So the New Hope Natural Products of Expo West is over and I'm still on that high. It was my first year attending and I was given the honor of being one of the bloggers for the show (see my TOP 3 for New Hope HERE). It was a fast pace, enjoyable show. Thousands of companies showcasing their products for the first time and other companies releasing new products. It was an exciting and exhausting day all at the same time! I had great company every day, a special woman I'm blessed to call mother, also my BFF! 

     So lets get down to business I want to share with you that there was all things Turmeric, Maple, and CBD. These were all a huge trend, so let's see what my top 12 finds/ picks of New Hope Natural Expo West 2018 were since that's the reason why we are all here. 

     Picking 12 products to share form the hundreds I came across was hard work, because I wanted to share them all, but that would have taken me forever to write and it would be like a book to read on your part. It wasn't easy but here it is, I picked 12 because I couldn't make the list any shorter!

     Let's talk about CBD for a second. I have heard and read many benefits of CBD from reliving pain and inflammation, to reducing anxiety and promoting cardiovascular health. I have also read great things about it helping those that suffer from schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. There is also a study that states that it Lowers Incidents of Diabetes you can see more HERE. I have been using CBD for my stress and anxiety for a couple of months now and I have seen such benefits, my stress is manageable, and guys... the sleep I'm getting is actually making me feel rested, and not like I wake up 6 times a night to feed a baby, which I actually still do. I usually take it at night before bed. I was happy to see that Barlean's had jumped on the CBD wagon at The Natural Product's Expo West. Here is a little more on their line of CBD. Barlean's is a family-owned company that was founded in 1989 and they launched not one but TWO CBD oils. Their Organic Ideal CBD Hemp Oil 10mg per serving and Extra Strength Ideal CBD Oil 25mg per serving. Barlean's has been making healthy oils for nearly 30 years, and are known for offering the highest quality oils on the market. It's a Vegan, Gluten free extract that is added to MCT oil and has natural mint flavor.
​     Barlean's tests each and every batch with a third party lab that tests for potency and purity, including CBD and THC levels, and for heavy metals. Their Extra Strength Ideal CBD Oil comes from industrial hemp grown in Colorado. CBD will NOT show up on a drug test. You don't refrigerate your CBD and has a one year shelf life. You can buy Barlean's products including their Hemp oils in any retail store in the United States or online directly from the company.
     I can't wait for this product to hit the shelf. I don't have an exact date when it will be available in stores but when I do I will update here. 

     Mushroom Jerky was one of the most unique snacks I found at Expo West. I spoke to Michael the founder of Mushroom Jerky at Expo about his small and very unique product. Mushroom Jerky was a great find, it's the kind of snack for me as I have been a vegetarian for over 12 years. This imitation jerky has clean ingredients, is free of the top 8 allergens, is Gluten free and GMO free. I am a mushroom lover and have learned how to love them even more after learning all of their benefits. They have four different flavors Zesty Thai, Applewood BBQ and my two personal favorites Original and Sea Salt & Pepper. 

     Another company I discovered at Expo West was The Jackfruit Company. They have ripe jackfruit that tastes like a combo of mango, pineapple and banana. They have frozen entrees and refrigerator seasoned meals and they are delicious. I can't remember what I sampled at Expo West but what I can tell you is that it was so tasteful, I had to go back for seconds. They are certified Gluten Free and most of their products are vegan, but they do have 2 products with dairy, so check the labels if you have a dairy or soy allergy.  Check them out HERE

     Okay let's talk about Mike's Hot Honey. This was amazing to come by since I'm not a huge honey user, but the name was appealing to me so I tried it and man was I glad I did. This is the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. First thing that came to my mind was "Can I get a cocktail with this, Now please."  My eyes didn't deceive me this time, it tasted exactly the way it should, Honey infused with Chili. You can shop HERE and use DISCOUNT CODE UNIQUE to try it out for yourself (expires 4/1 at midnight) or enter my GIVEAWAY on Instagram to win a bottle. 

     90% of Expo West was turmeric something and I loved it! Four Sigmatic Golden Latte was being sampled, mixed with water and it was so creamy I couldn't believe it! I'm already a huge mushroom drinker and now they surprised me with this! Turmeric contains bioactive compounds with powerful medicinal properties, it is also a natural anti-inflammatory making turmeric dramatically increases the antioxidant capacity of the body. Go buy some HERE and use DISCOUNT CODE UNIQUEHEARTBEAT.!

     Alternative plant cheese that doesn't contain peas, soy, peanuts or tree nuts (except for coconut)! Violife is the way to go. They have a variety of cheeses that I was blown away by the smell, taste and texture of all of them! OMG I couldn't stop eating it! Most importantly their cheeses are clean, free of preservatives and GMOs. Check them out HERE to see where you can find them near you.

     "Restore and maintain good bacteria on the skin," the saying Mother Dirt goes by. I was able to talk in-depth to one  of the onsite members and learned so much about their product. Using good bacteria to balance our PH on our skin from head to toe sounds supernatural but let me tell you... Mother dirt sent me one of each of their products to try and I'm happy with the results. I have an 8 year old that has a very unbalanced PH due to severe food allergies and started using their cleanser on her face and you can tell her face is reacting well to this product, it's clearing up nicely. AO+ mist works wonders on all of us especially my husband that reacts to all deodorants, plus this keeps him from being stinky after he works 16 hour shifts! Let's talk shampoo, I have 2 daughters one with long, straight and a slight wave in her hair that goes past her knees and the other with super tight curly hair. Two different types of hair and one shampoo, lets just say their hair looks ALIVE! You can buy their products HERE. I recommend the bundle if you want to try all their products for a great deal.

     Here are 2 other things Turmeric: Kraut and the Gut Shot. I went back to Farmhouse Culture booth about 10 times during the show because I couldn't get enough of it and it was reassuring that I was getting something good into my gut with all the samples I was trying. Shop for their products HERE.

     Further Foods Daily Turmeric Tonic just another amazing product with turmeric. It's fresh and delightful, something I will start using for my husband and I in rotation with all other things turmeric. Shop their products HERE and use DISCOUNT CODE CLUBCURVASOC.

     BeTru was a cream I came across at the CBD Summit at Expo West. It looked interesting and went to see what it was about during break time. Brad asked me if I had pain anywhere and I said yes my Sciatica  nerve always hurts, so he gave me a pea size amount, instructed me to rub it on for 15 seconds and come back to him in 15 minutes. No lie 15 minutes I went back and the pain was gone, almost like it was numbed, but the best part was that it worked for a period of 4 hours. A pea size amount worked for 4 hours, I'm a believer. You can buy the cream HERE. Hope it works as well or better on you!

     Barlean's Vegan Omega Swirls, soon to be renamed Seriously Delicious Omega-3 and the new name fits perfectly! My 8 year old and husband said it tastes like candy, it's a mom and wife win for sure!!  It's an excellent source of Plant-Based Omega-3, it has more than 2,900 mg Per Serving! It's 100% Vegan, delicious and taste and texture are on point. It has no artificial flavors or colors, no cane sugar, and it's sweetened naturally with Xylitol. It's made with proprietary amplified absorption emulsification technology for Improved nutrient absorption, it's Gluten Free, Non-GMO, Dairy Free and it is run on the same line as fish, but they have GMP. They wash, sanitize, and test for allergens to ensure safety. Shop HERE. Also if you didn't know they are an amazing company that has many giving back programs-  you can learn more about Path To A Better Life HERE.

     Ultra clean protein? Yes. With one ingredient it's definitely ultra clean, it has 19 grams of protein and no added sugar. It's smooth and tastes like a pumpkin seed shake, yum! It's USDA Organic and Raw. Here is an explanation from their site of how it's done. "Simple Pumpkin Seed Protein is derived directly from the nutrient-rich seeds of pumpkins. By gently milling their seeds into a powder, you can enjoy a versatile and highly digestible, gluten, soy and dairy free source of vegetable protein that contains all of the amino acids, as well as wide variety of other nutrients found naturally in pumpkin seeds. At over 60% plant-based protein content, it is a suitable source of protein for vegetarians and vegans!" Shop HERE.

     Starting this off by saying that I have heard that Expo West is the biggest expo of all time. It's located at the Anaheim Convention Center  in California. I have started off slow with blogging but I decided now was the time to jump in so I sign up as one of the New Hope Blogger Team and I am excited to say the least. You can meet the New Hope Blogger Team Colleen Francioli of ​Fodmap life, Desarae Fowler & Kadee Morrison of Oh So Delicioso, Erica Dermer of Celiac and the Beast, Jackie Day of My Vegan Journal, Jenny Zhang of Organically Blissful, Kara Dewitt of Sister Undercover, Kathlena "The Allergy Chef" of Food and Lego, Krysten Dornik of Krystens Kitchen, Leah Segedie of Mamavation, Lindsay Mauch of Fit and Awesome, Nickey Omohundro of Little Family Adventure, Paris Marash of Green and Fries, Sarah Kay Hoffman of Sarah Kay Hoffman, Sofia & Frank Polizzi of PlantBased Companion, Venus Ramos of Doctor Venus, Yvonne Feld of Tried and Tasty and last but never the least yours truly!

     So I am so luck to have great friends like Krysten Dornik she has been do supportive of me, a great friend and an amazing mentor (now we consider her part of the family). I asked her if she could guide me out with all the Expo craziness and she agreed. Here are some of the tip she gave me and I hope they can help you too.
                             Things to bring to Expo
  1. Wear comfy shoes. (no cute boots or heels ladies)
  2. Map out your days. You don't want to run from one side to the other.
  3. Business cards. This is how companies will remeber you.
  4. Pen and notepad.
  5. DON'T forget your medications like Epinephrine and ibuprofen.  
  6. Eat a good breakfast. (Bring a small lunch if you have allergies. Even tho there is tons of food it doesn't mean it's all safe)

                    Things i'm looking forward to at Expo
  1. I'm looking forward to finding Booch.
  2. Keto friendly products.
  3. AIP products.
  4. Paleo friendly products.
  5. Gluten Free products.
  6. Peanut, Tree nut free products.
  7. Vegan products.
  8. Networking and connecting with new brands.
  9. Looking forward in learning more about CBD oil and it's benefits.
 10. Having fun and finding new products.
 ​If you are looking for anything in specific leave me a comment and I will try my best to find it. If you are on a special diet and looking for a safe alternative to a product please reach out.
  I can't wait to come back and share my top 10 Expo finds of 2018.

Also if you have a Twitter make sure you follow Join #ExpoWestTrends for a LIVE Twitter party about natural food win some prizes!   http://bit.ly/expowesttrends18 on March 8th at 8:45am PST

• 20 winners will win: Samples of a variety of NEXTY Award winning products, which are the hottest new natural products hitting store shelves! (value $50+)