Vitality is Ireland’s largest natural health and wellbeing show. It is owned by Eventhaus Ltd and run in association with Health Stores Ireland, a professional trade association which represents the majority of health food stores in Ireland. With a number of successful outings behind them, Vitality is always a much-anticipated event. They have adapted to current circumstances by moving the show online this year – read on to find out more!
Vitality Expo Dublin
Ewelina Wu is a Dublin-based photographer and graphic designer whose pictures contain an unmistakable touch of magic. We interviewed her to find out more about her work and the passion that drives her to produce her wonderful, heartfelt images.
Ewelina Wu’s attitude towards her photography and design work can best be described as an attitude of open-minded curiosity. Like many artists, her work is driven by a desire to access a deeper sense of truth that is not always available to us in our everyday lives. She aims to highlight the true essences of those who appear within her photographs.
‘For me, one of the most rewarding things about my job is when someone sees something in my pictures that they don’t normally see in themselves,’ she explains, ‘like a hidden beauty they had never realised was there.’
Ewelina approaches her work with great care and sensitivity, and she has a gift for illuminating the joy, the complexity and the deep humanity of her subjects. One clear example of this was her work on the Dublin leg of the World’s Biggest Eye Contact Experiment Day, which took place in Dublin city centre on September 23rd.
This day aimed to answer the question: where has human connection gone? Ewelina explored the profound nuances of this question in many different ways.
Her photographs offer viewers a sense of the heartfelt experiences that participants had during the day. ‘It was such a powerful experience,’ she shares. ‘I was sometimes on the outside of it, taking pictures, and sometimes right in the middle of the group, sharing a moment of connection with somebody. I loved that: I loved playing an active role in the scene I was trying to capture.’
Gentle moments of connection and understanding are honoured in Ewelina’s gorgeous images.
Ewelina’s photographic prowess was also very much in evidence during the recent Vitality Expo in Dublin’s RDS, when she brought the vibrant and dynamic atmosphere of the day to life.
‘Another event I worked on recently was an amazing dance event run by Zouk Retreat,’ she says, ‘and I really enjoyed it. Working on a wide variety of different events helps me to explore life from a lot of different angles.’
In her Zouk Retreat photographs, the simple yet far-reaching joy of human connection was once again to the fore.
The vibrant atmosphere of the retreat is powerfully brought to life in the mind’s eye of the viewer.
Ewelina pours great devotion and love into her craft … and the stunning results of this are plain to see! To learn more about Ewelina and her work, visit her website or Facebook page.
The Vitality Vibes: Highlights From the Fantastic Vitality Expo
We’re still on a high after attending the wonderful Vitality Expo in the RDS last weekend. For an in-depth tour of the atmosphere on the day, and a behind-the-scenes insight into the people who made the event so great, make sure you watch the live video we recorded over the weekend, showcasing the presenting skills of our very own Paul Congdon! Catch it here.
We wanted to put together this list of our best picks from the show. If you didn’t get the chance to go, consider this a recap of the best and brightest offerings!
Tried and Tested
Eskimo 3 Fish Oil
Eskimo-3 aims to differentiate themselves from many other fish oil brands through an unwavering commitment to high quality. They are proud to be one of the purest, safest and most environmentally friendly fish oils on the market.
Rossmore Health
Rossmore Health, located in Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, is a family owned business founded in 1997. They stock a huge range of natural products, covering areas such as weight loss, energy boosters, immune enhancers, detox, skin care, joint care, sugar free candies and snacks (diabetic friendly), and food supplements.
Macánta Nutrition
Macánta Nutrition Ltd. is an Irish company based in Galway producing high quality nutritional supplements that are available exclusively within Irish Health Stores. The word Macánta itself means honest/sincere, and to the company, it represents the standard for everything they do. In the design and development of their products, product integrity and quality are number one priorities.
Wild Nutrition
Wild Nutrition was formulated by the best-selling nutritional author, practitioner and speaker, Henrietta Norton BSc DipNT. The company’s Food-Grown® supplements provide superior nutritional support throughout the key stages and events in life. In 2018, Wild Nutrition won the Best Natural Supplements honour at the Beauty & Wellbeing Awards.
Pravera
Pravera is dedicated to helping people lead a healthier life. The company specialises in offering its customers the best possible product options in the fields of cosmetics, skin care, natural household cleaning and more. Some of its brands include Lavera, Primavera, SoulTree, Khadi, Organyc, Organii, and EcoCosmetics.
Nature’s Plus
Nature’s Plus has worked hard to earn the loyalty of millions of satisfied consumers and health food retailers worldwide with their emphasis on high quality at every stage, from manufacturing to on-time delivery to their work with retailers. Nature’s Plus is committed to supplying superior quality natural vitamins and nutritional supplements.
April Danann’s Shroom Coffee
Holistic coach April Danann takes great care when producing her amazing Shroom Coffee. The coffee is blended with medicinal mushrooms: reishi, shiitake, cordceps and lions mane. It also contains organic cocoa powder, cinnamon, roasted dandelion root and chicory root. Delicious! Click here to read all about it.
New Technology
Abundance and Health
We were very impressed by Altrient C, Abundance and Health’s innovative vitamin C sachets which promise up to 98% absorption, thanks to liposomal technology. Liposomal Encapsulation Technology consists of microscopic healthy fat particles which are made up of phospholipids, along with water soluble vitamins and minerals. This technology has been used for many years as a way of delivering small amounts of therapeutic substances to the specific tissues of the body, without affecting any other part of the body.
TurmeriX
Turmerix is a new company that specialises in producing high-quality, fast-acting turmeric powder. This powder also contains an “X-blend” of supporting spices and herbs: cinnamon, coconut powder, green tea, liquorice, kelp, fennel, vanilla, aniseed, caraway, ginger, clove, cardamon and more.
Ooom Snacks
Many of us are on the lookout for something that can reduce stress and help us achieve a sense of balance. Stefan and Lorenzo – the dynamic duo behind a brand-new food company called Ooom Snacks – have come up with a nutritious solution. Ooom products have a measurable anti-stress effect, due to the presence of adaptogen plants. These plants can increase our body’s ability to resist the detrimental effects of stress hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol.
Hifas Da Terra
Hifas Da Terra is a Spanish biotechnology company founded in 1999. The company is committed to improving people’s quality of life using the previously untapped medicinal properties of mushrooms. This emerging science is called mycology. Hifas Da Terra’s range includes medicinal products, food, skincare goods and supplements.
Other Blissful Picks
Creacon Wellness Retreat
Creacon Wellness Retreat in New Ross, Co. Wexford, is dedicated to giving guests the most relaxing retreat experience possible when they visit, offering comforting and nutritious food, spacious rooms, and a range of interesting activities through a daily opt in/out schedule that includes Five Tibetan yoga, Gentle Hatha Yoga, Japa Meditation Class, Mandala Class and more. Tara Congdon wrote about her experience with them in our most recent Autumn 2018 issue. You can read Tara’s full article here.
Dr. Bronner’s
Dr. Bronner’s is a family business committed to honouring the vision of their founder Dr. E.H. Bronner by making socially and environmentally responsible products of the highest quality, and by dedicating their profits to help make a better world. These fantastic products are available in Ireland through their wholesaler, Life’s Great.
Genovese Foods
Genovese Foods is an award-winning producer of pestos, tapenades and mayonnaise, with a passionate clean food ethos. Their ranges include: Genovese, Oh Mayo and the brand-new Veggie Earth, which was launched at the Vitality Expo. It contains delicious pestos, tapenade and veganaise (a type of mayonnaise produced without eggs).
Mag365
Mag 365 produces high-quality dietary supplements to assist individuals in achieving optimum health, while simultaneously providing education on how a healthy lifestyle and supplementation can increase quality of life. Their powdered magnesium supplements contain a highly bioavailable active ingredient called magnesium citrate. All natural ingredients and no fillers.
Alison Canavan
The acclaimed wellness coach Alison Canavan gave a great talk at the Expo – and Paul caught up with her for a quick chat which you can watch here. Alison runs a highly successful series of health and wellness shows around the country called the Full 360 Tour. Check her website for full details! You can also read her most recent article for us here.
Monmore Organic Male Grooming
We were intrigued by the products of men’s skin care brand, Monmore Organic Male Grooming. The company describes themselves as “an Irish brand with Italian quality”. They create unique combinations of ingredients which are carefully blended to ensure the collective works as one, smell subtle, feel good and leave skin and hair in prime condition.
Grown Clothing
Grown Clothing is an Irish ethical clothing company inspired by the sea, coast and wildlife of Ireland. They use only organic, post-consumer and earth friendly materials to make their garments … and the clothes themselves are of an amazing quality!
Kama Hemp Juice
This juice packs a powerful punch! Kama Hemp Juice is high in calcium, zinc, vitamin B12, provitamin A, vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium and iron. The company grows their hemp organically, under the sun, wind and rain, on our family farm in Co. Monaghan, Ireland. They harvest and juice the crop at the very peak of its growing season to ensure that its nutrition is preserved at its best.