Written by Stéfanie Crevier, our newest recruit Naturopathic student at the Quebec Institute of Naturopathic Education, massage therapist, founder of the Natural Care Refuge, culinary explorer, but especially the mother of three wonderful children, Stéfanie joins our team to to share with you his favorites, his healthy recipes, his eco tips, his discoveries and his ideas to make your family life easier!
I’ve decided to write this article today, right in the middle of my vacation and directly from our beautiful Gaspé Peninsula, because I’m far too inspired and I can't help but share with you my indispensable Land Art products for vacations “slash” road trips!
Of course, it's summer and even though this year’s weather is not quite cooperative, as soon as the sun comes out, it hits hard! So, one of my favorite products since we started off (after sunscreen!!!) is Aloe Vera. Land Art offers a topical gel formula that applies very well and gives a soothing and ultra refreshing sensation! My children love it when I apply a little bit of it to their cheeks and noses, they tell me it's cool and feels good!
Product number two, Multivit, a liquid multi-vitamin supplement that tastes great and mixes very well in morning smoothies (and yes I must admit, I do carry my Vitamix everywhere!) because let’s face it, even in normal times it's hard to make sure that our children (and ourselves!!) get all the essential vitamins and minerals for their metabolism to function properly, so imagine on camping and on road trips! Challenging... Even with a healthy and diversified diet, children are very active and expend a lot of energy, in addition to the lack of sleep since bedtime curfew is way extended... That's why it’s a must for me; I don’t have to constantly worry that they have their daily nutriment requirements.
Third product, and this one is for the grown-ups! The Volta! If you follow me on social media, you know how much I love this product! This small drink made of natural and super powerful ingredients gives you a good boost for several hours! Perfect for long days when children need to be constantly entertained!
The active ingredients of Volta are Schisandra, which increases endurance as well as physical and mental performance, stimulates the central nervous system, regulates blood pressure and heart rate and has antioxidant effects. Siberian Ginseng, which is also known to improve physical and mental performance, Yerba Maté, which improves short-term alertness and fights fatigue, and also helps improve cognitive performance. There is also Kola Nut, which fights physical and mental fatigue, and it’s traditionally known for its aphrodisiac properties! (We like that!!!). Last but not least, the famous L-carnitine, increasingly popular in the world of supplementation, which helps transport fatty acids in our cells to the mitochondria, where they can be burned to produce energy. Several studies have also shown that carnitine has many benefits for promoting brain function; it would contribute to reverse decline in brain function associated with Alzheimer's disease and other brain diseases.
Some cocktail you tell me! Well, you're right! You can drink the Volta directly from the bottle, it’s sweet and is reminiscent of prune juice. Otherwise, my favourite recipe is an easy to prepare slush: in your blender, put 1/2 cup of frozen pineapple, 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries, 1/2 lime (with the rind still on, so please organic!), a bottle of Volta and a dash of water to get a nice texture. Delicious and very refreshing! I’m sure you will trade off the traditional iced coffee for this simple and effective recipe :)
So much for my vacation essentials! Well, obviously I could keep going on because honestly, I bring several other products with me (like my 5x Concentrated Mint Chlorophyll and my Aloe Vera drinkable gel to prevent small heartburn, etc.) I know, I know… I’m a bit too intense!
On that note, enjoy your summer and be well prepared so that you can rest easy and fully enjoy all the magical moments that family vacations bring!
