It’s almost a tradition, on Friday I went to the Expo Manger Santé et Vivre Vert held in the Palais des congrès until Sunday, March 26th.

Allow at least 4 hours to make the visit, there are many products to discover, taste and buy.

A new product this year, the Boldwin microbrewery beer. This local organic beer is crafted and eco-responsible. With a slogan such as “redo the world with pleasure” and values that we hold dear, we have good reasons to encourage them. The beer is very refreshing, a must for the terrace this summer!
I also let myself be tempted by ZYO bios teas, which offer very original flavors. I chose a white tea with a mixture of blueberries and pomegranate, apparently very good iced.
Whether you know them or not, you have to make a stop at Miels d’Anicet, one of Quebec’s best products in my opinion. It is the opportunity to taste each of their honey and appreciate all the variations. My favorite are the raw Fall and the raw wildflower.
I downloaded the EATIZZ application to receive notifications when local shops offer discounts to counter food waste. For now, only a few independent groceries in Montreal seem to be listed and offers between 20-60% off on a few products. The idea is good, but to use it regularly, it would take many more offers and receive only products in great reduction.
Other kiosks to visit: Love ducks, Enerjive (quinoa crackers), Soupsoup (for its soup!), La ferme d’Achille (products made from sea buckthorn), Peppermaster (if you like hot sauce), les Jardins de l’Ecoumène (organic heritage seeds) and more!

For more info: expomangersante.com
Facebook : facebook.com/ExpoMangerSanteEtVivreVert

For a healthy Québec, increasingly green and organic! This is what our 35,000 visitors are about to step into for the 20th edition of the Expo Manger Santé et Vivre Vert. Health food, ecology and global health enthusiasts will be thrilled by the abundance of flavourful and colourful products, the innovative services of our exhibitors, our original show program, our committed partners and inspiring activities.

Inspiring Guests Building a Better Future! Our five educational stages — always very popular — will offer a diversified program to our visitors and feature inspiring guests that are all recognized in their field: singer-songwriter performer France D’Amour, master herbalist Marie Provost, nutritionist Anne-Marie Roy, chef Jonathan Garnier, pharmacist Jean-Yves Dionne, seed producer, gardener and cook Yves Gagnon, blogger Audrey Sckoropad, nutritionist Catherine Lefebvre, as well as other guests that will be in attendance such as Marilou, Isabelle Huot, Jacynthe Renée, Philippe Mollé and Hubert Cormier. Informed advice and stimulating exchanges greatly contribute to achieving and maintaining healthy living and wellbeing!

A Mouthful of Flavours from Our Exhibitors! More than 200 exhibitors are to offer surprising and flavourful food tastings: ginseng maple syrup, black beans and sweet potato burgers, hop herbal tea, chickpea fries, living micro-sprouts in organic soil, lavender mustard, dulce chips, chia seed almond butter, oils infused with Québec wild mushrooms, chaga hot chocolate, gluten free and organic baguettes, elder balsamic vinegar, Quebec sprouted almond butter and more.

The Expo Manger Santé et Vivre Vert is the unmissable event of the Spring which gathers in one spot the best resources in food, health and environment. It’s a date!

Expo 2017 Opening Hours

Québec City – Saturday March 18: 9:30 am to 6 pm / Sunday March 19: 10 am to 5 pm

Montréal – Friday March 24: 9:30 am to 8 pm / Saturday March 25: 9:30 am to 6 pm / Sunday March 26: 10 am to 5 pm

Entrance : 14$ (expo + conferences + culinary demos) 11$ students/65 and over Free for 16 and under

expomangersante.com

Friday I went to the Expo Manger Santé et Vivre Vert held in the Palais des congrès until Sunday, March 12.

Do not eat before you go, because almost all kiosks offer products to taste: energy bars, juices, smoothies, spreads, bread, cookies, seaweed, jams, muesli, dried and dehydrated fruits, mixed nuts, soups, chocolates, honey, and more!

Here are the products I bought this year, I look forward to try new recipes!

• Le petit mas: fermented garlic flowers at $6, keeps 2 years in the fridge.
• Nature’s Path Organic: Qi’a Cereal Box $3 and a box of 12 Qi’a energy bars at $9
• Moissonneries du pays: organic sprouted buckwheat bag $8, to put in the oatmeal, energy bars, etc.
• Cha’s organic: coriander seed ground $7, well-packaged spices.
• Inari: organic popcorn $4, hard to find in grocery stores.
• La clé des champs: organic caraway at $2.50 for 40g. Great choice of organic spices to buy!
• Chocadel: organic raw chocolate bar with maple $5. For a change of Theobroma and Giddiyoyo.
• Giddy Yoyo: organic raw red banana spears bag at $13, a unique product to discover.
• Saladexpress: grated vegetables bags at $1 and butternut squash cubes at $2, it’s convenient and cheap!

What are your discoveries this year?

For more info: expomangersante.com
Facebook : facebook.com/ExpoMangerSanteEtVivreVert

On February 29, 2016, I attended the conference “Historic victory against Monsanto! And after? “Given by Mathieu Roy, agriculture advisor  Équiterre, Daniel Carmantrand, President, Planet its up to you and Paul François, grain farmer in Charente, France.

The conference mainly highlighted the fact that the French farmer Paul Francois has won a historic victory against Monsanto. Paul François suffered in 2004 of an acute herbicide intoxication on his farm. Ancient intensive spraying fervent, he is gradually reorienting his production to organic farming.

Currently in Quebec, groups including Équiterre are asking the government to restrict the use of more pesticides because of their effects on living organisms. Having myself grown up between a cornfield and a broccoli field, the impact of pesticides on the environment and health has always interested me. Having to get into the house and close all windows during aerial spraying was far from pleasant. I had the impression of living in the center of an open factory and not in an idyllic countryside.

First, I think that the wave of mobilization is aimed mainly at GMOs resistant to herbicides, including ones that include a gene for resistance to glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide), as well as an unprecedented use of Roundup on crops. Glyphosate is present in more than 200 herbicides and pesticides. Inexpensive, Roundup is the most popular herbicide in Canada. Its active ingredient was declared a  likely carcinogen in humans in 2014 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization.

Nearly 90% of grain crops in the United States are derived from these GM seeds. At this conference, I learned that the Montérégie region is a champion for the cultivation of GMOs. The products derived from GMOs which can be found in our grocery cart are canola, corn and soybeans. These are amongst the ingredients in the composition of several processed products such as: starch or corn flour produced from GM corn.

We are in the second generation of GMOs, which implies that the seed is modified to be tolerant to different kinds of pesticides and herbicides. A vicious cycle has already started because the intensive use of Roundup has led to resistant weeds and insects, which require more intensive spraying. These practices first endanger farmers, the rural population, waterways and amphibians.

Indeed, the majority of rivers in agricultural areas in Quebec are contaminated with levels that exceed water quality criteria thresholds. What will it cost to clean up the rivers of Quebec? This is just one example of the repercussions of the massive use of pesticides in our environment.

More than ever, consumers have the power to exercise their influence on the economy. If a product is not bought, it will no longer be offered. Buying more food from organic agriculture (ideally from Quebec) will encourage our producers to redirect their production.

For more information:
Lutte aux pesticides d’Equiterre.
Cultures OGM
Des mauvaises herbes ultrarésistantes héritées des OGM
Québec a perdu le contrôle des pesticides
Farmers to Gain Access to Monsanto’s Roundup Ready 2 Xtend(TM) Soybeans in 2016

I invite you to visit my new holistic nutrition consultation site: NutritionPourLaVie.ca

You can download my free Level 1 guide that includes: tips to achieve a healthy weight, food to banish, the preferred food every day,  myths, restaurants recommandations and more!

What is holistic nutrition or nutrition therapy?

Analysis of the effects of our diet on our physical and mental health, stress management and physical activity. Nutrition is encouraged based on whole, natural foods that are fresh, rich in flavor and nutrients. Ideally organic without OMG (Monsanto) and free of growth hormones or antibiotics.

Nutritherapy can help for:

-Chronic disease prevention
-Improvement eating habits
-Weight loss
-Digestive intolerances
-Strengthen the immune system
-Migraines
-Tiredness

Get my free Level 1 guide on this page: https://nutritionpourlavie.ca/guide-niveau-1-gratuit/

Thank you and see you soon!

Here is my list of healthy ingredients, “super foods” to include in your recipes. For example, one or two tablespoons of hemp seeds or chia in a cookie or muffin easily increase its nutritional quality. No need to take dietary supplements if you have a balanced diet (especially a recent study shows that the majority does not contain the products indicated on the label). The term “super food” means the food continent a lot of essential nutrients for health. I know there are many, but here are the key with which I cook:

Chia seed: rich in dietary fiber, protein and omega-3 source of calcium and phosphorus, gluten free.
Hemp Seed: highly nutritious and are an excellent source of complete protein, contain phytosterols which reduce cholesterol levels, without gluten.
Flaxseed: rich in dietary fiber, high content of omega-3 fatty acid. To obtain the benefits of omega-3, it is imperative to grind flax seeds, for example with a coffee grinder. It is best to store them in an opaque container, in the refrigerator for a few days, or a month in the freezer.
Sesame seeds: rich in minerals, calcium, vitamin E, phytosterols, high in fiber.
Powder lucuma: replace the sugar or partly, low glycemic index, contains calcium.
Oat bran (3 tbsp): rich in soluble fiber lowers cholesterol, increases satiety, low glycemic index.
Kefir: probiotic, rich in vitamin B, folic acid, and protein.
Goji berries: rich in antioxidants.
Raw honey: not filtered or heated raw honey retains traces of pollen, propolis, beeswax, properties and original flavors.
Almond butter: replace the peanut butter, a good source of protein.
Turmeric: powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory effect. Adding pepper enhances its therapeutic potential.

Sugar is toxic, even more than fat, and one of the main causes of obesity, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. In most recipes, we often try to reduce the portion of sugar or replace it with honey, maple syrup or agave syrup. Lucuma powder is increasingly easy to find in organic stores and can also be a very good substitute. This powder comes from a fruit native of Peru and has been consumed for a long time there. This powder is very useful for cooking because it has a low glycemic index, and is rich in vitamins, fibers, and minerals. It can be added to smoothies or juices, and can easily replace sugar in cakes, muffins, pancakes, yogurts and puddings. One of the specialties of Peru is lucuma ice cream. Lucuma powder keeps up to 12 months in a cool, dry place away from light and moisture.

In Quebec, organic meat is more popular and accessible. With an organic certification system established in 2000 by the Quebec government, the consumer is assured that the controls and the rules of production and marketing of organic food products have been respected throughout the production line. Several species are now available: beef, lamb, turkey, duck, goose, guinea fowl, goat, bison, rabbit, wild boar, ostrich and deer.

Organic farming is done in respect of the animal, does not use synthetic chemicals or GMOs. The benefits of eating organic meat are numerous: a leaner meat, which contains higher levels of protein, and doesn’t contain  antibiotics, growth hormones or other drugs. The animal that is fed forage and grass also contains more omega 3 and often taste better than the “industrial”  and grain fed meat. By eating organic meat, we also encourage smaller local businesses, unlike for example the National Society XL foods.

Cooking

What can people don’t know  is that since the organic beef is lower in fat, it cooks faster (I read up to 30%). Use a meat thermometer and let the meat rest 8-10 minutes is the best way to have a perfect cooking.

Some interesting farms to discover in Quebec:

Ferme du coq à l’âne

931 chemin de Hardwood Flat

Bury, (Québec)

J0B 1J0

Tél.819-872-3787

Ferme Picardier

27, route 323,

Brébeuf, Québec

J0T 1B0

Tél. 819 425-8922

 

Les viandes Rheintal

845, rang Petit-Esprit

Sainte-Monique, QC J0G 1N0

Tél.819.289.2383

Photo source