Hello everyone.

I know it hasn't been too long since my last post, but that's okay since this post should have been published a month ago!
As you may or may not have seen in November, I purchased a subscription box with 'Goodness Me'.
The Goodness Me Box is a health food box for $25 a month (free shipping).
In my November box I received an array of goodies, some of which I would repurchase, some which I will not. However, I love being able to try these food items and finding new health foods to continue to purchase in the future.



Here is what I got in my December box:

1. Higher Living: Vitality & Ginger Kick
I always love a good tea. The ingredients in all of Higher Living's teas are natural and certified organic herbs. Great for you're feeling a bit sick, or whenever else you want it!
15-20 bag pack RRP$3.69

2. Henry Jones & Co: Fruit & Chia - Mango, Passionfruit & Chia Seeds
I haven't tried this yet as I have other jams in the fridge, but I'm looking forward to it! This would go well on toast, muesli, smoothies, oatmeal and on cheese boards - yum!
290g RRP $4.99

3. Mayver's: Original Super Spread
I wanted to buy this a while back but didn't because I have a bunch of peanut butters I still need to get through - so I still haven't opened it yet but hope to soon. It looks super yummy and made up of (only) chia, sesame, almond and 4 'super nuts'. There's no added oils, salts or sugars and would be delicious on pretty much anything.
375g RRP $7.99



4. Lupin Foods: Lupin Flake
I never heard of this before it arrived in my Goodness Me Box. "Lupins are the world's richest natural source of combined protein and dietary fibre" (as said on the packaging). It can be used in salads, dips, muesli and protein balls (I'm also sure it can be used in many other recipes). I haven't used it myself yet as I'm still unsure what to use it with!
480g RRP $8.00

5. Jomei's Fine Foods: Balsamic Vinegar
I'm not the biggest fan of balsamic vinegar, unless it's on bruschetta. However, I have already opened this and let others use it and they loved it. I may be willing to try it out on other foods, but never the usual foods people have it on (salads, meats, etc) - I thoroughly dislike the taste.
50ml RRP $5.20

6. Crio Bru: Brewed Cocoa
Made form 100% roasted cocoa beans and nothing else. It is to be brewed like coffee - it has instructions on the packet. I haven't tried this yet as I am trying to find an easier way of brewing it. I definitely look forward to it though.
71g RRP $4.00

7. Naked Paleo: Cacao Almond Paleo Bar
I didn't finish this and gave the rest to my boyfriend. It was okay, very paleo-y (duh!) which I'm not the biggest fan of. If you like paleo bars you'll definitely like it and I love the packaging, but I wouldn't repurchase it for myself.
65g RRP $4.50

So that concludes this months box. Quite a few things in here that I'm happy about! And some, not fussed. I'm glad I got to try them though.

Next months box (January) will be my last box as I will cancel my subscription - I still have plenty of food in my cupboards! I will be posting next months box as well so stayed for that.
If you want to join up, click here.

Hope everyone is having a lovely start to 2015!



Email: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: erena_b
Twitter: erena_bee
Pinterest: erenabennett

Over a month ago I came across 'Goodness Me' - a subscription box filled with healthy food goodies. I didn't join up straight away as I wanted to make sure that $25 per box was worth it.
I signed up for their emails so I could get some insight into the product. After waiting a couple of weeks and browsing through their Instagram (@goodnessmebox) I decided to go ahead with it only to find they had sold out of their November box!
A couple of weeks later in mid-late October they sent out an email announcing more boxes available so I went ahead with it! The hard part: waiting.

I have since received my first Goodness Me box (November 4th).

1. Sam Mills: Gluten Free Fettucine
100% corn pasta. Free from gluten, GMO, dairy, egg, soy and cholesterol. Low in GI and low in fat.
I received the full size of this product.
500g RRP $2.99

2. Higher Living: Green Tea Chai, Cocoa & Chilli and Licorice
100% natural and certified organic herbs are used. I love most tea, so this is a winner.
In this box I got two of each of the above flavours (6 in total).
15 or 20 pack RRP $3.69

3. Mama Bickie's: Grain-o-la
Made from wheat free oats, locally harvested nuts, natural maple syrup and organic coconut.
I got a single serving pot of 75grams. Would be great for a snack or breakfast when milk or yoghurt is added. This product has more sugar than I would usually go for, but I can imagine it'll be yum!
420g RRP $15.20 - very pricey!

4. Nakula: Organic Coconut Water
No added anything; one ingredient: organic coconut water.
I'm not actually a fan of coconut water. I'm yet to try the flavoured ones which I could possibly like. I would use it mixed in smoothies, just not by itself. What is pretty cool is that the company (Nakula) donates money - not sure how much - to provide drinking water for children in schools and orphanages in Asia for every one can that is sold.
I received a full size 330ml can.
330ml RRP $3.95

5. Luv Sum: Chocolate, Chia & Nut Naked Energy Shot
Contains chocolate, chia and assorted nuts which means it's going to be delicious!
I received one full size ball (42g) and I have already eaten it, loved it and would repurchase.
42g RRP $3.50

6. Bioglan: Camu Powder
The Camu Camu fruit contains a naturally high content of vitamin C, and is the highest known content than any other food. It has 23 times more vitamin C than a small orange!
Reduced to a powder, you can add a teaspoon to water, smoothies, juices, cooking, baking and desserts.
I received the full size 100g - score!
100g RRP $26.95

7. Norbu: Natural Sweetener
100% natural sweetener derived from monk fruit. 96% less calories than sugar, low GI, fructose free and GMO free.
I received 4 2g sachets.
200g canister RRP $7.99 or 40 sachet box 80g RRP $4.99

8. Ceres Organics: Chopped Tomatoes in Tomato Juice
I wasn't really fussed about this product. What's great though is the combisafe packaging it's in as it keeps the product fresh without using additives or preservatives. I will definitely use this product as it's something I know I will like.
I received a full size.
390g RRP $3.15

9. Bite Smart: Paprika Dusted Organic Cashews
Free from preservatives and artificial additives.
I have already tasted these and wasn't fussed. There isn't much of a flavour, so I think an added herb or spice would make them tastier otherwise they don't have much of a market for me.
I received a 35g pack.
35g RRP $3.50 - you can get bigger packets that don't cost too much more.

So that was all the products in my first Goodness Me box. I am pretty impressed with it, however I have read on other consumers Instagram's that this box was not as good as previous boxes.
I definitely want to get the next box, and then I will decide from then whether I want to keep going with this box.
It also comes with two recipes each using one of the ingredients from the box, which is a good idea for those unsure on what to do with their products.
I am really glad I came across this subscription box. It gives you a chance to try a bunch of different 'clean' foods without having to buy full size products and for a discounted price.

If you're interested in signing up or just want to have a little look then click here!
I hope you enjoyed this post and see you soon!


Instagram: erena_b
Pinterest: erenabennett

I actually posted a similar recipe (with blueberries) on my old blog, I was going to post it again but realised the pictures were rubbish. I wanted to make it again for both deliciousness and photos to repost however, I knew Beau (the boyfriend) would prefer apple over blueberries, so here is a healthy recipe for Apple Crumble... enjoy!

Fresh from the oven!

The perfect crumble-ness

Complete with (unhealthy) ice cream

Now before I start any of this, I just want to let you know what I am NOT a nutritionist or any kind of health professional, but my older sister is, so that's basically the same thing. No, I am kidding (she is though!). I just want to share with you parts of my experience when I started really getting into healthy eating.
Another note* I won't be telling you what to eat and such because, once again, I am not a health professional and also different things work for everyone. What I was eating might not work for someone else. I just want to give you tips!







1. The most important: Water. For some people, drinking a good amount of water was hard, because you just wouldn't feel thirsty and some people forget. I knew I wasn't drinking enough. I went a bought a pretty cool looking water bottle and it went everywhere with me. I found myself filling it up a few times throughout the day. I think the reason was actually because I really liked my super cool water bottle! Really inexpensive, and it worked well for me!

2. Before you really kick off your new eating habits, write down what you're eating and the times you're eating at for a week. After the week is over, look back at all things you ate and try to identify what you think is okay and not okay. If you want more help with it, go see a health professional and they can tell you exactly what you're putting into your body. Once you've changed your eating habits, you might find it helpful to record your new diet, whether it's to look over your changes and find things you might want to switch around or remove and replace, or to simply help you get back on track if you're having trouble.

3. Start reading nutrition labels on packaged items. If you don't know how to read them properly, just look it up, or ask a professional. Really easy to learn and remember. Some things will come across as healthy, or a product might be pretty good for you, but you might pick up a similar product that ends up being completely different. It's also really important to look at the serving size. You might pick up a product that looks like 1 serve, but nutrition details on the back might have '3 servings per package' or something similar. I know it seems a bit silly, but it happens.

4. 'Fat Free' products aren't necessarily good for you. A lot of products, such as yoghurt and muesli are low fat or fat free but are made up for it with sugar. This is where reading nutrition labels come in handy. I am definitely not saying "Don't eat yoghurt or muesli" because in the right size they make a healthy meal or snack. You just have to watch how much you eat and don't eat the same thing every day.

5. Prepare and Organise yourself. You don't have to "Meal Prep Sunday" and cook all your meals for the week. Just grab a notebook and write down what you'll eat and just make sure you have the necessary groceries. If you plan, you don't have to think about what to eat for dinner and wondering should you just stop off at a takeaway joint on the way home, because you know what's waiting for you at home. *A relevant note to add: If you do write down what you eat, make sure it's in a dedicated 'food only' or similar notebook. Don't have anything that isn't relevant in there. If it motivates you, buy a notebook you enjoy the look of, the inside seems better when the outside looks good.

6. Snacks are important! You've got to keep your metabolism going. You might have breakfast and not really feel hungry for a while and when lunch comes around, hours later, you might find you are incredibly hungry and just eat whatever is in sight (not everyone is the same, but is happens). Once again, for more information, seek a health professional, you have to find what works for you (keep reading).

7. Not everyone is the same. If you ate the same things I ate, the outcome might be different. You need to know what works for you and you only. You might need different amounts of protein, carbs and fats to someone else.

8. Treats are okay, every now and then. I like to say "Treats are good for the soul", and it's true! If you've been working hard and you're staying on track with everything, please know, that you deserve that chocolate chip cookie with your cup of tea tonight. Don't say no or feel guilty about it if you really want it and you know you've earned it. It might be your motivation! From personal experience, I have never cut out ice cream since I started eating a lot healthier - I love it too much! I just made sure I worked for it. Just remember not to feel guilty if you do eat unhealthy from time to time. It's not necessarily 'bad food', I guess you could say it would be unhealthy to be 'too healthy'. As long as you eat in moderation, you're aware and don't have it too often, there isn't really a problem.

9. Exercise! Not my most favourite word... From my own experience, exercise wasn't my top priority, it was a lot harder than changing my food choices. Though, I got to a point where I knew I wanted to tone up - and I have to exercise for that! I knew I wanted to stay motivated and keep going with it, so I started off small. If I went to see a fitness professional and they told me to do three half hour walks, and three strength workouts in a week, I would probably make it half way and not be interested in it anymore, because it was just too hard to start off with. I started off with small workouts and a walk around my suburb here and there, and now I find myself liking to exercise and doing it a lot more. It makes you feel good!

10. Finally... Don't give up. If you don't see or feel a difference in the first week, it's okay. Yeah, it's good to keep a note of your weight and body measurements, but don't do it so often. You've got to see what works best for you and keep at it. The most important thing is feeling good and being healthy about it. Find motivation that suits you, and reward yourself on your hard work. It isn't easy at first, but it is necessary and eventually becomes natural, and you'll love yourself for it.

YOU ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN YOUR LIFE

I hope this helps you if it what you are looking for. Once again, I am not a health professional of any kind, I am just sharing my thoughts and opinions with you on what helped me throughout my own experience.