This year I discovered a new conference in Los Angeles called, "Take Back Your Health" that was taking place in Los Angeles. The name piqued my curiosity after a review of the schedule and speaker line-up,  this was an event that I wanted to check out.

Living in LA has a ton of pluses and one of the drawbacks is the traffic but the 2+ hour round-trip commute  was well worth it. While I wasn't able to make every session, here's a recap of some of the highlights in chronological order:

Monica Ford, founder Real Food Devotee, the first Traditional Foods delivery service in SoCal, demonstrated how to make your own super healthy sauerkraut! I was so happy to be the recipient of her fresh batch and can honestly say, it is delish! Want some of her  recipes? Click here!

Lisa Bronner's presentation, "How to Green Your Routine," provided an overview of toxic ingredients to avoid in products that are used everyday. Below are snapshots from the session.  Lisa is the granddaughter of Dr. Bronner of Dr. Bronner's All-One and what I appreciated about her presentation was it was not about promoting her brand, but rather, it was about educating the public.

Lisa recommended several resources for those interested in learning more including the books, Not Just a Pretty Face and Clean House, Clean Planet as well as the Environmental Working Group website which includes a database guide for cosmetics, guide to healthy eating and cleaning. 

I enjoyed sampling BulletProof Coffee, yummy chocolate samples and hot tea during the session breaks while walking around the exhibitor hall.  There was a wide range of vendors and I bought sardines for my mother who loves these little fish packed with Omega 3's. 

The afternoon session covered food and fitness from Geno Carvalho, NTP who had back-to-back sessions. The first was about being smart about exercising and placed a spot light on H.I.I.T - high intensity training. Part II covered choosing food to remedy fatigue, combat hormone imbalance and generally choosing wisely for better health.

Paul Grieve, farmer and co-founder of Primal Pastures and expert in restorative agriculture, gave an eye-opening presentation on present day manufacturing of meat.  Think you are buying cage-free eggs? Technically that may be true, but the birds are stuffed into enclosures beyond comprehension. Paul talked about restorative farming that imitate nature while still providing our food. He recommended Cowspiracy and Forks Over Knives to learn more about the meat industry.  

Robin Shirley, the conference organizer, did a great job keeping the event moving along, introducing the speakers and inviting attendees to ask questions and explore the exhibit area. Robin  talked about her struggle with health issues which motivated her to create conference and design wellness retreats.  Robin is a wellness consultant who helps others with  chronic lyme and autoimmune disease.Doing well while doing good was the theme of the conference.

While the first two days were geared for a general audience, the third and final day that took place on a Monday, was aimed for purpose-driven entrepreneurs who seek to better the world.

Hats off to Robin and all of the speakers, vendors and volunteers that made this event successful!

For our readers in the D.C. and surrounding area, you'll want to check out the Take Back Your Health Conference in October. For our West Coast, SoCal audience, Take Back Your Heath will be back in L.A. in 2017. Wellness Travel Journal is pleased to be an official media partner  - so stay tuned for info!