Viva!’s Louise Grace brings you ideas to pack your life with fun, flavour and freebies

Lifestyle

Viva!Life issue 37 Spring 2008

Neat Feet

An excellent web site has launched selling everything from vegan tap shoes to snazzy silver football trainers. And the bonus – reasonable prices! Alternative Stores have an imaginative and contemporary range of children’s and adults shoes, boots, trainers, trek shoes, dance shoes, slippers – anything your feet could desire. Boy’s trainers come in lots of styles and start at £10. Tap shoes for girls and women start at £15. The refreshingly wide range of men’s shoes make being vegan easy – try the trail walker (£20 - pictured). For ladies – teeter on dainty silver stilettos at just £15, stomp around in lilac trainers (£15) or stroll along the beach in bronze, strappy sandals (£10 - pictured). Alternative Stores make vegan shoes affordable and accessible – so long as you can access the web, that is! Check out www.alternativestores.com They also stock bags, health/beauty care, hemp products, jewellery, clothing and gifts.

Giveaway!

Give your feet a treat! Go to www.alternativestores.com/viva and have the chance to win a £50 voucher to spend on footwear. Three lucky winners will be kicked out of the shoebox on  June 1, 2008.

Stuff-in a Muffin

Delicious, light and fun to make – Kasey’s muffin mixes are mostly vegan. Developed in Bristol by parents of two boys with food allergies, they decided to replace “No you can’t have that” with “Yes you can!”. Viva! testers, Jazz and Finn, age five, enthusiastically mixed the Basic Muffin Mix (£3.49, 400g) – adding sultanas a little overzealously! and enjoyed the results very much. They also made the Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix (egg and dairy free, £3.99, 425g) just adding water and oil – literally child’s play. They would have scoffed the lot but mum managed to have a taste: “Moist, light and tasty”. Jazz and Finn: “Can we make them again?” Order online at www.kaseys.co.uk (also available in shops mainly in and around Bristol, stockists listed on the web or call the number below).

Giveaway

Tasting is believing. Go to www.kaseys.co.uk and use the contact form (adding the code “Viva! Muffin) or telephone direct on 01761 221040. The first 10 will receive a free muffin mix.

Lemon Aid!

Bathe like Cleopatra vegan style with Weleda’s new Citrus Refreshing Bath Milk (£7.30, 200ml). It is revitalizing, soothing and a lovely start to the day – especially in our hot British summers (I can but dream). It’s one of my favourite bath treats as I love the tangy blend of organic lemon and orange oils and it doesn’t irritate my skin. Lemon oil is a good toner and stimulates the lymphatic system and circulation to the skin. The milk disperses through your bath rather than sitting on top as oil does and leaves your skin feeling fresh and smooth. Also try Weleda’s Citrus Creamy Body Wash (£5.95, 200ml) – zesty in the shower and contains organic sesame oil to nourish your skin. Available from many chemists, health shops and selected Waitrose stores or direct from Weleda on 0115 944 8222 or www.weleda.co.uk

Giveaway

Invigorate your senses with Citrus Creamy Body Wash. Send your name and address to: Viva! Weleda Giveaway, 8 York Court, Wilder St, Bristol BS2 8QH or email louise@viva.org.uk with “Viva! Weleda” in subject, by June 1, 2008 when 20 winners will be sploshed out of the bath. 

Burger Bonanza

A new range of burgers – vegan and gluten free – have come to town. In four delicious flavours, Alicer’s Veggies, are ready cooked and so only take five minutes to prepare. Try the Tandoori burger – it’s flavoured with herbs and spices, including coriander, fenugreek, cumin, ginger, chillies and nutmeg. Quite a taste sensation! I also enjoyed the Thai burger, which is more delicate, infused with galangal, coconut and lemon myrtle. Other varieties include Mexican and Vegetable; all are soya based and contain no hydrogenated fats. £2.65 a box, they are distributed by the lovely vegan firm, Beanies Health Foods: 01489 574593; www.beanieshealthfoods.co.uk. Also from health food shops and www.goodnessdirect.co.uk.

Gravy Train

A common question posed to Viva! is: “How do I make vegan gravy?” Well, vegetarians and vegans rejoice! I’ve found a delicious Onion Gravy (by chef Antony Worrall Thompson) that practically ensures smooth, rich gravy in less than two minutes! All you have to do is add two teaspoons of the gravy paste into half a pint of cold water, bring to the boil and stir until it thickens. Voila. Even I can manage that. The best instant gravy around. Find it in Tesco (£1.98, 250g jar).

Giveaway!

Take the hassle out of gravy making. We have 30 jars of Onion Gravy to give away. Send your name and address to: Viva! Gravy Giveaway, 8 York Court, Wilder St, Bristol BS2 8QH or email louise@viva.org.uk with “Viva! Gravy” in subject, by May 25, 2008.

Lite years ahead

It’s well known that we are affected by light. Medical research shows that lack of light - for example through working in an office all day and travelling there and back in the dark) can cause sugar cravings, sleep problems, lethargy and depression. Some of us may be diagnosed with SAD (seasonal affective disorder), triggered by reduced light which causes an increase in the production of melatonin (the hormone that makes us sleepy at night) and a reduction of serotonin, the lack of which causes depression. The exposure to bright light therapy reverses the process. The SAD Lightbox Company claim that you should start to feel the benefit within seven to14 days of using a lightbox. Lightboxes provide summertime levels of light and, the company say, can  alleviate the symptoms of SAD. It is claimed that almost everyone in the UK can benefit from the increased energy levels that result from using a lightbox – not just in winter but all year round. Interested? Go to www.sad.uk.com or call 0845 095 6433 for a free info pack.

Giveaway

The SAD Lightbox Company have given us one Litepod, worth £115. Small, discrete and stylish, it is perfect for use in the office (try it next to your pc) or home. Despite its small size, the litepod 10,000 lux light box can deliver a full treatment in ¾ to 1 hour. To lift your mood, send your name and address to: Viva! Litepod Giveaway, 8 York Court, Wilder St, Bristol BS2 8QH or email louise@viva.org.uk with “Viva! Litepod” in subject, by 1 June 2008.