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Kathy
Smart is an author, nutritionist, and fitness instructor
as well as the organizer of the Live the Smart Way Expo.
FILE PHOTO |
Kathy
Smart is thrilled this year's "Live the Smart Way Expo�
is happening on Mother's Day Weekend.
"The entire
weekend will be a Mother's Day VIP experience,� she says,
of the May 11 and 12 expo. "It is the destination to go
on Mother's Day weekend.�
This is
the fourth year the award-winning nutritionist, author,
chef and entrepreneur has organized this health and wellness
event. For the first time, it is being held at the RA Centre
on Riverside Drive, which Smart says is a more convenient
location, with free parking. Tickets are $5 and available
at the door.
This year's
title presenter is tasteU.S., an alliance of more than 40
American grower organizations that connects American producers
with Canadian buyers.
"It brings
safe, high-quality, nutritious and innovative U.S. products
to Canada year-round,� explains Smart.
The expo,
with hundreds of exhibits, a speakers' series, seminars
and demon-strations will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 5
p.m. and the first 1,000 attendees each day will receive
a giveaway bag containing more than $200 in samples, treats,
coupons and swag from event sponsors, partners and exhibitors.
It will feature the newest trends in health, fitness and
yoga, as well as current food innovations, such as gluten-free,
vegan and keto.
Self-described
as "a small town Canadian gal just wanting to make this
world a little healthier, happier and kinder,� Smart now
lives in Orléans and has worked in the health and wellness
sectors for more than 20 years.
Diagnosed
with celiac disease as a child, Smart learned firsthand
that "if you change what you eat, you can change your life.�
For her, the key is natural foods. "Diets don't work. Eating
real food does,� she maintains. She doesn't believe in counting
calories, but urges people to "learn how to eat based on
your metabolic needs.�
Smart
will be giving a 12:30 p.m. presentation both days on the
meaning of food cravings and how to prepare "a smarter and
equally decadent alternative to those food cravings by just
eating real food.� She will demonstrate her 30-second Oprah
Peanut Butter Fudge, a 10-second protein dip to eat with
fresh Washington Apples, and a new recipe from her revised
Canadian Comfort Foods cookbook.
Another
highlight of the speakers' series will be Kathie Donovon's
30-minute presentation, "The Fine Art of Aging Gratefully,�
on Sunday at 11:45 a.m.
Extremely
efficient, energetic and focussed, Smart attributes these
traits to the self-discipline she learned at an early age.
Born in Cornwall, her upbringing was strict and sheltered.
"I wasn't allowed to watch television or listen to music;
instead, I listened to character-building tapes.� Her schooling
included 10 years at an extremely strict American private
academy and several challenging years at the now-discredited
Grenville Christian College boarding school near Brockville.
After
a personal battle with bulimia as a teen, Smart is a long-time
advocate for mental health and a portion of the event's
proceeds will go to the Royal Ottawa Mental Health and Research
Centre.
She says
she understands mental illness at a very deep level because
she's seen what mental illness can do. In particular, she
has great empathy for "the shrapnel� that impacts the families
of those suffering from mental health issues.
Smart
stays focused on her mission to give Canadians the tools
to be "the healthiest nation on earth,� by remembering the
example of one of her personal heroes, Mother Teresa, from
whom she learned: "You begin to change the world by helping
the person in front of you.�
For the
latest information, a list of exhibitors and the speakers'
schedule, visit www.livethesmartway.com.
(This
story was made possible thanks to the generous support of
our local business partners.)