Plant-based Foods with Health Benefits at Erbology

*PR: Gifted-only food from Erbology

Sian Victoria © - Aronia dried berries, Sea buckthorn, Hemp seed oil

Reasons to eat real whole foods

It feels like now more than ever we should all be striving to be the healthiest version of ourselves inside and out. I’ve loved seeing how fitness and home cooking has brought us all together on a worldwide scale during quarantine.

It is during this time that I have taken my healthy eating regime to the next level by consistently researching the many health benefits of natural whole foods such as legumes, fruits, vegetables and grains and adopting them into my everyday meal plan.

For a while now, I’ve been vegan, indulging in plant-based meals, and trying to reduce the number of processed foods I eat. Although it was only when the pandemic hit that I knew I had to make more of an effort to look after my health to boost immunity, metabolism, and overall general health since I had more time and no excuses not to.

During school and college, I was always off sick because of catching the flu. I missed two weeks of university after the first week of my first-year semester because of the flu. So, as you can imagine it wasn’t ideal so ever since I’ve been taking a multivitamin so that when I’m not getting enough nutrition from food at least I have a supplement to back me up.

Sian Victoria © - Coconut & Cacao energy balls, Raw activated crackers

This has improved my health a lot, so I rarely get sick nowadays. But I know it’s healthier to be getting all the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants from physical food instead of relying on supplements since they are mostly synthetic lab-made vitamins and are not legally monitored for purity, safety, or quality and can contain a lot of unnecessary fillers and binders.

For this reason, when the plant-based nutrition shop Erbology asked if I wanted to pick out a few foods to try complimentary it couldn’t have come at a better time. Although I’ve been doing a lot of research into whole foods recently. Erbology has introduced me to a few edible food plants I hadn’t come across myself such as Sea Buckthorn, Aronia and Nopal Cactus.

Erbology is a small independent created by two siblings who are passionate about whole foods, healthy living and weird-sounding roots and berries. Their love for plant-power foods began at a young age while playing in the milk thistle fields and climbing black cherry trees in the Bessarabian countryside of East Europe while visiting Grandma during the summer.

From these memories, Erbology was born so that they could share the tastes of their childhood in the form of pure and organic snacks, powders, oils and juices to enhance the diets of those living the fast-paced lifestyle who may struggle to get enough wholefood nutrition.

Tigernut Granola on the go Snacks

Sian Victoria © - Tigernut, Nopal cactus & chia and Sea buckthorn & aronia berries, Granola

Erbology have a variety of snacks the ones that caught my attention first were the Tigernut granola on the go packs as they are one of the easiest ways to add nutrition to the body by topping them with plant-based milk or yoghurt along with fresh fruit or simply reaching for a box of granola instead of unhealthy and un-nutritional savoury snacks like a packet of crisps.

There are six varieties of tigernut snacks available, I picked the following two as I had never heard of or tried the main ingredients in them before so was intrigued to see what they were like as well as find out their health benefits.

• Sea buckthorn & Aronia berries

The organic, raw and activated Sea Buckthorn & Aronia berries granola is made of 13 superfood ingredients and absolutely nothing else. You won’t find any refined sugars or any other unnecessary ingredients in any Erbology foods. They are also vegan, gluten-free and contain 5.5g of fibre per a 50g pack and just 168 calories.

This pack contains tigernuts, apples, dates, sea buckthorn powder, sprouted buckwheat, pumpkin seeds, raisins, Aronia powder, linseeds, sunflower seeds and sea salt. Making these crunchy bites packed full of iron, magnesium and fibre as well as a natural source of energy and providing healthy bacteria for the gut to help with digestion.

There’s still a lot more to share on sea buckthorn and Aronia berries so continue reading to find out their amazing health benefits.

Sian Victoria © - Tigernut, Nopal cactus & chia and Sea buckthorn & aronia berries, Granola

• Nopal cactus with chia

The delicious Nopal Cactus with Chia granola 50g pack contains 7g of fibre and 187 calories. It has the similar base ingredient’s as the above, but also contains nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla extract and of course chia seeds and nopal cactus powder.

7 health & beauty benefits of chia seeds:

1. Chia seeds provide a lot of nutrients with very few calories. They are high in fibre, protein, healthy omega-3 fats, calcium, manganese, magnesium and phosphorus.

2. They are high in antioxidants that can contribute towards fighting off the production of free radicals. Free radicals damage cell molecules leading to ageing and diseases like cancer so a diet high in antioxidants can protect these cells.

3. Chia is a low-carb friendly food made up of 40% fibre, for this reason, it is one of the best sources of fibre in the world encouraging the feeling of fullness so that you require fewer calories throughout the day.

4. Contains 14% protein and a source of essential amino acids helping to reduce appetite. Foods high in protein prevent cravings and foods high in soluble fibre create a gel-like consistency in the stomach. Fibre and protein together can make you feel fuller contributing to weight loss.

5. High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids mostly the ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) kind which can lower your risk of heart disease.

6. Chia seeds contain bone loving nutrients like calcium gram-for-gram chia seeds contain more calcium than most sources of dairy.

7. Chia prevents cravings for sugar as the seeds may improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control helping to prevent type 2 diabetes.

Raw activated cracker snacks

Sian Victoria © - Raw activated crackers

Next on the Erbology snacks list are crackers. Erbology works closely with independent farmers to create products that contain organically grown ingredient’s that are free from chemicals and additives.

They turn these natural ingredients into ‘raw & activated’ goodies by using old-school methods like soaking, fermenting, and sprouting. This process gets the raw ingredients ready, so things like seeds and nuts are great for getting the nutrients our bodies need.

Activating seeds and nuts by soaking enables them to let their guard down and release Phytic acid. Phytic acid is the plant's defence mechanism for holding onto its nutrition. That’s why you may have noticed undigested nuts and seeds in animal poop as they have made their way through the digestive tract without being broken down for nutrients, this way when released in poop they have the freedom to grow again.

• Tkemali crackers

The Erbolgoy Tkemali crackers contain sprouted Buckwheat blended with savoury Georgian plum sauce and beets as well as lemon juice, onions, cayenne pepper, dill, garlic, almonds, sunflower seeds, linseeds and sea salt.

A 50g pack of two crackers provides 4.5g of protein, 2.5g of fibre, are gluten-free and have just 102 calories making them a healthy and fulfilling snack to keep hunger at bay.

Sian Victoria © - Greek olive crackers

• Greek Olive crackers

The Greek Olive crackers contain notes of sun-dried olives and coriander blended with sprouted buckwheat as well as carrot, almonds, sunflower seeds, linseeds, dried tomatoes, black pepper, dried black olives, coriander, onions, pumpkin seeds, rosemary, lemon juice and a sprinkle of sea salt. A 50g pack has 3 crackers and provides 6g of protein, 3.5g of fibre and 136 calories. They can be enjoyed plain or with salad, soups and dips.

As Erbology foods are extremely healthy and contain ingredient’s that most of us may have never of tried before, they may not be instantly enjoyable to some. I’m new to these plant-based ingredient’s so I’m going, to be honest, I wasn’t overly keen at first, they are a bit of an acquired taste.

But because I know they are the healthiest alternative out there I’ve become accustomed to the flavour by finding ways to adapt them into my diet. So, I now enjoy these dipped into hummus with a drizzle of hemp oil (more on hemp oil later!).

Energy balls snacks

Sian Victoria © - Superfood Energy balls, Nopal cactus, Jerusalem artichoke, Aronia balls,

For a while now I’ve been a fan of making homemade beauty balls. However, Erbology have brought nutritional food balls to the next level with 3 types of energy balls that contain Jerusalem artichoke powder also known as sunroot. Sunroot is naturally high in inulin fibre providing prebiotic properties for promoting digestion and boosting immunity.

These powerful plant balls rich in inulin fibre and energy are the perfect on the go snack before working out or whenever you need a boost throughout the day.

• Aronia berry with Jerusalem artichoke

Each 40g energy ball pack contains 2 balls with the Aronia Berry & Jerusalem Artichoke balls containing just 6 ingredients’: dates, sunflower seeds, linseeds and almonds as well as the sunroot and Aronia powder.

Together the balls contain 4g of fibre, 4g of protein, 12.4g of naturally occurring sugars, 5.2g of fat, no traces of salt and are just 150 calories.

To put things into perspective. A Yorkie Raisin & Biscuit Chocolate Bar contains over 19 ingredient’s, and a 44g bar has 224 calories, 11.2g of fat with 6.3g of it being saturated fat (the bad type of fat), 25.6g of sugar, just 0.7g of fibre, 2.4g of protein and 0.10g of salt.

Sian Victoria © - Superfood energy balls, Erbology vegan plant-based health foods

Don’t get me wrong-a chocolate bar like this does taste great, a Yorkie was my favourite. However, it provides no nutritional value to the body and like most chocolate bars it contains dairy and palm oil which are bad for the environment and animals.

The sugars found in these types of products contribute towards diabetes and the saturated fats increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Whereas natural wholefoods help to stabilize blood sugar spikes and contain heart-healthy omega fats to prevent problems like heart disease.

So consuming natural energy balls is a great alternative sweet snack to try. For instance, even if I was to swap half of my chocolate consumption with energy balls it would make a positive difference when considering the figures and the difference it would make to my digestive system and energy levels.

• Coconut & Cacao with Jerusalem artichoke

Similarly, to the above ingredients, the Coconut & Cacao with Jerusalem Artichoke balls contain cinnamon, coconut and cacao powder. These are my top three ingredients that I love to sprinkle over breakfast or add to baking so these were the first lot of energy balls I had to try and instantly enjoyed providing the perfect pick-me-up.

Sian Victoria © - Superfood Energy balls, Erbology health food

• Nopal Cactus with Jerusalem artichoke

The final energy ball pack is the Pumpkin & Nopal Cactus with Jerusalem Artichoke balls containing apricots, raisins, pumpkin seeds, sunroot and nopal powder while providing 6g of dietary fibre and only 4.4g of fat.

Nopal cactus, also known as the prickly pear cactus, was one of the powerful plant ingredients’ I was looking forward to trying since I wasn’t aware, we can eat them for their nutritional goodness.

7 health & beauty benefits of Nopal cactus:

1. Prickly pear cactus has antiviral properties, studies show that the plant can protect against HIV, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV).

2. The powerful cactus has neuroprotective properties. Research has found that it can prevent nerve cells from damage or loss of function.

3. Naturally high in antioxidants so it can reduce oxidative stress on cells helping to benefit everyone, of any age and health condition.

4. Decreases the likelihood of diabetes by regulating blood sugar levels.

5. A natural treatment to reduce and potentially cure the uncomfortable symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate.

6. Significantly reduces LDL cholesterol most commonly known as the “bad” cholesterol associated with an increased risk of chest pain, heart attack and stroke.

7. When taken before consuming alcohol nopal cactus is naturally effective at curing symptoms associated with a hangover.

Plant power drink shots

Sian Victoria © - Rose water & Bergamot drink

Now onto Erbology’s plant power drink shots. These can be bought in packs of twelve and are naturally created to cleanse, energise and nourish the body and skin. They contain pure plant juices so are not diluted or sweetened. These shots can be taken straight or mixed with juice, water or herbal teas.

• Organic bergamot shot

An Organic Bergamot shot contains a citrus plant similar to oranges and is considered a Mediterranean gem for helping to support a calm body and mind with its aromatic blossom and zesty flavour.

The fragrant fruit is rich in bio-active flavonoids making it a valuable source of polyphenols that have anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing properties to name a few.

There are 44mg of vitamin C per 100g making Bergamot a great source of collagen to boost production and support immunity.

• Organic rose water shot

I’ve been using the benefits of rose water essence as a topical skin cleanser and toner for over five years, so I was intrigued about consuming it as a drink in the form of an Organic Rose Water shot.

The distilled Damask rose flowers are a source of precious essential oil helping to soothe and hydrate the skin by either drinking or applying directly.

Rosewater has a neutral PH value of 7 meaning it is considered pure.

Cleansing power drinks

Sian Victoria © - Aloe Vera drink

The Erbology shots are also available in 250ml bottles so are perfect to consume at home over 10 days when stored in the fridge. Whereas the shots are good for consuming on the go.

In the Erbology cleansing power drinks range there is rose water, bergamot, sea buckthorn, Aronia and aloe vera juice to choose from. I opted for the latter as I’ve been taking aloe vera supplements for six months to encourage healthy digestion and skin.

So ideally, I would prefer to consume my favourite plant in its pure form rather than as a tablet with added extras.

• Organic Aloe Vera juice

The Organic Aloe Vera juice drink is collected from the inner leaf of the popular succulent plant. Erbology's are handpicked and grown in Spain and contains 99.8% pure aloe vera juice and 0.2% citric acid.

3-4 tbsp (50ml) contains just 3 calories and has absolutely no sugars, fat or salt making it a healthy addition to smoothies, juice or water.

Sian Victoria © - Aloe Vera indoor house plant

7 health & beauty benefits of aloe vera juice:

1. Aloe Vera is a source of alkaline that can help neutralise the acidity in your body. Acidity occurs from having a poor diet, being stressed and environmental toxins that can be either inhaled or absorbed through the skin and can come from either human-made or naturally occurring chemicals. These harmful toxins can also be found in everyday skincare, hair and cleaning products. Having a body with an acidic pH creates an atmosphere where illness thrives. Therefore, introducing alkaline foods to your diet can keep your body in balance by boosting immunity and reducing cancer-causing chemicals.

2. The succulent plant is nutritious and water-dense so is a great source of hydration assisting the liver and kidneys to detox the body by flushing out impurities. By doing this, detoxing is helping to keep the liver healthy since Aloe Vera is both hydrating and rich in phytonutrients.

3. By increasing the water content in your intestines this can balance the healthy bacteria in the gut to prevent constipation as well as ease inflammatory disorders of the intestine such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

4. Aloe is high in vitamins and antioxidants which can protect the skin from UV damage and the associated skin ageing that comes with this. As well as reduce skin conditions such as psoriasis, dermatitis and acne.

5. Aloe vera contains 75 constituents including vitamins A, C & E, enzymes like alkaline and Bradykinase to reduce skin inflammation and minerals such as calcium, copper, selenium, magnesium and zinc making the juice highly nutritious.

6. By controlling the secretion of acid in your stomach, Aloe Vera juice can provide relief from heartburn.

7. Aloe Vera is also known as Aloe barbadensis when listed as an ingredient. It provides many skin, hair and body beautifying benefits and has a variety of uses. For instance, aloe helps soothe and repair sunburnt skin. When applied to the scalp it can condition and repair dead skin cells making the scalp a healthier environment for follicles and in turn encouraging hair growth while reducing an itchy scalp and dandruff.

Organic cold-pressed oils

Sian Victoria © - Hemp Seed Oil, Erbology Health food

Erbology have 11 organic cold-pressed oils ranging from milk thistle, pumpkin seed, chia seed, black seed, poppy seed, amaranth oil and sea buckthorn oil with every drop providing your body with healthy fats, vitamins and phytonutrients. The cold-pressed extraction method is used so that the oil pressed from the seed retains its healthy antioxidants which would otherwise be lost if exposed to heat.

• Hemp seed oil

Due to its recent popularity, I’m sure everyone’s aware of the benefits of hemp seed oil. Although hemp seed oil comes from the hemp plant the seeds do not have Cannabinoids. Only the oil extracted from the hemp plant leaf contain CBD. So drizzling hemp seed oil on pasta, salads and soups won’t make you high. But it will provide you with essential nutrients and amazing hair and skin benefits.

Hemp seed oil is an incredible ingredient that I’ve been applying on my skin head-to-toe during the lockdown as well as drizzling it on hummus and stir-fries. It is a fantastic all-purpose ingredient that I recommend everyone to add to their beauty regime or healthy eating plan to reap its many benefits.

Sian Victoria © - Hemp Seed Oil, Erbology Health food

7 health & beauty benefits of hemp seed oil:

1. The earthy smelling Hemp seed oil has a non-comedogenic rating of 0 meaning it won’t clog your pores when applied directly to the skin. I’ve noticed a huge difference to my skin since using it for the first time 3 months ago (before being introduced to Erbology). My skins texture has improved it is now a lot smoother and softer, I’m not getting any breakouts and my old acne scars are fading. The condition of my scalp has improved a lot too with it no longer feeling so tight. For this reason, hemp has instantly become my beauty essential that I can no longer be without and I’m looking forward to seeing how my skin and hair progresses with time.

2. Hemp seeds are highly nutritious containing more protein than chia seeds and flaxseeds, they are rich in two essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega 6 and are exceptionally high in vitamin E, zinc, iron, calcium and potassium among many others.

3. Heart-healthy hemp is high in amino acid arginine which converts to nitric oxide in the body to encourage blood vessels to expand and relax to aid in lowering blood pressure and reducing heart disease as well as help the heart to recover after a heart attack.

4. The healthy fats omega 3 and omega 6 can provide relief from skin conditions such as eczema while also creating a healthy scalp environment for hair to grow.

5. Hemp is considered a complete plant protein providing similar amounts of protein as lamb and beef and contains all the essential amino acids your diet needs.

6. To reduce symptoms of menopause and PMS reach for the hemp seeds instead of chocolate (a bad habit I’ve recently stopped) as the magical seeds can reduce depression, mood swings, fluid retention and breast tenderness.

7. Whole hemp seeds contain two types of fibre. Soluble fibre that creates a gel-like consistency in the gut and insoluble fibre. Both help to aid digestion, regulate cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of diabetes.

Raw organic plant powders

Sian Victoria © - Raw Organic Sea Buckthorn Powder, Omega-7, Erbology health foods

As well as oils, Erbology provides the power of plants in powder form with six organic pots of condensed powder to add to food and drink in a variety of ways to reap their nutritional benefits.

• Jerusalem Artichoke Powder

Firstly, Jerusalem Artichoke comes from a completely different plant family to the regular artichoke known as the Globe artichoke. Although they share a similar name, they have different tastes and health benefits.

Raw Jerusalem artichoke powder is the leading ingredient in the energy balls thanks to its prebiotic goodness aiding digestive health. Also known as sunroot, sunchokes or Helianthus tuberosus has a mildly sweet earthy flavour and can be added to yoghurts, smoothies, breakfast bowls, pasta, pancakes and baked goods.

Sian Victoria © - Organic Raw Jerusalem Artichoke, Prebiotic powder, Erbology health food

4 health & beauty benefits of Jerusalem Artichoke:

1. The starchy vegetable is high in vitamins B1 and Vitamin B3 and minerals such as potassium, magnesium and copper.

2. Sunroot is also rich in iron, making it an essential source in the production of red blood cells. A diet low in this essential mineral can lead to an iron deficiency anaemia. Something that I had during college and have now somewhat improved thanks to supplements. However, foods containing iron are the best source to prevent symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, weakness, pale skin and extreme fatigue to name a few.

3. High in inulin, a dietary fibre that increases the number of good bacteria in the gut to reduce unwanted bad bacteria. In doing so this helps with the absorption of antioxidants and minerals such as calcium for improved bone health.

4. Helps to prevent blood sugar spikes making it ideal to prevent diabetes.

Sian Victoria © - Raw Organic Sea Buckthorn Powder, Omega-7

• Sea Buckthorn Powder

Sea Buckthorn powder and oil is extracted from the berries, leaves and seeds of the Himalayan growing plant also known as Hippophae rhamnoides. It has been used for thousands of years especially in traditional Chinese medicines to reap its many health and beauty benefits.

7 health & beauty benefits of Sea Buckthorn:

1. Sea Buckthorn is the only plant known to exist that contains all four omega fatty acids: omega-3, omega-6, omega-7 and omega-9.

2. Packed full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals especially vitamin C, Vitamin E and beta-carotene which is a safe source of vitamin A.

3. When applied to the skin the sea buckthorn berry oil has a comedogenic rating of 1 meaning there is a slight chance of getting a few blackheads and whiteheads. However, the skin benefits outweigh this negative as research proves it stimulates skin regeneration, protects against sun damage, reduces inflammation, helps wounds to heal quickly, promotes skin elasticity and dryness.

4. Adding sea buckthorn to meals can reduce blood sugar spikes helping to prevent diabetes.

5. High in plant flavonoids, it may help to prevent the growth of bacteria such as E. coli as well as offering protection against viruses like HIV, influenza and herpes. Overall this plant strengthens the immune system by increasing resistance to illnesses.

6. Since it contains carotenoids, vitamin E and healthy fats this can support the liver by potentially preventing liver disease.

7. Although more studies are needed sea buckthorn is rich in quercetin which is a known flavonoid used to eliminate cancer cells and preventing its spread.

Plant power pantry

Sian Victoria © - Aronia dried berries

Found in the Erbology plant power pantry is a variety of fresh nuts and berries sourced straight from the hands of small farmers. In addition to the oil and powder, you can also find dried sea buckthorn berries. But on this occasion, I opted to try Aronia berries these can also be found in the energy balls.

• Organic Aronia Dried Berries

Organic Aronia Dried Berries are also known as chokeberries have a mild sweet taste and can be added to smoothies, yoghurt, granola and porridge. They are also gluten-free and contain no GMO or preservatives.

Sian Victoria © - Aronia dried berries

4 health & beauty benefits of Aronia / chokeberries:

1. Chokeberries are extremely high in antioxidants defending cells from damage caused by free radicals and can therefore potentially prevent chronic illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.

2. There have been positive animal studies that indicate Aronia berries have worked exceptionally well at reducing both colon cancer and breast cancer.

3. Since Aronia berries are packed full of antioxidants studies show they can reduce bad cholesterol helping to prevent heart disease, diabetes and overall benefit heart health.

4. Similarly, to sea buckthorn berries, chokeberries may strengthen and support the immune system by providing antibacterial properties to protect against the production of harmful bacteria suggesting that the berries could have antiviral effects on the body.

To conclude

So, there you go, my 4200-word essay on why you should consider adding unique plant-based whole foods to your diet. It explains why I’ve recently become so passionate about researching the health, beauty and wellbeing benefits of plants during quarantine.

Although Erbology does not promote its products to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. There is a lot of evidence to suggest these plants are beneficial when added to a healthy diet and lifestyle plan. So, if there is an ingredient that caught your attention you are free to do your research elsewhere to decide if adding it to your diet would benefit you.

If you feel it will be beneficial to you and you decide to purchase a product or two then you can use my Erbology discount code: vrcdy4y to get £10 off when you spend £40 at Erbology. Standard delivery in the UK is free on orders above £30 making it a low-cost opportunity to potentially fall in love with the power of plants.