LifeBox – Energy February 2019

LifeBox is a monthly collection of natural snacks, drinks and ingredients to support a healthy lifestyle. All items in the Lifebox Classic are vegan, and gluten and dairy free. It costs from £22.95 per month, including postage.

This box is the Energy version, which is designed to support activity and recovery for both men & women. There might be occasional items which are not vegan in this version of the box, but it’s very rare.

This month’s box is bigger and heavier than usual! Instead of the usual printed box, the branding is on an outer sleeve, though this this is only a cosmetic thing.

On top is their booklet. This contains information about Lifebox, including details of the charity they support.

It also has a selection of recipes using items in the box, which is a splendid idea for a little extra healthy inspiration!

You’ve also got a menu card, which usefully flags the items you can use in the recipes.

Here are a couple of T+ Vitamin Tea Bags. As the name would suggest, they are vitamin-infused teabags, which give you an alternative way to take your daily vitamins! Tea is actually a pretty nice way to do it, especially if you don’t like taking pills. The two included, Vitamin D and Defence  are good choices for this time of year when there’s no vitamin D from the sun and there are lots of bugs going round.

Here’s a great non-dairy cold brew, Land & Tide Cold Brew Coffee. It’s also nut, soy, and GMO free, and even the packaging is sustainable and recyclable! Totally guilt free, and pretty tasty.

This is interesting: Medterra CBD Topical Cream. CBD is extracted from the cannabis plant and there have been some interesting studies done into its use for pain relief. And no, it’s not illegal and it won’t get you high. This is a little sachet of the Cooling Cream for sore joints and muscles.

Here’s a mixed bundle of Tumerlicious Instant Tumeric Latte. The health benefits of turmeric are a big thing right now, especially in the form of a drink, and this makes the process a lot easier. They’re made with whole spices so it doesn’t dissolve like a conventional instant drink, but it’s a nice way to drink you turmeric! It’s designed to be made with water (it includes driend coconut milk) but you can add extra milk of your choice if you want it a little creamier. A nice comforting alternative hot drink!

This delicious Bonanaza Smooth Roasted Peanut Butter  contains peanuts and a pinch of salt, nothing else! It’s made from high oleic peanuts which have a higher proportion of healthy fats, and also have a slightly sweeter flavour which is enhanced by roasting. My only minor gripe is that I prefer crunchy peanut butter to smooth, but regardless, this is yummy.

More nuts, this time Nutmad Activated Cashews with Maple & Rosemary. Activated nuts are soaked then dried, which apparently increases their nutritional profile and also makes them extra crunchy and delicious. While I think cashews are amazing on their own, the maple and rosemary seasoning gives a lovely sweet and aromatic twist.

A sachet of Ancient & Brave True Collagen. There’s a smoothie recipe in the booklet to use this, or you can mix it into any drink you like. Collagen is a great supplement, especially for hair and nails, so this is a nice way to try out a brand.

Primal Pantry does a great range of energy bars, and this is a Double Espresso Protein Bar version. It’s a great combination of energy hit and protein, with an impressive 15g of protein in a 200 calorie bar, and is completely vegan, paleo, with no garbage at all.

Clearspring Organic Seaveg Crispies are nice for a little savory snack. The calories are incredibly low but the flavour is strong, so you don’t feel like you’re eating nothing! Again, no artificial garbage, just a nice tasty little something.

This is a serving of Neat Nutrition Vanilla Whey Protein Shake. It’s whey, so not vegan or dairy free, but it tastes great and has a great calories to protein ratio. Neat Nutrition is a subscription program (they do vegan protein too) so this is a great way to try it out.

Lip balm is an essential for cold weather, and this Skin & Tonic Naked Lip Balm is perfect to throw in your pocket or bag. It’s unscented and organic, and the flattened shape is a really good design.

Finally, a 1L carton of Rebel Kitchen Organic Plant-based Mylk. This company has been making lovely flavoured non-dairy drinks for a while, and they’re branching out into regular dairy milk alternatives. Apparently it can be substituted for regular milk in recipes, and I’m super happy with this because my husband can’t have milk. This is a great thing to include because lots of people are trying to reduce their regular milk intake, so it’s the perfect way to try out this brand. I’m looking forward to see how it works for yorkshire pudding and white sauce!

Well, between the Mylk and the peanut butter I can see why the box was so heavy!