In all cases seek specialist medical advice if you think that you may have an intolerance or allergy to a product.  This should always be your first port of call. Diagnosis and support will then be offered on a personalised basis by your practitioner.

 

We are expanding our range of hampers. If there is a requirement you would like to see, can you please let us know so we can consider including a choice within our range.

 

Organic

 

All of our products are labelled organic and we use environmentally-friendly suppliers.

We are currently exploring how to expand our range, keeping in line with our ethos and values. There are a number of website which promote “organic” standards. In the UK, The Soil Association campaigns for stringent standards for food production and labelling, sustainable forestry and health.

 

For further information, please see: www.soilassociation.org and www.whyorganic.org

 

 

Gluten-Free

 

Gluten is a protein occurring naturally in wheat, barley, rye and oats (although some debate is held on the gluten levels of oats). When these grains are milled the gluten is released and it's this that gives grain flours their strength and elasticity.

 

Gluten allergy is commonly called coeliac disease (also spelt celiac), and it has been around a long time. Coeliac disease is not really an allergy, it's an auto-immune disorder, but the majority of people refer to it as a gluten allergy, although once diagnosed they then appreciate that it is actually a disorder of the auto-immune system.

 

When a coeliac eats gluten in foods their intestine thinks it's under attack from a foreign body and creates an immune response to the invader. The lining of the intestine becomes inflamed and the villi flatten. The flattening of the villi means that their surface area is reduced and the nutrients vital to health therefore aren't absorbed, which over time leads to weight loss, wasting and malnutrition.

 

For further information please see: www.glutenfreeinfo.com &  www.coeliac.info

 

 

 

 

Wheat-Free

 

Wheat is a major diet constituent for much of the world. It is an ingredient for a wide range of foods. Using wheat in food manufacture has advantages that make its continued mass growth vital to manufacturers. It's a cheap bulking agent that often takes the place of better quality ingredients in a product.

 

Most people eat wheat so often their bodies adapt and cope and so they experience mild forms of the symptoms (known as wheat intolerance) without ever really being aware of where the problem lies. Withdrawing wheat from the diet and therefore ridding the body of wheat can lead to immense improvements in health and wellbeing.

 

For further information, please see: www.wheat-free.org

 

 

Low Sugar

 

We sought organic diabetic chocolate, jams and other products and found that they tend to contain bulk sweeteners like fructose or sorbitol in place of natural sugar, which affect blood sugar levels in much the same way. The danger is that labelling a product ‘diabetic’ gives it a stamp of approval that some people with diabetes find hard to ignore – they may even believe it to be beneficial or essential.

It is far better instead to enjoy, in moderation, "for example", organic dark not real chocolate and biscuits made with wholesome ingredients and a high cocoa content as an occasional treat.

Dairy-Free

 

Some people find dairy products really hard to digest or have a dairy or lactose (the sugar in milk) intolerance. So eating yoghurts, cheese and cream isn’t an option. However products made from soya and rice are just as tasty and won't upset your stomach. We included a chocolate hamper with a mix of dairy-free options for you following several requests.

 

Please refer to www.dairyfreeuk.com which is a discussion site for those who follow a dairy-free diet. The allergy site listed below also has useful hints and recipes for dairy-free living.

 

 

Other Useful Links

 

These provide more information to help you make informed choices about diets and foodstuffs.

 

www.vegsoc.org

 

www.eatwell.gov.uk

 

www.theallergysite.co.uk

 

 

Natural Skincare

 

So if you’ve got this far, you are interested in not just what you ingest orally but also what you ingest through your skin!

 

We chose suppliers, who again meet our requirements and needs for natural, chemical free choices which are not tested on animals. They've in turn searched for suppliers that support the same policies we do in terms of sustainability and fair-trade and they ensure that our their production is as environmentally sound as possible

 

All the ingredients come from natural sources and through their life cycle do not hurt the environment and by natural sources we mean everything they use comes from vegetable, mineral or plant sources and not the petrochemical industry. We put the word ‘sources’ in because obviously most ingredients aren’t just found in hedgerows; they have to undergo some form of process to extract the bits they want. There are no SLS, parabens, urea, synthetic fragrance or colour used. Ever!!