Wellness, balance, and happiness. It’s what we all strive for. Oh, and chocolate. Some of us strive for more chocolate too! Anyway, without great health it’s hard to enjoy this wild ride called life. Stress, work, and numerous other factors make a pretty challenging grouping so it’s difficult to stay on top of your well-being at times. Boy, was I excited when I learned about an event where the very people and companies that are in alignment with well-being would be gathered in one place. I recently visited the Healthy Living Festival in San Diego. You heard it, a festival! Something this cool that has the power to help people achieve well-being cannot be called a mere event, shingdig, or even a conference. No, no, only a festival will do to describe a gathering of like-minded individuals in one place. From health coaches to eco-beauty products and nutritionists to alkaline water, the Healthy Living Festival was a great resource to learn about all of the services and cool products that help bring harmony and better health into your life. I learned about so many great things and they are too cool not to share with you.
EcoCork: Beautiful, sustainable handbags and other products made out of cork from oak trees in Portugal. I had never seen such chic, eco-friendly bags before. The natural soft cork has the feel of leather, but it’s cruelty free and an renewable resource. Too good to be true, right? The cork is harvested without harming the tree and then the tree is ready to grow new bark again. The material is also durable and easy to care for, a little soap and water should do it. These lovely, eco-chic totes are begging for a beach day!
Tower Garden: Here I am, meandering down the aisles, speaking to all of these cool healthy people and sampling some yummy vegan brownies when BAM…I’m confronted with a tower o’vegetables. It’s like the tower knew I had just stuffed a brownie bite into my mouth. Ok, message received. More vegetables for me. Besides being amazingly awesome, Tower Garden uses soil-free technology and a vertical configuration that makes growing fruits and vegetables super easy. Imagine having a tower of available produce just sitting on your terrace. You could make the ultimate green smoothie everyday and you won’t even need to worry about your lack of gardening experience. You also don’t have to worry about weeds, gophers, or inadequate soil threatening your swiss chard. Plus, the tower is ultra water efficient and uses less water than a traditional garden. Tower Garden, you are my favorite tower by far.
Brush With Bamboo: When you think about the enormous quantity of plastic toothbrushes in circulation, it’s time to start thinking about a more sustainable way to keep our pearly whites pearly. Bamboo toothbrushes are a wonderful, eco-friendly alternative to the conventional plastic brushes. What’s cool about these brushes is that the bristles are BPA-free and the handle is made out of renewable bamboo. Once you’re done with the brush, you can actually remove the bristles for recycling and compost the handle, or even upcycle it as a seed marker (in your Tower Garden).
KUR Organic Superfoods: Organic, vegan, and non-GMO treats, KUR makes great snacks with limited ingredients that pack a healthy punch. Their delicious treats use ingredients like coconut, cacao nibs, and dates. Sometimes it’s not bad to indulge a sweet tooth a little. Besides, I walked past the Tower Garden and that totally counts as at least one serving of vegetables, right?
I learned so much and I had such a great time at the Healthy Living Festival. While I probably won’t be enlisting the services of any of the totally fit and intense personal trainers in the near future, I definitely feel more informed about a plethora of great things to help me live a more balanced, healthy, and eco-friendly life.
Also by Tanya: 5 Hidden Gems at Your Local Organic Store
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Photo: Tanya Lichtenstein
