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International Womens Day Blog By Hello Wellness 0

There's no denying that women are pretty amazing, but imagine what we could achieve if puberty, periods and menopause didn't slow us down!

International women's day is the perfect opportunity to reflect on past achievements, as well as to press for change that brings greater gender equality. I don't believe that wanting equal opportunities for women means
that we have to behave more like men and pretend our bodies act in the same way. Surely, all we need to achieve greater balance is for men to have a better understanding of women and how our hormones effect our
different strengths as we move though our monthly cycle.

It certainly would be easier for women to move into positions of power and be equal players in decision making if some of us weren't affected by painful or heavy periods, menopausal insomnia or anxiety, as well as
difficult pregnancies.

Good health is dependent on our ability to adapt to changes and deal with challenges, both outside of the body and inside as well. The fluctuations of our hormone levels are affected by a wide range of factors and many women haven't got access to information about what those factors are and what they can do to help themselves to find their best balance.

Naturopathic Practitioners use knowledge passed down through generations about health, wellness and natural medicines to help people live at their best. There are plant medicines that have been used for hundreds of years and still work today that help every hormonal symptom in the spectrum and are gentle enough for people to try themselves at home.

In our Hello Wellness range of 100% natural plant based capsule supplements, we have used that knowledge to combine adaptogenic herbs into just two products that can help any hormone related problem.

Feel Aligned is our balancing combination for women from puberty to peri-menopause. It helps with everything from PMS to periods, and hormonal acne to migraines. The capsules contain a blend of Vitex-Agnus Castus, Dandelion Root, Motherwort, Avena Sativa and more, so that whatever your problem this
product can help. Many people find they can take one of our products instead of several other supplements - sustainable and convenient!

New Phase is our supporting combination for women from peri-menopause, through menopause and beyond. It helps with hot flushes, insomnia and anxiety, as well as irregular or troublesome periods, energy levels and
helps bring emotional balance too. The capsules contain a blend of Avena Sativa, Red Clover, Mugwort, Angelica Root and more, to make an adaptogenic formula that can help whatever your oestrogen and
progesterone levels are doing on the day!

For too long, health professionals have told women to put up with their hormonal symptoms. "It's normal" they say - you just have to learn to live with these things... After years of helping people who've been denied the care they deserve, I know that simple solutions work wonders. If we can feel well and capable every day of the month, just imagine what we can achieve!

How to Make Vegan Christmas Delicious 0

How to Make Vegan Christmas Delicious

If Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol today, Scrooge would shout down to the boy in the street something along the lines of: “Run down to Fortnums and fetch me the top shelf nut roast! But make sure you get something gluten free too. And sod it, everyone likes chocolate. Just get something that no one will notice is dairy free! And don’t forget Uncle Pete is off the booze.”  

Not as easy to work into a carol as “big fat goose”, is it? 

For too long Vegan Christmas food has been largely seen as lesser substitutes for the traditional festive fare. But it’s 2022, friends! No more! We are living in a golden age where it’s easy to get your hands on delicious vegan Christmas food. 

Begin with Vegan Treats under the Tree

One of the best things about Christmas is that it’s socially acceptable to have sweets for breakfast while opening the gifts. I like to start with a delicious vegan coffee (added booze optional 😉). Try VGN FCTRY Toffee Cappuccino and, go on, we’ll allow a little drop of Dirty Cow Cream Liqueur. 

Alas, coffee is not enough to sustain even the best of us through the morning. My family tradition involved baking my Festive Fruit and Almond Wreath on Christmas Eve night so it’s ready to slice and share for brekkie on Christmas morning.  

Does your Vegan Christmas Dinner include Appetisers?

It’s a contentious subject, I know. Should Christmas dinner have starters? Or are you saving all your hunger for the main event? Personally, I’m partial to little nibbles beforehand because hangry can reach new levels when you throw a little family drama into the mix. Fed bellies = happy bellies. So if you’re after a delicious vegan starter, allow me to recommend Granovita Mushroom Pate. Serve with a selection of crackers and your favourite chutneys and you are bound to stave off the pre-dinner angst. 

The Main Event: to cook or to order?

Whether you’re the modern day Vegan Mary Berry or you relate a little more to Rachel and her mince beef in a trifle, there is a stunning vegan Christmas dinner out there for you.  

If you want to simply buy something in and avoid a potential Christmas dinner mishap, I’m going to strongly recommend the Artisan Grains Country Veg & Cashew Nut Roast. It’s a winner and a staple Sunday dinner in my home. Drench that baby in some gravy and cranberry sauce and you will not regret it! 

For Christmas, I’m more of a homemade gal myself, so I’m leaning towards cooking something like this Vegan Wellington. This gorgeous main course is a worthy centrepiece for a truly luxury vegan Christmas dinner.  

Irresistible Vegan Desserts 

I love a showstopper for pudding. After dinner, when everyone’s eyelids are feeling heavy from excessively full stomachs, dessert seems unthinkable. Could we fit another single crumb in? But when you walk into the room holding a glorious sweet masterpiece aloft, heads round the table perk up like daisies turning towards the sun, suddenly no one feels so full after all… that moment is what I live for. It’s pure magic! 

My top tip for a show stopping vegan dessert: A Gingerbread House. It’s fun and classic and loved by all ages. Alternatively, I think a lush bread pudding made with this panettone-style christmas cake would go down a treat alongside a cheeky sherry.  

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

No more is vegan food a fringe cuisine in some dark corner of the world; we’ve arrived! There has never been a more delicious time to be a vegan than right now. Christmas, especially, should be a celebration of the diverse and delicious options available to vegans around the UK. Now is the perfect time to plan the Christmas menu of your dreams. Then kick back with a mulled wine and some delicious chocolates to soak in the triumph of a truly delicious vegan Christmas.  

Introducing Stephanie: Owner/Director of Treehouse Bakery 0

I make vegan baking kits for your eco-friendly sweet tooth. When you order one of my kits you get all the ingredients you need, all pre-measured in the right quantity and packaged in the most eco-friendly materials I can get my hands on. Treehouse Bakery recipes are simple, easy to follow, and don’t unnecessarily overcomplicate the classics. So whether you are a vegan who is new to baking, or a baker who is new to veganism, you are safe in my hands with a kit from Treehouse Bakery.

Why vegan baking? 

This is two questions in one: why vegan? And why baking? I’ve always cared deeply about the environment and want to do all I can to take care of our planet. While I grew up an avid meat-eater, I ultimately realised that no matter how much I recycle, nothing will make as much of an impact as changing the way I eat. Growing and farming food accounts for a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions. And 53% of food-related greenhouse gas is related to raising animals [source]. The maths is simple: The fewer animals we eat, the more the planet benefits.

Nowhere is making the swap to veganism easier than in baking. When you eat a delicious brownie, do you taste all those eggs in there? No, you do not. Chewing on the perfect chocolate chip cookie, do you think about the cows that were milked for the butter for these cookies? No, you do not. Ideally, all you are thinking is, “Yum!” Even those most resistant to the idea of veganism can’t deny a delicious cake when served a generous slice.

The journey to veganism is gradual. Most people won’t go from eating meat every day to being completely vegan. Ask most vegans and they’ll tell you they were veggie first, then slowly dropped eggs and dairy. I still consider myself part-time vegan even though you won’t find any animal products in my home. I’m not perfect, and probably never will be. I try to present Treehouse Bakery in the most welcoming way possible. I love it when non-vegans tell me they tried and loved my recipes. I love it when customers say they bake my brownies for their family and just never tell anyone that they’re vegan. I love the idea of reaching people with loads of different diets, all who are willing to try baking with my kits. You don’t have to be a card-carrying vegan. You just need to have an open mind.

Give Vegan Baking a Go 

Ultimately, I started Treehouse Bakery to make vegan baking at home accessible to everyone. Home baking should be joyful, stress-free, and you should always end up with something Introducing Stephanie: Owner/Director of Treehouse Bakery; Vegan Baking Kits for your Eco-Friendly Sweet Tooth

I’m at book club talking about everything except the book at hand. Relatable, right? My friend, who I know is vegan, is telling me how she tried two different recipes to make a birthday cake for her partner and both were really complicated and really not very tasty. I’m so confused; she’s not trying to make coq-au-vin or iles flottante. Just a Victoria sponge, maybe with some chocolate frosting... What could possibly be complicated about that?

She goes on to tell me that these recipes called for rice flour, avocado oil, and had a long methodology that involved whisking the cake batter over an ice bath for an oddly specific amount of time. “Vegan recipes are way more complicated than they need to be,” I say.

Why did you launch Treehouse Bakery? 

This moment sticks out in my memory when I think of all the things that led me to launching Treehouse Bakery. I’ve always found baking at home, well, simple. And I don’t mean that in a condescending “I’m-just-naturally-talented” way. If anything, I’ve just always had an arrogance that no matter what the kitchen throws at me, I’m going to turn out something tasty. Treehouse Bakery is a way to share that confidence and ease with the world. I want everyone to feel the way I do when I’m baking.

delicious. Vegan baking doesn’t need to be intimidating or overwhelming. Most vegan recipes can be simple and fun to make. Why not explore my range of baking kits available on Vegan Store? And I promise, you won’t notice the lack of eggs in your bakes, but the planet will thank you.