Lisa Matar, a Los Gatos mom of two, had simply launched her Well being Bear line of single-serving, high-protein oatmeals when the pandemic hit.
“Out of the blue, all the children had been dwelling and never speeding out the door, and no one was going into the workplace,” Matar remembers.
It was time to reimagine her convenience-based strategy to her product. She started engaged on bulk packaging, each to cut back waste and to supply extra flexibility to the buyer. The brand new, multi-serve packaging can be hitting grocery shops throughout California this fall. Her superfood oatmeal, which comprises oats, chia, flax, pea protein powder and hemp seeds, is at the moment obtainable from her Well being Bear web site, amazon.com and woot.com in flavors like coconut cardamom and blueberry lemon. Well being Bear’s workplaces are in Campbell.
Matar is from San Diego, the place she studied graphic design and nice artwork. Discovering a profession in that business too solitary, she labored in actual property for eight years earlier than shifting to Los Gatos, the place she grew to become energetic within the Bella Vista League and St. Mary’s faculty and church.
Elevating two youngsters, ages 10 and 12, within the Catholic faculty system whereas her husband works in excessive tech plugged her into lots of enjoyable, social “mommy” teams round her children’ faculty actions.
When the pandemic shut down in-person lessons and every thing that surrounds faculty life, that infrastructure vanished, together with the social ingesting environment that accompanied it.
“I made a decision I wished to stay my model, which is enjoyable, match meals,” says Matar. Giving up alcohol was a part of her objective to attain the power and focus she wanted to drive her model—and her well being—to the subsequent stage. She embraced the “sober curious” motion, pushed by a want for readability and private well being.
“Now that the children are again at school, I've 5 hours a day max to get completed what I have to do after figuring out on the gymnasium,” she says. “No extra napping noon as a result of I don’t really feel good after having a few glasses of wine the day earlier than.
“Being tremendous wholesome doesn't imply a boring life-style. I'm constructing an organization in the future at a time, and I can't think about something much less boring. On daily basis brings on new challenges to sort out.”
Matar additionally started to suppose extra in regards to the influence of her life-style decisions on the planet. About 4 years in the past, she began the transition from a meat-based weight loss program to a plant-based one. She’s now gone fully vegan. Her recommendation to these beginning to discover a plant-based weight loss program is to do it steadily.
“I lower out cheese and eggs first, as a result of I assumed the manufacturing strategies had been inhumane,” she says. “Then I lower out rooster and beef, specializing in greens. I observed a giant change in the way in which I felt. For some time, I included fish in my routine, however once I take a look at what’s occurring within the oceans, I simply couldn’t try this anymore.
“With my relentless vegetable consuming, my children have come round to take pleasure in a bigger assortment of greens, together with some fairly tough hippie-style salads,” she says. “Additionally, my daughter has determined in opposition to scorching canines and steak and can solely eat Unattainable hamburgers.”
Among the many manufacturers that assist make her vegan life “superior” is Double Rainbow Ice cream. This San Francisco-based model provides vegan, non-dairy flavors like vanilla and mint chocolate chip. Matar lately met the proprietor on the Fancy Meals Present in Las Vegas, the place she additionally found plant-based prosciutto and salami from Mia in Italy.
On the similar present, she tried plant-based rooster from rebellious.com. “It was the very best, most genuine rooster I've ever tasted. Their slogan is ‘No hurt, no fowl.’”
Along with oatmeal, Matar is engaged on new formulation for protein shakes, snack bars and cookies.
For extra info, go to https://www.healthbearfood.com.