Boring Porridge. Anything but boring (12 photos)

Tammy Watts, part owner of The Country Way, grew up on an area farm that once supplied all the produce sold at the store.

What better person to spearhead the Sault's second annual Green and Healthy Living Expo?

The day-long event took place at Algoma's Water Tower Inn yesterday, hosting 44 national vendors and 10 local vendors showcasing a vast array of products, services and merchandise.

Visitors were invited to sample, test and purchase everything from super juices, supplements, and organic foods (including the pictured Boring Porridge, which was anything but boring) to soaps, lotions, and pet care products.

According to Watts, the cornerstone and first step to healthy living is hydration.

"Not only water but when we look at foods and how deficient the things we eat are, we need to key in and determine if they contain live nutrients," she told SooToday.com.

"50 years ago we never had grocery stores that big. They're so full of packaged goods that say 'whole' and 'natural', but nothing is whole and natural in a packaged good that has a live vitality in it," she explained. "We need to go to whole foods and ensure they have their live enzymes and nutrients to bring about vitality for our bodies. We need to get back to the basics of eating an apple and eating those carrots that come from the garden."

Unfortunately, most soils today are so depleted of their nutrients that we have no choice but to supplement our diets in order to get the proper nutrition.

Relying on supplements, however, is a common mistake many people make when attempting to live a healthier lifestyle.

"If we don't learn how to eat properly, it doesn't matter which supplements we're taking. We have to hone in first and foremost on nutrition," Watts said.

More SooToday.com green headlines