It is that time of year again, time for the 5th annual edition of Evita’s Favorite Natural Things, where I share with you highlights of some of the best, most valuable, or optimally healthy products or services that have come to my attention over the year.

As another year winds down, it is a great time to reflect on all that we have learned this past year, and how we optimized our health using any new products or habits. We are living today in rapidly changing times and the fields of both natural health and nutrition are reflecting this. It is therefore essential as I always share to stay up to date and not get stuck living based on old information or outdated belief patterns.

Thanks to consumers like you and I, we are influencing the market of truly natural and healthy products. The more aware we become of what is optimal for our health and well-being, the better we are able to drive our choices and the market to reflect what we want. Each day new products are coming out, while old ones get re-formulated or fall away. And the best part is that today, more than ever, we have so much choice at our fingertips to make the best choices for our health and well-being. Whether it is our food and personal care, or our information and entertainment choices, we are seeing the evolution taking place on our planet that is making it easier to make the best choices for us, and our world as a whole.

So whether you are looking for new information or products, or a special gift idea for yourself or a loved one, below you will find some unique and meaningful items that caught my attention this year, and which I wanted to share with you as well. It is my pleasure to share with you this year’s edition of my favorite natural things.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,
bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens,
brown paper packages tied up with strings,
these are a few of my favorite things.

Favorite Natural Food Products for 2013

  1. Organic Traditions Superfoods

    I have been using this line of products for several years now, for a select number of items, but this year was the year when thanks to easier and more convenient availability of the product, I have made it my main supplier of the various super foods that I use. You can read more about why I love this line so much, and which of their products I have most regularly enjoyed up to this point.

  2. Udo’s Organic Omega 3-6-9 & DHA Oils

    As we become more conscious about the quality and quantity of the oils that we use, Udo’s Oils have always come highly recommended. They have caught my attention in the past, and this year I made a point of trying them for myself. You can read my full review of Udo’s oils to learn more about why they are one of the top oils we can be using for optimal health.

  3. ShaSha Organic Bio Buds

    I have been a fan of ShaSha breads for several years now. This year I made more use of their organic bio-buds, which are basically dry, sprouted grains and beans. These are outstanding choices for those who wish to enjoy the many benefits of sprouts, but may not always be able or willing to make their own sprouts.

Favorite Health Enhancing Supplements for 2013

  1. Naka Vital Greens

    This is a helpful product for those who wish to alkalize, energize or provide healing and support to their body in a quick and convenient way, aside from optimizing their diet.

  2. Adrenal Support

    This is a fantastic natural health product, based on Ayurvedic and other herbs, as well as vitamins and supporting compounds to utilize during times of amplified physical, mental or emotional stress. It can help support the function of the adrenals, optimize energy levels, improve sleep, mood, cognitive ability and much more. For US-based consumers, check out a similar adrenal formula from Gaia Herbs below:

Favorite Kitchen Appliance for 2013

  • Paderno Vegetable Slicer

    This versatile and economical kitchen gadget is such a pleasure to use. It has been a welcome addition to my kitchen this year. For those who are interested in eating for optimal health, you know that raw fruits and vegetables play a big part in most meals. This is where this simple gadget comes in super handy. You can quickly and easily make raw, zucchini noodles, or have creatively sliced produce for beautiful and unique salad combinations.

Favorite Natural Personal Care for 2013

  • Sante Liquid Eyeliner

    Finally, a natural-based and vegan-friendly liquid eyeliner that actually works as well as its synthetic counterparts. Great find for those who wish to minimize hazardous toxins in their make-up products. Check out Sante’s line of products for other great health-oriented personal care items.

Favorite Health & Nutrition Book for 2013

  • Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition

    This is not just my book for the year, but at least for this decade! Author, Dr. T. Colin Campbell comes out bearing it all when it comes to helping us understand the mess and confusion we have in the field of health, nutrition and science today. It is eye-opening, mind expanding and highly empowering for each of us to get to know the facts and take responsible action in our life when it comes to how we will approach what we eat, any supplements we take, what medical charities we support and how we understand the so called “science” of today. A must read for anyone who wishes to be seriously informed and empowered about their personal health and our collective health system. (Read my full review of Whole here.)

Favorite Holistic Health Film for 2013

  • Grounded

    This is a film I highly recommend for every barefoot enthusiast out there, as well as for those who are seeking any kind of healing on a mind or body level, or connection with nature. The film features numerous health experts and tells the true tale of an Alaskan wildlife filmmaker’s persistent curiosity and quest to test the claims of the effect of physical, bare skin contact with the Earth. New research has started to confirm the unexpected, that the surface of the Earth has healing power, like a gigantic treatment table. You can own a copy of the DVD (see Amazon.com link above) or enjoy the film in a pay per view format instantly from the Grounded film website.

Favorite Children’s Resource for 2013

  • Green Smoothie Magic

    Author and raw food expert Victoria Boutenko has published yet another wonderful book for children, this time focusing on the incorporation of greens into their diet through the fast, easy and delicious green smoothies.

Favorite Sustainable Activity for 2013

  • Growing Your Own Food

    This year was my 3rd year of having and working on my own food garden, and it was the year in which I maximized the area of my garden and its output. This was one of the highlights of my year and something I strongly recommend for any of you who have any land, or any capability to grow something yourself. The rewards and benefits of this pastime are numerous! You engage in one of the most valuable and sustainable activities on our planet, you become part of the solution for so many of our global challenges, you experience some time with nature in a state of stillness, relaxation and being, decrease your stress levels, increase your well-being, and of course you get to enjoy the amazing flavors and nutrition benefits of consuming your own organic fruits, vegetables and/or herbs.

Oldies, But Goodies

I invite you to also check out the previous versions of Evita’s Favorite Natural Things for more ideas, products and valuable items for optimal health:

Evita’s Health Resources

If you are looking for some natural health and nutrition resources to optimize your personal habits, or help someone else tap into the natural healing ability of the body to prevent disease and maintain optimal health, I invite you to explore some of my teaching and written resources.

  1. The 5 Pillars of Optimal Health online video course on the Udemy virtual teaching platform. This course can be taken by you, or given as a gift for anyone who is interested in understanding the essentials of healthy living. It is an online, video course that includes over 3 and a half hours of video lectures, as well as several downloadable print resources. The general topics cover how to understand and cultivate healthy eating, sleeping, movement, environment and thinking in your life for optimal health. Enjoy the course as part of a holiday special for only $15 (regular $45) using this special promotion link

  2. If you enjoy, or are looking for classes on specific topics, check out my collection of health classes on LearnItLive.com, including classes that teach you how to read nutrition labels, how to cook optimally healthy plant based meals, what the most powerful foods are to eat, how to make sense of natural healing therapies, and many more!

  3. Finally, for those of you who may enjoy a specific focus on nutrition, check out my book Healing and Prevention Through Nutrition. It provides the foundation for how to eat, what to eat and why for optimal health in an easy and friendly format that everyone can understand and apply in their life. It is widely available at major online book retailers in a paperback or Kindle format.

Thank you in advance for supporting my work, which helps me to continue creating the multitude of free resources here on EvolvingWellness.com and Healthytarian.com. Enjoy these resources and may they provide you with all the information you are seeking currently to advance your health and wellness on a mind, body and spirit level.

Wishing you optimal health, joy and inner peace at this time—and always!