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Health & Wellness

Health & Wellness
Health & Wellness

 

 

Snack healthily with Boxgreen!


Snacks! Who don't like snacks? But there's a caveat. How to snack healthily and most importantly, guilt-free? When we talk about snacks, these come to mind: ice-cream, potato chips, popcorn, bubble tea. What else? It seems like snacks are laden with empty calories, tonnes of sugar, salt, and all sorts of junk that do our body more harm than good!

Thank the heavens and gods for Boxgreen! Now that I'm baking a bun - you know what that means don't you - I need snacks, HEALTHY snacks, not junk food.

Thank you Boxgreen for coming into my life!


Tada! Boxgreen is here to stay with a better snacking standard!

Wait, who or what's Boxgreen again? Scroll down, don't skip. ;)


Who is Boxgreen?

From Boxgreen's website: Boxgreen is your one-stop shop for deliciously wholesome snacks. They are on a mission to promote healthier snacking by sourcing and delivering natural and healthy snacks straight to your hands, in the most hassle-free way possible. With over 20 mouthwatering options to choose from, we offer something sure to please and excite everyone.

Each snack contains wholesome ingredients - with no artificial sweeteners, flavors or colors.

Hallelujah! (now that's my scream of joy!)


What does Boxgreen guarantee?

On their website and the box that contains the snacks delivered to our doorstep, we can see their promise.

You can trust our snacks are...

All Natural
Portion Controlled
Nutritionist Approved

More info from their website of which I read through diligently and now I want to share them with you: Their snacks are reviewed and labeled with easy to read health badges by our nutritionist to suit your lifestyle needs.

  • Antioxidants: Snacks contain at least one antioxidant vitamin. Antioxidants may prevent or delay cell damage in the body.
  • High protein: Important for the growth and repair of our cells and muscle tissues. They also keep you feeling fuller for longer.
  • Heart healthy: Low saturated fat, low sodium, and high fibre. Go ahead, show your heart some love!
  • Low cal: An in-between-meal bite that is low in calories, yet full of goodness – a great pick-me-up snack for those dreary afternoons.
  • Energy booster: At least 20% of your daily recommended intake of any of the B vitamins – it's like an energy Power-Up.
  • Nutritionist recommended: This snack ticks off all the right boxes! You'll definitely find them in the drawers of our nutritionists!
  • High fiber: Reduces risk of diet-related illnesses, and helps to keep our digestive system functioning smoothly. Smooth flowing!

What snacks are there?

Check out their selection on their All Snacks page. Their snacks are categorized into five mouth-watering categories:

1. Chips & Pretzels
2. Nuts, Seeds & Mixes
3. Pure Fruit
4. Whole Nuts
5. A Hint of Chocolate

Here are some photos of the snacks in my box generously provided by Boxgreen. Thank you! Thank you!


  • Mocha Almonds: Almond, Mocha Flavor, Brown Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Palm Oil
  • HeartStrong: Brazil Nut, Unsalted Pecan, Baked Almond, Unsalted Baked Peanut
  • Rosemary Pistachios: Pistachios, Rosemary Herbs, Salt


  • The Ubin Mix: Sunflower Seeds (Sunflower Kernel, Honey, Salt, Sugar, Sunflower Oil, Maltodextrin, Wheat Starch, Xanthum Gum), Unsalted Peanuts
  • Peanut Pretzel Muddy Bites: Unsalted Peanuts, Pretzels, Cashews, Dark Chocolate Chips (I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!)
  • Sunshine Chips: Vacuum Fried Vegetable Chips (Carrots, Green Radish, Sweet Potato, Green Bean Strips, Taro, Fructose, Vegetable Oil, Salt, Pepper) (I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!)


  • Sun-Dried Apricots: Sun Dried Apricots (Sulphite-free)
  • Raspberry Cranberry Fusion: Raspberry-infused with cranberries juice (MY TODDLER LOVES LOVES LOVES THIS!)
  • Bearylicious: Blueberry, Cranberry, Midget Golden Raisin, Goji Berry


  • Nutty Knight: Hazelnut, Raisins, Unsalted Peanut, Cranberry
  • Figgy Nut Jumble: Dried Fig, Almond, Pistachio Kernel, Cashew Nut, Raisins (I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!)
  • Aprecano: Pecan, Diced Apricot, Raisin

What did I do with the snacks?
 

Trail Mix

Make them into trail mix and munch them while watching my favorite TV show! Easy peasy, you just need to choose a few packs of snacks that you really like and toss them together in a container. Switch on the TV and munch like there's no tomorrow! Best eaten when the kiddo (if you have any, like me hahaha) is asleep! :D


No-Bake Strawberry "Cobbler"

This involves some sort of cooking but no worries, it's pretty simple. Here you go!
First, I chopped about a cup of fresh strawberries into quarters. Then, I cook them in a saucepan over low heat with about two tablespoons of brown sugar and one tablespoon of lemon juice. This takes about 8-10 minutes or until the strawberries release its juices. Don't mash them because you don't want a gooey mash, you want chew-able, soft strawberries.

Once done, pour them into a bowl and let cool to room temperature. In another bowl, mix three packs of your favorite snacks (preferably nuts & seeds mix and whole nuts) with about one tablespoon of honey. Spoon this mixture over your strawberries. Serve immediately.

Awesome! So, how to subscribe?

Okay, let's talk about how to get these awesome snacks to your doorstep.


Boxgreen is a subscription-based service. Each box consists of four varieties of snacks of your choice, with 12 bags of snacks per box. You can pause or cancel your subscription at any time. And yeah, free shipping. Woohoo! 

Go to Boxgreen's subscription page and get your box now!

More info


 
Start your journey today with Boxgreen! Discover natural and delicious snacks, delivered to your mailbox every month. Have fun!


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Pampering done right with Claire Organics


Claire Organics

Thanks Claire Organics for sending over this box of wonderful organic skincare products. The congratulations gift tag is so lovely too. Thank you!

Unboxing feels like Christmas as I'm super excited to find out what's inside this gorgeous box with splashes of white, pink, and teal. It's so good to be pampered. :)


Who's Claire Organics?

Quoting the founder of Claire Organics, gorgeous mommy Louise Chu: "It all began with one mother's maternal instinct to provide the best for my baby when it came to skincare products which urged me to learn to make my own bar soaps from breast milk. Then I decided to share these natural handmade soaps and home remedies with everyone else calling it Claire after my baby girl 'Norra Claire' which means 'clear and pure' in French which translates into exactly what the brand stands for."


Claire Organics' mission statement: At Claire, we pride ourselves on using only natural ingredients for our products. It's all 100% chemical free, and most of my products are even safe for baby use. We're passionate about inspiring people to become a more caring and kind society, and also one that cares for the environment. I guess, it's like a unique calling, a life's mission.

So, let's see what are the products in this gorgeous box for mommies-to-be!


Luxurious Rosehips Face & Body Oil (50ml)

Ingredients: Rose Hip Seed Oil, Avocado Oil, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Rose Geranium Oil


Rich in essential fatty acids, i.e. linoleic acid (Omega-6) & linolenic acid (Omega-3):
- helps reduce scarring, stretch marks, age spots, and burns
- aids in skin repair
- promotes skin regeneration
- hydrates dry skin
- protects sensitive skin

Suitable for all skin types. Each bottle is carefully handcrafted and manually packed to retain its quality and freshness. Store in a cool, dry place.




Mulberry Yogurt Whitening Soap (about 100g)
 
Ingredients: Organically Homegrown Fresh Mulberry, Organic Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Castor Oil, Palm Oil, Fresh Yogurt, Pink Clay, Aqua, Sodium Hydroxide, Essential Oil Blend


Mulberry:
- great whitening agent that naturally diminishes dark spots and removes blemishes
- fights off wrinkles
- tightens opened pores

Yogurt:
- anti-fungal and anti-bacterial
- promotes collagen production
- reduces blemishes following acne outbreaks
- softens skin tissue to dissolve fine lines and wrinkles

A great facial bar for glowing, flawless skin. Suitable for normal skin. Each bar is manually cut and carefully cured for 45 days. Super-fatted 5% with Sweet Almond Oil (super-fatting makes a rich emollient soap: moisturizing, soothing, softening).




Shea Butter Lip Care with Organic Raw Honey & Vitamin E (6g)

Ingredients: Shea Butter, Vitamin E Oil, Organic Raw Honey, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Beeswax, Essential Oil: Rose Geranium, Lavender


Shea butter:
- prevents bumps from shaving, razor irritation, rashes, and eczema
- moisturizes chapped and cracked skin
- reduces fine lines, scars, and stretch marks
- eases skin irritations, such as psoriasis and eczema

Honey:
- a humectant and great moisturizer, aids in skin hydration
- a great anti-aging agent

Vitamin E oil:
- prevents formation of wrinkles by blocking free radical damage
- treats wrinkles by boosting collagen production, supporting new skin cell growth, and speeding up cell regeneration

Each tube is carefully handmade and manually packed to retain its quality and freshness.




Bug Off Insect Repellent Lotion Balm (20g)

Ingredients: Refined Shea Butter, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Beeswax, Essential Oil: Eucalyptus, Rose Geranium, Lavender, Tea Tree, Peppermint, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Citronella

Essential oils blend for bugs-free effect:
- Eucalyptus oil: protects against mosquitoes, ticks, and lice
- Rose Geranium oil: repels ticks and lice
- Tea tree oil, rosemary oil, lemongrass oil: repels mosquitoes
- Citronella oil: repels insects & mosquitoes

Suitable for all skin types. Each balm is carefully handmade and manually packed to retain its quality and freshness.



Happy Bum Baby Care Lotion Balm (20g)

Ingredients: Refined Shea Butter, Calendula Infused Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Golden Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E Oil, Beeswax, Essential Oils: Lavender, Tea Tree

Trio of jojoba oil, virgin coconut oil, and shea butter: moisturizer

Calendula-infused olive oil: anti-inflammatory and soothes eczema

Tea tree oil: anti-bacterial

Calendula oil: antiseptic, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial (helps reduces inflammation such as eczema and dermatitis)

Best for preventing and soothing nappy rash. Suitable for all skin types for babies from birth. Each balm is carefully handmade and manually packed to retain its quality and freshness.

 

Super Healing Herbal Balm with Shea Butter (20g)
 
Ingredients: Refined Shea Butter, Purple Gromwell Infused Organic Virgin Olive Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Beeswax, Menthol, Essential Oil: Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Lavender, Tea Tree, Peppermint

Purple Gromwell Root:
- contains allantoin that accelerates the replacement of body cells, which helps to reduce eczema and detoxify when used externally especially for people with acne, prickly heat, eczema, and itchiness
- soothes burns, insect bites, inflammation, and allergies

Shea butter:
- prevents bumps from shaving, razor irritation, rashes, and even eczema
- moisturizes chapped and cracked skin
- reduces fine lines, scars, and stretch marks
- eases skin irritations, such as psoriasis and eczema

Each balm is carefully handmade and manually packed to retain its quality and freshness



View more product range

Organic Body Care; Artisan Natural Handmade Soap; Therapeutic Essential Oil

https://www.claire.my
http://instagram.com/claireorganics


How to buy

Apart from online purchase, Claire Organics is also available at the following retail locations:

  • Publika - KIOSK Lot PC6C, UG floor (same floor as Ben's Grocer, in front of Sothy's), opens daily: 10am - 10pm
  • Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall - KIOSK Lot K004, F-Floor (next to the escalator, near Adidas & DC Comics), opens daily: 10am - 10pm
  • IOI City Mall Putrajaya - KIOSK Lot LG-C54, LG Floor (near Maybank), opens daily: 10am - 10pm
  • KLCC - Isetan, 2nd floor (near household department)
  • The Gardens - Robinsons, 2nd floor (near children department)
  • 1 Utama - Opika Organic Market & Restaurant, LG Old Wing, Food Street (near SenQ)
  • Kuching - Miracolo, Green Heights Mall (Cold Storage)

Claire Organics is listed on Featured Mommypreneurs on joycescapade.com.

 

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MommyJ's Healthy Homemade Seasoning Powders


I don't buy Knorr and Maggi seasoning powders. The pros for using seasoning powders is that they enhance the taste and flavor of dishes. However, we can't ignore the cons, i.e. store-bought powders are full of preservatives, artificial flavoring, flavor enhancer, and other chemical stuff that sounds like tongue-twisters. Blergh.

You may say, a little bit won't harm you one lah. Maybe, but I don't want to take that risk. You might be allergic to some of those funny ingredients unknowingly. And with cancer cases on the rise, I rather be paranoid than be sorry.

So, apart from using Himalayan pink salt and miso paste in my cooking, I'm gonna tell you what are the seasoning powders that I use. Here it is: MommyJ's healthy homemade seasoning powder made from premium/organic ingredients! They are life-savers!

MommyJ's healthy homemade seasoning powders


Now, allow me to let the photos and product description do the convincing of switching from store-bought to MommyJ's healthy homemade seasoning powders.

Premium quality assured!

  • MADE-TO-ORDER in small batches on a frequent basis
  • Made FRESH the day before delivery
  • Made from 100% pure PREMIUM / ORGANIC ingredients, e.g. organic kombu kelp from Taiwan, organic shiitake mushroom, fresh silverfish from local fishing village
  • NO preservatives, no additional flavorings, no coloring, powdery fine (texture is comparable to corn starch powder)
  • Quality-controlled production process that starts with careful selection of the best quality ingredients followed by cleaning, oven-drying & baking (not fried & oil-free), and powdered

These are MommyJ's seasoning powders that I have:

Organic Kombu Kelp Powder


SilverFish Powder


Mushroom Powder


Here are the nine varieties of MommyJ's homemade seasoning powders (correct as of now):

1) Anchovies powder
2) Garlic powder
3) Ginger powder
4) Onion powder
5) Organic kombu kelp powder
6) Organic mushroom powder
7) Scallop superfine powder
8) Scallop tiny flossy powder
9) Silverfish powder


How to use homemade seasoning powder?

MommyJ suggested the following:

For family (with/without kids) meals: Stir seasoning powder into hot water to make instant broth / soup base. Then, add in rice/noodles, vegetables/meat into the broth to make a bowl of delicious noodle soup/rice.

For baby & toddler meals: Make instant broth / soup base as explained above and use this delicious flavorful base to to cook porridge for baby and toddler.

Other ways: Sprinkle the seasoning powder on dishes as natural flavor enhancer, add as seasoning in your cooking (soup, stew, braised dishes, etc), use as marinade for meat dishes.

Here's how I make my noodle soup:


I love adding one or two types of the seasoning powder when I cook noodles soup. For example, I add both kombu kelp and silverfish powders (one teaspoon each) into a pot of hot water (about 4 cups) to make the soup base.

Then, I add celery, carrot, and chicken meatballs and cook until boiling for about 10 minutes. Finally, I add cooked (and drained) organic seaweed noodles (from BMS Organics) and give everything a quick stir for about 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with salt (optional) before serving in bowls.


Dinner is served!

How to buy MommyJ's homemade seasoning powders?

For more information, please visit MommyJ's product page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mommyJhealthyhomemade

If you need help, advice, and recipe ideas from MommyJ, please join her Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mommyjhealthyhomemade/
 
 

Foodies with Love is listed on Featured Mommypreneurs on joycescapade.com.


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Esmeria Soothing Organics Anti-bac Gentle Handwashes


If you're aware, highly contagious diseases such as Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) and Pneumococcal infection are rampant these days. However, do you that they can be prevented with good, basic hygiene practice?

Wash your hands!

Practicing good hygiene that starts with regular hand-washing is the best and easiest basic defense against contagious diseases. It's best to teach our kids and even adults to wash our hands frequently, particularly before and after preparing food, before mealtimes, after using the toilet, after touching animals or animal food, after sneezing or coughing, after touching rubbish, after changing diapers or helping a child at the toilet, after treating a cut or wound, and after caring for someone who is sick.

Choose the right handwash

Dr Azam Mohd Nor, Consultant Paediatrician at Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur, cautions parents to avoid phthalates, perchloroethylene, triclosan, quaternary ammonium compounds, ammonia, chlorine, and sodium hydroxide in commercial household products.

Not only so, antibacterial soaps or handwashes usually contain triclosan and triclocarbon, which the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has reported as being linked to liver and inhalation toxicity; even low levels are reported to disrupt thyroid function.

Therefore, the right handwash is one that is gentle on our skin, cleans effectively yet protects and moisturizes our hands, such as plant-based cleansers. In this blog post, I'm introducing Esmeria Soothing Organics Anti-bac Gentle Handwashes.

Don't the miss the special promotional price at the end of this blog post!


Esmeria Soothing Organics Anti-bac Gentle Handwashes

Esmeria Soothing Organics Anti-bac Gentle Handwashes are suitable for adults as well as kids, because they are ideal for all skin types. They are gentle to the skin yet effective in cleansing, even for very dry and sensitive skin. In fact, with the outbreak of contagious diseases as explained above, we should put extra concern and effort in ramping up personal hygiene, starting with washing hands.


Your hands work very hard everyday, so it is no surprise that they are highly susceptible to aging process. It's time to give them the tender loving care they deserve with Esmeria Soothing Organics' specially formulated non-soap based handwashes.

Esmeria Soothing Organics Anti-bac Gentle Handwashes are naturally antibacterial and ECOCERT-certified organic.

 They are packed with soothing Organic Calendula Flower Extract and hydrating Organic Aloe Vera Juice. A mild cleansing agent derived from natural Amino Acid and Sugar will keep your hands clean and hydrated, while natural Vitamin E protects them from harmful free radicals.

Totarol Extract, from the New Zealand tree Totara, is added as a powerful antibacterial active. Totarol Extract is a naturally recurring plant extract with clinically proven potent anti-bacterial activity against gram positive and gram negative bacteria. It is also one of the rare phytochemical actives against penicillin and methicillin resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, one of the common causes of skin infections.

Esmeria's selection of soothing and refreshing scents derived from pure and naturally derived essential oils; includes: Peppermint, Sweet Orange, Lavender and Tea Tree Oil.


Esmeria's products do not contain the following harmful chemicals:
  • Triclosan
  • Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS)
  • Sodium laureth sulphate (SLES)
  • Phenoxyethanol
  • Formaldehyde
  • Alcohol (ethyl alcohol/ethanol)
  • Propylene glycol
  • Parabens
  • Artificial colors
  • Artificial fragrances
  • Ingredients tested on animals
  • Animal-derived ingredients


Esmeria Soothing Organics Anti-bac Gentle Handwashes range comes in a selection of four soothing and refreshing scents.
  
Tea Tree Oil


Relaxing Lavender


Minty Citrus


Tangy Orange


Special promo price!

Now, you can enjoy a special promo price of RM12 (RRP: RM26.90) when you purchase online through http://www.bioharvest.net/bath_and_cleansers/anti-bacteria-hand-wash by using this coupon code: JOYCE during checkout.

Buy now and get your hand-washing routine started. :)


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