Spotlight On Green Living’s 2023 Health, Wellness & Water Expo

By Laine Seaton

Helping Arizonans to reset and renew their focus on health and wellness in the new year was the inspiration behind Green Living’s recent Health, Wellness & Water Expo. Held on January 26 at the Avondale Visitor & Conference Center, the event brought together thousands of attendees from across the Valley, along with dozens of local businesses, nonprofit organizations, and municipalities. The day’s events focused on education and sharing the latest innovations in health, wellness, and water preservation.

The day kicked off with a special greeting from Green Living’s Publisher, Dorie Morales, followed by a welcome message from the City of Avondale Mayor, Kenn Weise, who spoke about the significance of hosting the event at the city’s new sustainably-built center, with elements that reflect Avondale’s rich history of agriculture and farming.

Throughout the Expo, attendees had the opportunity to hear and learn from experts via numerous speakers’ panels and breakout sessions, and to meet local companies and organizations focused on health and water issues.

Quita Jackson, Founder of GreenDesert.org, moderated the Health & Wellness panel and shared a bit about her journey “off the grid.”

She notes, “I really hope that everyone who attended the Expo walked away feeling empowered and inspired to take control of their health through nutrition and natural remedies. My biggest hope is that what they learned will not just be informative, but life-changing. The best part of it all was seeing attendees leave with a renewed sense of excitement for their own wellness journeys.”

Psychologist Stevie May Douglas added to the health & wellness discussion by sharing her expertise and the connection between digestive health and mental health.

“You rely on the good bacteria in your gut for whole health. The good bacteria in your gut rely on you for their health. It’s a symbiotic relationship. If you can begin to develop and nurture a relationship with yourself in this way, you will naturally begin to be more protective of what you put into your body, and you will feel more appreciation for its systems,” she said.

Shifting gears to focus on water, four experts in the field participated in the State of Water in Arizona panel. Avondale’s Water Resources Manager, Jennifer Davidson, spoke about the city’s water resources, systems, and strategies being used to conserve and reuse.

The day’s discussions wrapped up with a final panel focused on water, agriculture, and technology. Five local experts spoke about today’s challenges with farming and agriculture. Additionally, they discussed innovations being used to conserve water and produce quality soil. Dane Hague, CEO and Co-Founder of the company MyLand, described the company’s system for ‘regenerative agriculture,’ and its purpose of replenishing farm land with healthy soil.

“Water is top of mind for so many people in Arizona right now, as it should be. Without water, life cannot sustain. It was great to be part of an event that brought so many different perspectives to an incredibly nuanced and complex conversation,” he said. “At MyLand, we’re humbled to be in position to meaningfully impact how much water can be saved, whether on a golf course, farm, or even at a public park. It starts with building life in the soil.”

Expo visitors also had the chance to participate in three afternoon breakout sessions, featuring Suzette Smith, founder of Garden Goddess; Lourdes D’Sylva, CEO of Lymph Life; and Marilyn Fitzgerald, President of SpiritMindBody.

Guests enjoyed a delicious lunch catered by Witnessing Nature in Food, and several women received free mammograms thanks to a special collaboration between local nonprofit Check For a Lump and the Mobile Onsite Mammography (MOM) van.

Green Living Magazine thanks the following sponsors and partners for helping to make the event such a success: SRP, Discover Avondale, Green Goddess, E2O Energy Group, Pure Vision Technologies, Exceptional Water Systems, Arizona Sustainability Alliance, Simply CBD, Lymph Life, Water Use It Wisely, Liberty Water, Check For a Lump, Mobile Onsite Mammography, and Witnessing Nature in Food.