I have been to Burning Man, survived the New Delhi train station (barely), stood in endless lines at the Uffizi, and been crushed amidst fans rocking so hard that it seemed as if the stadium bleachers were about to collapse… but nothing really compares to the Natural Products Expo West. Tens of thousands of vendors… hundreds of thousands of people… enough food samples to feed seemingly millions… the blood, sweat, and tears of thousands of inventors and entrepreneurs bringing their products to market… the show is nothing short of miraculous!
Here are my favorite products that I sampled this year:
You Are Loved Cheesecake: If you are looking for totally clean, delicious treats and snacks, then I am 100% certain you will find You Are Loved treats astonishing. Founded by Jonathan Heine, who had reached over 300 pounds and had all the markers of Type II diabetes, You Are Loved has developed Keto/Paleo versions of our favorite foods. Jonathan is now 100 pounds lighter and no longer pre-diabetic. The proof is in the cheesecake.
All of their products are gluten free, sugar free, grain free, Paleo/Keto and everything I sampled was the most delicious and healthy treat I had ever tasted. Most importantly, they seem to have cracked the code on cheesecake. Made with Greek yogurt, Your Are Loved Cheesecake is smooth, creamy, delectable and rich, but did not leave me feeling stuffed. If I dare say so, this cheesecake is both rich and light. It’s only 150 calories a slice, low fat, and (almost) sugar free. With a full line of vegan and vegetarian snacks and treats, You Are Loved products are available at several stores in Los Angeles and will be available nationally later this year.
artnaturals: artnaturals was built by four brothers who took $400 and developed a wide array of amazing plant-powered products at affordable prices. Despite being in business for less than three years, artnaturals has already sold their products to over 20 million Amazon customers and has multiple category best-sellers. This phenomenal online success has spiked demand for products to be readily available in retail stores. artnaturals oils are made pure and natural, cruelty-free, eco-friendly, non GMO, ingredients. I’ve used their eucalyptus and lavender oils in a diffuser as well as their Sleep Roll-on and I can tell you that these four brothers – all of whom I met at the expo – are the not only the real deal but truly lovely human beings.
Lucien jams from France (especially the wild blueberry): These are the leading jams of France. Regulations only require that jams are 45% fruit, but Lucien uses 55% and you can taste the difference. Guaranteed to be without added preservatives or colorings or anything else, Lucien jams are cooked the old-fashioned way in cauldrons. The wild blueberry jam was outstanding! I can’t wait until they are widely distributed in the U.S.
LiquaDry 100% Organic Wheatgrass Juice Powder: I was totally blown away by the aliveness of LiquaDry’s 100% Organic Wheatgrass Juice Powder. It tastes great and is full of valuable nutrients. It truly looked and seemed like it was still alive.
Boulder Organics Red Lentil Dahl Soup: How can dahl in America taste better than dahl in India? And what the hell do people in Boulder know about Indian food – shouldn’t they be hiking or skiing? Boulder Organics Red Lentil Dahl Soup is exquisite. I could eat it every day. And at only $6 for 3 servings it is worth every penny. Great work Boulder Organics!
Adult Gummy Vitamins from MegaFood: And for great-tasting chewable vitamins I really liked the new line of adult gummies from MegaFood. I sampled their B12 Energy Cranberry, B12 Energy Ginger, D3 Wellness Mixed Fruit and C Defense Tangy Citrus and all were delicious and not too sweet. Dedicated to producing the highest quality supplements, MegaFood’s latest innovation is the first certified Glyphosate Residue Free (GRF) gummy vitamin in the marketplace. The new gummies are organic, non-GMO, certified glyphosate residue free, plant-based and deliver a range of health-promoting compounds in four awesome flavors.
nakd: Similarly, I was blown away by Nakd Wholefoods berry bars for tasting great and having so few ingredients! Their sales coordinator told me that they are some of the most popular snacks in Europe and are now launching in the U.S. The Berry Bar is non-gmo, gluten free, and raw – made solely of dates, cashews, raisins and raspberries. Simply delicious!
All in all, the Natural Products Expo West was a fantastically fun and educational experience that I recommend to all healthcare practitioners and people interested in healthy living.