or muffins. Or, if it is soaked, it can be mixed with cherries and citrus peel for use as a mince pie filling. Rather nice in baked apples too! A 125g packet can be purchased for £2.70 from Essential.
Added: Nov 2010
FREE & EASY DAIRY FREE CHEESE FLAVOUR SAUCE MIX
This easily-prepared product is very versatile and tasty! I use it mainly to liven up my steamed vegetables, but it's also excellent in pasta dishes such as lasagne and macaroni cheese. It's consists mainly of flour and flavourings and can be made using either water or soya milk. It's dairy free and wheat free and is packaged in a 130g tub. Available from most health food shops including Holland & Barrett's.
Added: May 2010
ESSENTIAL ORGANIC ROCKET PESTO
Another new and very tasty pesto made by Essential. This concentrated green pesto has a slightly saltier and more savoury taste than the red pesto mentioned below and is made mainly from rocket, pine nuts and olive oil. It can be used in a similar way to the red pesto. A 180g jar costs £3.99. This product can be purchased online from Ethically Essential.
Added: May 2010
ESSENTIAL VITAM-R ORGANIC YEAST EXTRACT
This is a rather nice yeast extract, which has a mellow, slightly sweet taste. It's not nearly as salty as the other yeast extracts I've tasted because it's made in a different way using an autolytic process that uses natural enzymes in the yeast itself rather than hydrolisation followed by neutralisation with sodium hydroxide, which increases the salt content. High in B vitamins, this versatile product is nice in sandwiches, on toast, on crispbreads and can also be added to cooked dishes for extra flavour. Made from roots, not grains, this product is gluten free and is Vegan Society Approved. A 150g jar costs £3.10. This product can be purchased online from Ethically Essential.
Added: May 2010
ESSENTIAL ORGANIC RED PESTO
This is a nice, tangy sort of pesto that's great for adding more flavour to a wide variety of dishes without being overpowering or greasy. I used it to enliven my salad sandwiches, mixed some into pasta, added it to a cold pasta salad, used it on steamed vegetables and even added it to my kasha. I believe it can also be used in pizza toppings and pasta sauces, although I haven't tried this out yet. It's a concentrated, tomato-based pesto that's flavoured with basil and contains pine nuts, olive oil and salt and because it's red it shows up well and contrasts nicely with pasta and most green vegetables. Highly recommended. A 180g jar costs £3.79. This product can be purchased online from Ethically Essential.
Added: May 2010
TAIFUN TOFU ROSSO
This is a rather tasty kind of tofu that has a nice red colour to it. It's nice served in cooked dishes such as in pasta sauces, stir fries, or can be added to rice dishes, but is equally good when served cold as a sandwich filling, or in pitta breads stuffed with plenty of salad. It's made from organic soya beans with added vegetables such as tomatoes, leeks and carrots and has plenty of added herbs and enlivening spices such as chilli and paprika, which make it quite tasty. I bought my 200g packet from the Unicorn Grocery in Chorlton, Manchester. Price £2.09.
Added: May 2010
SUNWHEEL PEAR & APPLE SPREAD
This is another nice product I've recently taste tested. This 100% fruit spread has no added sugar so it's not over sweet. It's made from pear and apple concentrate without added preservatives or colourings and is packed in a light weight plastic pot. Made in the EU, it's nice on bread and on toast and can be used in desserts and sauces. There were a couple of recipes on the back of the label, but these weren't suitable for vegans. A 300g pot costs £1.69. This product is widely available from Holland & Barretts and from other health food stores such as On the Eighth Day Co-operative on Oxford Road, Manchester.
Added: May 2010
JUST WHOLEFOODS ORGANIC FALAFEL
Fairly easy to prepare, although somewhat messy. I grilled rather than deep fried my falafels and they were fairly tasty when cooked in this way. I served them hot with vegetables on the first day and the remaining balls were refrigerated and then grilled and served in pitta breads stuffed with salad the next day. Made from organic ingredients, this product would be useful to take on holiday as it is lightweight and is packaged in a recycled cardboard box. I would have preferred it to have a stronger and more spicy flavour and so I will add more cumin myself the next time a buy a packet. It costs about £1.30 for a 120g packet.
Added: April 2010
JUST WHOLEFOODS ORGANIC SPICED-UP COUS COUS
This product is packaged in two separate sachets, one of organic cous cous and the other containing organic herbs and spices. The contents of the two sachets were mixed together, cold water was added and it was then brought to the boil and left for 5 minutes before serving. It was easy to prepare and had a nice spicy flavour, but it wasn't especially hot. I added extra vegetables (mushrooms, broccoli etc) to the mix for a hot meal and kept half of it to serve cold the next day, to which I added chopped tomatoes, cucumber and diced avocado chunks. I served it cold inside pitta breads and thought it was rather nice when served in this way. Price about £1.30 for a 125g box. I purchased this product from the 8th Day Co-operative on Oxford Road in Manchester. It's light and easy to carry so it would be a useful item to take on holiday, especially for use when camping, cycling, walking, or caravanning.
Added: April 2010
DALEPACK VEGETABLE FINGERS
Suitable for vegans, these easily-prepared vegetable fingers are very tasty and have a nice crispy texture. Their savoury, herby, flavour reminded me of sage and onion. Coated in breadcrumbs, they contain carrots, potato, peas and sweetcorn, but they don't look or taste particularly like vegetables at all. This could be an asset if you have kids who refuse to eat their vegetables! I also found that they retained their heat well, staying warm on the plate for quite a while. They cost £1.29 for a 283g packet in Sainsbury's.
Added: February 2010
CLEAR SPOT SEA CAKES
Made from a mixture of organic and smoked tofu with added sea vegetables and kelp, each 190g packet contains two 95g sea cakes. The sea cakes can be eaten hot or cold. They have a tasty, smoky flavour and are delicious heated up and stuffed into pitta breads along with plenty of salad leaves and slices of tomato and cucumber etc. I purchased mine from the Unicorn Grocery in Manchester.Price £1.29.
Added: November 09
ORGANIC BAKED BEANS
Produced by Elysium Natural Products Ltd these large, unsweetened, succulent beans are really very tasty! They are packaged in a glass jar instead of a can and although rather expensive at £1.39 a jar the quality is excellent. I purchased my jar of beans from the Unicorn Grocery in Manchester.
Added: October 2009
NATURAL PROTEIN POWDER
This newly launched, Vegan Society Approved product, is produced on a farm in Devon by Braham & Murray. It's the first widely available UK Natural Hemp Protein Powder and is designed to support a healthy vegan lifestyle. Containing 47% protein and about 7% fibre, it's a good source of Omega 3s and 6s and contains all ten essential amino acids. When I tested this product out, I found that this smooth, brown powder didn't have a lot of taste, but was ideal for adding to smoothies, juices and shakes in order to increase their protein and omega-fatty acid content without affecting their flavour. It could also be mixed into your cereal or bowl of porridge, or stirred into some dairy-free yoghurt. I added a spoonful to some homemade, real fruit, banana and strawberry ice cream. Yum! A giant 500g tub costs£9.99, plus delivery, UK only. It's available online from http://www.HempNatural.com and from specialist stores nationwide. Also available with vanilla.
Added: 25 Aug 2009
MORNFLAKE OATBRAN SPRINKLES
This is another nutritious product that is good for adding to dishes. It's especially useful for adding to breakfast bowls, but it can also be used to make porridge. Produced in Cheshire, this product is high in soluble fibre and is made from 100% oatbran, which helps to lower cholesterol levels. Sprinkle it on soups and stews, use it on stewed fruit, mix some into dairy-free yoghurt, or add some to your baked goods for example when making bread. For more information visit: http://www.mornflake.com. I purchased my 500g tube in Holland & Barrets for £1.19. The only reservation I have about this product is that it tends to be a little overpackaged.
Added: 25 Aug 2009
VILLAGE BAKERY ORGANIC & GLUTEN-FREE CHRISTMAS PUDDING
This is a really yummy christmas pudding that's produced in the Pennine village of Melmerby in Cumbria. It's moist and spicy and contains lots of fruit (39%) and big chunks of brazil nuts. Easily cooked in a microwave, it's suitable for vegans and people on a gluten-free diet. Price £6.99. In 2008 it was on sale at Animal Aid's Christmas Fayre in London and was also available by mail order from The Village Bakery. I purchased mine in my local health food shop. The Village Bakery uses renewable energy to produce a wide range of quality baked products, some of which are suitable for those with special dietary needs.
Added: January 2009
ZEST VEGAN PESTO
This is another great tasting pesto that can be used on pasta, baked potaoes, salads and in garlic bread etc. This one's made from non-organic ingredients and contains three kinds of nuts, making it unsuitable for anyone with a nut allergy and sunflower and sesame oils. It's cheaper than the Essential Pesto mentioned below, costing around £2.42 for a 165g jar, but tastes very similar, also having a nice tangy flavour. This product can be purchased online here.
Added: 9 Feb 2009
ESSENTIAL ORGANIC PESTO
Produced by an organic co-operative in Italy for Essential Trading, this concentrated pesto sauce contains organically produced fresh basil, pine nuts, extra virgin olive oil + sea salt (non-organic) and is approved by the Vegan Society. This is a rather tasty and versatile pesto sauce. Simply mix some of the concentrated pesto sauce with additional olive oil and then use it in pasta dishes, dips or sandwiches. It has a nice tangy flavour that will enliven most pasta dishes, but I found it went especially well with tomato-based sauces. Look out for it in your local health food shop. Price around £3.49 for a 175g jar.
Added: Nov 2008
GEO ORGANICS BALTI CURRY PASTE
Belonging to the Taste of the East Range and certified by the Soil Association, this product consists mainly of a tomato puree and sunflower oil base, flavoured with a mixture of organically-grown spices. I used it to make the tofu and tomato recipe suggestion given on the side of the jar and produced a very tasty and quickly-produced meal. This is a medium hot, spicy and very tasty sauce that will probably set your lips a tingling, but is not too overpowering. It certainly livened up the bean curd, but could also be used with any other vegan ingredients that you have at hand, for example to make a tasty vegetable curry. I also tried it out using a mixture of home-grown vegetables and found it gave my local produce a rather exotic flavour. Easy-to-use, versatile and a useful store cupboard item. A 180g jar costs around £1.99. To find out more about this product visit Seriously Organic.
Added: Nov 2008
GEO ORGANICS THAI RED CURRY PASTE
Also in the Tastes of the East Range, this red curry paste contains a red pepper, sunflower oil, concentrated orange juice and white wine vinegar base that's thickened with corn starch and flavoured with garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin and cayenne pepper. This organic product bears the Soil Association Standard and you will find a serving suggestion for a vegetable curry on the jar. This is a very tasty, but powerful sauce, so don't use too much! It's perhaps a good idea to add some coconut milk to balance up the spices and to counteract the effect of the chilies Price is around £2.09 for a 180g jar. To find out more about this product visit Seriously Organic.
Added: Nov 2008
DRINK
COTSWOLD DANDELION COFFEE
I really like the taste of this roasted dandelion root coffee, it's an excellent substitute for the real thing! The pieces of dandelion root are packaged in a recycled cardboard box and unlike many of the ready-ground dandelion coffees, this product contains only pure, unsweetened, roasted dandelion root. It has to be freshly ground in an electric coffee grinder and is then best made like normal ground coffee in a percolator or filter machine, although I used a cafetiere. It's caffeine-free and tastes nice black, or with soya milk. Look out for it in your local health food shop. It can be purchased from the On the Eighth Day Co-operative on Oxford Road in Manchester, who incidentally sell large mugs of steaming dandelion root coffee in their downstairs cafe, although I found this slightly too sweet and prefer to make my own using the unsweetened, unadulterated root. I paid £2.21 for a 100g packet.
Added: May 2010
CELESTIAL SEASONINGS BENGAL SPICE HERBAL TEA
A delicious, smooth, warming and spicy tea! This product contains cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper, chicory, carob and vanilla flavour. Highly recommended. I purchased this product from the Unicorn Grocery in Chorlton, Manchester at a cost of £0.99 for 10 Tea Bags. I also tried the Tension Tamer tea bags, which were quite nice and more relaxing todrink, but they lacked the flavour and the kick that the Bengal Spice tea bags provided.
Added: April 2010
PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS
RAW GAIA LIVING MOISTURISER FOR HER DAUGHTER
This rather nice, pleasant-smelling, moisturising cream is also produced in Brighton, UK. It's not too greasy, making it suitable for both day time and night time use and a 60ml pot lasts for ages as you only need to apply a small amount at a time. Made from 100% organic cocoa butter, this moisturising cream is flavoured with sweet smelling rosehip, evening primrose, apricot kernel, palmarosa, lavender and rose geranium and leaves the skin feeling very soft and smooth. I tested this product in winter so my pot was set solid at room temperature, but in warmer weather it would need to be refrigerated. This Vegan Society approved product is available from Raw Gaia for £12.50 + postage.
Added: Feb 2010
LIVE NATIVE DEEP HAIR REPAIR
Live native is a new company, which offers a unique range of living, organic skin products, all handmade from organic and fairly traded ingredients. This raw product is made on the Isle of Skye and consists of a raw blend of organic coconut oil that penetrates the hair, conditioning it and giving it body and shine. As well as the coconut oil this product contains aloe vera, natural vitamin E and GMO free soya oil and is perfumed with rosemary, neem, tea tree and orange essential oils. It can be used by both men and women. It comes in a small, attractive pot and because it's a raw product is best kept refrigerated. To use simply massage a small amount into the hair and scalp and allow to absorb, preferably overnight before washing off. When I tested out this product it was easy to apply and I found that it left my hair feeling very soft for several days afterwards. It also removes the frizziness caused by dry ends quite well and has a lovely fresh smell. In fact the only problem I had with this product was in reading the instructions enclosed with the tester size, which were in very small print and somewhat difficult to read even with my glasses on. A 15ml tester pot costs £9.99. There is also a 30ml pot for £15.85. Highly recommended. To order phone: 01470 521 504 or you can also order online here. Other Live Native products include: Love Lube, Fresh Feet and Essential Woman. Please visit Live Native for more information on these products.
Added: Nov 2008
BABY'S BUM NATURAL SOAPS
This smooth-as-a-baby's-bum bar of soap is made from almond, sunflower and coconut oils and the hard bar I tested was delicately perfumed with ylang ylang and cloves. I found that the soap's edges quickly softened up on use, leaving a very smooth bar of soap with a refreshing smell and a creamy-smooth and almost transparent lather. These 100% biodegradable bars are also available in Lavender, Lime & Lemon, Tea Tree, Peppermint, Marjoram & Fennel and Fragrance-Free. Each generously-sized 125g bar costs £2.90 and is handmade using low impact methods. Other Baby's Bum products include environmentally-friendly natural liquid soaps and pet products such as dog shampoo and pony polish. You can purchase, or find out more about Baby's Bum products online. The orderline number is 01384 873748.
Added: Nov 2008
Updated: 04/01/2010
FOOTWEAR
LADIES STYLE 600 BSP
Grey, white and pink with nice sparkly silver bits, these New Balance running shoes are rather nice looking as well as being functional. Complete with Abzorb ® cushioning, these lightweight running shoes are ideal for jogging on pavements and mine felt really comfortable right from the start. Available in sizes 3 - 9, they are available by mail order from Ethical Wares for £65.95.
Added: Sept 2010
OTHER PRODUCTS
MIND & MORE OMEGA 3 SUPPLEMENT
NEW PRODUCT! Mind & More contains a DHA-containing oil that has been sustainably and organically produced by marine plants (schizochytrium sp.) under controlled laboratory conditions by Martek Biosciences Corporation. Usually, vegetarians have to produce their own Omega 3 fatty acids by converting the ALA found in plant sources such as flax and hemp seeds into EPA and DHA. This conversion process can be inefficient so Mind & More is a welcome new 100% plant-based, Omega 3, vegetarian supplement that directly supplies 200mg of DHA in each capsule. DHA can help to maintain the health and function of the brain, heart and eyes. Look out for this product in Holland & Barrett stores. Each packet contains a one month supply of 30 capsules and costs £9.99. I find these capsules remarkably easy to swallow and am currently in the process of testing out this product. I will add further information to this review as it becomes available. In the meantime I am keeping a sharp look out for any noticeable improvements in my mental functioning and eyesight! For more product information visit: http://www.lifesdha.com. Vegetarian Society Approved.
Updated: 04/02/2011: I would just like to mention that after taking the above product for the three months trial I did notice some improvement in my memory. It will be interesting to see whether this continues now that I have stopped taking this supplement. I will let you know, providing I don't forget!
Added: Oct 2010
Updated: Feb 2011
PORKERT UNIVERSAL MILL
This traditional, hand-operated, grinder is made in the Czech Republic. It's a robust, heavyweight grinder that's made from tin-coated iron, which clamps to the side of a table or a similar surface. I bought it to grind my flax seeds and quite honestly it's not very good at grinding them! It will grind them, but it's very hard work and takes so long that I don't think that it's very practical to use the grinder for this purpose. ** since writing the original review I have discovered that it will grind flax seeds. However, the tightness of the screw is critical to the successful grinding of these seeds. If it is too loose the seeds just fall straight through unground and if it's too tight then it is really slow to grind them. So I now use it to grind my flax seeds too and it is really useful. This grinder seems to work well on bigger grains and seeds and can be used to grind nuts, coffee, make flour from most grains and split soya beans and other legumes and I expect it will work well on dried sweetcorn too. So I think it's going to prove to be very useful for processing a wide variety of foodstuffs as most things seem to grind to a powder fairly easily without any need for electricity. It needs to be dried well and oiled after use to prevent it from rusting and comes with a 100 year guarantee. I bought mine from the Cookware Company (off Amazon) for £35.00 + shipping and it arrived very promptly.
Added: May 2010
Updated: August 2010
7" AZADA GRUB HOE
This Azada Grub Hoe can be purchased by mail order from Get Digging. It has a sharp, stainless steel blade and a nice beech handle. My order was despatched promptly the day after receipt and arrived safely a few days later. The packaging was simple, consisting of just a cardboard wrapper covering the blade. I purchased the 7" medium Azada, which costs £26.00. However, I quickly discovered that I had a lot of couch grass on my allotment and that this hoe chops up the couch grass roots in much the same way as a spade or rotovator would do. However, when I tested my Azada out for general garden use I found that it will quickly clear ordinary turf. It's also great for removing most common garden weeds and scrapes the weeds off soil paths incredibly easily, simply by running it effortlessly over the surface. I have also found it very useful for clearing green manure crops such as tares. It can apparently also be used for trenching, tree and hedge planting, earthing up potatoes, general ground clearance work and ground levelling, although I have not personally used it for any of these purposes yet. I am sure this hoe will prove to be very useful tool for general garden use and for use on my allotment after the initial clearance of the couch grass has been carried out. Azadas seem to be especially useful for people with back problems who find digging with a spade or using a fork painful. Get Digging supplies several types of Azada (including a lightweight medium Azada that's suitable for women) and also sells quite a few other alternative tools including sickles, scythes, long handled forks and hand azadas. The Hand Azadas are very similar to Keith Dalziel O'Brien's (Veganic Gardening, Thorson's 1986) Scrapper and look rather like a small onion hoe. They cost £13.00 - £15.00.CLEAN CHAIN
Added: 23 Feb 2009
Clean chain is an ecological degreaser or 'anti-lube' that's very easy to use and suitable for vegans. Simply apply it to your bicycle chain and cycle round for a few minutes before wiping it off with a cloth and rinsing the chain with water. My chain was blackened and quite gunked up as I had been using a rather horrible cycle spray oil for some time. However, it was soon clean and shiny when I used this product. Highly recommended. Available by mail order from the Natural Collection. Price £4.50.GREEN OIL
Added: 30 Jan 2009
Updated: 04/01/2010
This environmentally friendly product can be used to oil your bike chain after you have cleaned it with the above product. It keeps bike chains and gears in top condition, but it can be used on other things too e.g. door hinges. Again I found this product very easy to apply and it doesn't make a nasty smell like some of the spray on lubes do. It comes in a small 100ml recyclable bottle. This product is also available from The Natural Collection for £5.20 . Awarded What Mountain Bike’s Gold Award.There is also an ecological bike cleaner in this range which costs £8.10 for a 1 litre bottle. Please Note: The Ecogrease in this range is NOT vegan.
Added: 30 Jan 2009