We'd like to congratulate Jamie Oliver on receiving his award from Ted.com! We fully support his efforts in highlighting the benefits of healthy eating habits. Go Jamie! Please click the following link to watch his Ted.com talk:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/TEDTalks_video
We recently donated some Nakd bars to a fund raising event for local hospital the John Radcliffe. Below Jo Hubbick, the organiser, gives us her account of the event.
“We were raising funds for the Oxford Heart Centre at the John Radcliffe. The funds are to be used to help raise the extra £2 million pounds needed to open this facility. Further information is available from their website: www.oxfordheartcentre.nhs.uk
During the Spinathon we raised £495.00, this was raised through bike hire and sponsorship. The event took place on the 17th February at 9.00-12.00 we had 13 people who completed all 3 hours and 2 people who did 2 hours. We used music from the 50/60's, 70/80's & 90/00's, which proved to be great fun as people had given me their requests previously at a cost of £2.00 per track.
The bars were a great success and given out by our fab volunteers (on their school holidays), every hour and definitely kept us going for the duration! I myself burnt 2200 calories, so getting the right nutrients back in, was just what we all needed!
I myself am using Trek bars which are fab for my Marathon training, just hope they help improve my time!
Thank you again for all your support on this event, it was very much appreciated”.
Freya Gillott runs a great blog and recently asked to review our products. As she’s always saying such lovely things about us we couldn’t help but spread the Nakd cheer and send her some goodies. Freya writes a great daily blog on her eating habits including ideas, tips, recipes and the little bargains she picks up along the way. It’s a great read and we recommend you have a look – even better you’ll see us popping up all over the place! Thanks Freya!
You can view Freya’s article here: http://britchickruns.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/all-is-revealed
Marie Curie Cancer Care is extremely appreciative of the donation of Nibble Bars kindly donated by Natural Balance Foods for participants in our Mothers Day Moonlight Walk.
The walk will take place on Sunday 14th March 2010 and there is a choice of a 5km or 10km walks suitable for all the family. The courses are well marshalled, along bridle paths and footpaths in beautiful Warwickshire woodland, both walks start and finish at Binley Woods Village Hall.
There are limited free t-shirts for anyone who registers and a goody bag for participants on the day which include a Nibble Bar to provide nutrition and energy!
Participants are encouraged to raise sponsorship to help make a real difference to the lives of people with a terminal illness and their families. Funds from this event will pay for the Marie Curie Nursing service to offer the care and support that everyone deserves at the end of their lives. This service is provided completely free of charge.
For further information call 01604 442 313 or visit www.mariecurie.org.uk
“Health4Life” has two interpretations which come to mind; “health for a lifetime”, or a more present “health for living”, in either or both cases it is a challenging idea, because sadly a lifetime or a daily life experience of true health is truly sensational when placed in the context of our cultures current and free flowing sickness epidemic. This Health4Life event was sensational but not sensationalised, as the truth regarding the relationship between our lifestyle choices and their impact on our present and future health is itself the sensational, needing not even the softest hint of spin. “Tackling the Stress factor” wasn’t the unveiling of a new wonder drug we’re all encouraged to feel we’re moving towards, this was the inaugural event of an organisation which is looking towards a cure for the “pill for an ill” mentality which we’re culturally fed...Read more.
Natural Balance are this years main sponsors of The Exbury Gardens 10k race which takes place this year on Mothers Day Sunday 14th March. The circular race, run over quiet country lanes, is now in its 3rd year and starts and finishes in the beautiful 200 acre gardens on the edge of the New Forest which were the inspiration of Nathan Rothschild and now attract over 100,000 visitors annually. One of the main attractions of the race is the unusual mid-section part of the course which includes around 500m of running along the pebble foreshore path at Lepe and gives spectacular views over The Solent to the Isle of Wight.
Once again this years race has proved as popular as ever and sold out over a month before raceday with entrants coming from all parts of the country, including York, Cirencester and a number from around the London area as well as lots of local runners, many of whom are taking part in their first ever 10k run
All profits from the race are given back to local good causes and charities with well over £1,000 donated every year - this year we will be looking to donate a large part of the raceday profits to two of the local Hardley runners who are supporting the Help for Heroes charity by taking part in the gruelling Marathon de Sables and The Lakeland 100mile challenge.
For more race details visit the Hardley Runners website at www.hardleyrunners.co.uk
Sarah Collins runs a great blog called ‘Gluten-free tries Vegan’ which has features on different gluten-free vegan products, recipes and tips for healthy living. She recently, with some helpers, reviewed our raisins and gluten free range. We’re pretty chuffed with what she said about us, and wanted to say thanks! We think you should all scoot on over to her blog to see the review and all her other tips and stories. You can view it here.
Real Life Options are a Scottish Government initiative supporting employers and employees to develop health promotion and safety themes in the workplace. They offer a range of health events and campaigns within the company, focusing on issues including breast cancer, alcohol awareness, smoking cessation and physical activity. The fun continues in February 2010, when Real Life Options is hosting a series of staff road shows across Scotland, covering over 200 miles. There will be free samples of healthy & nutritious food, food demonstrations and external speakers; as well as free therapies, including hand and head massage. Everyone will get a free goody bag, with great health related products; and a prize draw will feature healthy prizes such as smoothie makers, yoga kits or spa weekends. Never one to shy away from helping a good cause we have donated some of our Nakd Nibble bars for the staff to get their teeth into. We hope the events are a successful and wish Real Life Options all the best for the future!
You can read more about Real Life Options here: www.reallifeoptions.org
Natural Balance Foods Founder Jamie Combs was among the 20,000 activists at The Wave Climate March on December 5th in London. Natural Balance supported the event with free NAKD bars for the organisers and filmed the protest to be part of a future documentary on the green movement. He was of course asked about snack bars...
On Saturday 5th December and Sunday 6th December, stalls were held at the Sheffield Vegan Fayre and Animal Aid Christmas Fayre respectively to raise awareness and raise funds for the Doris Banham Dog Rescue Charity. This is a small charity, run by volunteers, that helps to prevent the needless destruction of stray dogs at council pounds across the country. Stray dogs that are collected by the dog wardens and police are taken to these pounds and are given just 7 days to be reclaimed before being put to sleep. Whilst the dogs are in the pounds we pay for any urgent vet’s treatment that is required, provide extra food and give them coats to keep them warm. When the 7 days are up we take the dogs to rescue centres around the country where they can then be found permanent loving homes. In 2008 we saved 3117 dogs from being put to sleep at council pounds. Please visit our website at www.dogsos.co.uk for more information.
Both events were extremely successful. Natural Balance Foods donated 2 pressie boxes which contained numerous products which were used as tombola prizes at the London fayre and as part of the main hamper prize at the Sheffield fayre. The majority of the funds raised were due to the raffle and tombola, and we made £110 at Sheffield and £352 at London. All this money will go directly to saving these dogs. Thanks Natural Balance Foods!
Save A Scream is a website focusing on a cruelty free lifestyle and includes a recommended page, interview section, features page and blogs. Jamie, our founder and Managing Director, recently spoke to them about Natural Balance Foods and issues affecting the industry…
Shari Black Velvet: The company has only been around since 2005. Have you been happy with the growth in that time?
Jamie Combs: I’m delighted and excited with our rapid success and the explosion of the entire Wholefood movement. I think it reflects a broader evolution toward more holistic thinking that more and more people are experiencing in regards to their relationship with their environments, bodies and minds. It is increasingly dawning on the great mass of people that they are a part of nature and grow out of this world like everything else. They come to realise health and happiness are by-products of aligning with the nature. With the rise of this understanding comes a whole spectrum of social changes, one of which is replacing heavily processed foods with more raw, wholefoods and a focus on a more vegetarian, eco-friendly diet. We’re very happy and proud to be helping to lead the vegan, wholefood side of this bigger holistic shift.
To read the rest of the interview please visit the Save A Scream website here: http://www.saveascream.com/naturalbalancefoods.htm
To view us on the recommended page visit here: http://www.saveascream.com/recommended.htm
On Saturday 5th Dec 09, Sheffield Animal Friends held a free vegan food fayre in the centre of Sheffield, which turned out to be a great success with lots of interested and appreciative people coming to enjoy the food. There was a wide variety of delicious vegan food on offer, some of which was made using donated products and other products were given away as samples for people to try. Many people said they enjoyed the food so much that it had inspired them to eat a more vegan diet, as well people who were already veg*n saying they were pleased to come across products such as Trek bars that were new to them. The food fayres in Sheffield are now set to become an annual event, so for any info related to that or any S.A.F activities please go to www.sheffieldaf.org.uk
Natural Balance Foods are going to be proud sponsors of The Beast race in February 2010. The race consists of a 5-10 mile run across a course of steep hills, water, mud, 32 obstacles usually tackled by animals of a four legged variety, with a couple of extra surprises along the way.
The race is open to runners of all abilities aged 18 years or over, and we’re really looking forward to February and getting involved with the race!
5th Dec 2009
Hillingdon Road Race
Position 15/100
It was a cold winter day in London and overcast, the ground was damp and the racers were ready to commence the series, you can feel the tension as there is an echoing click of racers clipping in. Then 3,2,1, were off racing hard and fast to start my line is a little off in and out of the corners then I settle in, it's been 7 months since I ve raced and the rush comes flooding back, after an hour of hard paced racing we go into the final 5 laps, I'm pushing hard and making breaks I'm leading the pack with 3 laps to go then I'm run off the road into the grass, still I get back on and push hard, here comes the final lap and it's intense heart rate is thumping here comes the last corner then the final hill, we push up the hill I'm trying to weave between people up the field and I cross the line in 15th a reasonable finish, I cooldown and find my girlfriend who has my jacket and a trekbar for me, both much needed and both appreciated, so next week it is for another fun filled weekend of racing.
12th Dec 2009
Hillingdon Road Race
I'm back again and very excited about today, a cold day and this time the Tarmac is dry the race starts and we push hard from the start, there are a series of breakaways and I'm with everyone, I make an attack to see who will follow there s no response so a fruitless effort, then a racer pulls away and I jump now there is 3 of us pushing hard making a break, we finally get caught by the pack after a few more breaks and some hard efforts it's the last lap here come the final bend I m in a good position I'm start to sprint movig through the field I'm in 5th ready to strke for 1st position then BAM Im on the floor the racer infront has crashed he's taken me down too, lying on the cold Tarmac I feel like my left handside is on fire, a Dr comes to check if I'm ok, diagnosis of severe road rash and the treatment a warm bath, it's gonna be a long drive home, but I ll be back next week racing again, I think I ll have two trek bars on the way back one for me and one for the injury, until next week keep on spinning
This year my two big events have been Ironman distance triathlon races, part of the Challenge series. The first was held in Germany back in July at the Quelle Challenge at Roth. I had raced this one back in 2006 when I was hopeful of breaking the 11 hour barrier. Unfortunately due to an injury in the late spring I lost around 6 weeks of run training and was 17 minutes adrift of my target. So, there was very much a sense of unfinished business when I returned this year. Fortunately the weather was kinder and instead of blazing sun, and clear blue skies with temperatures hitting the mid 30s we were greeted with a fairly overcast day and temperatures which only reached the low 20s. After an excellent swim I struggled somewhat on the bike towards the end but had a brilliant run and managed to cross the line in 10:47, job done and much satisfaction all round especially knowing I could improve on the bike leg.
Next stop was the Evolution Challenge Barcelona-Maresme. After a good race in Germany and areas I knew I could improve upon my confidence was high for this race and I hoped to get nearer to 10:30. However, even though it was already early October it was very, very hot! In fact the temperature was in the high 20s for most of the day with no shade at all! This event involved a sea swim (rather than the German ship canal) which made life more interesting (and slower!). The bike course however was a cyclist dream, very good road surfaces and 2.5 laps of a closed dual carriage-way along the coast. I managed to knock 20 mins of my Roth time but that didn’t quite make up for the time lost on the swim. Out onto the run course and the heat was taking its toll with triathletes dropping like flies. By half way I knew I wouldn’t be breaking any records and was glad to be finishing with another sub 11 hours albeit 10 minutes adrift of my Roth time. However, 10:57 on this course (which proved to be a little longer than Roth) was enough to secure me 20th overall and 6th age grouper and best of all I won my Age Group.
All in all I’ve had a very successful season coming 2nd in the BTF Age Group Middle Distance Championship at Bala back in June and taking 2nd overall at the Half Ireman in Ireland at the end of August all fuelled of course by Trek Bars! Thanks very much to Natural Balance Foods for your continued support.
www.justgiving.com/Kelda-Spratt
The November issue of FMCG magazine has us on the cover and includes a nice article about NBF.
<<<< Click on the image to read the article.
Here at Natural Balance Foods we love supporting a good cause, so we jumped at the chance to help out Cancer Research Wales. On Monday 19th October Cancer Research Wales are presenting a charity gala screening of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox. For just £10 you get the chance to see this amazing version of the classic tale starring non-other than George Clooney and Meryl Streep a full week before general release! On top of all that you get goody bag that contains, among other things, some Nakd goodies! Now, we think that’s pretty good for £10, and your helping out a good cause!
Elizabeth from Cancer Research Wales is just as excited as us, “Cancer Research Wales is thrilled to be supported by Natural Balance Foods and proud to be associated with a delicious natural product which everyone can enjoy! Thank you for helping to make a difference to pioneering cancer research projects in Wales”.
For further information and tickets please contact Cancer Research Wales on crw@velindre-tr.wales.nhs.uk or Tel: 029 2031 6976 or check out their facebook page by searching ‘fantastic mr fox cancer research wales’
Natural Balance Foods has partnered up with Trekstock during London Fashion Week to help them raise funds for The Teenage Cancer Trust by supplying free jc’s TREK bars.
Founded in 2006, Trekstock has raised thousands of pounds for Teenage Cancer Trust. The idea originated when its founder, Sophie Epstone, signed up for a Teenage Cancer Trust trek to Everest. To raise money, she conceived the idea to put on a little music gig, pushing her to visit the UK festivals, spread the word about Teenage Cancer Trust and promote the event using her now cult 'I ? Trekstock' blue badges. The message has grown far and wide, as has the support from world famous artists and celebrities...and do-gooder wholefood companies!
George recently confessed his love for Nakd bars on his Talksport Radio show saying
“I'm full of energy tonight and it's down to the delicious nakd bars. All natural healthy bites with no sugar that's suits me too! My favorite is Cashew and I can't get over how tasty these are! I got them from www.eatnakd.com and you can too!”
Thanks, George we really appreciate the kinds words!
On Sunday 6th September, Nakd fan Ewan Innes will be competing in this year’s Great Scottish Run and with the help of Natural Balance Foods he will be doing this wearing a teddy bear suit!
Ewan wanted to make the run a real challenge by completing the race in fancy dress, however, to get such an amazing costume he needed funding! In order to purchase the teddy bear suit Ewan raffled off Nakd goodies along with other prizes to raise the money needed to have the suit made. By wearing the suit Ewan hopes to make even more money and reach his target of £10,000 for his chosen charity the Yorkhill Children’s Foundation.
The Yorkhill Children's Foundation aims to support the work of the Yorkhill NHS Trust and provides funding for extra medical equipment, improvements in child and family facilities and the provision of extra services which make a stay in hospital less distressing for children and their families.
If you would like to sponsor Ewan and support this worthy charity, please visit his Just Giving page to donate online.
http://www.justgiving.com/Teddy-Bear/
Natural Balance Foods and Business Link have teamed up to supply visitors of the Holdenby Food Show with free Nakd goodies.
The third Holdenby Food Show promises to be the best yet! Since it’s launch the show has brought 5,000 visitors to Holdenby each year for a truly memorable two days, showcasing a fantastic mix of local and regional producers, plus suppliers of fine foods, organic produce and other non-edible quality goods related to the home and kitchen.
The event will take place this Bank Holiday weekend; show times 11am – 5pm on Sunday 30th August and Monday 31st August 2009.
Mark Holmes of Business Link says “The Natural Balance Foods products are packed full of flavour and as a quick snack are a much healthier (and more filling!) option over cereal or chocolate bars. We can’t think of a tastier way to one of your five-a-
So why don’t you pop along to the event and see what goodies could be in store for you!
Read all about our uber-fit Team Trek athlete, Jason Walkley, as he competes in the ETU LD Triathlon Championship in Prague, Czech Republic:
Race distance: 4k river swim, 120k cycle, 30k run
“We arrived in Prague on the Wednesday before the race, only just got to the hotel.... well that’s what it felt like as driving is a little make it up as you go along over there. The Angelo Hotel was the main hotel for the GB team and it was fantastic.
Thursday – Registration: The registration tent was a very small gazebo with a hand written rough English sign saying registration being the only thing guiding us there. We left feeling confused and knowing nothing of any help than we already knew before we got there.
Friday – Bike Build: Once built, a few of us guys went out for an hour to test ride our bikes. We ended up on the motorway which was a little dicey but fun. On returning to the hotel and checking my tyres I found a slit in the tub on my disc approx 5mm long. So I stripped the tub off and stuck a new one on.
Saturday – Event Day: The swim was 2 laps, this meant swimming against the current twice, and it was like swimming in an endless pool most the time, with only the very good AG and all Elite swimmers pulling ahead from us normal swimmers. Swim split: 1hr 11mins 58secs.
Next onto the bike course; the course was a 19k lap, 9.5k out and back, consisting of 6 gruelling laps. The hill leading upto the turn point wasn't overly steep but a very long drag and it really took it out of your legs (11mph average speed on the climb). Bike Split: 3hrs 26mins 51secs:
Into T2: The dismount line was about 5m off the dual carriageway and caught us all by surprise, I didn’t have time to take my feet out the shoes so after a dodgy make it up as I went along dismount I ran the 150m into T2 in my shoes. The feed stations on the bike course then started to run out of water and food etc it didn’t affect me but for everyone else this is where it started to go wrong.:
The run can only be described as one of the hardest runs I have ever done! 30k along the river the description said. They didn’t mention the fact that most of it was off road and the end of each lap was a full lap around the horse racing track made off a sandy type material. Run time: 2hrs 28mins 32secs.
So a finish time of 7hrs 7mins 22secs, 6th in age group, 56th Overall including the Elites which meant I was 31st Overall in the Age Group race, I am delighted with this!”
Well done to Jason from all at Natural Balance Foods on his amazing achievement!
Our very own Operations Manager Elf, Naomi and two friends arrived in Oxford at 9pm on Saturday Night 11/07/09 to undertake this years Oxford Moonlight Stroll for Sobell Hospice Charity.
Unfortunately, the weather was not kind to the girls and the rain did not look like it was going to stop. They all sat in the car praying for the weather to clear up – even just a tad – but to no avail. Whilst waiting, our charity goers munched on a Trek bar each to keep their energy up - Trek Oat Flapjacks are Naomi’s favourite!!!
The girls gathered on the field for the warm up with umbrellas in hand – with the dance music pumping they all got in the mood for the 9 mile walk that was ahead of them!!
Setting off at 10.30pm following the umbrella’s in front, the walkers ended up ducking and weaving through Oxford Town Centre in between cobbled streets and dark parks. Having walked about 7 miles it was time for a much needed refreshment; a bottle of water amd Trek bar later and they were back walking and the end was in sight.
The girls completed the 9 miles in 2 and a half hours, which is fab and between the 3 of them raised over £300 for the Sobell Hospice Charity, so a good achievement all in all. Well done, good effort!
Nakd Beauty – Rachel Christie
Beating all other contenders at each beauty-hurdle - Rachel Christie niece to Olympian Linford Christie has changed history by becoming the first ever black Miss England in July!
Christie also shapes up well on the track and hopes to excel in time for the Olympics in 2010!! To help fuel her ambitions, Rachel loves our yummy Nakd Bars and Amazin Raisins which are award-winning too!! These healthy snacks are bursting with natural, raw ingredients to keep you looking and feeling your best just like Rachel!
You thought our original bars were simple, well get a load of these beauties! Just fruit and nuts smooshed together and available NOW online and in selected health food shops!
Supremely simple, all-natural, vegan, no added sugar, gluten, wheat, dairy and GMO free, cold-pressed, never baked, 95-100% raw. We’re so proud of these little beauties we could pop!
Available in four tasty flavours: Cocoa Orange, Pecan Pie, Ginger Bread and Cashew Cookie, these delicious bars can be purchased online and in selected health stores now! And for a limited time only you can purchase online the Nakd Gluten Free Sampler: one of each bar for you to try!
Word just in that after spending the last month remodelling her art studio, preparing for her first show, and generally "working like a dog" it all went very well. More raving fans! We are so happy for her and hope she remembers us when her work makes it into the Metropolitan Museum of Art!
Our delightful and much loved Global Glee and Happiness Elf has taken off to Oregon to pursue her career as a metal artist. Those of you who had the pleasure to know Breezy will know it’s a perfect fit for a truly one-of-a-kind girl. Although we’re shattered she’s gone, we know she’s right where she needs to be and are very happy for her. She was a founding member of our young company and a ray of sunshine wherever she is.
Rest assured that whereever is she is, she’s spreading smiles right now this very second. Truly an elf for the history books!
Come join the friendly NAKD community online and share news, info and random silliness with us. Look us up under NAKD BARS or
Click Here . See you soon!
After overwhelming demand they’ve launched and the feedback has been fantastic (whew!).
Two flavours are available, Oat Crunch and Cherry Crunch and they are truly flippin’ yum and really stick with you. Please rush out and try them. We think you’ll dig ‘em.
All three flavours (cherry, lemon and orange) in 5 packs will be available in the Homebaking section with the other dried fruit. The coolest thing to happen to grapes since wine.
Seriously, how we could we not get involved in this? British silliness at it’s very best. 22 miles of madness. Starts at 10am run alone, in teams or on horseback. It’s put one by Green Events in Wales, perhaps the greatest event organizers on Earth. More info at http://www.green-events.co.uk/events.php#id3. We’ll be there filming, feeding folks and generally goofing off. Come join us, you can’t have anything more fun to do!