These days most of us are living incredibly busy lives &ndash; from school to work, family commitments and a social life, it can be tough to find balance in such a hectic world. Finding balance often means reducing stress which can be done in a number of ways; a healthier diet, more exercise and meditation to name a few. This is where the Health and Wellness show comes in: with over (BLANK) vendors ranging from wellness services such as massage, meditation and prayer, to vendors selling the latest and (tastiest) treats there was something for everyone at this years show.<br />
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Being a self-professed foodie I was immediately drawn towards the plentiful array of samples. The most notable types of dishes being served up were the various different snacks that are on the market. A lot of these brands I had never heard of before the show. One of my favorites that I tried came from a company called PowerPlant Whole Foods, which is based out of Kelowna, B.C. I sampled several tasty treats that were raw, plant based and vegan. The company lists several key ingredients that they use in a majority of their products, such as raw chia seeds, raw hemp and of course organic raw fruits and veggies. These ingredients combine to form products that are not only delicious, but nutrient dense. Another company that stood out at the show was Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods and Oils. I sampled their raw hemp hearts that I will definitely be purchasing in the future. For people who try to eat mainly a plant-based diet, hemp hearts provide a good source of protein along with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The great thing about the hemp hearts is that they are easy to sprinkle on salads and cereals, or can be thrown into a smoothie. Plus, they have a great nutty flavor that is an excellent compliment to almost any dish.<br />
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On the fitness front I could not get enough of the Zumba dancers performing at the show. I grew up dancing competitively as a child/teen, so this was an immediate draw for me. Being able to incorporate fitness into your life is all about finding something fun that you love to do &ndash; it was nice to see that something different from a health and fitness club was promoting themselves to the public. However, I will say that that was the only drawback for me at the show; not seeing enough companies that were fitness related. I have always been a firm believer in exercise as a stress reliever and felt that there could have been more of a presence of companies in this field at the show. There are so many activities to get people moving such as Yoga, Pilates, run clubs and even martial arts classes which I feel would have made a positive impact on people attending the show. Hopefully next year there will be more participation from these types of organizations.<br />
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Overall, strolling through the vendors for roughly 2 hours was a very upbeat experience. Even just surrounding myself around people and businesses that are trying to offer a little more good into people&rsquo;s lives was a great way to spend my Sunday afternoon.<br />
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For PowerPlant Whole Foods:<br />
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<a href="http://www.powerplantwholefoods.com">http://www.powerplantwholefoods.com... />
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For Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods and Oils:<br />
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<a href="http://www.manitobaharvest.com">http://www.manitobaharvest.com</a><br />
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For Zumba Vancouver:<br />
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<a href="http://www.zumbavancouver.ca">http://www.zumbavancouver.ca</a><br />