Fab Finds: Living the Smart Way
One of my favourite things about health shows is that I never know precisely what fun new products and/or services I will stumble across. Yesterday, at the Living the Smart Way Expo, was no different. I am usually a highly chipper person ("terrifyingly chipper" some might even say), but there is something about health shows that makes me feel like a child in a candy shop. If you attended the expo yesterday and saw a dark-haired woman skipping happily through the aisles and smiling broadly, odds are it was me.
Here are some of my favourite things that I came across at the show yesterday:
MAPLE FLOSS
Maple Floss looks like cotton candy, but it's so much better than that. It’s 100% pure organic maple sugar spun into a delicious floss. Completely natural with no chemicals or artificial colours, when consumed in moderation, this fabulously candy-like treat can absolutely be part of a healthy diet. What's more, each 15 gram serving (which equates to approximately 2 cups) only contains 60 calories. While I don't recommend that my clients count their calories, that just goes to show how light and airy these sweet treats are. To quote the company, "Maple Floss – sweet beyond reproach."
SCREAMIN' BROTHERS
Screamin' Brothers, makers of homemade frozen treats free of the 10 most common allergens (i.e. Milk, Egg, Wheat, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Soy, Sulphites, Sesame Seeds, Seafood, Mustard), has introduced a new flavour: raspberry! I have been a long time consumer of this delicious coconut "ice cream." Not only do these frozen desserts taste fantastic, they are sweetened with either pure honey or maple syrup. While I really like many of their flavours, I think that the raspberry is my new favourite. Nicely done, boys.
HAPPY WATER
Sourced from two ancient Canadian mountain springs, Happy Water® is a blend of spring and mineral water, which contains naturally occurring lithia, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. Considering that lithium has a long history as a mood stabilizer in the treatment of manic depression, it is little wonder that this natural source of lithia might be a highly happiness-inducing beverage. Lithia/Lithium acts on a person's central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Doctors don't seem to know exactly how lithium works to stabilize a person's mood, but it is believed to help strengthen nerve cell connections in brain regions that are involved in regulating mood, thinking, and behavior. If that weren't enough, Happy Water® offers athletes of all ages and intensities a naturally alkaline water blend that delivers integral minerals to help with optimum hydration and absorption. "Happy Water® is more than hydration… it’s a state of mind."
EARTH TO BODY TOOTH CLEANSER
There seems to be a growing belief that our teeth (as well as our bones) are able to heal themselves by means of a process called remineralization. While I would love to hear a holistic dentist's take on this, it would seem as though specialized cells in the center of the tooth are able to regenerate dentin, the layer of tooth just under the enamel, enabling the enamel to then properly remineralize from the outside. All the teeth seem to require are the right nutrients. Enter Earth to Body Tooth Cleanser. "Our all-natural 'Tooth Cleanser' is out of this world. Literally. Made with coconut, calcium, magnesium, clay, manuka, moringa, neem, and more, our tooth cleanser will leave you spotless. Clay and Moringa are green. Lemon honey, turmeric and charcoal are not white either. But your teeth will be. Do not expect this tooth cleanser to look, feel, taste or behave as the norm. It will be better. You are trying it because you want a good product, from nature, that works." I have only used the product twice so far, but my teeth already look whiter. Impressive.
CANADIAN BIRCH COMPANY BIRCH SYRUP
Most of us are very familiar with maple syrup, but have you ever heard of birch syrup? I certainly hadn't. Not as something that I would consume at least. Not only did I find Canadian Birch Company's syrup appealing with its sweet but complex flavour notes, I was incredibly impressed by its nutrient content. According to the lovely lady at the Live the Smart Way Expo booth, due to the nutrient-rich soil in which their birch trees grow, every tablespoon of Canadian Birch Company syrup contains approximately 20% of the recommendated daily intake for Calcium. That's more than what we would find in half a cup of yogurt. At $25 per 100 ml bottle, this product certainly isn't cheap, but it is a pretty cool thing to try at least once. I would highly recommend this item as a gift for any health-conscious gourmands in your life. It is nutritious, but luxurious.
SALT WAVE SPA
Have you ever heard of Speleotherapy (which comes from the Greek σπήλαιον spḗlaion "cave" ...for anyone who has recently seen and enjoyed My Big Fat Greek Wedding I or II ;))? No? I hadn't either. Well, Spleotherapy is the respiratory therapy involving breathing of the mineral infused air of a salt mine. Sometimes referred to as Halotherapy (“halos” in Greek means salt), Speleothrapy is believed to benefit asthma, chronic bronchitis, breathlessness, smoker's/allergic cough, cough with viscous sputum, dry cough, pharyngitis, sinusitus, respiratory allergies, rhinitis, tonsillitis, eczema, psoriasis, and stress. Sounds pretty cool, doesn't it? Well, unbeknownst to me, Ottawa has its very own salt therapy spa in the Westgate Shopping Centre. If anyone else is eager to check this out, I recommend going sooner than later, as they currently have a 30% off Spring Promotion.
EVOLVD
Do you want to eat well, but find you don't have the time to prepare healthy foods that taste good enough to tempt your taste buds? Evolvd, Ottawa's healthy meal delivery service, brings healthy, locally-made meals, prepared by a professional chef, directly to your door or locate drop off centre. With Paleo, Vegetarian, and Gluten Free options to choose from, I think that Evolvd offers a good option for just about everyone. Evolvd believes that we should have more options when it comes to eating food that helps our bodies perform better. They design meals based on foods we would find on the outer ring of the grocery store. They stay away from anything processed. Evolvd has done the hard work, so we don't have to. I strongly recommend the Paleo Beef Fajitas. They are delicious.
Enjoy!
