Be Well

A nutritious breakfast update, fresh feel-good teas and beauty products fit for a spa may be all you need to catch your breath and carry on with a smile.

September 16, 2017 | | Made in the Hills

The kids are back in school, summer work hours and holidays are over and our to-do lists heave with new obligations. Fall can be a harried season, so we’ve turned to the local artisans who’ve made it their business to keep us feeling well mentally and physically. A nutritious breakfast update, fresh feel-good teas and beauty products fit for a spa may be all you need to catch your breath and carry on with a smile.

Purple Reign

At Dawn Brook Lavender in Mulmur, Bryan and Leslie Ellis and their family grow, harvest and process high-quality lavender, including the classic French Grosso variety. There’s no denying the scent of pure lavender is relaxing, but it’s also an aromatherapy stalwart, purported to aid in everything from healing wounds to getting a better night’s sleep. The package shown here includes a 5 ml essential oil, a 30 ml mist to use as a room or pillow spray, a sachet of lavender buds and a small bar of handmade soap. ($20/package, $15/bundle dried Grosso lavender, Dawn Brook Lavender)

Something’s Brewing

There’s nothing like a warming cup of herbal tea to make you feel like you’re doing some good for your body. Local health food retailer Joey Lemieux has turned his passion for the drink into a new business, Escarpment Teas. He sources some ingredients from afar, like chaga mushrooms from Northern Ontario, but many are found on his Mono property, including raspberry leaf, wild thyme, and cedar and pine. A bonus – the tea bags are biodegradable. Available at his home and at the Orangeville and Shelburne farmers’ markets. ($10/16 tea bags, Escarpment Gardens)

By Candlelight

The Alton-based artisan collective Amigas Natural create candles, teas, soaps and spice blends inspired by natural ingredients found here and across the pond. These soy and palm candles come in scents including Scottish heather and the common English bluebell. They also offer handmade wooden boxes that make a clever spa-worthy gift. ($8/candle, $8/box, Amigas Natural)

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    • A Better Bowl

    Orton nutritionist Jeanette MacEachern has poured her expertise into her Truly Baked line of granola. Relying on healthy ingredients including whole grains and seeds, Jeanette’s breakfast staple has no refined sugars, wheat or dairy and is low in sodium. Somehow her blends – Chocolate Super Seed, pictured here, is our current favourite – stay this side of earnest. Find them at the Orangeville and Shelburne farmers’ markets, Discover Your Yoga in Orangeville and Everdale Organic Farm in Hillsburgh. ($9/400 g bag, Truly Baked)

    Have a Cuppa

    These pretty packages are filled with eight bags of Amigas Natural teas. Most blends, including ginger nettle, coconut vanilla, and licorice lemon are filled with healthy antioxidants. ($8, Amigas Natural)

    Skin Salve

    Jo-Anne Crane of Creemore beauty brand TouShea became a shea butter booster after she found it helped soothe her psoriasis, a condition that causes red, patchy skin. She says her black soap, which gets its colour from African cocoa pod powder, is rich in vitamins A and E and antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties which may help alleviate symptoms of rosacea, eczema and psoriasis. The soap can also be used as a shampoo or makeup remover. Find her at the Creemore and Mulmur farmers’ markets. ($7.50, TouShea)

    Farm Food

    Rockcliffe Farm in Mono is known for its quality beef, eggs and chicken. But a visit to owner Alix Bezak’s on-farm store reveals a full pantry of good-for-you treats. Brighten up your morning with the addictive Annabel’s Granola made by Alix’s mom in litre mason jars, honey from nearby Peaceful Valley Farm (500 ml) and, if you like the natural sweetener stevia, Julia’s Best Ever Nut Butter (250 ml). (From left: $15, $12, $10, Rockcliffe Farm)

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    About the Author More by Tralee Pearce

    Tralee Pearce is the deputy editor of In The Hills Magazine.
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